2016 Ford Focus Three-Cylinder: Automatic or Manual?
CARS.COM — Ford’s three-cylinder EcoBoost engine has been a success in Europe, where it is available in ten Ford models sold across the continent. The three-cylinder first appeared in the U.S. as an option in the Fiesta subcompact sedan, and then in the Focus compact for 2015.
Related: Research the Ford Focus
The turbocharged 1.0-liter three-cylinder produces 123 horsepower and 125 pounds-feet of torque, which is 37 hp less than the Focus’ base engine. At launch, you could get it only with a manual. For 2016, however, the three-cylinder is available with a dual-clutch six-speed automatic. I spent back-to-back weeks in two Focus SE sedans with the two transmissions to see how the new automatic changes the driving experience.
The Engine: The Good
I put both versions to the test on the clogged streets and freeways of Los Angeles, as well as on steep highway inclines. The six-speed manual took a trip from Los Angeles to Las Vegas through Death Valley, while the automatic braved traffic and mounted a charge up the Sepulveda pass on the 101 highway.
Around the city, I enjoyed the performance of the Focus in both forms. Its suspension and handling are not as well-sorted as several other models in this segment (namely the Honda Civic and Mazda3), but the engine revs happily and pulls well from a stop. Give it a little juice and the skinny tires will chirp happily. It’s certainly not world-beating speed by any stretch, but I would be lying if I didn’t say that a small smile crept across my lips the first time I hit the gas with some vigor.
I also prefer the engine note of the three-cylinder to the four-cylinder; it’s not a Mustang, but a little grunt goes a long way in replacing the four-cylinder drone that’s common in this segment.
The Engine: The Bad
The three-cylinder’s shortcomings really are felt at speeds north of 50 mph. The drive from Los Angeles through Death Valley takes you on long, unencumbered stretches of two-lane road, which gave me plenty of opportunities to test the Focus’ passing prowess at speed.
If you want to pass someone, bring something to read and wear comfortable clothes — you’re going to be there for a while. The first time I tried to pass another vehicle in the manual version was an adventure. Dropping from sixth to fifth wasn’t enough to get the Focus really moving, so I had to jump back into the lane and try two gears. Bumping down to fourth was better, but still required backing off some distance to get a run up on the car in front in order to make it around safely. Passing in the automatic also was a chore; I ended up moving the shifter into manual mode to better control the gearing and gather enough speed.
Both transmissions also struggled on inclines — especially on the trek back from Las Vegas with two extra passengers and luggage in the car. Keeping the Focus in a consistent gear proved difficult in either case.
Automatic or Manual?
Even though I’m a card-carrying member of the “Save the Manuals” club, I preferred the Focus automatic. It offers a bit more pep off the line and, in most cases, found the right gear with ease. The only time it really hunted for gears was going uphill, but the experience in the manual wasn’t any better in that regard. And if you really want to take control, the toggle on the side of the shifter is easy to use.
The manual offers an average experience. Throws are a bit long and since it’s such a small engine you have to give it a bit more gas l than I’d like to get going. But the clutch has good feel and the catch point is in a good location – not too high, not too low.
There was one thing about the manual I did find impressive: It featured a start/stop system. It’s the first start/stop experience I’ve had with a manual transmission and I was worried it would be disruptive, but it wasn’t. Pull up to a stoplight, put the car in neutral, lift off the clutch and the engine turns off quietly. Start to put the clutch in again to put the Focus in gear and the engine clicks on before the clutch drops all the way. The first few times it happens, it’s a bit startling, but after a day or so I didn’t really notice it. Kudos to Ford for this integration; the addition of stop/start didn’t hamper the driving experience at all and offers even more fuel economy benefits. With the automatic, the three-cylinder Focus is EPA-rated at 28/40/32 mpg city/highway/combined and at 30/42/35 with the manual.
The three-cylinder sounds small, but it’s powerful enough around town and the fuel economy benefits of a smaller engine translate to dollars saved. Bonus: Even though it’s turbocharged, the engine still takes regular gas.
Although the engine’s performance in city driving is good, bordering on fun, the missing power is felt when trying to merge or pass on the highway. This is not something unique to the Focus, however, and not something that either transmission could fix.
