MarkFive Posted March 25, 2008 Share Posted March 25, 2008 I haven't seen one Focus coupe either, and you see everything here on the streets of L.A. I have reported a couple of times that I haven't seen a Focus coupe on the road yet. Since then, I've seen a couple although the 4-door is a lot more popular. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardJensen Posted March 25, 2008 Share Posted March 25, 2008 Echo.... Echo.... Echo.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P71_CrownVic Posted March 25, 2008 Share Posted March 25, 2008 Echo.... Echo.... Echo.... Do they still make that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardJensen Posted March 25, 2008 Share Posted March 25, 2008 No. It turned into the Yaris. It was the worst car Toyota ever built. Ever. Climbing into that thing was like taking a trip back to 1982. Either that, or the hollow, booming and spartan interior with its center mounted speedometer recalled the old post war Willys Jeepster. But with none of the charm and refinement. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpd80 Posted March 25, 2008 Share Posted March 25, 2008 (edited) Now compare that with what Ford is attempting with the coming Fiesta - Worlds apart. Maybe this is the start of Ford "Out Fording" Toyota. Well, let's hope so anyway.... Edited March 25, 2008 by jpd80 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MERKURXR4Ti Posted March 25, 2008 Share Posted March 25, 2008 (edited) You guys sure do go to great legnths to spread propaganda for Ford, who the fuck wants a goofy looking mini trunk on a C car?? And people want sedan Mini Coopers too!! And some people actually think a 4dr wrangler can off-road with the rest of us... But the fact is...Ford is paving the way for a Verve/Fiesta hatchback to fill this niche, there is NO way they can have a "fiesta" and focus hatch at the same time given the limited sales that hatches have in that US. I love hatchbacks, but there is not a huge market for them, and Ford will capitalize on them in the small car segment. And yes a sedan mini cooper is blasphemy Edited March 25, 2008 by MERKURXR4Ti Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MERKURXR4Ti Posted March 25, 2008 Share Posted March 25, 2008 I've seen about 3 Focus coupes driving around Philly and maybe 10 sedans...every one with the tacky vents, I guess people like that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noah Harbinger Posted March 25, 2008 Share Posted March 25, 2008 It's called Moe's Southwest Grill or something like that. Pretty good food. Oh I hit up one of those when I was in Alabama (huh I didn't realize how widespread they were). It's not bad, but the mexican food we've got in So Cal (I'm taking about the corner taco shops where you pause to consider the cleanliness) has not yet been replicated anywhere else I've been, even in other parts of California. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noah Harbinger Posted March 25, 2008 Share Posted March 25, 2008 (edited) No. It turned into the Yaris. It was the worst car Toyota ever built. Ever. Climbing into that thing was like taking a trip back to 1982. Either that, or the hollow, booming and spartan interior with its center mounted speedometer recalled the old post war Willys Jeepster. A friend bought one of those when I was in college. She loved it so much I didn't have the heart to tell her how ugly it was. (Woot! 1000 posts! An average of 0.92/day) Edited March 25, 2008 by Noah Harbinger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silvrsvt Posted March 25, 2008 Share Posted March 25, 2008 Wow that Yaris dash looks like it got cancer with all those lumps and bumps on it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biker16 Posted March 25, 2008 Share Posted March 25, 2008 Now compare that with what Ford is attempting with the coming Fiesta - Worlds apart.Maybe this is the start of Ford "Out Fording" Toyota. Well, let's hope so anyway.... This is true Fordbest shot at a "ford" idenity is by usig Ford of Europe. because it's design and material quality is mature and better represnts What ford should be. production Fiesta. It has felt for the past Few year Ford NA, has been poking in the dark trying to find an identity, Ford in Europe don't have this problem and would be more ready today to "out ford" Toyota, which is what FNA has been trying to do for decades. