2008 Ford Focus

wenheadwenhead Member Posts: 6
in Ford
Anyone have any thoughts on the upcoming 2008 Focus.I was always put off buy the many problems that plagued the early Focus models.I wasn't going to give the Focus a look because it is based on a ten year old platform. But some of the tweaks that Ford has made sound interesting.
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  • serenity185serenity185 Member Posts: 22
    I was considering the 2007 and 2008 Ford Focus over the summer. The 2007 would have been a great deal, but the car was just too dated at that point even though it had a lot of virtues such as a good ride/handling combo. I had hope for the '08 model, but I don't like the way it looks. It'll probably look a bit different in person, but I think that styling could be a deal-breaker.
  • wenheadwenhead Member Posts: 6
    I actually like the new styling.I am big on fuel economy and aerodynamics. They lightened the car by 60 pounds.Also I think cutting the 2.3 liter engine is okay.I would only shop this car for the low cost SE version with a manual transmision. I question some of the phone connection options. For instance, does a voice activated text message reader encourage people to text message while driving? I hope not.The ambient color thing is harmless,as long as it doesn't cause the lights to stop working.
    The good news is that the suspension tuning,noise supression,and chassis stiffining, all sound like very usefull tweaks.This will probably be the only small american car that I would shop.
  • wenheadwenhead Member Posts: 6
    I think it is too bad that the Focus hatch back got the axe. If I had the bucks, my idea of the almost perfect sporty utility vehicle would be the 2008 Subaru Impreza 2.5i 5 door hatch.Even though it is awd and is sort of lacking in fuel economy, that is my idea of an (SUV) er I mean sporty car hatch thing.
  • fomoconafomocona Member Posts: 19
    As a Ford representative I'd like to clarify the text message function of SYNC. Through voice commands you can have SYNC read your incoming text messages aloud. After reading or hearing it, the text message can be forwarded to another phone or a reply, using any of the 15 preset text messages, can be sent. However, the text message reply and forwarding mechanisms are speed dependent for safety. If the vehicle is moving more than a couple of miles per hour, then you can't forward or use the preset standard reply text messages in SYNC. For further information about SYNC, please go to syncmyride.com.

    As far as the hatchback, you are correct that for the 2008 model year, the Focus will only be available as either a 2 door coupe or a 4 door sedan. There are many reasons behind the model decisions including customer feedback. If you would like to give us your feedback on any Ford product, please type "feedback" at customersaskford.com. Your comment will be forwarded to the proper department for review. Thanks.
  • mschmalmschmal Member Posts: 1,757
    Synch supports all possible bluetooth phone features and through software upgrades can support future ones. BUT not all phones support all features.

    Most phones will not support the text messaging. Ford has tested the most proflic phone models nd carriers at www.syncmyride.com.

    Also, the same model can support different features depending on what carrier you got it from.

    Mark.
  • scape2scape2 Member Posts: 4,123
    I ran into a guy who CHOSE an 08 Focus over a new Honda Civic AND a new Corolla! It does happen folks.. His reason was value. Like optioned the Focus was thousands less.. :surprise:
  • basiliskstbasiliskst Member Posts: 55
    After seeing the new Ford Verve show car presaging the next small Ford, I think the production Verve (Fiesta? Who knows what it will actually be called?) will serve those who want a hatchback.

    The Verve is pretty striking. The decision on the '08 Focus face lift makes more sense after seeing the rest of the product pipeline.

    I just hope the UAW gives Ford time to deliver new products to market. And Ford has to do a better job selling the value proposition evidenced by recent quality and customer satisfaction surveys. Consumer perceptions are lagging behind Ford's efforts.
  • mschmalmschmal Member Posts: 1,757
    They need to have the balls to bite the bullet on a product that isn't a home run.

    The new Taurus and Sable do not go nearly far enough to shine in the current market.

    IMHO its better for Ford NOT to be in a segment than to have a less than stellar entry.

    Fords that are compelling:

    Fusion,
    Edge,
    New Focus,
    New Expedition EL,
    New Super Duty,
    New Escape (more so when 3.5L and 6spd arrive.)

