Want to see the 2009 Focus? *Pics added!

[wilko]

Are there any body kits for the 08/09?

^^I thought they said the "Sport Trim" was for 09' SES coupes. The sedans and the SE's werent supposed to be changed. Except that the SE's will finally get a decklid spoiler on the Delux packages.

[wilko]

Originally Posted by Chalz

I'm getting sick and tired of the "If it were just like the Euro Focus I'd buy it." Ford gave you a chance to put up or shut up...and every **** all over the model the gave us in 2005. I expect some "WTF are you talking about Chalz?" responses, so I'll just post the following pictures:

Here's a European Focus:



And here's how Ford tested to see what America wanted in 2005:



Once again...what happened? People all over FJ cried, "It's butt ugly!!!!! I hate it!!!! It's nasty!!!!!!!" Aside from the front bumper being lengthened slightly to meet US standards and a few other minor aesthetic details, they are extremely similar cars. All the lines are pretty much the same, and the major details are damned near exacting.

The market told Ford it was ugly...so Ford was led to believe that we didn't like the Euro style.Can't anyone see how that would be pretty damned confusing to the guys over at Ford?

Once again, though, Ford tries to do something to please the market...and people are ****ting all over it. There is no way to please most of the people here, and seeing all this incessant and retarded bitching is annoying. We're auto enthusiasts, people. We take ****boxes and make them look good. If you want a fast car that looks amazing off the lot, be willing to spend more than $18,000.

Anyway...sorry for the rant. Ford guys, keep on trucking. You're doing a great job.

Er...
I see these cars, and they are miles apart in exterior looks alone. The 05 Euro is as plain as the day is long. While the 05 US is a mild update to the prior Foci. I wouldn't get the 05 Euro, It is too boring. And the US dealer would have his work cut out trying to get me in a Focus Sedan. I opted for the ZX3 when I got my 05.

The US 08 is a damn fine vehicle. I thought Ford was about to release a 180+ hp version of it, with bolstered seats, and rear headrests, rear disc's and minus the Vents. That is where I thought I was going to be burnt by Ford for getting an 08.

I was surprised and puzzled when I saw the first pics of the 09. Its cool that Ford made the car look Sporty. I just cant get around the kinetic opening on bumper and the high spoiler. But hey is an improvement.

I half agree about people's ranting about the car though. My perspective on that is, as long as the criticism is constructive, without sweeping generalizations, and clearly shows why they don't like it; then, they can complain. Just typing "it looks like crap" or whining posts like " I wish Ford would give us the Euro car", does not help the discussion.

If Ford is listening/reading (which is highly doubtful), then saying its fugly isn't going to help them fix the problem. But saying something like...
" The reason I don't like the lower intake on the 09 is, its shape is not suggested, or framed, anywhere on the front of the car. The front of the 09 has a horizontal flow to it. The shape of the lights, and how they flow into the horizontal bar grill, leads my eye to the sides of the car. The kinetic intake sits in the middle of the bumper, locked in place by the creases that come out of the sides of the headlamps. It is an isolated shape and it does not suggest horizontal movement"

... just might get some sort of consideration at the design discussion.

[orionlion82]

now this is a difference from the 08 thread.

the backend looks like its got its butt in the air....

but MAN OH MAN this thing is alot better
(and im seeing 08's all over the place now)

no fish gills!

and we went from crooked-teeth-square-foglights-optional
(pre-production)
TO
decent round ones
AND
now integrated ones standard with no insert.

and look at those wheels!
WOW!
(and im not a guy who judges on looks)
i just wonder about the durability being so delicate and spokey.

now all they gotta do is screw down the door handles again so the journalists quit bitching about the handles coming off.

[Random Select]

All this car needs is bigger fender flares and I'm in.

[PCP_TwilightZX3]

now the question is, how long before everyyone has those wheels and bastardizes the svt euro wheel lol. i think there are maybe 4 infra red SAP sedans that don't have a version of the svt wheels lol

[adamw]

Originally Posted by Chalz

I'm getting sick and tired of the "If it were just like the Euro Focus I'd buy it." Ford gave you a chance to put up or shut up...and every **** all over the model the gave us in 2005. I expect some "WTF are you talking about Chalz?" responses, so I'll just post the following pictures:

Here's a European Focus:



And here's how Ford tested to see what America wanted in 2005:



Once again...what happened? People all over FJ cried, "It's butt ugly!!!!! I hate it!!!! It's nasty!!!!!!!" Aside from the front bumper being lengthened slightly to meet US standards and a few other minor aesthetic details, they are extremely similar cars. All the lines are pretty much the same, and the major details are damned near exacting.

