Ford’s decision to drop sedans from its U.S. lineup has been a controversial move and many will continue to see it like that for quite some time.
No one denies the fact that passenger cars are rapidly losing sales to crossovers and SUVs but there’s still good money to be made from hatchbacks and sedans provided that the products are good.
While many understood why Ford would drop its underperforming mid-size and full-size sedans for which there are no replacements envisioned (Fusion and Taurus, respectively), there were a lot of raised eyebrows when the automaker said the entire Focus lineup had to go too.
After all, how can Asian and European brands build successful compact cars such as the Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia Forte, and VW Jetta while U.S. brands can’t?
Also watch: 2019 Ford Focus Still Best In Class For Handling, Has Improved In Other Areas, Too
Obviously, the issue is a very complex one and requires careful examination. Redline Reviews decided that a good starting point is to review the 2018 Ford Focus sedan to see if it’s still relevant even in its final model year. This is a car that launched for the 2011 model year and got a midlife update for 2015 so you shouldn’t expect it to keep up with newer products such as the latest VW Jetta or Toyota Corolla.
However, the review points out some strong points such as the handling, the decent level of tech on board, and the pricing. Especially now that it’s out of production, you can get a 2018 Focus with discounts as big as $8,000 — assuming you’ll find one. Downsides? There are quite a few: the lazy and glitchy 6-speed PowerShift dual-clutch transmission, cramped rear seats, small trunk, and below-average fuel efficiency with the 160hp 2.0-liter four-cylinder and PowerShift gearbox.
As we’ve seen for ourselves, the all-new fourth-generation Focus launched in Europe last year is a massive improvement over the previous model, making Ford’s decision not to bring it Stateside really puzzling.