    Products that need to improve to stand out:

    Taurus,
    Taurus X,
    F-150, (still competitive but waning
    Explorer, (needs more pizazz, Escape uses the same language but is much more compelling)

    Mark.
  • passat_2002passat_2002 Member Posts: 468
    Parked my car at Costco today and noticed a brand-new '08 Focus Sedan parked next to me. Took a minute to look at it to see what was new. The exterior styling is at best a refresh. But the interior is drastically improved and looks considerably more upscale than before. The photos I had seen prior to seeing it in person didn't do it justice.
  • mschmalmschmal Member Posts: 1,757
    Makes the old one feel like a 81 Chevette.

    The seats are a big comfort improvment and the steering wheel despite not being leather in the SE has a nice squeezeability to it that the Fusion could use. Not so sure about the door panels though. Ford seems to have abandoned cloth inserts on door panels.

    Mark
  • Karen_SKaren_S Member Posts: 5,092
    A reporter is interested in talking with owners of the Ford Focus who are also parents. If you are interested in commenting on your experience, please reply to jfallon@edmunds.com no later than Thursday, November 27, 2007 and include your city and state of residence, the model year of your vehicle and the age of your child/ren.
  • greenponygreenpony Member Posts: 531
    I had a chance to compare the '07 and '08 Focus sedans. I had to picture myself five years from now: which car would I rather be driving? Honestly I liked the more conservative styling of the '07 better than the wannabe-Scion styling of the '08. What sealed the deal was the large discount on the '07 because it is the outgoing model. So now I am the happy owner of an '07 Focus SES sedan, and have not regretted the decision one bit.
  • greenponygreenpony Member Posts: 531
    Just because the platform is (almost) ten years old doesn't mean it is a bad platform. The Mustang ran on the same Fox chassis for 15 years, then on a modified version of that for another 11. So is nine years for an economy car really that bad?
  • starryknightstarryknight Member Posts: 31
    I looked at the 08 Focus today. I might have considered buying one except I noticed Ford, for whatever reason, took away the telescoping wheel feature. It only tilted. I like to move the seat way back and had to extend my arms too far to grab the wheel. Not very comfortable. What was Ford thinking?
  • aladdinsanealaddinsane Member Posts: 182
    Better to ask what planet Ford is on, mate. At a time when hatchbacks and wagons are making a comeback of sorts, Ford decided to kill the 3 and 5 door Focus models. The wagon? Out too! Telescoping steering wheel? Old news...let's eliminate that also. Wow! :confuse: Then the suits at Ford wonder why the company is going south in the U.S...

    I considered purchasing the '08 Focus too, but not anymore. I'm sure many out there lost interest in this vehicle line too, for whatever reason.

    Peace!<-AladdinSane-<- :shades: -
  • PF_FlyerPF_Flyer Member Posts: 9,372
    By an odd coincidence, the Alternate Route entry today was about the comeback of hatchbacks.
    Hatchback Comeback
  • shiattshiatt Member Posts: 3
    Well, pretty bluntly--Ford couldn't afford to refresh the hatchbacks and wagon as well as the sedan. They said that the steering wheel adjustment was nixed to help increase rigidity, but one suspects it was to save money.

    I looked at the 2008 4-door sedan yesterday. We own a 2003 ZX5, which has been incredibly reliable and good to drive (if only the front seats weren't so un-ergonomic/orthopedic--did Ford patent anti-lumbar-support with these?). The new interior is a great improvement (except for the lack of an adjustable steering column); I hope to drive one soon.
  • mschmalmschmal Member Posts: 1,757
    1. 4 door sedans accounted for way over 90% of Focus sales.
    2. The US version of the Fiesta will most likely be a small 4dr and a 5dr Hatch, stay tuned for the 09 model year.
    3. Wayne Assembly refused to adopt a competitive operating agreement prior to the new UAW contract which pretty much destroyed the business case for the hatches and wagon.

    I'm not Anti-Union or anything but 2 tier wages makes sense to me. Why should Ford have to pay the guy who sweeps the floors and scrubs the toilets the same as a skilled tradesman who actually builds cars?

