Occasionally when we auto scribes fly into a city to test a new vehicle, the manufacturer has current models at the airport for us to drive to some location to pick up the new version. That way, we'll have had a recent comparison. So when we flew into Seattle, we were handed the keys to the 2007 Ford Focus and drove them to a warehouse on Seattle's waterfront. After a presentation on the 2008 model, my colleague, Kevin, and I were turned loose to drive for the next five or so hours. What a change from 2007.
The Focus has generally been thought of as Ford's “starter car.” You start with a Focus, move up to a Fusion and graduate to a Taurus. Then it's a stint or two in one of Ford's crossovers or SUVs. As you progress in your career and start to earn your way through life, Ford hopes you'll switch over to the Lincoln side of the company. At the very least you have a good chance of taking your last ride in a Lincoln so this basically proves my point. But this time around, Ford has given buyers of the Focus a longer, yet happier wait until their turn in the Fusion.
Starting with the styling, Ford took a lot of cues from its highly successful Fusion, such as the prominent chrome-bar grille (sorry … only room for two bars instead of three), flared wheel arches and sweeping lines that give it a sporty stance. It also borrowed from the Escape in designing taillamps with a white arc cutting across the red lens. The decklid features a clear lens that illuminates with red LEDs, giving it a more modern appearance. Finally, a front fender appliqué is integrated just behind the front wheel well, adding a bright access to its profile. Many Ford models for '08 sport this dazzler.
Two Focus models are available for '08: a four-door sedan and a first for Focus -- a two-door coupe. I generally feel squeamish describing a car as “cute,” so I'll just swallow my bile and comment that the coupe is cute. Each model has three trim levels: S, SE and SES.
There's a choice of two four-cylinder engines. Standard engine is a 140 horsepower 2.0-liter Duratec 20 DOHC inline-four that puts out 136 pound-feet of torque. The other engine choice depends primarily on where you live. It's a super clean Duratec 20E that qualifies Focus as a Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle (PZEV). The 20E is actually cleaner than some hybrid gas-electric vehicles.
The PZEV engine is required from dealers in California, New York, Massachusetts, Vermont and Maine. For dealers in cross-border states -- Arizona, Connecticut, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Oregon, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island -- PZEV Focus models are available as a limited option. My advice is … if you want to keep the government from under your hood, move to one of the states I didn't list. What's next from them … a law banning treaded tires because they could possibly snare an earthworm and take it for its final ride?
Speaking of tires, 15-inch six-spoke steel wheels and P195/60R15 tires are standard on the S and on the SE. 15-inch eight-spoke aluminum alloy wheels with the same size tires come standard with a five-speed manual transmission. A different five-speed manual is standard on the SES which is standard with 16-inch six-spoke aluminum alloy wheels with P205/50R16 tires (different gear ratios) and optional 16-inch six-spoke Euro Flange aluminum alloy wheels with the same tires as the SES. The optional automatic transmission is a four-speed.
Our drive route was well-thought-out and covered almost every conceivable driving condition the average driver would encounter daily. (Alright … you don't find a lot of ice and snow in Seattle in September. Will rain and wet roads do?) The Focus is very responsive and agile, and even though it has a lower horsepower than, say a Mustang GT, it will hold its own on hills, dales and straight-aways. It corners nicely and the absence of almost all wind noise is a pleasant plus.
In wind tunnel testing at a simulated 80 mph, the '08 Focus is 8 percent quieter than the '07. Ford engineers further reduced wind noise by installing a new acoustic windshield and thicker side glass in the front doors. Also, things like closed-cell foam in the dash panel seal, fluffy cotton-like sound-deadening material that's incorporated into the door trim panels, C-pillars and elsewhere … plus a lot of other items you're probably bored hearing about … contribute mightily to its quietness. Front MacPherson struts and rear independent multilink design enhances the handling. Revised chassis settings help and an all-new brake system with an available anti-lock braking system completes the package.
If I had one complaint regarding the manual transmission, it's a question I've had for more than 40 years, if a 1964 Studebaker could have a hill-hold clutch why can't a 2008 model have the same? I'm not singling out Ford … few cars have such a feature. Just like Nancy Kerrigan whined when Tonya Harding paid someone to take an iron bar to her knee at an ice skating competition …”WHY?!!”
An old adage we had in Indiana is: You look at the car from the outside; you live on the inside.” (And to think my ex-wife thought I was shallow.) The interior of the 2008 Focus is all new and it's beyond cute … it's handsome.
Things such as a new display atop the center stack that's positioned at eye level and puts much of the vehicle's information in one place. A new “poke-through” center console design replaces the traditional “brick” design for the radio and HVAC controls. Also there's a standard auxiliary input jack and two power points.
Another neat feature is new Ice Blue Lighting on the instrument cluster, center console, steering wheel and door lock and window switches. It's a lot easier on the eyes than the red lighting some manufacturers insist on using. Like most drivers, I'm not trying to keep my night vision, so I can run up the conning tower and look for targets of opportunity.
Want to Kumbaya yourself? The interior lighting system is color-configurable so you can change the light inside the cupholders and in the front and rear footwells. The driver or front-seat passenger can choose from seven different colors simply by cycling through a dash-mounted switch.
I'll just briefly mention Sync. This industry-first technology developed in a joint venture with Microsoft offers incredible levels of connection, control, simplicity and personalization for electronic devices inside a car. It's a cutting-edge way to use cell phones and media players inside the vehicle. Sync will be the subject of a separate review soon, but I'll say this about it: If you're buying a Focus (or one of the other 12 Ford vehicles that will offer this technology by the end of the year) and you don't spend the $395 to order it if it's not standard in your vehicle, find a designated driver to take you to the nearest detention center ... you're not smart enough to be out in public by yourself.
This lighter weight helps bring the fuel economy to 24 mpg in the city and 33 mpg on the highway for the 2.0-liter with four-speed automatic or 24/35 for the five-speed manual; or 24/33 for the 2.0-liter PZEV with automatic and 24/35 with the five speed manual. Warranty is three-year/36,000-mile bumper-to-bumper limited warranty and five-year/60,000-mile powertrain limited warranty and roadside assistance.
The pricing for the 2008 Focus will please the check book's palate. MSRP for the basic Focus S coupe starts at $14,695, and the sedan begins at $14,995. SE models are an additional $1,000. The top-of-the-line SES coupe and sedan -- with Sync standard -- begin at $16,695 and $16,995 respectively. All prices include a $620 destination and delivery charge.
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