Last week I put the air-conditioning of our long-term Ford Focus to a serious performance test by driving the little blue coupe through Death Valley, California, one of the hottest places on the face of the Earth.
The temps were pushing 123-degrees in the shade, but the Ford's air conditioning was up to the task, easily keeping the Focus cool and comfortable. The air continued to blow cold even when climbing the long, steep grade just outside of Stovepipe Wells, and the engine's water temperature gage remained pegged right in the middle, with no signs of overheating.
Way to go Focus.
Wecome to Death Valley.
Scott Oldham, Inside Line Editor in Chief @ 23,787
canadaphant says:
12:40 PM, 07/15/09
That second picture just made my day.
joefrompa says:
12:43 PM, 07/15/09
Scott,
Is that really that impressive? I've never had a car that was cruising at 40+mph in 100 degree heat have a problem with keeping the car cool and it's temperature gauge right in the middle (which, as you probably know, means almost nothing since the temperature gauge is heavily buffered to stay in the middle).
Now if it stayed cool in the cabin and in the middle when in stop and go traffic in death valley, I'd be impressed.
audisport says:
12:51 PM, 07/15/09
+1 for second pic. That's fantastic.
huyracing says:
01:01 PM, 07/15/09
wow, thats impressive. if only ford would bring over the ST or RS versions.
my AC on the GTI failed to work in 115 degree weather... took 30 minutes to cool down the car and by then the sun was going down and temps dropped to 100. so who really knows how long it would've taken the car to battle the 115 temps.
joefrompa says:
01:12 PM, 07/15/09
Huy - Really? Wow. Maybe I've just been fortunate....I really thought every modern car easily handled 100-120 degree temps (outside of racing the car).
I drop in some heavier duty oil, but that's about it.
fuhteng says:
01:26 PM, 07/15/09
Great second photo. I love it.
bimmerjay says:
01:30 PM, 07/15/09
I'm with joefrompa, I can't imagine any modern car not being able to handle this task without any problems.
This is what I've seen Ford do during development: Take prototype vehicle in dark colors to Death Valley or other hot-as-hell location. Park vehicle surrounded by mirrored walls and leave for at least 1-2 full days baking in the sun to fully heat-soak all materials. Among other tests, require A/C to cool down vehicle interior within minutes while remaining parked, still baking in the "heat box". Another test is to load the car to its max GCVWR in similar 120+F conditions and make it climb hills all day long, while keeping the engine operating parameters in check and the cabin cooled to spec. Hot weather testing is brutal.
jstandefer says:
01:41 PM, 07/15/09
Wow, the Focus does still exist. Other than mentions of how this car is not worthy of Car of the Week status, I figured you guys had crushed it or something. I also noticed the miles. You have had it just shy of six months, and there are nearly 24,000 miles on it. For comparison, your 135i has just over 24,000 miles on it, but it has been in the fleet for over 14 months.
So, you guys and gals drive this car a lot. A whole lot. A whole bunch of lot. And it hasn't needed transmission replacements or new suspension arms... It's a reliable, economical, comfortable, inexpensive work horse that a lot of consumers would probably like to know about. You know, those little things that you (and your advertisers) want people to visit your site to see. And it's not worthy of Car of the Week why?
rick8365 says:
01:51 PM, 07/15/09
I always found the AC in my Fords cranked out air that was freezer cold no matter what - nice. My last two Nissans haven't been as a good, dark dash and interiors though.
Not to nit-pick but..... is a gage or gauge really "pegged" if it is right in the middle?
mrryte says:
02:00 PM, 07/15/09
"And it's not worthy of Car of the Week why?"
Because it's just a "lowly" Ford Focus. And it's a shame that thus far it has been treated like the nerdy dork at a frat party. It is simple reliable, basic point-to-point transportation.