    Mark.
  • zombietom3zombietom3 Member Posts: 74
    I went looking for Fiesta info when I saw it mentioned here once before. It looks like a case of automotive anorexia to me and could hardly grab much of the lost Escort/Focus wagon/hatchback demand in my opinion. If people want a lightweight the Fit is already well ensconced in that niche, and I think the Fiesta comes in lighter and leaner than that. Who knows whether they will put it on steroids before a US release, but I will not buy what I saw and I can't imagine many others will either.
  • netranger4netranger4 Member Posts: 149
    Here in the Phoenix area, we see Mexican-built Fiestas. Spotted at least five in the last few months. Very nice looking car....much more pleasing to the eye than the now discontinued Focus hatchbacks and wagon. I'd been hoping that Ford would bring them in to the US instead of the Mazda2. Guess not. Believe that they have a 1.8 engine. Am in the Albuquerque area on occasion and see them there too.
  • mschmalmschmal Member Posts: 1,757
    Think Verve:

    image
    image
    image
    image

    Those are show car photos, here is the spy photo:

    image

    Notice the dramatic grill remains?
  • mschmalmschmal Member Posts: 1,757
    IMHO the proportions of the current crop of B cars is all WRONG. They look squished from front to back and stretched from roof to road.

    The Fit for instances looks like a toy with little tiny wheel. The Nissan Versa sedan looks like a clown car. ETC.

    Mark Fields killed the Brazilian designed Ford B car because he felt it wasn't compelling enough to be a hit.

    I think the Verve, sold as a Fiesta in Europe but possibly the Verve here could be a HIT on looks alone.
  • scape2scape2 Member Posts: 4,123
    I own an 06 Fusion SEL V6 and just had to test drive a new 08 Focus SES with every option available. Motor Trend ripped on the new 08 Focus like usual, so I had to go see for myself. Styling is a personal choice, for me it was ok, I thought it was middle of the road. Inside was a different story, HUGE improvements. Quality/fit/finish were very, very good for a car in this class. Motor Trend also pounded on Ford for "power" yet Ford boosted the power to match the Civic/Nissan/ or Toyota?? So what gives?? The car had plenty of pep for a car of this class. The car is very quiet and feels solid on the road. Ford did improve the Focus. For those that bother to go for a test drive and compare they will see this hands down. Focus screams value/quality. The pictures don't do this car justice. Go see for yourself. ;)
  • isseyvooisseyvoo Member Posts: 121
    I wanted to buy an '06 Focus 5dr. a couple of Springs ago, but the dealer couldn't find me one with side airbags and manual transmission. He told me I couldn't order it, and I didn't want it any other way. I ended up buying a Mazda.

    At any rate, I was in a parking lot yesterday and saw the "new" Focus in person for the first time. At first, I thought that (in addition to being ugly) some sort of trim piece had broken off behind the front wheel. Then, on closer inspection, I realized that it was a faux brake vent made of plastic and was INTENDED to look as out of place as it did. That alone was enough to turn me against the redesign. Didn't the stylists learn anything from Pontiac's flirtation with (and eventual abandonment of) pointless, glue-on, plastic trim pieces??? Very off-putting to say the least. At least the inside is a vast improvement.

    Why the Europeans get to enjoy the Focus that shares the platform with the Mazda3 and Volvo S40 (not to mention such great cars as the Mondeo) and we are stuck with leftovers is beyond my comprehension. I WANT to like Fords. In Europe I could. But they're just hopeless in the US.
  • joem5joem5 Member Posts: 201
    the ZX SES and only making Focus sedans.
    I was going to buy a Focus hatch because of heated seats and price.
    Thanks :sick:
  • joem5joem5 Member Posts: 201
    the ZX SES and only making Focus sedans.
    I was going to buy a Focus hatch because of heated seats and price.
    Thanks :sick:
  • creakid1creakid1 Member Posts: 2,032
    Are you sure the '08 US model looks anything like a Focus? The lack of available telescopic steering is telling you something.

