It may not be luxurious, but it's far from cheap.
Some of you seem to think the 2008 Ford Focus Coupe is nothing by a pile of plastic. Let's explore its good and bad points.
Its engine doesn't sound great but gets adequate power out of its 140 horses. It feels better to me than the Suzuki SX4.
As always, I'm obsessed with good, strong air conditioning and the Focus certainly has that.
Its roomy 13.8-cu-ft trunk had no problem swallowing the giant vacuum cleaner I bought this weekend. The trunk's mouth opening makes it easy to stuff full. I would prefer a hatchback, but I have a thing for hatchbacks.
I like the sporty white gauges and cool interior lighting.
I also like the windshield wipers. The washer fluid sprays out evenly and the wipers give you an extra wipe a few seconds after clearing the glass.
Sync is fun when it works properly.
The seats are cloth but they are holding up well and keep you supported.
Good bumpers, a rarity in modern cars, keep body repair costs down.
We're averaging more than 26 mpg in enthusiastic mixed driving.
We've had no major repairs or problems. There are some interior quality issues with things like panel gaps and the misplaced door handles.
Even though its looks are somewhat outdated, it still has a spark of personality.
It's made for some good caption contest Fridays.
Want to add anything?
Donna DeRosa, Managing Editor @ 24,885 miles
stovt001 says:
06:17 PM, 07/27/09
This is exactly how I feel about my Cobalt. It certainly is far from the nicest vehicle on the road, but when it comes to performing the task of transporting me to where I need to be, it works admirably. I have no trouble getting well above even your 26 mpg, and I also drive enthusiastically and in Los Angeles area traffic. It may have hard plastics and cheap looking cloth, but three years in there isn't a blemish to be found in the interior. Only problems so far have been a radio screen that sometimes goes out after it has been parked in high heat conditions and an ignition lockout (whatever that thing is that prevents the key from being removed except when the shifter is placed in park) that needed readjustment. That was fixed in a few minutes under warranty, and the radio I'll have looked at when I go in for service shortly.
I very much like my car and while I pine for something sportier, every time I drive it I'm impressed by how nicely it fits my real needs for so little trouble and cost.
carguy622 says:
06:46 PM, 07/27/09
Imagine how many more good things you could say about it had it been the new Focus and not a reheated leftover.
Still, I actually like the new styling now that they have gotten rid of the chrome gills (miss the hatch and wagon though). I liked the original look, disliked that in between phase, and like the new look. The focus has had a lot of cosmetic surgery.
brn says:
07:23 PM, 07/27/09
carguy: "Imagine how many more good things you could say about it had it been the new Focus and not a reheated leftover."
Imagine how much more expensive and less practical it would be?
The key is that for it's target audience, this is a great car. I've yet to meet an owner that doesn't love the car.
I do agree that it's time for a refresh / redesign. I just hope they keep the inexpensive and practical route and don't go for the cool route. Also agree that the hatch and wagon need to come back. It's weird to me that it didn't sell well enough to keep.
dragonflight says:
09:02 PM, 07/27/09
I think the current serves a group of very non-vocal customers (spendthrifts, those who simply need point A-B transportation) while the Euro Focus (as well as Fiesta) appeal to the more car-loving amongst us. That isn't to say that the new Focus isn't needed, just to say the old Focus isn't as unpopular/unneeded as car enthusiasts make it out to be. I think the true problem is that the Focus started off being the "car lovers" economy car and has definitely moved in the direction of cheap and dirty but practical, while others such as the Mazda3 have taken its mantle as the fun to drive car.
That being said, I can't wait to see the Euro Focus (and Fiesta) be brought here, but frankly, if its priced above a Civic or Corolla, I really don't think it's going to sell. The cost of Domestic vs Import depreciation alone would keep me from biting, and I'm sure many others on here feel the same way (well except for 1487, I could probably slap a bowtie badge on a Yugo and he'd defend it).
stovt001 says:
09:18 AM, 07/28/09
I don't mind paying for quality. True cost (and by that, I mean total cost of ownership) factored into the equation to buy the Cobalt, but at this point in my life, I'd rather pay more for a high quality compact than a low quality midsize. This is a trend I see happening, where compacts are no longer econoboxes for students and those on a really tight budget. That is now the new subcompacts, and some of them aren't exactly penalty boxes either.
I don't see why the Euro-Focus wouldn't be as practical, as Brn worries. Its a hatchback, it seats 5, its about the same size, and it is fuel efficient enough for Europeans. Sounds practical to me.
bodyblue says:
09:47 AM, 07/28/09
There is something to be said for the Silent Majority. Remember most of the cars sold in this country are four cylinder automatics.....not exciting sports cars. I love how this makes some peolple on here crazy.
joefrompa says:
10:39 AM, 07/28/09
26mpg? That's pretty poor, IMHO, even with your driving habits. Don't most of your econo-cars average 30+ mpg?
Heck, I consistently (i.e. every single fill up) get 30mpg nowadays in my 2006 Civic SI....and I'm guessing I'm tagging redline more often than that duratec.
And you like those gauges? My gawd woman, have you no taste? Have you no decency?! :)
This car is sufficient for point A to point B reliable transportation for individuals who go 5 years before noticing that one of their doors is dinged and rely on yearly inspections to tell if their tires need replacing.
bodyblue says:
11:48 AM, 07/28/09
"Heck, I consistently (i.e. every single fill up) get 30mpg nowadays in my 2006 Civic SI....and I'm guessing I'm tagging redline more often than that duratec."
Does your Honda have an auto trans??? Is it driven in traffic like the IL Focus is?? What is your mix of hwy/city driving?
A guy I work with uses his Focus for traveling for work and averages about 33 MPG.
"and I'm guessing I'm tagging redline more often than that duratec."
How much does "scheduled maint" cost for replacing the timing belts? Or are you going to just wait for them to break? How much will it cost then?
The Civic SI is expensive transportation for those who aren't frugal with money....there how do you like being generalized?
brn says:
01:24 PM, 07/28/09
joefrompa, the Edmunds staff generally gets pretty poor mpg. It's not reasonable to compare their figures to what you get.
Heck, I beat 26mpg in my old V6 sedan. The Edmunds staff would probably get 18mpg in my car.
foxtrot685 says:
01:52 PM, 07/28/09
i cant even get my focus to go under 31mpg, its also a 2008, but a sedan with a manual trans and one driver. people have to remember that this is a fleet vehicle. it may not get the best mileage because it has to serve over a dozen drivers, all with different driving patterns, not even factoring in if they are heavy on the use of a/c and if they have very short commutes and errands. i think the epa rated the auto focus at 26 or 28mpg combined so its actually not too far off the mark...
otaku says:
03:15 PM, 07/29/09
joefrompa wrote:
And you like those gauges? My gawd woman, have you no taste? Have you no decency?! :)
As the proud owner of an '08 Focus SE Coupe with an automatic transmission (just like the one Edmunds is driving), the thing I like most about the gauges is that I can actually see them whenever I'm driving - day or night.
I recently drove my friend's '09 Civic LX coupe and could not adjust either the seat or that glorious tilting/telescoping steering wheel in such a way that it wasn't at least partially blocking the tachometer or the speedometer. Come to think of it, didn't car companies phase out digital speedometers somewhere back in the eighties or something? :(