The market told Ford it was ugly...so Ford was led to believe that we didn't like the Euro style.Can't anyone see how that would be pretty damned confusing to the guys over at Ford?

Once again, though, Ford tries to do something to please the market...and people are ****ting all over it. There is no way to please most of the people here, and seeing all this incessant and retarded bitching is annoying. We're auto enthusiasts, people. We take ****boxes and make them look good. If you want a fast car that looks amazing off the lot, be willing to spend more than $18,000.

Anyway...sorry for the rant. Ford guys, keep on trucking. You're doing a great job.

Here's where you are wrong. Do they look similar, yes, but it is simply amazing how a few tiny changes can make or break a car on it's looks. The upper grill of the US car is practically upside down compared to the shape of the Euro car. The upper grill is the least of the problems, the main problem is the lower grill, it's sucked in and has that line through the middle of it that seemed to be a trend in auto design at the time it was released, the Tiburon of the same year had a similar line through the lower grill. It looks like a person who has had their jaw removed because of mouth cancer, no offense to anyone, that's just the best way to describe it. The lower grill of the Euro car is big, properly shaped, with no line through it. So... Since we all said "That's Ugly!" They came out with the Street Apperance Package to make the car look more like the Euro Focus. I don't know if it helped sales, but for me, It looked liked a totally different car, and you know what I said, "That looks freaking awesome!"

[eff]

I have been told over and over again that the American consumers do not care about what I will say is the MAJOR differences between the 2005-07 N.A. Focus and Euro 2005-07 Focus, besides the many body panel differences. They look similar yes in the same way my brother looks a little like me.

Its called SUBSTANCE. And for your track drivers, I just don't mean weight gain, it has to do with all those little pieces, like seat rails, wiper stalks, hood/hatch hinges and on and on and on.
And yes it does weigh more, but for the average consumer I think having a safer car around you and the family has its merits.
If you want to track it, just tear out a bunch of stuff, I am sure you can remove quite alot of weight out this way.

I have owned both and as far as I can tell when my hand hits the door handle on either car you immediately can feel that the Euro Focus has some SUBSTANCE built into it, in comparison to what my 2005 N.A. Focus felt like which in comparison felts like a freaking thin TIN CAN.

If you have ever sat in or had the experience of owning a Volvo (I have had three which were an S70 and two S60 models) you will undertand the meaning of SUBSTANCE built into a car.

Thats what I am talking about, IMO the American Focus starting loosing this SUBSTANCE sometime around MY2001-2002 when Ford N.A. started sucking the life out of the Focus , cheapening every freaking little piece it could.

Thank god they did not cheapen its best feature, its dynamics.

[GapBoyPCS]

Originally Posted by wilko

Are there any body kits for the 08/09?

^^I thought they said the "Sport Trim" was for 09' SES coupes. The sedans and the SE's werent supposed to be changed. Except that the SE's will finally get a decklid spoiler on the Delux packages.

I know 3dCarbon has a kit for the 08s. I'm not sure whether the redesign will work with the revised bumper. That being said, I'm sure some of our major aftermarket suppliers have already got wind of the changes and are working on something.

I can see some sedan owners swapping parts...

[adamw]

Even if the Focus was only sold in the US, and we had no Euro car to compare it with, the 05-07 did not look good untill it got the nicer looking SAP, and the 08 and 09 just look boring, not that they look sooo bad or something, they just look boring. The red 09 is a good color, nice front bumper and wheels, the trunk looks good from the very back but mostly because the Focus name is centered. But the headlights, grill and hood all look like crap and the the upside down Nike Swoosh in the sheet metal on the sides looks lame.

[hotrodkris]

Originally Posted by Chalz

Once again, though, Ford tries to do something to please the market...and people are ****ting all over it. There is no way to please most of the people here, and seeing all this incessant and retarded bitching is annoying. We're auto enthusiasts, people. We take ****boxes and make them look good. If you want a fast car that looks amazing off the lot, be willing to spend more than $18,000.

Anyway...sorry for the rant. Ford guys, keep on trucking. You're doing a great job.

Thanks for summing it up for me in such a nice way. I was just going to give all the pissers and moaners the middle finger.

