Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!

2008 Ford Focus future vehicle

2»

Comments

  • jpmccormacjpmccormac Member Posts: 98
    "...2008 Focus hitting showrooms at the very end of summer, towards late September...probably early October."

    Well, I thought the Focus looked sort of interesting until I saw the preview of the new Saturn Astra, which will debut at the Chicago Auto show this week. The Astra (from Opel) makes the Focus look like a Yugo in comparison - at least from what I've seen and read so far. And it will come in three and five door hatch models. Keep your C1 Focus, Mr. Ford. If you're not familiar with the Opel Astra, you should be. Google is your friend.

    image

    image
  • aladdinsanealaddinsane Member Posts: 182
    I absoulutely agree with you, jpmccormac!

    They're both nice, but I'd go with the Astra coupe (speaking for myself). ;)

    Ford = one blunder after another, IMHO.

    Cheers...

    Peace! :shades:
  • shiattshiatt Member Posts: 3
    Accepting that the 2008 model is a stop-gap measure, I see the dumbing down of the Focus line as a very foolish move. Dropping the popular (at least here in California) ZX3/5 seems like giving up, no matter how much Ford uses hip, "I'm a Mac" actors in its ads. At least they say that they've improved the interior (we'll see), given that complaints about the seats were so widespread and that they did nothing about it for several years (rather like GM's neglect of Cavalier and Saturn).
  • cklho818cklho818 Member Posts: 29
    The 2008 Ford Focus look good? :confuse: Very :confuse:

    Check out how the Ford Focus look like out there!

    Click here --> http://www.ford.co.uk/ie/foc_c307/foc_c307_downloads/foc_c307_gallery/-/-/-/-)

    I haven't even start talking about the ST version!

    Better yet, check out what only a Ford Transit can do at the Nürburgring Nordschleife.
    Click here --> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Mj1sMQOHXA

    Don't know what Nürburgring is?
    Click here --> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nurburgring

    I thought there was a Internet nowadays.

    Good luck Ford US! :sick:
  • cklho818cklho818 Member Posts: 29
    When can we see something like this in U.S.? Frankly, those punks in Ford thought we are a bunch of dumb @$$es out here. :mad:

    Check out the one of test drive by Top Gear, Ford U.S.!

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fL-qUUFLB3I
  • mindaugusmindaugus Member Posts: 20
    When I first saw this thing I thought uggggghhh a saturn Ion. My g/f though chimmed up "I think its CUTE". After looking at it for a while I think its growing on me.

    So what about the platform it could come in at a nice pricing point. I want low price, reliability, and good fuel economy. Even if they used the modern platform and it gave better performance most Americans wouldn't care. With 90% of cars going out as auto its clear people aren't concerned with that.

    As long as they drop the base price (the MSRP on the current focus is laughable) and bring in a B car ASAP they could have products people wanna buy.

    Ford if you can't bring a B-car by the time this new thing comes out, then your screwed. The longer you make unsellable products the fewer people think of you.
  • creakid1creakid1 Member Posts: 2,032
    This "new" Saturn coming out is gonna be just an outmoded Opel/Vauxhall Astra:
    http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/news/autoexpressnews/205104/this_weeks_auto_express- - - - - .html

    Like the low-tech B-class cars, the GM Astra comes w/ trailing-arm rear suspension, which was pioneered by FWD VW's over 3 decades ago. But unlike VW's, GM could not duplicate the expensive building method found w/in the VW trailing arms &, therefore, failed to match VW's ride/handling compromise.

    A few years back, VW hired the "C-170 Focus" engineers to design the Control Blade rear suspension for today's FWD Golf/Jetta/Passat/A3/Scirocco for improving the ride/handling compromise.

    So Opel tried to copy VW's old design, which VW got rid off & replaced it w/ C-170 Focus' system!

    Even if Saturn is going to build this "old" European Astra, will it come w/ Europeans' fancy optional panoramic windshield?
    http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/carreviews/firstdrives/203124/vauxhall_astra.html
  • creakid1creakid1 Member Posts: 2,032
    So Saturn's Astra will actually be imported from Europe.

    I just saw the pics of the Focus III hatch in a German car magazine.

