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Ford Focus 2005 release date

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Comments

  • pzevpzev Member Posts: 807
    My computer freezes when I go to that link so could you go into more detail what it's saying? Was this official word from Ford that it would use the Focus II platform or just a random article? And even if it does wouldn't the car still be targeted to low-end economy car shoppers meaning the interior will be cheaper than the European version?

    I find the current Focus price outrageous. Sure it'll eventually get probably $3,000 rebates but the price is pretty much the same as the Mazda3 and Ford uses so many rebates (most people aren't eligible for all of them) that you get taken to the cleaners in resale value. Resale value isn't my first priority but it's gotten completely out of hand. Getting a cheaply-made Mazda3 at Mazda3 prices isn't so appealing. And using the Focus II platform will give them an excuse to bump the price up even more.
  • dudleyrdudleyr Member Posts: 3,469
    How do rebates hurt resale value? The car may be worth less compared to sticker, but you don't pay sticker so it is a wash. It just looks bad on paper, but in actuality rebates don't hurt anything.
  • pzevpzev Member Posts: 807
    When there is many different kinds of rebates the potential of losing money is higher. An Accord has higher resale value than the Camry, and a lot of this is due to the Accord having little to no rebates and the Camry having rebates such as $1,000 off and military rebates. In this case it's close to being a wash since Toyota doesn't go too crazy with the rebates and you get $1,000 off upfront.

    But when you have such rebates as $1500 off that GM and Kia did last month for only Florida residents (due to the hurricanes hurting car sales) you can bet that money will effect resale value and essentially come out of the pocket of people who bought the same cars at the same times but weren't a Florida resident. I believe these rebates were available on top of rebates that everyone was already getting so there's $1500 people in other states didn't get.

    As with the Toyota/Honda example, I agree it's mostly a wash for the most part, but some companies go insane with the different kinds of rebates such as military, competitive bonus (trading in a car that's direct competition for the car you're buying), loyalty rebates, college grad, etc. Mazda even has rev-it-up coupons for $500 off floating around. The potential of losing thousands of dollars for not being eligible for these rebates at the time you're buying is great, and it indeed drops resale value.

    One month a Hyundai is $1500 off. A month or two later it's only $1,000. Or vice versa. Resale value is going to be based on the $1500 price drop, those who bought it a different month at a higher price are losing money in a sense. I'm sure there's an easier way to explain it but hopefully you understand what I'm getting at.
  • mdaffronmdaffron Member Posts: 4,421
    This guy was reviewing a European Focus, one Ford has already said we won't be getting over here in the States.

    Meade
  • creakid1creakid1 Member Posts: 2,032
    "* MAZDA3: Ford’s North American Focus willjoin this architecture in approximately three years when all Volvo, Ford, Mazda, and Mercury small cars and crossovers adopt this platform. Cost concerns kept Ford from launching the Focus on this platform this year."

    This is the comment from the interview dated Oct 5, 2004 with Phil Martens -- Group Vice President, Product Creation, North America.

    I also found some discrepancy in his other comment, as the Nov '04 CAR magazine pointed out that the next Mondeo will be based on a stretched Focus II, not the Mazda6 as mentioned in this interview.
  • creakid1creakid1 Member Posts: 2,032
    The made-in-Taiwan Focus available locally about now is the world's first production Focus II sedan:
    http://www.autonet.com.tw/cgi-bin/news/news_view4mail.cgi?qry=a41- - - - - 00228

