Ford Focus Off-Road Capability- What You Need to Know

The compact car Focus starts at $17,950 and is an excellent option for everyday driving. It also excels on the highway when speed is more important than anything else. But is Ford Focus considered a good off-roading vehicle?

Ford Focus is considered a good option for driving on a highway. However, Ford Focus is not recommended for off-road use due to its insufficient 123-pound-feet of torque, as low as 5.3″ of ground clearance, low horsepower, and absence of many other required off-road features.

Go along with the article to discover more about Ford Focus‘s features and its ability in off-road terrain.

What Does The Ford Focus Offer?

As we know, all the companies in the automobile industry are prominent in running faster in the race to offer better options and comfort to the consumer.

The same is with Ford Focus. It has specific options to offer its consumer, undoubtedly making it an excellent choice to buy. But if we talk about the vehicle’s off-road capability, unfortunately, that isn’t provided in the car.

First, however, let’s glance over what the vehicle has to offer us.

The Feature of Ground Clearance:

Ground clearance is the distance between the lowest point from the car’s chassis to the road surface. The vehicle’s undercarriage enables the person to dodge the obstacles while the opposite side only provokes the damage.

The recommended value for ground clearance required for off-roading is between the range of 8.8-10.8 inches. Ford Focus has a small ground clearance offering 5.3 inches of ground clearance at height. Thus, ford focus does not entirely meet the standards of off-roading, as the small bumps and rocks can wreck the Ford Focus.

What is a Good Ground Clearance for Off-Roading? Know in Detail

Torque Offered by Ford Focus:

Torque is a twisting force in an engine that allows the car to get its wheels at a going pace. Drivers usually don’t focus on the torque.

The lack of torque power increases the chance of getting stuck in a difficult situation, and the Ford Focus vehicle lacks this power.

The Ford Focus can achieve the peak value for the torque of 123 pound-feet, which is not enough for the value required for the off-roading terrain.

Tires of Ford Focus:

The tires are the essential component of any vehicle that can indicate the amount of traction and grip offered on the road. The off-roading vehicle having the best tires provide maximum grip on the road surface.

Vehicles having all-terrain tires, rugged-terrain tires, or mud-terrain tires perform well on off-roading surfaces depending on the environmental situations.

Ford focus comes with the all-season tires common in most cars allowing the vehicle to drive through all four seasons of the year safely. However, these tires show some problems in icy conditions where they lack traction on uneven surfaces and terrain. 

The Feature of Drivetrain:

Ford focus comprises front-wheel drive, but all-wheel drive is considered a safe option for off-roading. This is because it becomes difficult to control the rocky terrain with rear wheels, and it becomes hard to maneuver and get out of the gaps seen on the road.

Angles of the Ford Focus

There are two kinds of angles that make the vehicle perform appropriately on the road, including:

1. Approach angle
   
2. Departure angle

• An approach angle is a maximum angle a vehicle can climb without external interference.
• A departure angle is a maximum angle a vehicle can descend without external interference.

Ford Focus is not a perfect one for off-roading, so this vehicle’s departure and approach angles are not recorded.

However, the lower 5.3-inch ground clearance value is estimated to limit all the types of inclines and descents of the Ford focus.

Jerry’s DIRT Rating Scale for Ford Focus:

It is a rating scale that helps to detect the vehicle’s readiness:

Ford Focus scored as bad as D. It's not something that should come as a surprise. A look at its size wouldn't even recommend driving it off-road.

Top Ford Focus Models for Off-Roading:

1. Ford Focus Titanium:

Ford Focus Titanium is considered a mid-range vehicle is offering a wide range of features and specs. This vehicle provides many features, including:

Engine Size:

The Ford Focus Titanium includes various engines, including the 1-liter, 5-liter, and 2-liter engines. In addition, the engine has a different choice of petrol, diesel, hybrid mode, and manual and automatic transmissions.

The Ford Focus titanium has Eco-Boost, Eco-blue, and Eco-boost hybrid engines with various budgets.