    Here's what real Focus' are suppose to look like...

    MkI (facelifted to look like MkII):

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

    MkII (watch out for the bulky width wider than the 6-ft wide Lexus LS430):

    http://www.forddesktops.com/show.asp?f=focus&i=European_Ford_Focus_Mk2_Saloon_01- - - .jpg

    http://roadtest.u-car.com.tw/roadtest-detail.asp?rid=305

    MkII (facelifted to look like MkIII):

    http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/front_website/gallery.php?id=231597

    http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/front_website/gallery.php?id=239619

    MkIII:

    http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/front_website/gallery.php?id=239622

    http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/front_website/gallery.php?id=239616
    (I think the rear visibility of the new hatch is gonna suck)

    http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/front_website/gallery.php?id=239613

    But looks like the 2.3 will not come back :cry: , while the next Mazda3 will soldier on with the 4-cyl 2.3 enlarged to 2.5 (That's very Porsche 944-ish :) ):
    http://newsletter.autoexpress.co.uk/c/1Ahu7gsPvEcaEAu

    Don't worry, the Verve's looks alone will kill the sales of the current American-invented Focus. & we will be getting the MkIII real Focus in a few years -- at least the sedan version. :)

    The Verve sedan may look beautiful -- no doubt about it, but the the lack of sophisticated rear multi-link suspension won't ride beautifully -- just check out the (un) Fit ride quality as you down grade from the Civic.

    So the Verve is no substitute for the compact-size C-170 MkI Focus. Unless the MkIII Focus will trim down the excessive bulky width off the MkII, I'll stick w/ my '07 MkI Focus 2.3 ST forever :P Watch me blasting my 2.3 low-end torque out of corners w/ Quaife LSD...
  • Karen_SKaren_S Member Posts: 5,092
    A reporter seeks to interview buyers of models equipped with Ford Sync. Please respond to jfallon@edmunds.com no later than Friday, February 1 with your daytime contact information and a sentence or two about why you purchased Sync.
  • creakid1creakid1 Member Posts: 2,032
    "Just because the platform is (almost) ten years old doesn't mean it is a bad platform. The Mustang ran on the same Fox chassis for 15 years, then on a modified version of that for another 11. So is nine years for an economy car really that bad?"

    Nine years for any car really isn't bad at all, especially if the platform was way ahead of its time to begin with.

    But wait a minute here. How dare you comparing this stone-age fossil -- the Mustang platform -- to the highly advanced C-170 Focus platform engineered in Germany? :) In fact, it was so advanced that BMW was drooling & almost bought the platform!

    & I can't believe how arrogant Americans are when comes to their own automobile technological advancement. How the hell did this old Mustang, when using the same Nissan engine, kick-[non-permissible content removed] a Nissan Z-car w/ a modern Japanese platform on twisty roads doing drifts in this Hollywood movie Tokyo Drift! :confuse:

    Since the '70's, the Mustang rides on an enlarged Pinto platform. Today's new Mustang rides on the Jaguar S-type platform but still using the solid rear axle, which is good for nothing except drag racing & other brawn-but-no-brain behaviors.

    So the ignorant Americans should not perceive the German-engineered Focus as a modern-day Pinto, as it has nothing to do with it. The Mustang does.

    Now if you don't care about the sophisticated Control Blade rear suspension in the German-engineered Focus, then a solid-axle V8 Focus may suit the taste of those who are still proud of the Mustang platform:
    http://www.kugelkomponents.com/focus/focus.html

    When was the last time you saw James Bond driving a Mustang? Today, James Bond drives the new Mondeo, which rides on an enlarged Focus platform: :P
    http://bp2.blogger.com/_FoXyvaPSnVk/RdJOBzwDY0I/AAAAAAAACv0/cUafR5XFwiE/s1600-h/- - - cARSCOOP_Ford_Mondeo_307.jpg
  • mschmalmschmal Member Posts: 1,757
    "Today's new Mustang rides on the Jaguar S-type platform but still using the solid rear axle"

    This statement is not quite correct. The Jag S/LincolnLS platform known as DEW proved way to expensive for the Mustang. After struggling to engineer the cost down to make it viable to use in the Mustang, Ford decided to adopt components from other Ford platforms, especially in the suspension department.

