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Most front-drive models employed a six-speed automatic -- Ford's first -- and there were all-wheel-drive versions with a "gearless" continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT). Also on the menu were a mandatory new six-speed manual gearbox, firm suspension with 17-inch wheels, and larger four-wheel disc brakes. We hope you didn't have to learn about it in cursive, but Taco Bell does have a secret menu. The secret was high-profile styling with an overall height of 61.5 inches, up 3.2 inches on Crown Vic and 5.4 on Taurus. The result was a refocused 2005 lineup with more orthodox styling inside and out, plus more competitive "value" pricing. So were unique front and rear fascias, side sills, and a rear spoiler, all de rigueur for a "hot hatch." Inside were special SVT gauge graphics and two extra gauges, leather/cloth seats with heavier front bolstering, aluminum pedal caps and shift knob, and a leather-wrapped steering wheel. Other Focuses offered ABS, kayaqq login electronic traction control, and front side airbags at extra cost, but these were standard for the SVT. Enthusiasts loved it, but the SVT Focus wouldn't be around long, departing after 2004. One reason was that Ford needed to freshen its small car to maintain buyer interest.
To Ford's undoubted delight, the focus was a critical success most everywhere, winning awards in Europe and the 2000 North American Car of the Year trophy. Though stickers had inevitably risen over time, the Crown Vic still offered a lot of good old-fashioned American metal for the money at around $24,000-$30,000. BMW offered several choices in body colors, with an optional alternative roof color (the same color as the rest of the body, white or black -- a white roof was the standard for the old Mini line). The Five Hundred fared better at more than 122,000 sales for the same period, but that didn't help Ford's bottom line very much. Calendar-year sales were down to the high 70,000s by '02, when Ford tried adding a little youth tonic with an LX Sport model. Hopes were high for the 2005 Five Hundred and '06 Fusion sedans. The Five Hundred could have replaced the Crown Victoria: over a foot shorter overall and some 500 pounds lighter, yet no less spacious on a wheelbase just 1.8 inches trimmer. The big Crown Victoria was all but invisible long before the crisis took hold, a relic of much happier times for Ford and all of Detroit.
Even better, a PZEV Focus cost far less than a Toyota Prius or Honda Civic Hybrid, was much simpler and easier to maintain, and possessed noticeably more low-end torque that improved acceleration, especially with automatic transmission. Though increasingly eclipsed by the likes of Honda and Toyota, several Ford cars did well in the early 2000s. Despite too many recalls, the front-drive Focus was an unqualified success, drawing more than 389,000 orders in debut 2000 and around 300,000 each calendar year from 2001 to '04. Taurus, too, seemed increasingly passé as the new century progressed, the basic 1995 design being left to soldier on while the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry enticed buyers with three clean-sheet makeovers. Available for other Focus models in those five areas, the PZEV four was about as clean as a gasoline engine could be with existing technology -- not far behind the gasoline/electric powertrains earning headlines, goodwill, and profits for Toyota and Honda. The Sonic might not have been winning any drag races, but it was offering a huge bang for the buck at the gas pump, with a 1.8-liter engine that barely sipped fuel. The AWD/CVT combination was unique among family cars and thus somewhat risky, but many buyers took a liking to five Hundreds so equipped for their all-weather traction and promise of good fuel economy.
Fishing breakers off the barrier island shoals is good for bull redfish, while moving to shallow estuaries during the afternoon will garner smaller but tastier reds. Regardless of trim, Fusion showed the same good workmanship as the Five Hundred, the best ever from Ford and fully competitive with Accord and Camry. When U.S. News chose the Buick Regal as "The best Upscale Sedan of 2011," it wasn't based on mere hype or popularity. Consumer Guide® gave its "Best Buy" endorsement to the 2001-04 models. Consumer Guide Used Car Search: In the market for a used Chevy or virtually any other pre-owned vehicle? This "big and tall" subcompact had a big job, being assigned to fill the market shoes of the Escort, ZX2, and Contour. The tall body also provided a more natural seating posture front and rear, plus vast trunk space. But more downsizing wasn't the answer. The 1973 Chevrolet Novas also weighed about 100 pounds more than their 1972 counterparts.