If you've been following Donut Media's "$3,000 Car Challenge," you're probably familiar with the small but mighty 2004 Ford Focus SVT that's been "racing" alongside a Dodge Ram 1500 and a Chevy Tracker. The challenges are taking them across the U.S. to find out if the cheap cars can handle the heat on tough, iconic terrain, and the latest obstacle is Pikes Peak in Colorado, a fourteener with a road carved all the way to its summit.
Before heading to Pikes Peak, though, the 2004 Ford Focus SVT - along with the Ram and the Tracker - head to the San Juan mountains to push them to the limit. Their first challenge involves heading up a dicey dirt mountain road, once again putting the bright yellow Focus to the test against the arguably more well-equipped Tracker and Ram. Jimmy, the driver, keeps managing to stall the Focus, requiring a push from its Chevy competitor more than once.
They pass a "four-wheel-drive required" sign. Obviously, the 2004 Ford Focus SVT is just front-wheel-drive, necessitating a little help from the Tracker team once more. Against all odds, they make it to the cabin and kit the hatchback out for the next leg of the journey, slapping on a set of Hella lamps.
Then, they finally trek to Pikes Peak for the apex of this challenge: summiting one of the highest paved roads in North America. The road is paved, making it a bit easier for the 2004 Ford Focus SVT. The 12-mile stretch features 156 turns, and, yes, it is the same Pikes Peak that hosts the annual hill climb taken on by the likes of Ken Block and even the Ford Super Mustang Mach-E, which won its class in 2025.
Battling low visibility caused by fog, the team (carefully) takes Pikes Peak's turns, and makes it to top of the mountain. Unfortunately, that fog obscures the view, but, hey, the Focus made it further than the Tracker, which is undergoing a massive engine repair back at the hotel several thousand feet below.
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