Best Used Ford Coupes - Focus, Mustang, GT

Two-door coupes have traditionally represented an emotional market segment for most buyers. While at times impractical, especially when it comes to passenger space and insurance rates, coupes have always tugged at the heart strings of drivers who are attracted to their sportier lines and more aggressive styling. The recent resurgence of four-door ‘coupes’ from European manufacturers has even attempted to capture some of this appeal and convince buyers to settle for a sedan that borrows the dramatically sloping roofline of a true coupe.

At the lower end of the price range, economy coupes usually provide a good value, as customers are not forced to pay for seating capacity that they do not require in a basic commuter car. Larger coupes tend towards pricier, more exclusive offerings which are meant to communicate a certain image. This is particularly true of full-size coupes, which often fall into the personal luxury market. Straddling the vast area of the market that lies between entry-level and luxury are mid-size coupes, sporty vehicles which typically strive to balance good interior volume with better than average performance in order to snare buyers with lighter weights and more responsive handling than the typical sedan.

Ford has historically always offered a full range of coupes, making sure that its compact, mid-size and full-size lineup presented a two-door option for buyers who were interested in making a break from the norm. In the past ten years the number of coupes offered by Ford has dwindled as the company joined other domestic automakers in a celebration of all things SUV. Assembly line space that at one time churned out fun to drive Escorts were instead turned over to Explorers and Freestyles. However, there are still several excellent previously-owned choices out there from Ford, vehicles which live up to the exciting image that they portray in addition to offering great value and a low cost of ownership.

This article takes a look at the best three coupes wearing the Ford badge which are currently available on the used car market. With a little digging, it isn’t difficult to find a coupe that will keep even the thriftiest driver happy, a muscular legend that still delivers spine-tingling performance and retro-styled race car icon which is worth taking out a second mortgage to afford.

2000 – 2007 Ford Focus

While some feel that it might be a stretch to call a hatchback a coupe, others see little difference between a two-door with a hatch and a two-door with a proper trunk. The Ford Focus has been a mainstay of the company’s entry-level strategy. The Focus was one of the first domestic compact cars to eschew traditional sedan design and go for maximum passenger space in a small package by raising the roof and altering the standard floor pan arrangement. The result was a unique-looking, angular coupe which offered a sporty ride and a fresh image.

The original Focus coupe comes with a 130 horsepower, 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine that gives it a 20 horsepower premium over the Focus sedan. The coupe can be had with either a 5-speed manual transmission or a 4-speed automatic. Also called the ZX3, this high-revving twin-cam engine turns in a better than average 25 miles per gallon in city driving and 33 miles per gallon on the highway, making it a thrifty choice at the fuel pump in a class that is full of gas sippers. In 2005, the coupe received a new upgraded 4-cylinder engine which boosted output to 136 horsepower – making it the model year to snag for those who crave a little more go under their right foot.

Inside, the Focus coupe is a somewhat strange mix of style over substance. While early editions of the compact car are devoid of luxuries like power windows or door locks, it does come with a leather-wrapped steering wheel and in later years a CD player. Optional equipment is fairly limited – after all, the vehicle was designed to be basic transportation, and that meant restricting it from some of the features available on the sedan and wagon versions of the Focus.

The 2000 – 2007 Ford Focus ZX3 is a great option for anyone who needs an inexpensive yet fun used coupe to get them from point A to point B. A responsive 4-cylinder engine, good interior room and a unique exterior make the Focus a solid choice in the compact segment.

2005 – 2007 Ford Mustang

The Ford Mustang has always been one of the company’s best-selling vehicles, and with good reason. While the V-8-powered GT edition of this handsome coupe may be what gets people into showrooms, more often than not new Mustang owners drive home in a version of the car outfitted with the smaller V-6 engine. This in part thanks to the vehicle’s extremely attractive exterior styling, which is modeled after the original version of the Mustang introduced in 1964.

The Mustang’s appeal is more than skin deep, however. Starting off with the entry level coupe, the Mustang’s 210 horsepower, 4.0-liter V-6 delivers substantial grunt, especially down low. A 5-speed manual transmission gets the most out of each of those ponies, but buyers can also opt for a five-speed automatic. The real star of the show is of course the 4.6-liter V-8 found in the Mustang GT. With 300 horsepower and 320 lb-ft of torque, the Mustang certainly lives up to its reputation as a tire-melting muscle machine. However, the new platform holding everything together underneath the Mustang’s showy persona is far more adept at controlling all of that power than the previous generation of the car. This is especially noticeable during cornering, as the car makes excellent use of the stiffer chassis and longer wheelbase to impart a better feeling of control that is backed up by excellent traction even with the hammer down.

While few people would expect the inside of a car like the Mustang to impress, Ford went out of their way with the new model to carry the classic lines of the sheet metal into the interior’s appointments. Nicely formed circular vents combine with metallic accents and an optional color-changing display panel to add a touch of class not found in any previous generation of the car. Interior room is also improved over the outgoing model, making the Mustang feel far less cramped, even in the rear seats.

When it comes to affordable horsepower and unforgettable styling, the 2005 – 2007 Ford Mustang makes an appealing choice for anyone in the market for a used coupe.

2005 – 2006 Ford GT

It is rare for a domestic automaker to attempt to broach the exotic supercar market. While the Dodge Viper and to a lesser extent the Corvette Z06 have seen success in tackling some of the best sports cars to come out of Italy, they have done so largely by focusing on value – delivering excellent performance at half the price. The Ford GT is one of the first world class machines to come out of Detroit at the same price point as a Ferrari and not be laughed off the race track. The primary reason for this is that despite the unusual fact that it wears a blue oval, the Ford GT delivers.

Designed to resemble the beautiful Ford GT40 race cars which first took it to Ferrari on tracks around the world in the 1960’s, the Ford GT coupe is itself a stunner. With a wide, open front end, aggressive air ducts mounted on both the hood and the rear fenders, and a gloriously shaped aerodynamic form, the Ford GT is attractive enough to stop traffic. Nestled between the rear wheels, however, is the real reason prancing horses and charging bulls should be wary of a GT in their rearview mirrors: a 550 horsepower, supercharged 5.4-liter V-8 that also features 500 lb-ft of torque. When mated to the 6-speed manual transmission, this power plant is capable of launching the Ford GT to 60 miles per hour in a mere 3.5 seconds, all the way up to a top speed of 205 miles per hour. These lofty numbers, combined with sublime handling have caused European sports car fans to grudgingly admit that perhaps Ford engineers are capable of matching some of the finest coupes on the market.

The Ford GT is clearly not for everyone, but that too is part of its charm – a rarely seen, but always appreciated automotive work of art. As far as used Ford coupes go, it is the pinnacle example of performance and style to have left Dearborn in several decades.