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Top Ten Reason To check out 2008 Ford Focus


igor

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I was just at the Georgian College auto show up in Barrie, Ontario..( largest outdoor auto show in north america, all run by Automotive students, no pressure, no corporate reps or salesmen by the way) and they had 3 new focus', 2 coupes and a sedan. Not too bad, I know its old, and like the way they did the escape, but dont even start with that crap again, cant stand to see people complain about the same crap every friggen time I come to this site... Anyways, seemed like a nice little car, the loaded one had Sync and wow, I was impressed. Its a really neat system, never really tried anything like it before, but it worked flawlessly with an iPod, and the cell phone the student had on him. Gives me reason to trade in my 07 3dr for it! I did like the car honestly and I thought it looked pretty good. So there ya go, all in all, nice little car, way nicer than any chrysler cough caliber cough jeep compass... And to everyone that likes to rip people for their opinion and tell em they are wrong, bitch away, thank you.

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The Focus post-refresh seems to me to be a perfectly above-average compact car; I really don't see why people are so vehemently opposed to it. I guess opinions differ on the styling, but to me it's a definite step above the 05 refresh and an even bigger step over the Euro Focus, which has always struck me as an incredibly boring-looking car.

 

This thing's cheap, it handles well, it's got some interesting and unique features, and it at least looks obviously new. Considering it's now a two-year stopgap, that sounds like a pretty good job on Ford's part.

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I really liked the interior myself, the outside is pretty nice actually, but it is a cheap, compact car, like its not a lincoln boys. I really liked the dash and the feel of the controls for the A/C and radio, thought they were high quiality myself. I didnt spend that much time pokin around, i was playing with Sync. Oh, the blue lighting is fantastic, really really nice.

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The Focus post-refresh seems to me to be a perfectly above-average compact car; I really don't see why people are so vehemently opposed to it. I guess opinions differ on the styling, but to me it's a definite step above the 05 refresh and an even bigger step over the Euro Focus, which has always struck me as an incredibly boring-looking car.

 

 

Well the owners of the 1st gen Focus are a fickle bunch and are vocal as Panther Mafia that vists here....if its anything short of European it sucks. Even though the car they got was a fucked over European design, but yet they extol the virtues of car that you can't buy....go figure

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Ive seen it and I find it very appealing. Pictures dont do it justice. Recall the redesigned Expe? How it took time to grow on people? I didnt need anytime at all.

 

I love those new Expys Talk about an amazing looking truck. I'll take an 08 loaded Limited model in the White-Sand Tricoat (or White Chocolate, whichever it is) color please.

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Ford Focus really does absolutely nothing for me, l want to like it but sorry l just don’t, everybody’s different. Styling is still far too bland boring and dull, it’s as simple as that. If Ford want to get to get folk out of Camry’s and into a Focus then they need to break the mould, because nothing else other than offering a huge discount is going to change the minds of a Toyota lover when it comes to buying again. Somebody l know a chap who is hooked on Toyotas has just done 187000 miles of trouble free motoring in his Corolla, it not hard to see which car he will be buying again now he is looking to replace it. Just how do you change the minds of folk hooked on Jap crap? If Ford salesman could ask the question what sort of car are you think of trading in, and then be permitted by Ford to offer a much bigger discount if it’s a Toyota, maybe it might be just enough to break the Toyota buying habit of a differing buyer who would have just gone back to Toyota.

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The opening below the grille is horrible...

http://www.autodeadline.com/detail?source=...84&mime=JPG

 

The fender scoops look cheap, and don't fit the car's design

http://www.autodeadline.com/detail?source=...21&mime=JPG

 

The coupe looks like the sedan. Why didn't they differentiate it? It doesn't look like a coupe, too tall/too short, almost a hatch

http://www.autodeadline.com/detail?source=...63&mime=JPG

http://www.autodeadline.com/detail?source=...77&mime=JPG

 

It doesn't look too bad here:

http://www.autodeadline.com/detail?source=...41&mime=JPG

 

It's not pretty, that's for sure. But it's unique, so it might do OK. I like the interior:

http://www.autodeadline.com/detail?source=...80&mime=JPG

post-11790-1122586569_thumb.jpg

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The Focus post-refresh seems to me to be a perfectly above-average compact car;

It doesn't hold a candle to the retail sales of the japanese, and this refresh won't help it. That is the problem. Whether it is good or bad, the consumers don't want it and doing a half ass redesign on a 8 year old car won't get the consumers to like it.

