I had a startling reminder of just how far economy cars have come in the last several years. I was saddled with a 2009 bare-bones Ford Focus as a temporary ride while my car was being repaired. I jumped into the loaner, which had been delivered to my office, and headed for the parking gate. As I rolled up to the card-reader, my hand fumbled for the power window switch: mistake No. 1.
As a bare-bones econo-box, the Focus was equipped with manual hand-crank windows. After a brief stint of left-arm exercise, I was through the gate. I realized that my right side-view mirror was, as for every automotive journalist who drive’s someone else’s cars all the time, ill-adjusted. I searched for the adjustment button: mistake No. 2.
After stretching the width of the cabin, I managed to use the manual lever to set the mirror. Yes, driving the Focus was becoming a full-body workout, but it was kind of fun to experience a throwback in automotive development. Fun, that is, until it came to stopping the Focus on a wet, slippery road.
After noting the absence of many comfort and convenient features taken for granted these days, I questioned whether the little Focus was equipped with antilock brakes. With no traffic surrounding me, I snapped on the binders while travelling down a steep, rain-soaked road. Nope. No antilock. The front wheels immediately locked up and my steering became as useless as ice to an Inuit.
My overnight date with the Focus was quite an eye-opener. It really reinforced in me the importance of modern safety equipment, such as antilock brakes and vehicle stability control programs. Fortunately, the latest generation of the frugal Focus is exceptionally well-equipped with both safety technology and occupant protection along with a vastly more comprehensive array of comfort and convenience features.
Let the good ol’ days of hand-crank windows and skidding tires remain nothing more than nostalgic memories.
As a bare-bones econo-box, the Focus was equipped with manual hand-crank windows. After a brief stint of left-arm exercise, I was through the gate. I realized that my right side-view mirror was, as for every automotive journalist who drive’s someone else’s cars all the time, ill-adjusted. I searched for the adjustment button: mistake No. 2.
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After stretching the width of the cabin, I managed to use the manual lever to set the mirror. Yes, driving the Focus was becoming a full-body workout, but it was kind of fun to experience a throwback in automotive development. Fun, that is, until it came to stopping the Focus on a wet, slippery road.
After noting the absence of many comfort and convenient features taken for granted these days, I questioned whether the little Focus was equipped with antilock brakes. With no traffic surrounding me, I snapped on the binders while travelling down a steep, rain-soaked road. Nope. No antilock. The front wheels immediately locked up and my steering became as useless as ice to an Inuit.
My overnight date with the Focus was quite an eye-opener. It really reinforced in me the importance of modern safety equipment, such as antilock brakes and vehicle stability control programs. Fortunately, the latest generation of the frugal Focus is exceptionally well-equipped with both safety technology and occupant protection along with a vastly more comprehensive array of comfort and convenience features.
Let the good ol’ days of hand-crank windows and skidding tires remain nothing more than nostalgic memories.