Focus drivers are the cheapest of the bunch. While a Honda or Scooby driver will shell out big bucks for JDM wheels, you guys are offering someone selling stock wheels half of what they're worth.

We're going to order one as soon as we're able to. I love it. For the price/mpg/handling, there's not really anything else out there that we want anymore.

[OKCJeep]

It looks like an old Hyundai Accent. FUGLY!

[OmniFocus]

Originally Posted by OKCJeep

It looks like an old Hyundai Accent. FUGLY!

As with any 2008/09 Focus thread, they all start out calm and practical... and end up with some questionable substance abuse.

[bigdaddyzx3]

Originally Posted by OmniFocus

As with any 2008/09 Focus thread, they all start out calm and practical... and end up with some questionable substance abuse.

QFT!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Chalz]

Originally Posted by OKCJeep

It looks like an old Hyundai Accent. FUGLY!

That's right!!!!! Ugly!!!!! Original statements and fresh insults, rabble rabble!!!!!! They took our jeeeeerrrbssss!!!!!!!!!

Guess what duder? That 2009 is a nicer car than your 2006. Don't get offended, it's nicer than my 2005 ZX3 too. Honestly though, you sound like a kid with Downs Syndrome telling a kid with Autism he's retarded.

On another note to address other posts in the thread:

You want quality? Buy a Volvo.
You want fast? Buy a WRX
You want insane handling? Buy a Lotus
You want to spend less than $16,000? Buy a Focus and deal with it, cheapskate. Put some rims on it, drop it, tint it, and guess what? It will look pretty cool, but for the love of God don't pretend it's more than it really is, and don't expect Champagne on your Beer Budget.

I'm sorry if I'm coming off as an asshat, but Ford is being INSANELY cool about this. Not only are they asking our opinion, but they did some pretty damned signifigant re-tooling work to cater to the wants and needs extremely quickly after the original release upon seeing the ENTHUSIAST response. Obviously the consumers are fine with the car...they're selling like hookers after a revival. This facelift was done for the enthusiasts. They're being awesome, and you're throwing feces at them from your cage. Stop it.

[focuspl99]

^ i have to agree with the Chalzster on this one

It is what it is, its a focus.....and a damn nicer coupe then we had last year. I'm surprised that I keep flipping through the thread to look at it and there are some hot chops out. Its definetly a tuner friendly car for a great price, and i think we are getting some more unique features with this one. Styling is definetly better..so can we really complain? This car was introduced SO FAST after the initial 2008 restyle. Just wait until we get some tuned 09's running the streets....with front mounts....and coilovers....you guys are all going to think its the hotness...

....as for the holy grail of what focus owners want (factory turbo_car) dont think ford isnt listening in, let the company fix itself and in a couple of years of good sales, who knows?

[aaron_zx3]

^^^ taters.... is that you?! (post #314)

[belacyrf]

Originally Posted by Chalz

I'm getting sick and tired of the "If it were just like the Euro Focus I'd buy it." Ford gave you a chance to put up or shut up...and every **** all over the model the gave us in 2005. I expect some "WTF are you talking about Chalz?" responses, so I'll just post the following pictures:

Here's a European Focus:



And here's how Ford tested to see what America wanted in 2005:



Once again...what happened? People all over FJ cried, "It's butt ugly!!!!! I hate it!!!! It's nasty!!!!!!!" Aside from the front bumper being lengthened slightly to meet US standards and a few other minor aesthetic details, they are extremely similar cars. All the lines are pretty much the same, and the major details are damned near exacting.

The market told Ford it was ugly...so Ford was led to believe that we didn't like the Euro style.Can't anyone see how that would be pretty damned confusing to the guys over at Ford?

Once again, though, Ford tries to do something to please the market...and people are ****ting all over it. There is no way to please most of the people here, and seeing all this incessant and retarded bitching is annoying. We're auto enthusiasts, people. We take ****boxes and make them look good. If you want a fast car that looks amazing off the lot, be willing to spend more than $18,000.

Anyway...sorry for the rant. Ford guys, keep on trucking. You're doing a great job.

Sorry Chalz.. WORST ARGUMENT EVAR!!! hahahahahahaha

Ford NA: "Hey America... here is a nice turd we found in Europe, what do you think"
NA Consumers: "Ewww that's nasty"
Ford NA: "Ok, we performed our study and Americans dont like anything european"

[Chalz]

Originally Posted by belacyrf

Sorry Chalz.. WORST ARGUMENT EVAR!!! hahahahahahaha

Ford NA: "Hey America... here is a nice turd we found in Europe, what do you think"
NA Consumers: "Ewww that's nasty"
Ford NA: "Ok, we performed our study and Americans dont like anything european"

It's pretty simple and straightforward, actually. You're reading into it far more than you should.