    So where did Ford find the suspension components that eventually went into the 2005 Mustang?...Why from the European C1 Focus platform. :)

    Mark.

    The Mustang platform is...You guessed it, based on the
  • creakid1creakid1 Member Posts: 2,032
    Still?
  • creakid1creakid1 Member Posts: 2,032
    How about the enlarged Focus -- the new Mondeo -- sold else where, where our Focus ST's 2.3 4-cyl Duratec (Porsche-designed block, finished by Mazda) lives on. Note: not to be confused w/ the 2.3 in the Pinto :D

    http://www.caradvice.com.au/7274/2008-ford-mondeo-details/

    Scroll down to see the light-grey sedan available w/ Volvo's 5-cyl turbo (Nice wheels, eh?).

    Actually we can still get this super-sized Focus platform in the form of the new Volvo S80, Ford Edge & Mazda CX-9
  • creakid1creakid1 Member Posts: 2,032
    our Focus still feels like a German-design car riding on a German platform.

    The Mazda3 feels like a Japanese-design car riding on a German platform.

    The S40/V50 feels like a Swedish-design car riding on a German platform.

    I just had a chance sitting in the '08 American Focus sedan when I went to p/u my '07 Focus ST after some warranty work. The exterior & interior styling issues of the '08 didn't bother me much, but the difference in the quality of the interior is quite dramatic...

    Front seating: The interior door handle, located ahead of the pwr window switches, is too far away. The center armrest is too low. Combining w/ the lack of telescopic steering column, the driving position doesn't even fit me! The inside rearview mirror shows a more restrictive rear vision. The looks & tactile feel of the crudely designed & styled plastic buttons feel very low rent & "un-German". & "Ouch!" as I exited the driver seat, my left knee cap was hit by the plastic protrusion from the lower left part of the dash.

    Rear seating: The outer parts of the headliner force the outer 2 passengers to tilt the head toward the center of the car. The foot space underneath the front chair was restrictively narrow. & the front seat back's extra knee clearance extended so far above the real knee level that it looked stupid.

    The whole interior engineering is as unsophisticated as the original Dodge Neon. Starting '08, our Focus feels like a American-design car riding on a German platform.
  • texaslady1texaslady1 Member Posts: 2
    I am also considering buying a 2008 ford focus. I currently own a 2001 ford focus se. I have had very good luck with it so far. It just turned 100,000 miles on it. Never had any mechanical problems with it. only a few minor recalls.
    Im hoping I will have just as good luck with a new one.
  • walterquintwalterquint Member Posts: 89
    With all due respect to the Focus detractors on this forum....
    You can bash the car all you like. HOWEVER, I offer this fact: I see FAR more Focuses (Foci?) on the road than any other small car. This is especially true of the redesigned version.

    And don't tell me it's just Ford discounting the car. Every other manufacturer is unloading their small cars at fire-sale prices.
  • mschmalmschmal Member Posts: 1,757
    My 2 cents is that many people who have problems with their Focus failed to follow the complete scheduled maintenance routine.

    Ford Focus has some of the lowest maintenance requirements in its class including a lifetime air filter. Still, it takes more than just oil changes to keep a car functioning properly.

    Mark
  • creakid1creakid1 Member Posts: 2,032
    After switching to Duratec developed by Mazda...

    "the current Focus has been rated the most reliable vehicle in its segment in Germany, outdoing all [non-permissible content removed] and German brands"
    aviboy97, "Mazdaspeed3 vs. VW V GTI vs. Civic Si" #1239, 26 Jun 2007 7:23 am
  • explorerx4explorerx4 Member Posts: 19,778
    i like the same mondeo as you do, but i don't see the chassis connection to the s-80.
    2023 Ford Explorer ST, 91 Mustang GT vert
  • creakid1creakid1 Member Posts: 2,032
    But the way to bash the '08 American Focus is not in the reliability issues, as recently the Focus already beats most German cars in this area after using Mazda technology under the hood.

