2008 Ford Focus: Ugly is as Ugly does

[Yaris Revenge]

Y'know, the Focus was pretty sweet when the VW designers handed it to Ford. But every change Ford has wrought since then has made this car uglier and uglier. Take a look at this new pic of the 2008 model. Is that not one ugly, misguided, confused front end? What in the world do they think they're doing???

http://fp.images.autos.msn.com/media/580x348/2c/2cec536a56ca47fe9fad356ba5b707fd.jpg

~YR

[TrancosRt]

Is not that bad looking...
However I liked the original more when it came out. It had that "design shift" feeling. This one feels like a small 500, doesn't it?

[eTiMaGo]

Eek the current one is far nicer...

[07WYarisRS]

looks like they are goping back to the tempo/topaz look

[YamilR]

As a matter of fact, I like it

[Blenjar]

u guyz must be on crack..

its ugly..

-- Blen

[littletegls]

definite thumbs down on this one guys..

[Blenjar]

Now that looks better...

-- Blen

[eTiMaGo]

You mean you guys in the US don't have that Focus??? how gay is Ford? That car is hot, I would almost have gotten one if the so-called "sport" model here had a manual transmission...

Gee and here I thought you guys had all the cool cars...

[Blenjar]

Our HATCH version (which my brother currently ownz) isn't as sexy as that one...
:'(

-- Blen

[Yaris Revenge]

You mean you guys in the US don't have that Focus??? how gay is Ford?

LOL, Ford is SO gay! Yeah, not sure why they'd rather give all their cool cars to the overseas market when they're literally dying here at home. If it weren't for the Mustang and the Fusion, they'd be up shiznit creek sure enough. Seems like the American automakers have completely lost touch with what American consumers want. It's all boring crap. And they wonder why they keep losing market share to foreign carmakers!

~YR

[Yaris TTE JWRC]

the Ford Foucs RS ( PALLYE SPORT)in Europe is AWSOME, not the one in the US, US always get Carppy models, features and options, i hate this part about the US:cool:

Check out the 2006 Ford Foucs WRC , the same look as 2008, it is not Ford is gay, it is the Americans are gay i will say.

http://news.caradisiac.com/IMG/jpg/Ford_Focus_WRC_2006_4.jpg

[forpinks]

I like the Euro Focus, we have that in the Philippines too.. I dont know though if it has the Mazda3 Engine in there though.... If it does I'll buy it and just strip the "FORD" logos and the Focus name and just change it to WRC or something for rallies.

[boris13]

I think that pic of the new Focus is a great example of "fresh-for-1991" styling.

[St_G]

I liked the look of the Focus in the late 90s/ early 00s, but it's defintely a design that needed some updating. This, however, isn't a great shift, imo. It looks like their trying to use a bit of the design language of the Fusion, which in theory sounds okay, as I think the Fusion is a decent looking mid-size, but this just looks kinda jumbled to me.

[hasher22]

I like it in a way..........


But then again it doesnt look like it should be a 2008 model, the boxyness turns me off

[Blenjar]

Look at this
that's so ugly..
Even the 500 is uglier now...they must be on crack!

-- Blen

[Blenjar]

Ever notice that ford makes the ugliest rims?

-- Blen

[ChinoCharles]

My God... I haven't seen two cars this ugly since I saw the Fit and Versa parked next to eachother on campus.

New 500 = :barf: :barf: :barf: :barf: :barf: 5 out of 5 barfs
New Focus = :barf: :barf: :barf: :barf: 4 out of 5 barfs

They look so generic, like Ford is afraid to make any statement right now because it may just be their last.

The day Ford gives up on cars and sticks to trucks (consumer and commercial) is a wonderful day for US auto manufacturing.

And dude, eTiMaGo... trust me, we don't get the cool cars. Europe does! We have the f'n Dodge Magnum and the Chevy SSR... these are our works of art. Heavy, archane, gaudy, pathetic attempts at trying to polish a turd from the 1940's and 50's.

Maybe that is why I like the Yaris so much... it resembles no other car I've ever seen. The big trend right now is taking classic designs and making the lines a little smoother to make them look modern. The Yaris is just modern... they saved the nostalgia for the idiots at GM and Ford.

EDIT: Forgive me for leaving out the one bright spot we have left... the Chevrolet Corvette.

