2008 Ford Focus - My auto is too nerdalicious for ya babe..

Minus the Focus' less than perfect reliability record, the early versions of Foci (between the years of 2000-2004) were some of the most impressive compacts to come from Detroit. The Focus offered a solid interior, decent performance, and refreshingly edgy styling. In 2005 Ford took a few steps back by downgrading the Focus’ materials and making obvious cost cuts, however the Focus remained a decent competitor in its class for the remainder of its 1st generation. The 2008 model year marks the Focus’ first complete redesign: can it still compete in this class of evolving compacts?


Styling: 1/10

For 2008 both the wagon and hatchback versions of the Focus have been dropped, leaving only two body styles: a 4-door sedan and an all-new 2-door coupe. I drove the 2-door coupe SE version, which is the Focus’ mid-level trim: resting betwixt the base S and the top-of-the-line SES.
Ford has conjured up its fair share of awkward designs over the past few decades: the 㤄 Taurus, the Aspire, and the Pinto are just to name a few of these designs. Joining Ford's list of automotive anomalies is the new 2008 Focus.
The shear weirdness of the new Focus' design isn't necessarily driven by its un-cohesive body shape, rather it's Fords use of plastic chrome body-garbage that makes the new Focus just so bizarre. The awkwardness begins with the Focus’ front fascia. Ford has given the Focus a flashy mug shot that sports more tacky chrome appliques than you could shake a stick at. The Focus' rear-end doesn't fare much better. With its wonky chrome accented tail lights, a ginormous "Focus" emblem, and oversized Ford oval logo; the redesigned Focus looks like it came straight from the shelves of a Wal-Mart store. Ford has managed to do an equally damaging job with the Focus’ profile. The Focus SE and SES models get dressed up with fake side air vents, which are also laced with cheap chrome accents. While functional side air vents make sense on powerful cars like Lamborghini’s and Ferrari’s, the faux side air vents on the Focus make about as much aesthetic sense as dual exhaust and racing stripes would on a Toyota Prius. Needless to say, if Ford knows what's best for the Focus, we will see an updated design next model year.. or, at least, less chrome hardware.

Performance: Coupe SE 5-speed


Acceleration: 7/10

Since the Focus' US debut in '99 as a 2000 model, Ford had offered it with an array of optional 4-cylinder engines to suit buyer's performance needs. For 2008, however, the sole power plant offered in the Focus is a 2.0-liter DOHC 4-cylinder (also found in cars like the Mazda3i) making a respectable 140 horsepower and 136 lbs.-ft of torque. In states requiring ultra clean SULEV emissions, horsepower dips slightly to 132.

Stab the Focus’ throttle from a stoplight and it instantly becomes apparent that this small coupe was geared for MPG versus performance. Like the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla, the Focus offers enough zip for daily commuting, but not much in the way of frills. The Focus’ engine does have some unique pro’s, however. Because torque from the Focus’ Duratec engine is readily available at low engine revs, the Focus feels more powerful in the lower RPM range than some of its Japanese competitors.


Engine refinement: 8/10

When it comes to making 4-cylinder engines, American car manufactures typically fall at the bottom of the pork barrel when it comes to refinement. Unlike most of its American brethren, the Focus' Duratec 2.0 is smooth, quiet at high speeds, and its ability to rev to redline without the engine sounding like it's having a full blown asthma attack is something that many cars in this class can’t claim. Overall, Ford’s Duratec engine is a refined little power plant that offers similar levels of refinement as the more expensive Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla.

Transmission: 6/10

The Focus' 5-speed manual gearbox is a mixed bag. While its gear ratios are perfectly suited for getting the most out of the small Duratec engine that it is married to, I'm not a fan of the sloppy shifter. First off, the throws are too long, even for an economy car. Also, gear engagement can get rough when shifting at high RPM. Even with the clutch fully depressed while shifting at redline, I would occasionally get grinding between 2nd to 3rd gears (not exactly what you want to hear when buying a new car). On the plus side, the Focus' clutch is both light and forgiving under normal driving conditions, making it an easy unit for beginning drivers to learn on.