    A decently comfy ride & controllable rear drift from the Control Blade rear suspension, along w/ great steering feedback is what makes the Focus so great.

    Even after switching to electro-hydraulic power steering on the C-1 Euro Focus w/ engine larger than 1.6, competitors just can't match its steering feel:

    (post #1347)
    creakid1, "Mazdaspeed3 vs. VW V GTI vs. Civic Si" #1347, 9 Mar 2008 5:10 pm

    But I'm not sure about the '08 American Focus' electric power steering:

    (post #1944)
    creakid1, "Ford Focus Sedan" #1944, 6 Nov 2007 2:43 am
    '...While still precise it feels slightly dulled when going straight ahead, something I'd chalk up to the setup of the electrical power steering to require less inputs when driven at high speeds on the highway and fewer kickbacks from the wheel. The conversion to an electric rack also leaves the wheel mostly devoid of feedback, an area which the old Focus was very strong."
  • rebel71rebel71 Member Posts: 87
    I'm looking at many cars and wanted to ask if the lack of head rests in the backseat is an issue? I'm concerned for the safety of my passengers and not sure how this effect them in an accident. It has rear drum brakes, ugh. I had a car w/those and had brake fade on hills from the heat buildup. Anyone experience issues with this? Thank you
  • mschmalmschmal Member Posts: 1,757
    On a small light weight car, you should not neccessarily thing rear drum brakes are bad.

    Look to actual brake tests before you make up you mind. Remember drum brakes cost lest to service and reduce cost of ownership which is important in a car in this catagory.
  • carlt1carlt1 Member Posts: 6
    At 664 miles I got a check engine light. Dealer said it was a "transmission range sensor out of range" (Code P1702-00-68) and performed " PCM recalibration with new level software". Since then my gas mileage has dropped about 10%. My computer had been quite consistent. I reset it with each trip. Outings with consistent 32-34mpg are now 27-29mpg. Dealer tells me it takes 10K miles to get reliable computer estimates of fuel economy. My readings were quite consistent...and still are, just 10% lower, since the software adjustment. Dealer further states the adjustment could have nothing to do with gas mileage...is this just an unfortunate concidence?
    That Corolla I passed over to buy American is looking better and better,
    Disgusted
  • percussionistpercussionist Member Posts: 204
    Since then my gas mileage has dropped about 10%. My computer had been quite consistent. I reset it with each trip. Outings with consistent 32-34mpg are now 27-29mpg. Dealer tells me it takes 10K miles to get reliable computer estimates of fuel economy. My readings were quite consistent...and still are, just 10% lower, since the software adjustment.

    Have you been relying on the car's computer to calculate the fuel economy this entire time, or have you double checked the trip meter (miles driven) divided by the amount of gas purchased using an outside source (like a calculator or pencil and paper)? The reason I ask is that sometimes the car's computer is artificially optimistic about mileage. Double check the readings and see what you get - good luck!

    If you still have problems, go see a different dealer and explain the problem (maybe some other part was not connected properly after the first work was done).
  • tomanyttomanyt Member Posts: 1
    Can the 08 Focus be any uglier??? What is happening with Ford? Why can't they build nice looking cars?
  • creakid1creakid1 Member Posts: 2,032
    "What is happening with Ford? Why can't they build nice looking cars?"

    http://www.autoblog.com/photos/ford-verve-sedan-concept/498251/full/

    http://jalopnik.com/photogallery/FordVerveNAConcept/1000475343

    http://www.topspeed.com/cars/ford/2009-ford-fiesta-ar52487/picture232437-0.html

    http://jalopnik.com/photogallery/FordVerveNAConcept/1000475351

    http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/front_website/gallery.php?id=257253

    http://newsletter.autoexpress.co.uk/c/1d5M5cEDLpRmgTVA

    "Ford of Europe" can, but "Ford" can't! :P

    & even its Mazda twin ain't quite as pretty:

    http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2008-mazda2-sedan/498073/