[ECHOKnight2000]

The European Focus is nice as we all figured, the reason they won't bring it over here because then they would have to bump the price up and Americans (generally speaking) won't buy it...they figure they can get a bigger car with a similar price if that makes sense. The USDM Focus is suppose to be an "entry" car not bare bones but you know Corolla territory although I guess it competes with the Corolla (now Auris hatch) in Europe but this Focus is like a "premium" compact. I think its the same reason that Toyota and other car makers don't bring the European versions over as they are positioned differently than they are in the U.S. it would be too costly. They should at least bring a credible performance Focus to the U.S., maybe later. Regardless if we think its ugly I know it will sell, I see Focus's everywhere!!!!:thumbsup:

[foxtrot685]

ford would face alot of problems if they bought teh euro focus to america.
1. the base price of a new focus is about $14,500-$16,000; if they brought the euro focus to america the base price would be around $17,000. no one is going to pay that much to start for a compact. in mazdas case (the mazda3's platform is shared with the euro focus) it is a good enough car that people dont mind shelling out the $15,000 base price which by the way does not have a/c, power anything except steering, or cruise. if u want those features its an additional $1100.
2. their crash regs are, as we all know, different and the design of teh euro focus is based upon those regs, which means that everything from the a pillar up would have to be redesigned to incorporate our crash regs.
theres way more probs than these but the bottom line is ford screwed up again! lol

the closest u can get to a euro focus is teh mazda 3 or volvo s40

[Blenjar]

Indeed, the Mazda 3 was my second choice...

-- Blen

[johnnyfive]

saw the pic, a nd thought it was an aveo?

[paultyler_82]

Ever notice that ford makes the ugliest rims?

-- Blen

Forget the rims... ever notice that Ford makes the ugliest CARS? About the only one that's not absolutely vomit inducing is the Mustang, and even then, I don't really care for it's looks, I understand it's a throwback to yesteryear, but it really sort of misses the mark, it just looks bloated. Ford is seriously neglecting it's US market, the Focus has gotten at least 3 or 4 new versions since the original in Europe, meanwhile the US is stuck with a facelifted version of the same prehistoric 1st gen Focus... we never get Ford's neat smaller cars, not even so much as a Ford Ka/SportKa. I hate to see an American icon get bought out by an overseas car company, but I see it coming, especially if they don't clean up thier lineup and quit trying to pass these ugly, uninspiring designs on us. The positive side to a buyout is that maybe a Japanese or European maker will buy them, and the products will finally improve, in both looks AND reliability (something for which US Fords are not very well known...) it did work for Dodge, after all. Problem is, it could go the other way and they could be purchased by a Chinese auto group, like what happened to the poor MG/Rover Group.

[eTiMaGo]

isn't ford owned by mazda now? or is it the other way around?

[TrancosRt]

isn't ford owned by mazda now? or is it the other way around?

The other way around actually.

Most american automakers have been missing the target lousily because they are stuck in the "bigger is better" mentality. Buyers buy big cars because they don't have a small choice :S. Toyota, Hond, and Nissan are showing the big comanies otherwise with the huge success of the Yaris, Fit, and the (sig) Versa. Toyota managed to move the Yaris price down from the international arena, couldn't Ford do the same thing? The Euro Focus is really neat, and their moneymaker, the big trucks, is being eroded by the foreign companies (Nissan, Toyota, Honda are slowly gaining sales, stealing the big 3 domain!), so they sometime will realize theat they have to rtart to come up with decent cars instead of the big (and ugly) 500 and whatnot...

[07WYarisRS]

I'm still waiting for Toyota to bring back the Supra

until then I'll stick with my egg or some other little Yota

[ECHOKnight2000]

isn't ford owned by mazda now? or is it the other way around?

To my knowlege Ford only owns or has shares, I want to say 70% of Mazda, not all of it, so they just have a stake in Mazda but they don't entirely own it. Even the Fusion and its cusion Mercury Milan is based off a modified Mazda6 platform. But like others said I guess the Mazda3 is pretty much the European Focus, or close to it. :thumbsup:

[Kaotic Lazagna]

i dunno, i was never really into the Focus. that Euro version looks okay though.

[Jem_hadar]

It's a complete joke when compared to the next generation Mazda3 based european version that's been out for years while North America keeps getting the facelifted fossil...

http://www.caradisiac.com/media/images/le_mag/mag251/ford-focus-st-s4b.jpg
http://www.caradisiac.com/media/images/le_mag/mag251/ford-focus-st-s2b.jpg

Cheers

I thought I heard that the euro Ford Focus may be coming to North America soon?

[spkrman]

Y'know, the Focus was pretty sweet when the VW designers handed it to Ford. But every change Ford has wrought since then has made this car uglier and uglier. Take a look at this new pic of the 2008 model. Is that not one ugly, misguided, confused front end? What in the world do they think they're doing???

http://fp.images.autos.msn.com/media/580x348/2c/2cec536a56ca47fe9fad356ba5b707fd.jpg

~YR

:thumbdown: :thumbdown: :thumbdown: :thumbdown: :thumbdown:

why.... just why....

[spkrman]

It's a complete joke when compared to the next generation Mazda3 based european version that's been out for years while North America keeps getting the facelifted fossil...

http://www.caradisiac.com/media/images/le_mag/mag251/ford-focus-st-s4b.jpg
http://www.caradisiac.com/media/images/le_mag/mag251/ford-focus-st-s2b.jpg

Cheers

Now thats a car I would drive!!!

[as400g33k]

That yellow Focus is released here in Australia as the Focus XR5. Its got a turbo 5-cylinder from Volvo, 6 speed automatic, Recaros seats, and 18" alloys. Very nice car...