Category: Convertibles 
Price Range: £20,745 to £24,745
Drives well, feels more expensive than it is.
Poor rear legroom, petrol engines struggle.
Good enough to elbow its way into an overcrowded marketplace.
The Focus's reputation is built on the way it drives: agile, responsive, accurate. In removing the roof, Ford risked sacrificing all of that, but the engineers have succeeded in making the CC feel almost as good to drive as the hatchback, with the same pleasingly precise steering. They've added so much extra bracing that, even with its roof down, the CC is said to be as stiff as a five-door Focus Mk1. Hit a bump in the road and the resultant squirming will remind you that the CC is not as stiff or as light as the Mk2 hatchback, but for the most part it retains its composure.
That extra bracing inevitably makes the CC feel heavy, but that's not a problem so long as you regard it as a refined cruiser rather than a breezy hot hatch. The team behind the Focus ST had some input into the CC's handling and there are suspension components from the ST, but the set-up has been retuned for a more comfort-orientated ride. The result is very good, blending comfort with stability.
The CC's extra weight may not have done much harm to the ride or handling, but it does have an effect on the engines. Whereas in the hatchback the 143bhp 2.0-litre petrol feels lively and willing, here it seems to be slightly out of its depth and you find yourself changing down through the five-speed manual gearbox when you're tackling hills. We haven't driven the 99bhp 1.6 petrol, but it's hard to imagine it being much fun.
The pick of the engines is the 134bhp 2.0-litre diesel, which comes with a six-speed manual gearbox. It's gutsy yet also refined and, even with the roof down and the windows open, you are barely aware of typical diesel booming and banging. Its 0-62mph time is an exact match for the 2.0 petrol's 10.3 seconds and it's only 2mph short of the 130mph top end, but it's much more economical, clocking up 47.9mpg against the petrol car's 37.6mpg.
Both 2.0-litre versions have performance figures that compare well with other cars in the class, but it's a class that's not really about performance. Yes, the best ones are fun to drive - but they're heavy, wobbly, expensive and short of passenger space compared to less expensive hatchbacks.