    Is this real?
    http://www.autokampioen.nl/published/akm/content/afbeeldingen/2006/toekomst/0604- fordfo2-320926_enlarged.jpg
    http://www.autokampioen.nl/published/akm/content/afbeeldingen/2006/toekomst/0604- fordfo1-320919_enlarged.jpg
    It is the handsome front end that looks almost like the next "James Bond car" -- the '08 Mondeo. We should get the Focus III as an 2011 model?
  • scape2scape2 Member Posts: 4,123
    I am a Ford fan. I just cannot understand why Ford cannot sell cars like this in the U.S???? If this is a Focus it looks great!! and Ford needs this NOW! not 6 years from now!
    The 2008 Focus looks like a step in the right direction. Styling is nice. However, once again Ford drops the 2.3!! Why?? It should make the 2.3 standard, offer a 6spd automatic and a 6spd manual! I'm frustrated... :sick:
  • creakid1creakid1 Member Posts: 2,032
    "The 2008 Focus looks like a step in the right direction."???

    So it's people like you who gave American Ford the confidence to go ahead. :cry:

    I really though that the '08 sacrifices styling just to appeal to the anti-import crowd!!!

    Anyway, Mazda kept the "know how" to themselves & failed to tune the Focus engines to save fuel. That's why the 2.3, which wastes energy on the balance-shafts alone, had to go.
  • mcmanusmcmanus Member Posts: 121
    Is it any wonder why GM and Ford are going down?

    They're so big, they can't see outside their own corporate walls. While the ship is sinking internal fighting between grossly overpaid upper management personalities is still top on their agenda. Rather than accept the fact that improved fuel economy is smart like the rest of the world, they'd rather complain that they can't find a market for anything but gas hogs. They've had years to redesign cars while living off pickup and SUV profits, now they're in a position to get hurt very badly again.

    I'm from Michigan and would like nothing better than lean, intelligent GM and Ford companies that can compete on the world stage. But the worst cars I've owned in 30 years have been the only two domestics I bought, a 1985 Cavilier and a 2001 Mazda 626. Worse than the poor designs has been the lazy, stupid, hillbilly service.

    It amazes me that they won't even test market the Euro Focus here in the U.S. Maybe there is more profit in gas guzzlers and the Euro Focus would make the rest of their fleet look really bad. Probably couldn't get the mechanics to work on them or stock parts either.

    It's gonna be results, not excuses, that keeps GM and Ford in business. I've tried to buy American, but no more.
  • creakid1creakid1 Member Posts: 2,032
    "...the Euro Focus would make the rest of their fleet look really bad."

    "look really bad" all right:
    http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/u/r0a9f0811324f75a7t/news/autoexpressnews/209134/ford_focus.html

    American cars suck, period. Chrysler is now going to hell. & don't you American public group this European beauty as "American car", 'cause it's not!
  • david911david911 Member Posts: 4
    The European Focus is getting a restyling. It will look like the new Mondeo:

    http://auto-future.blogspot.com/2007/07/ford-focus-restyling.html
  • joe97joe97 Member Posts: 2,248
    Ford slightly refreshed the Focus from its look at the Auto Show this past January - slightly better, IMO

    http://media.ford.com/products/presskit_display.cfm?vehicle_id=1532&press_subsection_id=421&make_id=92

    new:

    image

    new "old":

    image
  • dj2bigdj2big Member Posts: 9
    FORD FOCUS 2008 IS A 2007 IN MEXICO!!!

    www.ford.com.mx
  • creakid1creakid1 Member Posts: 2,032
    "FORD FOCUS 2008 IS A 2007 IN MEXICO!!!"

