Test drive: 2008 Ford Focus
Thursday September 20, 2007
Greetings from Seattle, Washington, where I've just spent a day getting acquainted with Ford's almost-all-new 2008 Focus. As you may know, the Focus has received a radical makeover, including a new two-door coupe body style, though it's based on the same basic underpinnings that date back to the car's original introduction at the turn of the millenium. Is the new/old Focus any good? Check out my 2008 Ford Focus test drive and review to get the story. -- Aaron Gold
Photo © Aaron Gold
I love my current Focus and the new one sounds competitive. Can’t beat the handling and driving experience – although Mazda 3 comes close. However by not offering the hatch or wagon they have lost a large number of customers. These were a great value in a great driving economical vehicle. Now we have to look elsewhere.
I was talking to a Ford exec about this. Apparently, the hatch only accounted for around 10% of Focus sales. (That percentage might be higher in Canada; you guys are a bit more European in your car tastes.) He,too, said he preferred the hatch — but hatchbacks just don’t sell well in the US, so I can see why Ford made the decision they did. I was sad to see it go, but the wise business decision was to build the sedan and add the coupe.
It’s more than just a bit higher. According to canada.com, the hatch backs and wagons accounted for 50% of Ford Focus sales in Canada. This is not the first time that U.S. consumer dislike for lift backs has killed a popular car model in Canada. The old Honda Civic hatchback suffered a similar fate.
i love my focus. i got the se with the deluxe package and i love it.
I own a hatchback Focus and never really liked them nor the design until I saw and drove a hatchback Focus.
I have a zx3 right now and love it to death. However I am very dissapointed in the new focus’s styling and lack of a hatchback. look elsewhere as well since my zx3 is over 100k and I’m wanting something else.
And why isn’t there an svt or ford racing model focus? Chevy has the SS model cobalt, honda has the SI, and even dodge has the srt4 model. Why can’t ford do anything to keep up…
We lossed the svt focus, lossed the lightning… and all we have now is a mustang for performance…
And ford wonders why it can’t capture the younger crowd that’s desires something with performance…
I have enjoyed my new 2008 Ford Focus SES, since I bought it this year. Excellent fuel economy and handles well. Plenty of leg room for tall people like myself. I recommend it.
I have one of these on a rental as my car is being repaired, It is an SE model with leather and sat radio.
POEPLE, DO YOUR HOMEWORK. The interior is fairly decent for this class of car and the leather seats, sat radio and the SYNC sytem are verry nice gimmicks but this thing has 5k miles on it so its still new and the front end is all over the place, I mean the suspension and hadling is terrible, a small bump feels like the suspension is shot (Not tight or stiff, I mena SHOT) . When you hit the gas the 4 banger sounds like a go-cart. Sounds exactly like a 1978 chevy Monza I used to own. This is the new Ford?
Same old crap with the US autos, lure the suckers in with interior gimmicks and a better design but stuff antiquated technology uner the sheet metal.
As a comparison, My nephew just bought a Toyota Corolla (Basic model) and granted it is a basic setup without all the Ford whistles but a least the handling, suspension and pickup are solid if not surprising.
Test drive before you buy, REALLY.