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickF1011 Posted March 25, 2008 Share Posted March 25, 2008 And some people actually think a 4dr wrangler can off-road with the rest of us... But the fact is...Ford is paving the way for a Verve/Fiesta hatchback to fill this niche, there is NO way they can have a "fiesta" and focus hatch at the same time given the limited sales that hatches have in that US. I love hatchbacks, but there is not a huge market for them, and Ford will capitalize on them in the small car segment. And yes a sedan mini cooper is blasphemy Actually, there very well more than likely WILL be a Fiesta hatch and Focus hatch sitting side by side on Ford lots in a couple of years. The hatch Focuses will more than likely return with the next generation. Did nobody read my last post on this? Apparently not since most of you are still complaining about there being no current hatch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ford Jellymoulds Posted March 25, 2008 Share Posted March 25, 2008 Actually, there very well more than likely WILL be a Fiesta hatch and Focus hatch sitting side by side on Ford lots in a couple of years. The hatch Focuses will more than likely return with the next generation. Did nobody read my last post on this? Apparently not since most of you are still complaining about there being no current hatch. Just watch the superb Fiesta rocket into No1 spot in Europe it looks dynamite it's going to blow the rest away. Mind you the Fiesta in the US is not the same shape Nick, some folk taking a holiday in Florida won't think thats the same Fiesta we have in the UK. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickF1011 Posted March 25, 2008 Share Posted March 25, 2008 Just watch the superb Fiesta rocket into No1 spot in Europe it looks dynamite it's going to blow the rest away. Mind you the Fiesta in the US is not the same shape Nick, some folk taking a holiday in Florida won't think thats the same Fiesta we have in the UK. The Fiesta that will be sold here and the one sold in Europe will be fundamentally identical. The only major difference will be that the US (rumored anyway) will sell both the sedan AND 5-door versions, and possibily even the 3-door. Engines options will obviously be different as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BORG Posted March 25, 2008 Share Posted March 25, 2008 (edited) The new Fiesta will give the Focus a run for its money stateside so expect the next Focus to evolve accordingly. And indeed, the Focus hatch probably died in this country because of this car. The NA Focus is a worrisome if only because it was a design approved after Ford's management shakeup. The Focus is hands down the sloppiest train wreck of a design I have ever seen from Ford, that includes the 1996 Taurus which was at least cohesive. The Focus was designed by three comittees, one for the front, another for the back, and a 3rd for the sides. You can't look at the car as a whole and get a good impression, otherwise the design elements when viewed independently don't look too bad. Overall the design gives an imression of poor quality because it looks pieces together. I much prefer the 2005 Focus to the 2008. Edited March 25, 2008 by BORG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickF1011 Posted March 25, 2008 Share Posted March 25, 2008 The new Fiesta will give the Focus a run for its money stateside so expect the next Focus to evolve accordingly. And indeed, the Focus hatch probably died in this country because of this car. The NA Focus is a worrisome if only because it was a design approved after Ford's management shakeup and their design department is pumping out some inconsistent products that are artistically dubious. Wow. Nobody did read my post. There is zero relation between the demise of the C170 Focus hatch and the arrival of the Fiesta hatch. In fact, initial production of the Fiesta for North America was originally to be ALL sedans. Farley nixed that idea right quick and is even now considering selling the 3-door hatch also. But that decision was made long after the decision to axe Focus hatches in North America. To elaborate: the decision to axe the Focus hatch was ENTIRELY a fiscal one. For the LAST TIME: It was cheaper to base a Focus coupe off the sedan's stampings than to redo the hatch's stampings to update it for the '08 design. That is the ONLY reason the hatches were axed. From the very beginning, the '08 Focus was meant as a band-aid placeholder until the next gen global Focus was ready to take its place. Because of that, Ford really wanted to spend as little money as possible refreshing the tired C170. To save money, they eliminated one of the most expensive aspects to the refresh -- new stampings for hatches. By all accounts, THE HATCHBACK FOCUS WILL RETURN WITH THE NEXT GENERATION. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardJensen Posted March 25, 2008 Share Posted March 25, 2008 This is true Fordbest shot at a "ford" idenity is by usig Ford of Europe. because it's design and material quality is mature and better represnts What ford should be. That is the stupidest thing I've ever seen you post. The part that's factual isn't correct, and the rest of it is opinion disguised as fact. Ford Europe's "Kinetic" language is about the same age as the "Dave" language. Ford's "Kinetic" language first appeared on the EUCD launches, which arrived in 2006 at, for all intents and purposes, the same time as the Edge. ==== And how well are those FoE products doing in Oz? