2008 Ford Focus: I Want the ZX3 Back

i agree, i loved my '01 ZX3. I now drive an '08 GTI and looking back i realize what a great handling/fun-to-drive car the focus used to be for the money. it's a shame about the new car, but i'm hopeful the new euro focus and fiesta will make up for it.

also- i never had a major mechanical issue with my focus and i put 120,000 miles on it. It's still going strong for the person i sold it to.

I drove an '07 Focus hatch last summer. The salesman kept telling me I could floor it, go faster, feel the engine. I felt very unstable going only 80kph, and had no desire to go faster. This fact, coupled with the worst-in-class interior has given me a strong dislike for any Focus, new or old.

Three years from now, when more small fuel-sipping compacts hit the market, and sync is no longer ford exclusive, no one will care about the focus.

i just noticed this, it has really, really, ugly wheels.

redliner: And three years from now the Focus will have had a full redesign.

I think Ford did a good job with what they've had. Obviously a cash-strapped automaker doesn't have the money to invest in frequent full redesigns, so they reskinned it again. Couple that with a 10 hp increase over version 1, plus several more mpg's, all for a low price (unless you bought when the '08s first came out)... and you've got a winner. I'd certainly take one over either other domestic manufacturer's offerings.

Ford says they are going to freshen cars every 3 years, instead of their normal what...5-10 years. That is going to double or triple their workload and increase their costs. Not sure how they are going to handle that.

I read that their habit of not updating cars started back with Henry Ford.

Erin hits the nail right on the head. As someone who spends a good deal of time in the UK, I consistently rent the Euro-market version of the Focus. Comparing the two? There isn't one.

The Euro-version is an engaging, functional, and fuel-efficient piece of machinery that is at home on a curve-laden road or a high-speed motorway. The interior is a delight to sit in; all the knobs and surfaces are quality and pleasing to the touch. The Focus ST is probably one of the hottest hatches in Europe.

The US-version, on the other hand, is so painful it Hertz. The interior is still low-rent, and while it is better than Focus 1.0, saying 'upgraded' here is like moving up from a studio to a one-bedroom apt in Detroit. There's still way too many poorly-fitting interior panels and hard plastics. The steering is engaging only if you miss your 1985 Tempo. Where are the hatchbacks? The idea that a hatch can't sell here is a fallacy; the Mazda3 is a hatch and selling very well despite being awfully long in the design tooth.

If Sync is an absolute for you (which I can sympathize as I've used it and it's a great feature), get a Fusion or a Milan. The ride and handling of either is far more engaging than the lumbering Focus with numb steering.

The bottom line is no updated transmission or high-tech gimmick will ever mask the fact that the U.S.-version Focus is nothing more than a mediocre vehicle that happens to be thriving in a world of $4-5 gas. The competition list is fierce, and almost all of it superior to the Focus (i.e. Honda Fit and Civic, Toyota Corolla and Yaris, Hyundai Elantra...the list goes on and on). Once these competitors ratchet up their supply, Focus sales will tank once again and Ford will have to turn on the incentive money spigot (yet again).

"The US-version, on the other hand, is so painful it Hertz."

I see what you did there! :)

I totally agree with Erin on this one. My best friend bought a new 2000 Focus the first week that it was introduced to the market and it was an amazing car. The handling was tenacious and it did display that "playful" character that Erin brought up. It was always a joy to ride in and I really liked the edgy styling of the car. The new one seems dumbed down and has been de-contented (no telescoping wheel, no assist grips, spare tire) and the styling looks like a morphed Focus with the front of a 1998 Contour. It's been so sad to watch this once fantastic car dwindle down to also-ran among compact cars.

The 1st gen Focus was a good effort from Ford although the reliability was a bit low for the first few years. The interior was never a Focus strongpoint.

I did however enjoyed the Focus SVT as the package was GREAT! Get the Focus back to its roots Ford as this half baked BS just doent cut it these days.

Compliance - thanks for getting my sense of humor. :-)

Wanted to comment as an overall pretty happy driver of a 97 Honda Civic EX who recently rented the new Focus on an out of state vacation.

I found the ride, handling, steering feel and overall chassis of the new Focus to be inferior to that of my 97 Civic, but leaving comparisons aside, overall it was a typically-American-tuned comfortable and slightly-underdampened ride.

On the engine front, I greatly preferred the Focus 2.0 engine (+auto) to my trusty Honda's 1.6 (+auto). The Ford engine seemed wholly adequate in terms of required motivation off the line for this class, had relatively effortless freeway passing (for a car of this class), and it returned very good gas mileage (33 in mixed freeway/city driving vs. 25 for my old Civic).

The interior of the car felt as as expected for an economy car - the stereo and dash didn't feel expensive. But the seats were reasonably comfortable and space was adequate front, back and in the trunk.

Overall, this was a decent economy car but beyond good fuel economy and decent straight-line pep, there's not much going for it.

It's not a car that - even if I were shopping in this class - I would spend my money on or recommend to others. Nothing "wrong with it" per se, just not the complete package or particularly well executed in enough areas to get my approval.

The rental versions are strippers, SEL's get sway bars in the back among other better improvements.

That's sad to hear. I just test drove a Mustang as a replacement from my '05 Focus SE. I ended up passing the Mustang (which was a steal $16.5K out the door) because I had more fun in my Focus. The salesman was somewhat surprised by the comment. I passed on the Mustang purely because driving the Focus was more entertaining. I haven't driven an 08 yet, but it would be a shame if it's no longer any fun...

Comp386: Sounds like a Mazda3 may be the car for you -- small, highly tossable, and a cousin to the (previous gen?) Euro Focus.

Not quite as fuel-efficient as the domestic Focus, though. But neither is the Mustang.

Without the fender vents, I don't mind this car in the least bit. The '09 is supposed to remedy the vent "issue".

I certainly wouldn't buy one myself, but I bet a lot of people would like it for its "big car" feel, fuel economy, and nice cruising ability. There are definitely times that I wish my Fit wasn't so high-strung and could just do some laid-back cruising, so I can definitely see the appeal of the Focus. Just not for enthusiasts.

I keep seeing the comments about how much superior the European Focus is over the US version but the fact that these people ignore is that in Europe the Focus is in a different class than the USA and is a more expensive car. I recently drove a 2008 Focus and found it to have plenty of power for everyday driving, The seats were comfortable, The interior is very roomy and visually appealing (more so than the Civic I must say) and the price was right. I'm driving a 2006 Fusion right now with a V6 which I just love too much to give up yet but within the next couple of years will be ready to replace it with (depending on the price of fuel) another Fusion or a Focus. I really don't get this American car bashing from people who depend on their industry to keep their economy stable (I guess that's why the US economy is in a shambles now) The Focus very easily competes with what the competitors have to offer and in terms of price comes out ahead (The quality isn't even a concern now as Ford ranks very high on JD Powers) You can forget the Pinto now and put aside your bias as the problems disappeared years ago (except on the Hondas and Toyotas as they seem to becoming more frequent)

sreed1, agreed. The Euro Focus and the US Focus are two completely different cars that happen to share the same name. Just like the Ford Fusion in the UK is vastly different from the Ford Fusion in the US.

sreed1: I guess you didn't notice the kudos I gave the original Ford Focus, sold in the United States from 2000 to 2007. My main complaint here had to do with the changes Ford made for 2008. And I don't think that makes me responsible for the decline in the U.S. economy.

I am familiar with the cost reasons that kept Ford from bringing the 2nd-gen Focus here. They are the very same reasons you're driving a Fusion instead of a Mondeo.