2009 Ford Focus

• Overall
• Prices
• Performance
• Exterior
• Interior
• Safety
• Reliability
• Photos & Videos

Interior - What the Auto Press Says

The Focus wins over most of the automotive press with cool cabin amenities and vast cargo space. But on the whole, reviewers are unmoved by the cabin's design, and several complain that the seating is uncomfortable.

• "Well-arranged dashboard has mostly intuitive and handy controls. The gauges for the most part are clear, but they can be hard to read in changing lighting conditions." -- Consumer Guide
• "Sync, which Ford developed with Microsoft, is so good it obscures the fact that the 2008 Focus is an otherwise average update of an aging compact car." --  Detroit Free Press

Seating

Reviewers are more preoccupied with the tiny rear seat to adequately assess the driver and front passenger's comfort and support. Although the car is built to seat five, there are numerous complaints about rear passengers' lack of legroom and cramped headspace.

• "The front seats are flat but prove supportive on long drives." -- Edmunds
• "The front seats are comfortable, with plenty of head and leg room. Thanks to larger mirrors and small rear pillars, the driver's seat affords a good view to all corners. The rear seat has decent room with shorter people up front, but leg room disappears as the seats are moved back for taller front seat occupants. Head room is decent in the sedan, but a bit lacking in the coupe." -- New Car Test Drive
• "Legroom is tight for a long-legged passenger behind a driver." -- MSN
• "Headroom and legroom in the sedan are decent for the class. The sunroof housing does cramp head space for taller riders." -- Consumer Guide

Interior Features

There's general agreement that the Focus' recently refreshed interior features are improved from earlier models, but to some, they aren't up to snuff with the class' top vehicles.

• "The interior of the 2009 Ford Focus looks contemporary, thanks to last year's refresh. Compared to other small cars, however, the Focus' interior is nothing special in terms of designs and materials, even with the optional aluminum-like trim highlights and colored interior lighting." -- Edmunds
• "A 'top-of-dash' display -- positioned at eye-level on the center stack -- features a message center that is easier to read when driving." -- The Auto Channel
• "The interior of the revised Focus is pleasant, if not particularly exciting, with a smartly styled, aluminum-look center stack and easy-to-decipher controls." -- Automobile Magazine

Stereo and Entertainment

The Focus's standard audio system is an AM/FM single CD player with MP3-capability and an audio input jack. But the car's most noteworthy addition for the last model year was the optional SYNC voice technology, a voice-activated car communication and entertainment system. Reviewers continue to be pleased with the SYNC's capabilities and easy-to-use interface.

• "Sync, Ford's voice-command system that can integrate one's phone and iPod, isn't a gimmick ... and is fairly easy to use." -- Car and Driver
• "Why is Sync so great? Besides teens reading their text messages, and making replies without taking hands off the wheel, or Blackberry-tethered executives receiving corporate text messages on the fly, or simply answering and making mobile calls without even a Bluetooth headset, Sync offers the opportunity to use commute time in novel ways." -- The Auto Channel
• "The phone system allows you to send and receive text messages; it comes pre-programmed with useful one-liners like 'Be there in 10 minutes', 'I need directions,' and 'I love you'." -- About.com
• "It didn't require training to recognize specific voices and pronunciations." -- USA Today

Cargo

The Focus sedan's 13.8 cubic feet of trunk volume is considered  generous by many. Those who surveyed the not yet released coupe's cargo areas also found them accommodating.

• "Trunk is roomy, and cargo space can be increased by flipping the split rear seatbacks forward." -- MSN
• "In a demonstration, the Focus easily swallowed two big hard side suitcases and two medium sized; its competitors could not fit more than three. ... If you need space, do take time to look into the trunk." -- The Auto Channel
• "On the plus side, the Ford Focus coupe's trunk is very commodious." -- Automobile Magazine