    http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2008-mazda2-sedan/498065/
  • infocusinfocus Member Posts: 1
    As a new 08 Focus SE sedan owner with a M5, I'm looking for some additional information regarding the platform and drivetrain. I slowly (okay, very slooowly) made the decision to purchase this model after seeing all the bashing about the styling, cheapness, no improved powerplant, fake fender vent, too high a belt line, cost cutting gone wild, wall-to-wall crappy hard plastic, etc. So I tested all the competing models...and it came down to the Mazda3 and the Civic. With the options that I wanted (speed control, ABS) the Civic was $18,500 and the Mazda3 was a little less. And then my nationalistic pride kicked in...memories of 9/11, American jobs disappearing, foreclosures galore, Europeans bashing the ugly, wasteful, war mongering Americans, inflation spiraling out of control, fuel closing in on $4./gal. and I thought isn't there anything American out there that I can accept? So I researched a bunch of web sites and decided to rely on edmunds. That lead me to try a Ford. Over a few weeks, I visited dealerships and drove probably 8 vehicles (Autos/5 speeds/ S's/SES's)...and found that although my expectations were very low, the model is respectable in it's class. It is what it is... a simple $16,000 compact that is very light weight, quiet, comfortable, reliable, with a slippery 5 speed, very fuel efficient (I've had only 3 days and getting 31mph in city driving (no highway yet) and extremely inexpensive (I bought at $400. over invoice (THX edmonds!) with $2500. in rebates and 0.0% financing...making our investment about $13,200.

    So....I'm hearing bits and pieces about German platform, Mazda engineered 16 valve 2.0 engine and my paperwork says the tranny was built in Germany. What gives? My vehicle was built at the Wayne plant and all the panel seams are tight and line up even, no squeaks, or leaking windows, no rattles, no pre-rusted engine parts or other parts falling off or fluids leaking all over the place. With a nice color combination of Vista Blue on Charcoal, I'm trying to figure out... am I missing something here or is everyone else missing it? Granted, the instrument cluster looks like it was designed for a 16 year old and the seats could use better side bolsters... but it seems like a great little car that looks a little (uh, sorry) European from the back! So tell me folks, what is the lineage of the drivetrain? I love the power of the 2.0 (yes, it's a little unrefined), the handling and the slippery 5 speed reminds me of my 80' Toyota Celica.

    Can anyone provide more information? And can running a thicker oil like 10-30 take away the engine harshness?

    InFocus
  • creakid1creakid1 Member Posts: 2,032
    I took away engine harshness off my '98 Corolla 1.8 by using the Prolong engine additive & increased the oil-change interval by using synthetic (0W-40 Mobil-1). You can increase the viscosity safely w/ 5W-50 Castrol Syntec.

    But you might want to wait till the break-in is over. Otherwise the Prolong is so slippery that you might never finish your break in!

    By the way, I remember only the auto tranny in the Focus is made by Mazda. So it makes sense that the manual tranny is made in Germany, where the original Focus came from! ;)

    Mazda kept its trade secret -- variable valve timing -- to themselves. So the Ford version doesn't have it, & thus trailing behind the Mazda3 2.0 all these years in mpg.
  • highmiler650highmiler650 Member Posts: 75
    Prolong, Slick 50 and all the other snake oils are just an expensive ripoff! Don't waste your money and just do proper maintenance on your car.
  • creakid1creakid1 Member Posts: 2,032
    My '90 Mazda Protege's close-ratio 5-sp manual designed to run on ATF developed grinding when shifting into certain gears. I tried transmission additives from Slick 50, DuraLube & Prolong. Only the Prolong got rid of the grinding!

    Then the Z-max, a newer engine additive, came out. I compared the engine/fuel additives & found out that the Prolong improves mpg more than the Z-max.

    I could hear the engine smoothness improved in my '98 Corolla 1.8 LE when using the Prolong engine additive. But my '05 Focus 2.3 ST has a loud factory exhaust, so I could not hear the difference after adding Prolong.
  • highmiler650highmiler650 Member Posts: 75
    Something to read:

    http://www.ftc.gov/opa/1999/09/prolong.shtm
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