Enthusiasts said they wanted something that looked Euro. Ford gave us something with Euro stylings. Everyone cried out that they hated it and that it was ugly. What is Ford supposed to think? There's a reason they think Americans don't want the Euro look: We said we wanted Euro, they made it more Euro...the enthusiast crown talked major trash on it, so Ford shyed away from the Euro look.

I bought my 2005 because I liked the look of the front end more than the 00-04. It had a significant Euro flair to it, reminiscent of VW's, Audi's and the then-current Euro Focus...yet everyone else here who was claiming they wanted Euro talked ****, and still talk ****. Since we're writing plays, though:

Focaljetters: We want something more Euro!!!!!
Ford NA: "Well, we'll base a facelift off the current Euro Focus. Here you go!"
Focaljetters: "That Euro sucks. We don't like that...it's ugly!!!!"
Ford NA: "But...you said you wanted Euro flair?"
Focaljetters: "But that's really ugly."
Ford NA: "Ok....how about this 2008?"
Focaljetters: "Ewww!!! That's even uglier...and not Euro at all!"
Ford NA: "Ok, you're right. It is kind of ugly. We'll take your advice and make some changes. Here's 2009 with quite a few changes to make it more tuner-friendly."
Focaljetters: "Ewwww!!!! That's still but ugly. Where's the Turbo AWD?!?! Where's the new Euro model!!!! I want it NOW DADDY!!!!!!! Tell Mr. Wonka to give me an ST for $15,000!!!!!! And I want a Bean Feast, with cream buns and dougnuts and fruitcake with no nuts!!!!!!"
Ford NA: "Oompa Loompa doompadee dah. If you're not spoiled then you will go far. You will live in happiness too, like the Oompa Loompa doompadee do!"

Ok...perhaps that was a little bit of a tangent...but you get my point.

As I've said before, there is ABSOLUTELY no way to please the majority of folks here on [FJ] aside from an AWD turbo car that is an exact LHD replica of a Euro model for less than $18,000. I hate saying it, but most Focus owners griping about it in the this thread are too cheap to actually pay for what they are asking anyway. (With exceptions of course) People are asking for a $28,000 car...but when it really comes time for people to put their money where their mouth is, how many do you think will actually man up and do it? I'd guess maybe 10% or less.

[belacyrf]

Chalz, maybe I'm wrong, but we dont want Euro for the sake of Euro.
We want the styling THAT WE LIKE that Ford has already provided in the european market!

We love the look of the current euro Focus ST. We loved the look of the previous Focus RS hatch. I think you're the one drawing parallels where they do not exist.

If i say I like the Euro Focus ST, it doesn't mean I like it because of it's European flare, I like it because I like it whether it was European, Mexican, Indian, or whatever... It's the style we like. Please find one thread where people "asked" for the european sedan styling.

Im just saying if your presumption is correct and Ford based the NA markets view of European Focus Styling off of a car that nobody said they liked in the first place, then Ford NA execs are idiots.

[panchocito]

I don't think Ford NA listens to us focaljetters. Hertz and Avis maybe.

[OmniFocus]

They do, in fact, listen to us.... but most of what we say doesn't make any sense.

This "euro" argument is just silly. A car either looks good, or it doesn't. "Euro" has nothing to do with it. A Fiat Multipla is a european car, but that doesn't make it look good. (Look it up)


The 05-07 nose wasn't "Euro", it was... inoffensive. Sometimes inoffensive is the proper way to sell cars. Camries and Accords are inoffensive.... Stylistically, most cars on the road evoke little to no emotional response. It takes careful planning and a whole lot of luck to build a economy car that produces emotional responses (hopefully mostly positive, but surely negative as well) yet sells like hotcakes. Sometimes the economic and social climate has a lot to do with it. Cars notorious for selling well may have encountered different results a few years away from their prime.

On the whole, the Automotive Press and Automotive Enthusiasts are a bunch of completely critical, overanalytical, stuck-up *******s, myself included. We make up a small (yet significant) percentage of the total market. The trick to selling cars well is to walk the line between the average consumer and the internet enthusiast *******. My compliments to any automaker that can do it.

I