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardJensen Posted March 25, 2008 Share Posted March 25, 2008 For those of you following along at home, Biker wants this: to turn into this: Complete with fake fender vent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P71_CrownVic Posted March 25, 2008 Share Posted March 25, 2008 The NA Focus is a worrisome if only because it was a design approved after Ford's management shakeup. The Focus is hands down the sloppiest train wreck of a design I have ever seen from Ford, that includes the 1996 Taurus which was at least cohesive. The Focus was designed by three comittees, one for the front, another for the back, and a 3rd for the sides. You can't look at the car as a whole and get a good impression, otherwise the design elements when viewed independently don't look too bad. Overall the design gives an imression of poor quality because it looks pieces together. I much prefer the 2005 Focus to the 2008. In a week, I will agree with you. But, right now, I cannot let your harsh and false words about the Focus go untouched. I am very hurt that you would take the efforts of hundreds of people...people who put their heart and sole into the fantastic piece of automobile we PROUDLY call the 2008 Ford Focus...and throw them out like they were garbage. The 2008 Focus has a truly beautiful and unique design, the highest quality interior short of a Rolls Royce, and the driving dynamics of a BMW 3-series. Our Focus is directly on par with the Euro Focus in all aspects. You know, I am so hurt by what you said...I am going to start a thread about you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardJensen Posted March 25, 2008 Share Posted March 25, 2008 Overall the design gives an imression of poor quality because it looks pieces together. I much prefer the 2005 Focus to the 2008. OTOH, I recall quite distinctly saying that I would not pass judgment on the marketability of the Focus because I did NOT like it, but Ford's previous efforts had been pretty stellar (Edge, Escape, etc.) And, not to pat myself on the back or anything, I would say that these two facts stand out: + Retail growth is outpacing the segment as a whole + 1/3rd of buyers are age 16-35, which is significantly higher than the outgoing model. Source? Conference call transcript. Bottom line. Ford did its homework on this model, and while the naysayers love to pass off their own judgments as universal, it appears in this case, as with the Escape, that their projection of their own opinions onto the car buying public as a whole was flawed. Heck, I thought the CRV was so ugly that they'd have to tie a T-bone around its back bumper to get a dog to chase it, but look at its sales last year? Through the roof. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BORG Posted March 25, 2008 Share Posted March 25, 2008 (edited) OTOH, I recall quite distinctly saying that I would not pass judgment on the marketability of the Focus because I did NOT like it, but Ford's previous efforts had been pretty stellar (Edge, Escape, etc.) And, not to pat myself on the back or anything, I would say that these two facts stand out: + Retail growth is outpacing the segment as a whole + 1/3rd of buyers are age 16-35, which is significantly higher than the outgoing model. Source? Conference call transcript. Bottom line. Ford did its homework on this model, and while the naysayers love to pass off their own judgments as universal, it appears in this case, as with the Escape, that their projection of their own opinions onto the car buying public as a whole was flawed. Heck, I thought the CRV was so ugly that they'd have to tie a T-bone around its back bumper to get a dog to chase it, but look at its sales last year? Through the roof. There are so many factors that may be pushing Focus sales higher and design may not be one of them (Sync, Advertising, Fuel Prices, Neglected Customer Loyalty). However, it is distinct and most Focus buyers are not design snobs and aren't hung up on design cohesion. If it looks new and different than I'm sure it's a more appealing place to spend their money wise budget. Truth be told, this market is not well serviced in America beyond the Honda Civic. Everything else is outdated, dull, or just forgotten. The Focus is something fresh for a change at the right time. Sustainability may be another issue for this Focus, but it should be replaced within the next 4-5 years. Edited March 25, 2008 by BORG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inteller Posted March 25, 2008 Share Posted March 25, 2008 can anyone south of the border hook me up? A Focus ST is only $26k. I'll pay a Mexican dealer $1000 on top of that if they can make it happen. Would it be a bitch to import this thing? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silvrsvt Posted March 25, 2008 Share Posted March 25, 2008 but it should be replaced within the next 4-5 years. it goes bye bye in 2010/11 time frame when the next gen Focus comes out Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BORG Posted March 25, 2008 Share Posted March 25, 2008 it goes bye bye in 2010/11 time frame when the next gen Focus comes out We'll see about that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silvrsvt Posted March 25, 2008 Share Posted March 25, 2008 We'll see about that. Why do you say that? The current US Focus is a bandaid till then...plus with Fords new Mantra, there is no reason to believe it won't come here Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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