    No, it's not. Our '08 looks embarrassingly ugly. I don't want to be seen in one. :D

    & I'd rather get our '07 ST w/ the big 2.3 (no turbo, please), which no one else gets:

    http://www.fordvehicles.com/cars/focus/features/specs/

    http://www.gulfcoastnews.com/RT2005FordFocus.htm

    The newer "foreign" Focus, which is what Mexico also gets today from Europe, w/ a too-wide body is somehow less handsome by comparison:

    http://www.ford.com.mx/vehicles/vehicles.asp?idModel=FOC

    Eventhough its very first sedan was mass produced w/ a pretty face in Taiwan since 2005:

    http://roadtest.u-car.com.tw/roadtest-detail.asp?rid=61

    & for similar price as our Focus, Mexico only gets the low-tech-suspension Fiesta instead:

    http://www.ford.com.mx/vehicles/vehicles.asp?idModel=FIS

    Mexico did get the older Focus from Europe briefly about a year ago. & I think it's pretty cool (No full-size bulky width, please).
  • seminole_kevseminole_kev Member Posts: 1,696
    Oh dear God. What did they do to the poor Focus? Yeash. When it came out in the States in 2000, it was "different" but very good looking and fresh in my opinion (hell we owned two of them at one point). But the first refresh dulled it down (especially in the interior) and now this refresh is just an abomination. Ugh. Looks like some sort rejected Saturn design. Ford, what have you done??? :sick:
  • hwyhobohwyhobo Member Posts: 265
    I guess Ford is hoping to break into that lucrative rental fleet market. :confuse:
  • creakid1creakid1 Member Posts: 2,032
    rental fleet market?

    Do you have to gross people out in order to rent 'em out safely so people will return the car afterward, & won't decide to (steal) keep the car forever?

    North America Ford, are you proud of looking like the Malibu/Impala/Stratus family? Can't you just leave these European designs alone? You already got Mazda to convert the engine bay into the most reliable "European car", & success/reputation is coming soon. No more night-mare repairs the way the Merkur XR4ti/Scorpio were.
  • klx74klx74 Member Posts: 1
    I don't know maybe I am reading to much into the bad mouthing of a cheap nice car that works I own a 2005 and the car is sound and not one bit a problem except for breaking the center console once, if that is a major problem I guess I just over looked it. Ok it is a face life but I do believe it will compete well since they stats on MPG for the 2008 Ford Focus should be 27 city / 37 highway and the last time I checked the Honda Fit 28 city / 34 highway, I say is is pretty damn close. On top of the fact the Focus does have more room. As far as price you can get one out the door if you know how to deal for $13,900. Beside the face lift they did add a ton of interior toys that you normally don't get with a cheap car. The car is cheap and good all around and I will buy I new one. My reason for the great review is because when a car can get you from point a to b without a problem for several years, that is a good car and I abuse my car and it took ever bit of it, except for that center console. Wow and that center console problem was so major considering Ford fixes it for free while under warranty. :)
  • aladdinsanealaddinsane Member Posts: 182
    Amen, klx74!

    I agree!

    This new(?) Focus will sell well...Whether it's superior to the Civic, or even the new Corolla (due next year) is debatable, but it WILL sell! I just wish Ford had kept the 5dr and added ESC to its safety features. Oh well...

    Peace!<- :shades: <-AladdinSane--
  • moparbadmoparbad Member Posts: 3,870
    Faux vents are ugly.
  • hwyhobohwyhobo Member Posts: 265
    Hatchback was the most distinct body style of the Focus. Now it lost its special practicality and is just one of many in the crowd.
  • creakid1creakid1 Member Posts: 2,032
    future vehicle all right -- we'll never get it!

    http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/front_website/gallery.php?id=231597
    Wow, it looks just like James Bond's new Mondeo:
    http://bp2.blogger.com/_FoXyvaPSnVk/RdJOBzwDY0I/AAAAAAAACv0/cUafR5XFwiE/s1600-h/- - - - - - - cARSCOOP_Ford_Mondeo_307.jpg
    But I think it still looks too bland.

    I still prefer the face of the good-old Mondeo -- it's got more aggressiveness & character:
    http://www.wheels24.co.za/Wheels24/Galleries/w24_GalleriesModelPicDisplay/0,,675- - - - - - - -13649,00.html
    Fortunately only in America can our Focus duplicate such great face from '05-07, so I just collected a brand-new one a few days ago!
    http://www.gulfcoastnews.com/RT2005FordFocus.htm
    Or maybe you still prefer the new one, which will never come to America:
    http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/carreviews/firstdrives/213081/ford_focus.html
This discussion has been closed.

Helpful Tools

Most popular vehicles