    The wheel-well protrusion is so wide. Overall width is about 5.5" wider than the Focus I. That's almost like the 6" width difference b/t the BMW 1-series & the next 3-series!
  • creakid1creakid1 Member Posts: 2,032
    http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/news/ae_news_story.php?id=51154
    "Having originally considered V6 power, Ford has decided that the front-wheel-drive ST will use a 220bhp version of Volvo's 2.5-litre five-cylinder turbo. That means buyers can expect a 0-60mph time of around six seconds...But drivers wanting even more can look forward to a stripped-out RS model - complete with 300bhp and four-wheel drive - due on sale at the end of 2006."
  • creakid1creakid1 Member Posts: 2,032
    http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/news/ae_news_story.php?id=51423
    "Ford also has the option of creating an ST range-topper - this CC would use the Volvo-sourced 2.5-litre turbo set for the hatch version next year.
    With sales expected to start by the end of next year, the Focus CC is likely to make its show debut at September's Frankfurt expo. And it will be competitively priced, with the entry-level model starting at around £18,000, and rising to more than £20,000 for the flagship."
  • creakid1creakid1 Member Posts: 2,032
    http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/previews/previews_story.php?id=52125

    "The 1.6-litre Ti-VCT engine....The steering, too, is first class. Although less communicative than that of the original Focus, it is superbly weighted."

    Is it only the 99hp 1.6 equipped w/ the pure hydraulic, or even the 113hp 1.6 Ti-VCT is also? If the 1.6 Ti-VCT is w/ electro-hydraulic, then it is probably inevitable that its steering is less communicative than the pure-hydraulic Focus I. But even the Focus II w/ pure-hydraulic is less communicative than the Focus I w/ pure-hydraulic? Then why bother w/ the Focus II? Just be content & grateful w/ the continuation of the MORE-FUN Focus I in America!

    It is already known that the Focus I has a more playful oversteer drift than the Focus II.
  • creakid1creakid1 Member Posts: 2,032
    "(the diesels and 2.0 petrols use an electro-hydraulic system)" -- 14 December AUTOCAR.

     

    So all 1.6's use pure-hydraulic steering assist.

     

    More in this AUTOCAR issue...
  • creakid1creakid1 Member Posts: 2,032
    "THE AUTOCAR VERDICT...the steering: although this car uses a conventional hydraulic system, it falls short of the previous car's excellent rack..."

     

    "HANDLING & RIDE

    (5 stars)

    The best chassis in the class, again

     

    Current Focus drivers, this is what you need to know about your next car: It has an even crisper, more capable chassis, but it doesn't steer quite as well. Overall, its a net improvement over the outgoing car, but the margin of superiority is certainly narrow.

     

    Spellbinding is one of the few words that can do justice to the way this car will cover a mixed journey of anything from motorway to tortuous minor road. It's always compliant, beautifully damped and offers a blend of ride and sheer competence that now shames anything in the class above. It sounds implausible, but to find a car that will deal with UK road as well as this you'll need a Lotus Elise or Porsche 997. To go one step better? At this juncture, we're not quite sure.

     

    In the Focus tradition, its's a firm-riding car. Rather than try to isolate you from small intrusions, Renault Megane-style, it makes the driver aware of everthing for communication purpose, but smooth all the sharp edges away for a comfortable ride. And everything is dealt with in two movements: a compression of damper and spring, and a controlled return movement. Nothing more. No shimmy, wobble or rebounding, destabilising lurch. Jut pure control.

     

    In the face of such exemplary suspension, the steering doesn't attain the same extraordinary levels of excellence. Certainly at parking speeds it's impressively twirl-it-with-a-little-finger light, and that's an undeniable asset in town. Where it loses out is under load, as the car begins to settle into a corner. The car turns in quite brilliantly, but where the old car would confirm its position and grip the road with a reassuring firmness through the wheel, this system doesn't telegraph the message as cleanly. All this sounds ludicrously technical for a family hatch, but it manifests itself most obviously to anyone that drives it. Put simply: in the new Focus you enjoy increased capability, but feel less of what's going on. Either way, you have the best chassis in the class." -- pp68-69, 14 Dec '05 AUTOCAR.

     

    They also pointed out "Superbly well-balanced chassis gives very neutral handling: very little trace of understeer or oversteer". No wonder you can no longer drift much the Control Blades' legendary controllable side-way-stunt fun on the MkII.
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