Edited by DCK
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The focus is still a somewhat sophisticated platform. The 2008 Corolla is built exactly the same as the platform of the 1980's Dodge Omni. They still havent made the unibody strong enough to ditch the 1970's rear bulkhead. You do realize it has torsion-beam rear suspension(ala Omni/Caravan)? Thin metal, multipiece side stampings, and the aforementioned rear bulkhead because it would never pass a crash test without it? If I handed you some of the more relevent bolts used to put it together you would think it was to hold the license plate on. The curent Civic's suspension is not as sophisticated as it was 10 years ago either. I guess the nice plastic in them makes them 'modern'?? The original model was identical to the US version, I have seen a few in person, there is NO difference other then then RHD on UK units. The Focus became quite a decent car by 03 when most of the euro-spec problems were ironed out for American roads. The new car is of course not based on the FOE version, but then again it doesn't cost $27k either.

 

I still have no idea why the 08's aren't on the roads yet though.

Edited by kevinb120
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The focus is still a somewhat sophisticated platform. The 2008 Corolla is built exactly the same as the platform of the 1980's Dodge Omni. They still havent made the unibody strong enough to ditch the 1970's rear bulkhead. You do realize it has torsion-beam rear suspension(ala Omni/Caravan)? Thin metal, multipiece side stampings, and the aforementioned rear bulkhead because it would never pass a crash test without it? If I handed you some of the more relevent bolts used to put it together you would think it was to hold the license plate on. The curent Civic's suspension is not as sophisticated as it was 10 years ago either. I guess the nice plastic in them makes them 'modern'?? The original model was identical to the US version, I have seen a few in person, there is NO difference other then then RHD on UK units. The Focus became quite a decent car by 03 when most of the euro-spec problems were ironed out for American roads. The new car is of course not based on the FOE version, but then again it doesn't cost $27k either.

 

I still have no idea why the 08's aren't on the roads yet though.

 

 

I was by Wayne Assembly today and they better start shipping soon as lots up and down both sides of Michigan Av. are bursting with new '08 Focus. Even Demmer Ford right across the street doesn't have the new Focus yet. But like I said, I heard October a long time ago. I think dealers will start getting first batches next week sometime.

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They've already run out any possible 07 buyers for months advertising it blatently on the website, they are quite a bit overdue. If they had to put them on the truck one at a time, they should be on the road already.

 

Problem is you hype a mainstream vehicle you can not touch for months in advance, you raise expectations so high there is no way you can feel satisfied with the finished product when it finally rolls. Its like lusting after the girl down the block you never see with a boyfriend for years and years that you never talked to once only to finally find out she's a lesbian. Being a Ford fan is like being a Washington Reskins fan, way too many times they are down 3 touchdowns in the 3rd quarter to only watch some of the highest paid players in footbal methodically run nothing more then 3-4 yard plays.

Edited by kevinb120
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What hype? Where have you heard about the '08 Focus, except on this site and others like it?

 

Umm spending every day in the region's largest Ford dealer and having people ask where it is for 6 months+ and noticing the virtually 0 Foci's sell here now although we still have inventory. We are just going to end up absorbing most of them into the loaner fleet. 'Wheres Sync?' 'Wheres the flex?' 'Where's the new Focus?' All the time, for months now.

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Umm spending every day in the region's largest Ford dealer and having people ask where it is for 6 months+ and noticing the virtually 0 Foci's sell here now although we still have inventory. We are just going to end up absorbing most of them into the loaner fleet. 'Wheres Sync?' 'Wheres the flex?' 'Where's the new Focus?' All the time, for months now.

 

 

At the Detroit Auto Show back in January, Ford told the press October, 2007. Ford started building them at end of August and normally it's six weeks until first ones ship as launch picks up steam and lots are full enough to start shipping plus batching and loading them for month or so. The Focus is still on time and not late. As for Flex, the Job 1 date was already given...April 1, 2008 at OAP and about six weeks later you should start seeing them at dealers. And usually about 6 weeks after being at dealer Ford will start introducing National Advertising. Ford doesn't like to advertise until dealers have nice stock of them on lots. Why advertise and cause customer to come in with ONE on lot. So Ford waits until Dealer has 50+ in stock.

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Showing off the Flex 12-14 months in advance was a huge mistake, I am eager to know and see everything, but from a business standpoint it was a very stupid idea, they need to be more like Honda and Apple, Honda shows off the Accord and it is available to buy in less than a month.

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