DCK Posted December 14, 2006 Share Posted December 14, 2006 (edited) http://www.leftlanenews.com/2006/12/13/spi...focus-interior/ I think the main issue is the nobs and buttons look cheap and trashy. A sea of cheap plastic is what the interior looks to me. Edited December 14, 2006 by DCK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
630land Posted December 14, 2006 Share Posted December 14, 2006 It sure is better than the cheapo 'made in Russia' Caliber interior. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OregonX14 Posted December 14, 2006 Share Posted December 14, 2006 its light years ahead of the current one. much nicer looking then it has been. Its using the integrated center stack like the new escape/mariner, no more black box audio/climate controls, i like it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roadrunner Posted December 14, 2006 Share Posted December 14, 2006 I don't like it, but I still can see how it looks better than the current Focus interior by a mile. What they should do is put some contrast in to the center console, maybe a couple vertical lines or just a horizontal line somewhere. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waymondospiff Posted December 14, 2006 Share Posted December 14, 2006 Between this Focus prototype & the new Escape I see where they're going with this design direction, and I approve. But they aren't quite "there" yet. I'll be interested to see the Five Hundred's interior. If the execution on that interior is of the same, uhhh, quality as the Focus & Escape then I'll be very sad. If they keep the design "language" of the Focus & Escape but up the execution & materials quality I'll be pleased. Scott Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-150 Posted December 14, 2006 Share Posted December 14, 2006 this looks essentially like the S40 interior. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hoss96racing Posted December 14, 2006 Share Posted December 14, 2006 looks ok... but it does need something to break up the center stack a bit... don't know if I like how far apart the display is from the controls... I probably could get used to it though.. I'm still trying to figure out the difference between expensive and cheap plastic dash materials... all plastic looks cheap to me... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Reynolds Posted December 14, 2006 Share Posted December 14, 2006 looks ok... but it does need something to break up the center stack a bit... don't know if I like how far apart the display is from the controls... I probably could get used to it though.. I'm still trying to figure out the difference between expensive and cheap plastic dash materials... all plastic looks cheap to me... That's what I'm saying. I love how people will sit till there blue in the face and complain about cheap plastic knobs/buttons. Well plastic, is plastic, is plastic........... GMs new head units are no better/worse than what Ford is using. All they do is throw in plasti-chrome to jazz it up a bit. Anyhow I like the new look. IMO it looks 300000x's better than the out going Focus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ANTAUS Posted December 14, 2006 Share Posted December 14, 2006 It's about time Ford moved away from the drop-in-box Radio/AC systems. And it's laid out much better than most others who have gone this route. The buttons are grouped together, unlike scattered as most do it (as in Lexus/Toyota). IT does remind me a bit of the Volvo layout actually. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silvrsvt Posted December 14, 2006 Share Posted December 14, 2006 I like the styling, but I'm not sure about the plastic materials. From that photo, it looks like cheap hard plastic makes up most of the dash. I'll wait till I see official photos that hopefully don't make it look cheap here is the S40 dash: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DCK Posted December 14, 2006 Author Share Posted December 14, 2006 That's what I'm saying. I love how people will sit till there blue in the face and complain about cheap plastic knobs/buttons. Well plastic, is plastic, is plastic........... That is like a saying a car is a car when looking at an aveo and a S class. You can pretty much tell from the glare and look that this is very cheap very hard plastic. Higher quality plastics have a slight give to them and don't look so glossy like these pictures.. Also about the nobs, they do look trashy IMO. They could of easily added chrome rings around them which would of costed next to nothing and would look tremendously better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silvrsvt Posted December 14, 2006 Share Posted December 14, 2006 Also about the nobs, they do look trashy IMO. They could of easily added chrome rings around them which would of costed next to nothing and would look tremendously better. So even more fake plastic would make it looks better? Like I said before its just a prototype, lets see what it looks like in person or press photography before slamming it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wildosvt Posted December 14, 2006 Share Posted December 14, 2006 The ONLY problem I see with it is the radio. Kiddies like to put in aftermarket units. I hope they have a center finish panel that has a double DIN. This will be ok if it comes with the nav system. You can just order one from the parts counter. The display for the radio on top of the ip can be eliminated for guages, Which would be a neat touch for those looking to add them. Im just not 100% certain what information comes up on the display, Which will be answered when the new Escape hits showrooms. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swenson88 Posted December 14, 2006 Share Posted December 14, 2006 So even more fake plastic would make it looks better? Like I said before its just a prototype, lets see what it looks like in person or press photography before slamming it. Good luck with that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Reynolds Posted December 14, 2006 Share Posted December 14, 2006 That is like a saying a car is a car when looking at an aveo and a S class. You can pretty much tell from the glare and look that this is very cheap very hard plastic. Higher quality plastics have a slight give to them and don't look so glossy like these pictures.. So essentially Ford should be using some sort of rubberized material similar to that on the dash of the Fusion? 