Handling & Braking: 9/10

If there’s a single attribute in the performance department where the Focus outshines its competitors, it’s its ability to tackle twisty roads with the finesse of an expensive sports coupe. Even though the Focus looks like it would handle like a minivan (mainly due to its obvious ground clearance), it handles better than most cars in this class, including the new Nissan Sentra and Honda Civic. Even without the deluxe package ($395), which adds larger alloy wheels and a sport tuned suspension, driving my SE on twisty roads was enjoyable, and dare I say it, fun. The Focus' steering offers nearly perfect feedback, body roll is only noticeable on extreme turns, and despite my SE's relatively skinny 15" P195/60 all-season Hankook brand tires, the new Focus feels refreshingly stable on twisty roads.

Braking also ranks above average. Though my test Focus SE lacked ABS (ABS is optional for additional $385) and came equipped with old-fashioned rear-drum brakes, stopping power proved to be better than expected. The Focus is able to stop from high speeds both quickly and smoothly: exhibiting little fade and no vibration under heavy use.

On the Highway: 8/10

If you wanted a quiet economy car just a decade back, you were limited to only a couple cars in this class. Fortunately, most car companies have come-around making their small cars just as capable at cruising on the highway as their larger siblings. The Focus is a prime example of this evolutionary change in the way economy cars cruise at high speeds. While wind noise can be slightly intrusive at 70+ MPH, the Focus does an excellent job keeping Mother Nature's elements isolated from the cabin. Engine noise is also kept at acceptable noise levels: even when the engine is provoked to reline. In addition to the Focus being quiet, its suspension does a remarkable job keeping the ride smooth on rough road surfaces: an uncommon attribute for a car boasting such good handling manners.

On the hills: A

The Focus can also hold its own in mountainous terrain. Unlike many of the Focus' competitors, i.e. the Toyota Corolla and Kia Spectra, the Focus is able to maintain highway speeds on steep terrain without necessarily having to downshift into lower gears. In addition to offering good power for hill climbing, the Focus' engine doesn't exhibit the typical thrashy engine sounds of a 4-cylinder when it is asked to tackle steep terrain. If you reside in a mountainous community, the Focus is definitely an economical option worth looking into.

Economy: 8/10

Though the Focus provides better acceleration than many of its comparably priced competitors, it doesn't require more petrol. On the contrary, with an MPG rating of 24 city/ 35 highway (according to the new EPA rating system) with the manual transmission, the new Focus receives slightly higher mileage on the highway than the Civic and just slightly lower mileage than the ultra fuel efficient Corolla. But I digress, it’s high-time that a hybrid or diesel model be offered in the Focus line-up. For those of us who would rather see MPG estimates in the 40s and 50s, we are still limited to the Civic Hybrid, Jetta TDI, and the expensive Prius.

Interior:

Quality of materials: 9/10

The new Focus’ interior is, by far, its most notable improvement over its predecessors. Last year's Focus had an interior that was riddled with low-grade plastics, making its interior seem substantially cheaper than just about all of its competitors interiors'. For 2008 Ford has ditched those hard plastics in favor of more refined materials. Although competitors like the Civic and Mazda3 continue to have the edge in the interior refinement department, the Focus' new interior comes very close to the quality Honda has given the 2008 Civic: it certainly beats the 2008 Corolla's interior materials and leaves its Korean and American competitors in the dust.

Interior Styling and Layout: 5/10

High quality materials don't always mean that they are tasteful: the Focus is a perfect example of this. Similar to the Focus ridiculous exterior styling, the interior is chalk full of faux chrome and odd design schemes. In fact, the entire dash fascia is covered in chrome accents. In theory, chrome should represent an upscale look, but Ford's overdose of chrome cheapens the Focus's interior. Adding insult to injury is the Focus’ ultra-geeky cloth seats. Ford has given the Focus seat graphics that look like they were taken from a 㣾s base model Dodge Neon: certainly not a car made in 2008. Styling (or lack thereof) aside, ergonomics are good. The Focus’ solid switchgear is logically positioned, and aside from a few quirks, the Focus provides a smart layout that most drivers will appreciate.

