HORTEH NEWS photo Mike Wakefield THE Ferd Focus Wagon SE is the most practical of the three Starting at $17,595, or about $1000 more than the Focus Sedan SE, the Wagon has three times as much cargo room, comfortable raised seating positions, and an economical 2.0 litre four cylin- der engine. Test drive the 2000 Focus at Dave Buck Ford, 879 Focus bodystyles (hatchback, sedan, wagon). Marine Drive, North Vancouver. FOCUS IF you’re looking for a practical family vehicle for under $20,000, a compact station wagon makes a lot of sense. Though they're usually a lit- tle more expensive than their sedan counterparts, they offer two or three times as much cargo room, and often more rear headroom, Wagons are great for transporting cargo that accompanies family activities, such as picnics, music lessons, skiing trips, hockey and soccer games, biking, gardening, shopping, and SHORE At Giance em a If At aunty up the rear seat cushion.” vacations. When it comes time to pick up your new barbecue from the department store, a station wagon is a ready-made delivery vehicle. Ifit’s something that won’s fit inside the wagon, like a mattress, it'll probably go on the roof rack. In fact wagons are so darned useful, I often wonder why sedans are more popular Some people prefer having the secu- rity of a trunk, but most wagens now have retractable cargo covers which hide the contents of the cargo compartment. Focus Wagon starts at $17,595 In Canada, there are a half dozen wagons priced under $20,000, including the new Ford Focus Wagon, Saturn SW1/SW2, Hyundai Elantra Wagon, Daewoo Nubira, and Suzuki Esteem Wagon. You might also include the Subaru NEWS AUTOMOTIVE | “The Focus Wagon’s 1,062 litre sakes i Piette) - (37.5 cubic feet) cargo compartment is three times the size of the Sedan’s 365 litre- (12.9 cubic feet) trunk. More room can be created by folding down the 70/30 split rear seats and pulling Impreza hatchback because it’s kind of half wagon/haif hatchback. ‘The Focus Wagon, Sedan and Hatchback models are new for the 2000 model year. These front-wheel-drive compact cars replaced the Escort and Contour, however they are big- ger and more expensive than the Escort was, and roomier than the Contour sedan. All three Focus bodystyles have high rooflines, elevated seating positions, and distinctive “New Edge” styling inside and out. Focus models are sold worldwide, but the ones sold in North America are built in North America, The Focus Wagon is available in one SE trim level, and has a base price of $17,595 — about $1,000 more than the See Higher page 38