Preview: 2011 Ford Focus

I just drove a 4-door Yankee Focus rental car, with 17K on the clock, for a week. My much-loved Mazda Protege P5 is in the shop after a massive rear-ender from another Mazda.

As for the American Focus, it's more of an appliance than a car. Barely passable soft suspension, poor handling, indifferent steering, tacky interior and undistinguished exterior, the vehicle is in sad need of replacement with the European version. I also had to rent an automatic, which returned lousy mileage.

If the Blue Oval wishes to chase death from its door, the new Focus would be an excellent way to start.

Seems car manufacturers in the colonies have a ways to go...

the Focus' styling is rather bland, if you ask me. what's happened to the aggressive and captivating styling that took the 1990's by storm??!! Im not asking for a design that mimicks or even vaguely resembles the Focus-1 but rather an all-new Focus that is inspiring to look at. I mean, there are better-looking Hyundais these days.
Come on Ford- PULL UP YOUR SOCKS!!!!

Gino: are you talking about the 08 or the "first gen"? I find the suspension in the 08 focus is nearly as stiff as the C1 cars, although it does roll noticeably more than the C1's. I just said earlier today that the 4 speed auto in that car isnt particularly brilliant either.

I definitely agree that this is something that ford needs to do. I think the point of this new model is to offer a transition in styling, and use it as a small duration test bed of technologies.

Jerd; I don't think I'll agree with bland, if you put a new sedan next to an old one, the new one is much more exciting looking. mind you I will agree, when the focus first came out it was easily the nicest car in the segment. now, not so much so, but it's still an improvement on the last one. and this is a change that was done on a budget. think of it like putting some extra stuff in your Kraft Dinner to make it a little more than just... mac and cheese.

I'm wondering if we could get some clarification from Admin here cause this article makes it sound like the next focus will be C1, implying the current euro platform. I believe the truth is that the next american focus will be the same as the rest of the world's focuses, mazda 3, etc.. which will be the C1-2 or C2 or something along those lines.

My comment based on the preview is that I hope it looks a little less chunky and a little more sleek and slender like the mondeo. The styling cues are great, and they follow the fiesta concepts well. But the shape is just a little too chunky for my tastes. just doesn't look good for a "compact" looks more like a "sub compact" or a "compact CUV"... C-Max? Mazda 5?

when the focus first came out it was easily the nicest car in the segment. now, not so much so

thats because other car manufacturers cottened on to the idea that they can be a bit more adventurous with their styling becasue of the Focus. Look at the Astra and the Mazda 3, they have become alot more aggressive because of this. I dont think Ford have stood still they are moving forwards with the focus designs its just that the competetion is moving quicker as they were playing catch up

Chris: Not familiar with various Ford platform designations, but the acr I drove has no relation to the latest UK version in the article. Sorry, don't have reference photo for you, but the thing I drove was fairly depressing, overall. Americans, by and large, accept a good deal less in the handling department than their European cousins; they also are fairly content to buy a vehicle that has little going for it in the appearance department, particularly in the smaller car category.

We enjoy nothing like the choice you bods have. This is also why you see "American" version and "European" version of the same vehicle. For instance, Yanks hate hatchbacks. Why? Good question, when they drive a proliferation of ugly, huge, gas-hungry SUVs, all of which have some form of "back door". Put that on a 3-door hatch coupe and they run.

Ah well, I still have my P5--an excellent handler and all round performer...

Gino; very simple... the first focus was an international vehicle, on the C178 or something like that platform. then in 2003/04 you got the mazda3, volvo s40/v50 and the euro focus all on the C1 platform. ford didnt bring that platform here to NA, they just reskinned and reworked the mechanics on the older gen car. the same thing happened in 2008. some people think that ford wanted to fool NA buyers again, by (generously) reskinning the same mechanics again. personally i think it looks great compared to the old one and i prefer the styling to the euro spec focus as well. the euro spec focus was called "ugly" when it first came out. I agree. the NA one isnt much better but at least it has something.

Also, I've said it before but I've driven the old focus, the old SVT focus, the new "NA only" focus (which I own), the mazda 3, speed3, volvo c30 and s40, and I can say that the current reworked NA focus is very close to the newer C1 platform. ford NA deserves some credit for breathing another couple years of life into those mechanicals.

that being said, they simply cannot offer a 4th rendition of a (then) 12 year old car in 2011. and moving the NA focus to the current C1 platform wouldnt be enough of an improvement. they would have to go to the C2 platform (or C1-2), which will be your next gen Mazda3, volvos, and international fords. the NA focus will have to jump a generation and go straight to the "new" platform.

AAAAAAANYYYWAAYYYYYYYYS thats all I'm saying is the article makes it sound like the 2011 NA focus will ride on the same mechanicals that mazda has in 2003. just a little misleading.

Always though the mark one focus looked differen tin the uS to the UK - it seemet to sit higher??

Was the Mk 2 US focus the same body with a new dash?? - Im a little confused

The Mk 2 in Europe was a different body - and looked very bland and ugly - but good to drive
The Mk 3 in Europe is essentially a reskin of the Mk 2 - and looks great!

Mk 3 in the US - is that based on the MK2 and a reskin or a new car - looks terrible in my eyes!

If Ford where to put something very close to this pic into production they would be onto a winner. Even though the second generation Focus seems to be popular in the UK Ford went too conservative with the exterior. That fastback is weird as well they should have kept the more upright hatchback.

The NA Focus has a horrible manual transmission which isn't such an issue as I'm sure 99% of Focus purchased are autos. I was going for third gear but somehow went into fifth.
RB - the Mark II revision (2008) looks much better as it has adopted the kinetic design as in the Mondeo.
Friend has a Mark II Focus ST in the UK and the manual is much better (but I'd expect that on a 225 hp car).
Exes from Ford NA: If any of you are reading this, stop feeding us ten year old crap and give North Americans something new and dynamic. Bring back the five door too.

The focus seems to grown with next generation still have my focus mk1 still love the car.focus mk2 is so ugly need to see this one before making mind up
hope its as good as my first focus