Seats: 8/10

With deep pile foam seats, the Focus' cloth buckets (leatherette seat surfaces is optional for $395) rank well above average when it comes to comfort. If cozy seats are a “must have” on your shopping list, the Focus’ seats should offer plenty of cushioning for long road trips. Seat support also ranks up there with the best of them. Though I would have liked to see just a bit more thigh support, the Focus' seats do an excellent job keeping the driver and passengers planted in their seats on twisty roads. I do have one additional gripe with these seats, however. The lack of enough drivers’ seat adjustments makes finding a good driving position almost impossible. The Focus seats are a bit taller than I am used to, which gives the Focus a Minivan-ish driving position. That said, more driver seat adjustments should be standard. The rear bench seats are equally as comfy, but similar to my impressions with the front bucket seats, I would have liked to have seen some increased lower seat bolstering.

Standard Amenities: 7/10

The Base Focus S trim starts at around 14 grand, but with that trim level you get virtually nothing special in the from of amenities, though you'll still get the standard 6 air bags (a nice safety touch for an economy car). Pitch in another $1,000 or so for the SE trim and you get much more car for your money. Standard on the SE (as tested) comes power windows and locks, an unremarkable - but acceptable 4-speaker single disc sound system, power steering, air conditioning (no filtration system is available), tilt steering wheel and many options including "SYNC" which can't be had on the base model. If you pitch in another $1,500 for the SES ( SES starts at around $16,500) Ford offers even more standard equipment and the availability to order even more additional options for your Focus.

Interior Room: 5/10

While the Focus boasts better interior room than the Civic and Mazda3 on paper, it feels substantially smaller. The front of the Focus’ cabin offers more than enough room for tall occupants, however the rear seat area is absolutely tiny. The new Focus is nearly an inch wider than the outgoing models, however this increase in size didn’t seem to yield any gains in interior room. The new Focus Coupe seats a total of 5 people, and despite its generous interior room specifications, I don’t think I would be so cruel as to force 3 average sized adults in the back of this car. It should also be noted that entering and exiting the Focus’s rear cabin could be a big struggle for tall passengers. When it was time to exit the vehicle after my test drive, my rather tall passenger basically had to turn himself into a pretzel in order to squeeze out of the tiny door opening of the Focus Coupe. This is something that should definitely be considered if you have a family or plan on hauling around taller than average passengers.

Storage space in the Focus is average for this class, but like the cabin’s creature room, storage space is far from class leading. Inside, there is a decent sized glove box, 4 cup holders, some small map pockets: but that’s about it (sorry storage junkies). Trunk storage is good, however, especially with the rear 60/40 seats folded flat. The Focus' trunk should be able to accommodate a small family’s needs, just don’t expect anything more than groceries to fit.

Price/Warranty:

The base Focus Coupe S starts out at $14,075 and tips the scales at $17,000 for the top of the line SES 5-speed (with no options). Add a few of the packages, however, and the sticker price for a SE or SES can easily rise to near $20,000 (or about the same price as a comparably equipped Civic EX). My Focus Coupe SE came in at a modest $15,400 with just an optional dealer installed wheels ($300): about the same price as a comparably equipped Honda Civic LX or Toyota Corolla S. Like its Japanese competition, the Focus gets a somewhat lame warranty. Ford offers a 3-year/36,000 mile bumper-bumper warranty and a 5-year/60,000 mile powertrain warranty.

Overall: 7/10

I have mixed feeling about recommending the new Ford Focus Coupe. While the Focus sports a laughable exterior design, a tiny cabin, and not much in the way of performance, the Focus still has some charm. The ride quality has improved, it's interior quality ranks among the best in this class, and its MSRP won't break the bank. If you are in the market for an economical coupe or sedan I do recommend checking out the 2008 Focus, however not without first checking out the Honda Civic and Mazda3i.

Thanks for reading!