BTW:Let's do an unofficial "You write the caption" for the second pic. I'll start:
"My other bike is a REAL Harley-I swear!"
rick8365 says:
02:07 PM, 07/15/09
"Lost a bet,eh??"
mjp16 says:
02:09 PM, 07/15/09
You do realize that temperature gauges in modern cars aren't really much better than idiot hot/cold lights--they have a lot of "give" so they remain centred (or move relatively little) within a certain operating range. Then when you hit extremes the needle finally moves. This is applicable to the Audi post a few posts down as well.
blueguydotcom says:
02:12 PM, 07/15/09
Dang a HVAC like that sounds like a godsend. I've had 2 e90s and neither one could keep my BMWs cool. On 85 degree days (like today) my whole drive home will involve the 335's HVAC on full blast, recirc, absolute cold 60 degrees for both sides and the car will never approach 70 degrees.
ssaxsma says:
02:23 PM, 07/15/09
Blueguy,
Agreed. I'm a fan of the German cars, but the E90 has awful aircon.
jstandefer says:
02:30 PM, 07/15/09
"GM, beware! This is what happened when the government owned Harley Davidson."
"Heat sickness: defined."
"Through the heat haze, you would never know..."
dalaw says:
03:06 PM, 07/15/09
Good to know. My Civic's a/c will not blow cold air if just starting up in 115+ degree weather, but gets better once it gets moving for a while.
huyracing says:
03:09 PM, 07/15/09
i think weak AC is a German thing. i've also owned like 5 Benz's and the AC equally sucked.
huisj says:
04:41 PM, 07/15/09
"The gang said I couldn't ride my real bike until my footwear was up to snuff, and it's just too hot for boots."
stovt001 says:
10:27 PM, 07/15/09
I feel the same about my Cobalt as many here feel about the Focus. It isn't sexy, the details aren't as nicely done as other cars in the class, the performance isn't remarkable, and it has some niggling quality defects (such as the door handles on the Focus) but in the end, it is very reliable, very efficient, very affordable, and simple plays the role of economical transportation device very very well. I needed something simple to drive to my internships while in college, and I couldn't have made a better decision. It may not be the best car out there, but you could do a lot worse.
chavis10 says:
04:52 AM, 07/16/09
A/C in both my Mazda3s has been subpar. I rarely use my a/c anyway so it isn't that big of a deal for me but I feel bad for people who really want/need that ice cold air blasting while they drive. The air leaving the vents is never COLD- just cool. Dealer tested vent temps and claim they fall within "specs." When I asked for the range of the "spec" they declined to divulge that data.
joefrompa says:
07:01 AM, 07/16/09
One thing i rarely hear people talk about is feeling the A/C affect on power.
My 06 SI has very good A/C (in 90 degree sunny days when cruising along I rarely have it above 2-3 notches of fan power out of about 8 notches).
But it does two things that bother me: The car loses noticeable low and mid range power and the parasitic drag makes the car drop revs ALOT faster. So shifting smoothly becomes a chore.
That's quite annoying, in that I often turn off my A/C altogether when I hit a stoplight and i'm getting ready to take off. Just to make it easier to shift and accelerate for 15-20 seconds.
Joe
dougtheeng says:
08:17 AM, 07/16/09
The AC in my MINI Cooper was terrible. To cool that little cabin on a hot day, I would have to have it on the absolute maximum and with significant fan speed. It was noisy, blowy and not all that cold.
s197gt says:
08:24 AM, 07/16/09
"how does that joke about 'mopeds are like fat girls' go???"
otaku says:
01:04 AM, 07/17/09
I've been reading through most of this section regarding the Ford Focus ever since Edmunds decided to add one to its long term fleet and I finally decided to throw in my two cents. This is my first post, so please bear with me. Also, most of my comments are intended as a personal comparison of the Focus coupe vs. the Honda coupe, so I apologize in advance if this post belongs in a different thread.
