How Does a Ford Focus Handle In the Snow?

A Ford Focus has several advantages when you are faced with a snowy drive. The Focus benefits from front-wheel drive, road-hugging stability and traction control to help it handle in the snow, but may struggle with clearance in deeper snow.

Identification

A Ford Focus is a small, compact passenger car, meant for being a good commuting car. Utilizing a front-wheel-drive system, the Focus handles effectively in snow as long as the driver slows for the conditions so that torque-steer, or slippage of the front wheel under high acceleration, does not occur.

Significance

This lightweight car comes with traction control. When the vehicle senses slippage with the wheels, such as on the snow, the car's internal computer calculates what adjustments need to be made to resolve the sliding. This reaction helps keeps the vehicle adhered to the snowy road for a safe trip.

Considerations

A small passenger car like the Ford Focus cannot handle snow in great depths like a larger vehicle with higher clearance could. The clearance between the ground and the chassis for the Focus is less than for a larger vehicle, such as an off-road truck.

References

• Family Car: 2001 Ford Focus ZX3 Road Test