External Features:

The Ford Focus Titanium has some external features, including:

• Day-time running lamps with LED mode
  
• Automatic headlights and pre-collision assist mode
  
• Emergency brakes with autonomous mode and intelligent speed assist
  
• Silver spoke alloy wheels
  
• Rear headlights with LED model
  
• Upper grille with horizontal bars

Interior Features:

• The interior mode has a heated front seat system that is necessary for the winter zone
  
• There is DEATC mode which is a dual-zone electronic air temperature
  
• Key-free power can start
  
• The vehicle holds ambient lighting

2. Ford Focus ST-Line Model:

The Ford Focus ST-line is considered the top-range model of Ford Focus and is an affordable option offering various specifications, including:

Engine and Fuel System:

The Ford Focus ST-line has several options for fuel and engine, including:

• Eco-Boost engine with a 0-liter petrol option
  
• Eco-Blue engine with a 5-liter diesel option
  
• Diesel engine with the 0-liter option

External Features:

The external features of the Ford Focus ST-line model include the following:

• 17-inch alloy wheels with rain sensor wipers
  
• Parking sensors with reverse mode
  
• Doors mirrors with power folding ability

Interior Features:

The interior features of the Ford Focus ST-line model include:

• The armrest has a center console mode
  
• Cup-holders that are illuminated
  
• Apple CarPlay and an Android Auto Connect
  
• Steering wheel with leather-wrapped capability
  
• Six-speed manual gearbox and eight-speed automatic gearbox

Comparison of Some Other Models:

Verdict- Can Ford Focus Go Off-Road?

The ford focus is undoubtedly a good buy. However, suppose a person is looking for a budget-friendly car that is practical for all purposes and does not deceive the consumer at any point. In that case, this car is a good option regarding practicality and all other stuff.

However, if we talk about the off-roading capability, one must know that this car has not been built for that purpose. It offers a luxurious drive and a couple of good options, which make it a good catch, but the car would disappoint the consumer in terms of solid off-road terrains.

Besides this, the car offers a good fuel average, good comfort, a lovely space to accommodate the passengers, and is an excellent well-renowned car that anybody could buy for casual highway driving with eyes closed, any day!

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):

Is Ford Focus considered a 4-by-4 model?

Ford Focus is a front-wheel drive offering 4-by-4 features. However, there is an exception in this case in which one vehicle has a turbocharged RS performance which is an AWD.

Is Ford Focus considered an AWD or FWD vehicle?

Ford Focus is an AWD vehicle having a twin-clutch system.

Is Ford Focus ST considered a 4-wheel drive?

Ford Focus ST is a turbocharged 2-liter four-cylinder vehicle. It provides gusto for the front-wheel drive that a person can easily spin the wheels during their enthusiastic launch.

Why did the Ford company stop making the Ford Focus vehicle?

Most models and trims cannot manufacture because of high demand and global supply-chain issues. So instead, the company tried its best to deliver Ford’s excellent and chosen features.

Does the Ford RS vehicle has the ability to drift?

Drift is a driving mode seen in the Focus RS, including the modes of Normal, sport, and track. The vehicles are considered adjustable machines in which each of these modes has six adjustable settings, including the settings of the AWD system, dampers, engine, steering, exhaust, and electronic stability control.

Is Ford Focus considered a reliable vehicle?

The Ford Focus vehicle is a reliable vehicle having a rating of 4 out of 5. It is ranked 17th in number out of 36 compact cars. The vehicle offers an average annual repair cost of $569 and an average ownership cost.

Which model of Ford Focus RS is considered the fastest one?

The Ford Focus RS and Focus ST are considered high-performance and fast vehicles. Ford Focus ST offers a top speed of 155 mph, and Ford Focus RS provides a top speed of 165 mph.

Is it possible to make Ford Focus ST an AWD vehicle?

All the Ford Focus models are front-wheel drive, except the turbocharged Focus RS performance vehicle. If you want an AWD option, plenty of other options are available, including the Ford Escape and Ford Edge.

How long does the transmission of the Ford Focus last?

The Ford Focus transmission’s lifespan lasts on the vehicle’s maintenance. Usually, the transmission of the Ford Focus lasts in between the range of 80,000-180,000 miles.

How can a person control the AWD drift?

In an AWD vehicle, the front and rear tires of the car spin all the time. There is a need for an emergency brake to break the loose tires. The coefficient of friction reduces when the tires loose, which leads the vehicle to slide away.

Which vehicle is considered better: Golf F or Focus RS?

The Golf R is a comfortable vehicle that is well-suited for the occasional call. But if you are looking for a weekend car that can offer much content, then Focus RS is the best option.

Which engine is considered best in the Ford Focus?

The ST line model offers the best performance regarding its price tag and running cost. It provides the 1.5-liter EcoBoost engine, a 179bhp version that manages the 0-62 mph speed in 8.8 seconds.

Is Ford Focus considered an expensive vehicle to maintain?

On the contrary, the Ford Focus has a reasonable amount for their maintenance costs. A standard Ford Focus costs around $569 every year as maintenance costs.