Mother Proof's view

Ketchup and mustard, chocolate and peanut butter, rum and coke – these things make sense, they sound right. I’m even a fan of less obvious combos, like pickles and ice cream (no, mom, I am not pregnant) or a recent favorite, dark chocolate and chili peppers. Like these odd pairings, when I say “Ford Focus” and “gadgets” in the same breath, it may sound a bit inconsistent, or just plain silly. Before I tested the Focus, I would have thought so, too. I thought of it as nothing more than Ford’s attempt to compete in the import-dominated small-car world – attempt being the operative word. Well, break out the Nutella and potato chips, because gadgetry and the 2008 Ford Focus are unexpectedly harmonious, just like savory and sweet.

Let’s start with the sweet: The Ford Focus is one of several vehicles in the Ford family to feature the new Sync infotainment system as an option. Plug in your iPod or another MP3 player and you can access your music or playlists with voice commands. Pair it with a compatible Bluetooth phone, and you can access your messages and make calls in the same way. That means you can keep both hands on the wheel and both eyes on the road. Look for my full review of Sync in the Gadget section.

To amp up the cool factor even more, the Focus also has an option for ambient interior lighting. Pressing a button – whose symbol resembles the international sign for foot sunburn – scrolls through seven LED lighting choices that illuminate the footwells and cupholders, both in the front and in the back. My 8-year-old thought this was the best feature on the car, especially when it helped her discover her grape-glow water bottle after a late dinner one night.

Beyond the gadgetry, I expected the Focus to be small and get good gas mileage, but I’d forgotten what it was like to fill up a family car for less than $30. I had to look up the gas tank capacity (13 gallons) to make sure I wouldn’t be going back for more the next morning.

For all the sweet things I liked about the Focus, there were a few things that were a bit too unsavory for my taste. The trunk has to be opened with the key or the key fob, so forget about asking your honey or kiddo to pop the trunk while you look for the keys. Another serious bummer is the lack of head restraints in the rear seating positions. Children in backless boosters and teenagers (not to mention adults) would probably experience some serious head whipping if the car were hit from behind. I was really in a quandary with my very tall but very light 8-year-old – her head was a good foot above the back of the seat when she sat in the booster, but the seat belt cut across her neck without it. I decided to put on the removable back for her booster seat and, needless to say, didn’t win any mommy points with that. Lastly, when there are car seats or boosters in the outboard rear seats, the middle seat becomes a tushy torture device. Let’s just say there was no delay in calling shotgun when my teenage passengers approached the car.

That said, though, even the squeezed teenager in the backseat approved of the 2008 Focus. There was just enough good to balance out this value sedan from Ford.

*For more information on the Ford Focus and its safety features, visit Cars.com With questions or comments regarding this review, write to editor@motherproof.com.

LET’S TALK NUMBERS

Latch Connectors: 2

Seating Capacity (includes driver): 5

IT’S THE LITTLE THINGS THAT COUNT

Storage Compartments (Puny, Fair, Ample, Galore): Fair

Cargo/Trunk Space (Puny, Fair, Ample, Galore): Fair

SENSE AND STYLE

Family Friendly (Not Really, Fair, Great, Excellent): Fair

Fun Factor (None, Some, Good Times, Groove On): Good Times

Specs

2008 Ford Focus

Base price: $16,375

Price as tested: $19,520

Engine: 140-hp, 2.0-liter I-4

Fuel: 24/35 mpg

Length: 175″

Width: 66.7″

Ground Clearance: n/a

Turning Radius: 17.1′

Cargo space: 13.8 cu. ft.

NHTSA Crash-Test Ratings

Frontal Impact

Driver’s side: n/a

Passenger’s side: n/a

Side Impact

Front occupant: n/a

Rear occupant: n/a

Rollover resistance: 4 Stars