Despite all the hatred leveled at this vehicle, I went out and bought one a little over a month ago. I can already honestly say it's the best car I've ever owned (my previous cars were an '86 T-Bird, '91 Escort GT, '94 Probe, '96 Pontiac Grand Am GT, and a 2000 Escort ZX2). I was in the market for a dependable, inexpensive, compact(ish), fuel efficient, front-wheel-drive 2-door model (I will never buy a sedan PERIOD). Turns out, there's not too many of them left on the market, but I managed to find a used silver '08 Focus SE Coupe automatic with 13k miles. It's similar to the one reviewed at this site, but mine only has the 15 inch rims, without the rear spoiler or the SYNC system, which I don't miss in the slightest (I don't really have much use for all that electronic felger-carb). The sale price was just under $10k and the dealer gave me $3,150 in trade for my Escort, which, when you take into account my max budget of $7,500, was the best deal I could find for a nearly mint condition pre-owned vehicle still under warranty, that met all my criteria.
The only other cars that I felt were in the same category were the Chevy Cobalt/Pontiac G5 coupes, the Honda Civic coupe, or, at the lower end of the spectrum, the Toyota Yaris hatchback (I also considered a used Saturn Ion Quad Coupe for a few minutes). Due to styling and dependability issues, I quickly crossed the GM models off my list and I hated the Yaris from the first moment I tried sitting in one. It somehow felt even cheaper and more uncomfortable than my brother's Hyundai Accent hatchback. That left the Focus and, of course, the Honda Civic, which I know everyone on these forums praises. I might have actually considered buying one too if I could have found one even approaching my price range. The best deal I saw was on an '06 Honda Civic Coupe with 30k miles going for about thirteen grand. So I purchased the Focus and never looked back.
I see nothing but criticism for its styling, but I kinda like it. It almost looks like a coupe version of Ford's Fusion. Plus, my old ZX2 had the blobby, curvy, aerodynamic body style of so many cars from the mid to late 90's and I was growing tired of it. At this point in my life, I prefer the chunky, more angular lines of this new Focus. I feel this design has more character and seems more mature (with a profile slightly reminiscent of the previous generation BMW 3 series coupe). I also love the way it drives. The chassis is as strong as a vault and almost gives it the feel of a mid-size vehicle. It's smooth, quiet, comfortable and composed over most road surfaces. It may not win many races, but I like the low end torque of the engine which never feels stressed and the automatic tranny which shifts very smoothly. Somehow it manages to have more power, and yet still gets better fuel economy than my old Escort, which must have been a couple hundred pounds lighter. So far, I'm averaging just above 34 mpg with about a 60/40 split between city/highway driving.
Sorry this rant has gone on for so long. I just wish some of these posts would elaborate more on the positive aspects of this vehicle (comfort, refinement, dependability, low operating costs, etc). Maybe everyone has much different expectations for the Focus and thinks it should be some kind of pocket-rocket sports car. Perhaps I'm in a demographic all by myself, because I appreciate it for it is to me - a conservatively styled inexpensive compact borderline personal luxury coupe.
One other thing; my best friend was also looking to trade up and just recently bought himself a brand new 2009 Honda Civic LX coupe with automatic. I am the first to say it's a great vehicle endowed with some excellent engineering from Honda. I can't help but notice, however, that he spent almost twice the amount I did for a car that is only one year newer, somewhat comparable in terms of general size (both passenger and cargo space) and power options installed, not quite as comfortable or quiet, especially on the highway, and is currently netting around 26 mpg. Perhaps things will improve as his car gets more "broken in", but he is already complaining about a vibration/buzz coming from the rear of the interior.
My friend let me take it for a quick spin and I must admit I'm still glad I went with the Focus. The Civic may be sportier, but I find that it has some trouble filtering out the negatives that are a part of that equation. The suspension is slightly stiffer, the ride height is lower and more noise/vibration/harshness seems to find its way into the cabin. Plus, at times the bolsters on the seats felt as though they were trying to squeeze my kidneys and whenever I tried to adjust the drivers seat to the ideal position, the steering wheel partially blocked my sightline to the digital readout for the speed.
Even if I could afford one, I think that two-tiered instrument panel would have ended up being a deal breaker for me. Anyways that's just my opinon, I could be wrong. Thanks for reading.