Car & Driver Adds Focus, Boss 302 to 10Best List
The annual Car & Driver “10Best Cars” list is one of the industry’s most prestigious honors, and this year, Ford has two of them: The Ford Focus and Ford Mustang GT/Boss 302 both made the roster, showcasing two distinct sides of the Blue Oval driving experience.
The Focus puts the emphasis on fuel efficiency, with the ability to reach up to 40 mpg on the highway, yet without sacrificing any of its surprisingly fun-to-drive attitude. In fact, according to C&D, the Focus offers “several unexpected combinations: a sensational ride-handling balance, an admirable power/mpg index, and fantastic materials and utility inside.”
Further, not only was the Focus lauded for having one of the best front-wheel-drive chassis on the market, but C&D editors noted that drivers were fully capable of getting the most out of that chassis: “The Focus [can] get around many more expensive, more powerful, more overtly sporty cars on a twisting stretch.” C&D’s ideal choice: “We recommend the Focus SE with the slick manual transmission and the SE Sport package. It’s the sweet spot of the Focus lineup and a staggering bit of sweet science.”
Regarding the Boss 302, built off the strong foundation of the Mustang GT, well, it didn’t get its name by accident: “Nothing can touch the Boss at $41,105. With its screaming 7500-rpm, 444-hp, 5.0-liter V-8, it’ll rip off 60 mph in four seconds flat, break the quarter-mile in 12.4 seconds at 117 mph, stop from 70 in 155 feet, and hold the road at 0.95 g.” As C&D editors point out, that kind of performance puts the Boss 302 on the same footing as the BMW M3 coupe—at a price that’s nearly $21,000 lower. And the Mustang GT itself garnered kudos as well, with editors calling it “an astounding instrument in its own right.”
Ford’s latest prize-winning pair of vehicles is available at dealerships now.