'Cause I really can't recall the last time I touched something that was primarily made from plastic and it being soft to touch. The 3 uses hard touch plastics, the Corolla certainly does, the Civic.........need I go on. For all intents and purposes it would probably be a good idea to wait and see how the interior quality of the Focus works out on production vehicles before crying cheap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rkisler Posted December 14, 2006 Share Posted December 14, 2006 This is a prototype for goodness sake. Early on, suppliers provide plastics without any graining in them and they are often times a nasty color with a nasty gloss. Wait until you see the finished product. Then either praise or damn it accordingly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
igor Posted December 14, 2006 Share Posted December 14, 2006 (edited) the interior design is so-so .. it is an improvement, but I feel it looks unfinished - lacks in details. the color combination is also BLAH ... but I have heard from numerous sources, that the new switchgear has Volvo feel to it with well controlled motion, great tactile response, and great materials. The central "silver" piece will be hard as rock - as it is in every other compact. The Dash will also be hard - but there is hard plastic and there is hard plastic .. I am not convinced the Focus will use the best kind, but there is no way of telling until I (or someone else) sit in one. And if we were all just using "reflectiveness" as judgment of plastic quality, all one has to do, is make the ridges/pattern deeper, so its angles absorb the light, instead of reflect it to the camera lens - it has nothing to do with plastic quality - I can achieve it with a Yogurt container. I really like the face though - I am actually excited to see it revealed - I think the exterior will be perfectly competitive with all other offerings out there. Igor Edited December 14, 2006 by igor Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swenson88 Posted December 14, 2006 Share Posted December 14, 2006 the interior design is so-so .. it is an improvement, but I feel it looks unfinished - lacks in details. the color combination is also BLAH ... but I have heard from numerous sources, that the new switchgear has Volvo feel to it with well controlled motion, great tactile response, and great materials. The central "silver" piece will be hard as rock - as it is in every other compact. The Dash will also be hard - but there is hard plastic and there is hard plastic .. I am not convinced the Focus will use the best kind, but there is no way of telling until I (or someone else) sit in one. And if we were all just using "reflectiveness" as judgment of plastic quality, all one has to do, is make the ridges/pattern deeper, so its angles absorb the light, instead of reflect it to the camera lens - it has nothing to do with plastic quality - I can achieve it with a Yogurt container. I really like the face though - I am actually excited to see it revealed - I think the exterior will be perfectly competitive with all other offerings out there. Igor I think there's several things that stand out to me when I consider the "quality" of a vehicle's plastics. One is "greasiness". My 2002 SuperDuty has very greasy-looking plastics. They're hard, they're flimsy, and some of them squeak and rattle. Not high quality. What they are is durable - scratches are basically non-existent and the plastics aren't going to degrade in the sun. Probably right for a work truck. But, in my girlfriend's 2003 Corolla, the plastics are also hard, but they have no greasiness to them, they don't shine, they're like comparing matte black to glossy black. In my eyes it looks better. Doesn't necessarily feel better to touch, but in reality looking at your dash happens alot more than touching your dash. However, the plastic in her Corolla scratches very easily, just with a fingernail. So there's a tradeoff. Now, for things you actually use, there's most likely more to it than just the plastic involved. For instance, the stereo in my 2002 SuperDuty has horrendous tactile feel. It functions, but the buttons wiggle all over the place, they squeak against each other, just not very high quality. The knobs have no indents or ridges for slight adjustments, just freewheeling. Even the stereo in my 2001 Jeep Cherokee just feels so much more substantial - incremental adjustments on the knobs, no squeaking, buttons push straight in and don't wiggle all over the place. That's my personal opinion on the matter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
igor Posted December 14, 2006 Share Posted December 14, 2006 I think there's several things that stand out to me when I consider the "quality" of a vehicle's plastics. One is "greasiness". My 2002 SuperDuty has very greasy-looking plastics. They're hard, they're flimsy, and some of them squeak and rattle. Not high quality. What they are is durable - scratches are basically non-existent and the plastics aren't going to degrade in the sun. Probably right for a work truck. But, in my girlfriend's 2003 Corolla, the plastics are also hard, but they have no greasiness to them, they don't shine, they're like comparing matte black to glossy black. In my eyes it looks better. Doesn't necessarily feel better to touch, but in reality looking at your dash happens alot more than touching your dash. However, the plastic in her Corolla scratches very easily, just with a fingernail. So there's a tradeoff. Now, for things you actually use, there's most likely more to it than just the plastic involved. For instance, the stereo in my 2002 SuperDuty has horrendous tactile feel. It functions, but the buttons wiggle all over the place, they squeak against each other, just not very high quality. The knobs have no indents or ridges for slight adjustments, just freewheeling. Even the stereo in my 2001 Jeep Cherokee just feels so much more substantial - incremental adjustments on the knobs, no squeaking, buttons push straight in and don't wiggle all over the place. That's my personal opinion on the matter. I completely agree ... I have owned 99Expedition, 05Focus and 04Mazda3 .. trust me, I have seen everything you have mentioned ... the Expedition feels cheap as hell, but it simply lasts (the interior and the car itself) .. the Focus was just crap, but it actually looked OK on the pictures (the materials) .. the Mazda3 looks great, and feels great where is counts, but touch some not-so common pieces of the dash, and you will be surprised that it feels like Tupperware. My point was and still is - it is impossible to tell quality of plastics from a press photo .. let alone a crappy spy shot. Igor Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hoss96racing Posted December 14, 2006 Share Posted December 14, 2006 I think there's several things that stand out to me when I consider the "quality" of a vehicle's plastics. One is "greasiness". My 2002 SuperDuty has very greasy-looking plastics. They're hard, they're flimsy, and some of them squeak and rattle. Not high quality. What they are is durable - scratches are basically non-existent and the plastics aren't going to degrade in the sun. Probably right for a work truck. But, in my girlfriend's 2003 Corolla, the plastics are also hard, but they have no greasiness to them, they don't shine, they're like comparing matte black to glossy black. In my eyes it looks better. Doesn't necessarily feel better to touch, but in reality looking at your dash happens alot more than touching your dash. However, the plastic in her Corolla scratches very easily, just with a fingernail. So there's a tradeoff. Now, for things you actually use, there's most likely more to it than just the plastic involved. For instance, the stereo in my 2002 SuperDuty has horrendous tactile feel. It functions, but the buttons wiggle all over the place, they squeak against each other, just not very high quality. The knobs have no indents or ridges for slight adjustments, just freewheeling. Even the stereo in my 2001 Jeep Cherokee just feels so much more substantial - incremental adjustments on the knobs, no squeaking, buttons push straight in and don't wiggle all over the place. That's my personal opinion on the matter. in my 2000 super duty the only time the dash looks "greasy" to me is when I dump on the armor all... my brother only cleans his with multi-purpose cleaner on his dash (early 99 dark blue super duty) and it has a nice matte-satin finish to it.. I don't like to put the armor all on the dark plastics but looks ok on the light tan in my super duty... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZanatWork Posted December 14, 2006 Share Posted December 14, 2006 The amount of opinion people can invest in a blurry photo of a prototype is pretty damned funny! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swenson88 Posted December 14, 2006 Share Posted December 14, 2006 in my 2000 super duty the only time the dash looks "greasy" to me is when I dump on the armor all... my brother only cleans his with multi-purpose cleaner on his dash (early 99 dark blue super duty) and it has a nice matte-satin finish to it.. I don't like to put the armor all on the dark plastics but looks ok on the light tan in my super duty... Maybe it's the two-tone gray in mine, I don't know. I guess the passenger airbag area doesn't look too greasy, but pretty much everything else does, especially the plastic surrounding the radio/climate controls and coming over the IP to the headlight switch. For what it is it works fine, but if you analyze it it's pretty darn bare bones, and when you shell out $30K for a vehicle I guess even if it's a work-type truck it's hard to make a good excuse as to why there's vehicles that sell for far less and seem to have higher quality materials. I bought my SuperDuty because I simply love the exterior looks, so the interior is just a compromise for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hoss96racing Posted December 14, 2006 Share Posted December 14, 2006 Maybe it's the two-tone gray in mine, I don't know. I guess the passenger airbag area doesn't look too greasy, but pretty much everything else does, especially the plastic surrounding the radio/climate controls and coming over the IP to the headlight switch. For what it is it works fine, but if you analyze it it's pretty darn bare bones, and when you shell out $30K for a vehicle I guess even if it's a work-type truck it's hard to make a good excuse as to why there's vehicles that sell for far less and seem to have higher quality materials. I bought my SuperDuty because I simply love the exterior looks, so the interior is just a compromise for me. maybe.... I had a 97 150 with the gray interior and I know I used the non greasy/shiny armor all in that... the super duty is my first new vehicle so as long as the plastic doesn't turn chalky and disintegrate like my old trucks i'm happy... actuallly i'm not much of one to be talking about interiors... I just washed the inch of dust off the dash of my truck last week... first time its been cleaned in a year or so... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Reynolds Posted December 14, 2006 Share Posted December 14, 2006 maybe.... I had a 97 150 with the gray interior and I know I used the non greasy/shiny armor all in that... the super duty is my first new vehicle so as long as the plastic doesn't turn chalky and disintegrate like my old trucks i'm happy... actuallly i'm not much of one to be talking about interiors... I just washed the inch of dust off the dash of my truck last week... first time its been cleaned in a year or so... :slap: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ANTAUS Posted December 14, 2006 Share Posted December 14, 2006 Hoss, I wouldn't recommend Armor All. Might as well put Vaseline on it. Zanat, true, it's just a picture, thru a window pane, yet people can "feel" certain items...so can Miss Cleo. I think we should all just focus heh, on the layout and initial look at first, rather than "feeling" of what can't really be confirmed jsut yet. I think the majority of us would agree that in ANY way, this is a big improvement from the previous version. Right ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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