CD Article: 2009 Ford Focus SES sedan

[CD_Editor]

         
Test Drive:


Five-speed manual: 'Sporty' and Focus were once synonymous, but with this last re-do, the sedan's evolutionary path has headed more towards comfort and refinement," says reviewer, Peter Bleakney.
 More: View the photos | All the Test Drives

[Thinking Out Loud]

What does the Focus and a beaver have in common?

They are both "long in the tooth".    


How do you know a new decade is around the corner?

Ford rolls out a replacement for it's 10 year old compact.   


How many ground-up different Corollas have there been since 2000?

Three   


Who can't break even selling a car that has been likely paid off for 5 years?

Ford


AHHH WELL.  At least you are turning the corner, Ford.  I hope going forward...

[Sir Osis of Liver]

What does the Focus and a beaver have in common?

They are both "long in the tooth".    


How do you know a new decade is around the corner?

Ford rolls out a replacement for it's 10 year old compact.   


How many ground-up different Corollas have there been since 2000?

Three   


Who can't break even selling a car that has been likely paid off for 5 years?

Ford


AHHH WELL.  At least you are turning the corner, Ford.  I hope going forward...

The 9th generation Corolla was introduced in 2000, the 10th in late 2006. The current version is still the tenth generation.
The Focus was introduced in 2000, the second generation was introduced in 2008.

Ford's legacy costs have nothing to do with operating profits.

Despite it's age and frumpy looks, it's still more entertaining than the Corolla.

That said, the new version can't come soon enough!

[airbalancer]

I found this
The Corolla became available in US dealerships on January 31, 2008, as a 2009 model. A total of 5 trim grades (Standard, S, LE, XLE, and XRS) are being offered in the US,[7] Canada has 4 trims (CE, LE, Sport (or S), and XRS).
When did John get his?
Or maybe AS can fill us in

[Thinking Out Loud]

The 9th generation Corolla was introduced in 2000, the 10th in late 2006. The current version is still the tenth generation.

The Focus was introduced in 2000, the second generation was introduced in 2008.

Ford's legacy costs have nothing to do with operating profits.

Despite it's age and frumpy looks, it's still more entertaining than the Corolla.

That said, the new version can't come soon enough!

I was just pointing out the number of versions of Corolla over the decade the Focus has been around, and I wouldn't call a facelifted interior and front and nose clips a 'second generation', not when you consider the Corolla (and Mazda and Honda) typically have ground up new versions every 4-6 or so years.

Unless Ford re-engineered it in 2008, and if one believes that a Corolla is generally better engineered/built (granted less entertaining), a 2009 Corolla is two REAL generations ahead of the 10+ year old Focus platform.  The Focus was very much a breakthrough in 2000, but with it's refresh in 2008, many reviewers found it less entertaining - maybe the competition just got better over 9 years.

Looking on Autotrader there are three distinct versions of the Corolla from 2000-2009.

$21,000 is a lot of coin for a car this old.  GM had the same issue, to be fair in the Cavalier/Sunbird et al.

As for the NEW Focus, well, it should have been here in 2007 or so when the Euro version was updated.  We've lost a generation of Focus and THIS isn't it.

      for the upcoming real Focus and Fiesta, indeed!

[Rupert]

You see more and more of these vehicles around and in spite of the great, furor on here about the new model, I think it looks good and does not have the bulbous, rounded, smoothy effect that is becoming a bit of a bore. It sounds like the chassis is much stiffer than the previous one which has to count as an improvement and the softer ride and quiet on the highway is of benefit to most I would think even at the expense of some extreeme handling which is meaningless to the vast majority of owners. I am not a fan of having up-scale versions of a model with outside pieces of flair to announce such. So that lower level versions are made to look like strippers. Can't think that overall this is a good sales gimmick. The different levels of trim and components should be internal only. Having a two door version and no wagon is a mistake IMO. The speedometer is the important driving dial and should be bigger...like much bigger. No one drives with their eye on the tachometer even with standard shift. With automatic the tach is probably not viewed at all. I have ridden in a Mazda 3 on occasion as a passenger anyway. Does the wheel camber have an effect on the handling. If the VW and other such vehicles have better more confident handling one wonders why this should be so. This comment has been made before. Surely it is not difficult to find out what makes this so and do the same , if there is no patent thingy involved. I think that this model should be allowed to run for a bit; it seems to be selling from my sightings anyway...oh and bring the wagon version back if Hyundai have not already filled the spot.

[chrischasescars]

The 9th generation Corolla was introduced in 2000, the 10th in late 2006. The current version is still the tenth generation.

Say what? The Corolla was redesigned for 1998, 2003 and 2009.

[Sir Osis of Liver]

Eighth generation Toyota Corolla. (Introduced in NA as 1998 model)

May 1995 saw a minor redesign for the Corolla. External differences from the E100 series were minimal. Evolutionary technological improvements continued, however, and in 1998 non-Japanese Corollas received the new 1ZZ-FE engine. The new engine was the first in a Toyota to have an aluminum engine block and aluminum cylinder heads, which made this generation lighter than the E100 Corolla.

Ninth generation Toyota Corolla. (Introduced in NA as 2003 model)

In November 2000 the ninth generation Corolla was introduced in Japan, with edgier styling and more technology to bring the nameplate into the 21st century. It is also called the Corolla Altis in the ASEAN region. The station wagon model is called the Corolla Fielder in Japan.

Tenth generation Toyota Corolla. (Introduced in NA January 31, 2008 as a 2009 model)

The tenth generation of the Corolla was introduced in October 2006. Japanese markets called it the Corolla Axio, with the ASEAN markets retaining the Altis branding. The station wagon retains the Corolla Fielder name.


Just to be completely clear!

[Thinking Out Loud]

The Ford Focus is the best 1990's engineered vehicle you can buy BRAND NEW in 2009, save the City Golf and Jetta.  At least VW has the sense not to pretend it's current.  How many Mks of the Golf have been created since 1998 (or will have created) by the time the Focus' replacement arrives?

The Focus is an antique circa 1998 in Europe, and depending on what manufacturer you compare it to, it's either OLD or VERY OLD. 

If little else, it appears to compete with the right car - a loaded City Jetta of the same vintage platform era.  I'l give them that!   

[Rupert]

I must be missing something here. I thought that the article said 'greater rigidity', something important in a chassis. What is 'vintage' about this? Has something happened elswhere that has radically changed design and suddenly made this offering obsolete. What is being offered elswhere that is so advanced that it is much more attention getting than the usual different shape. The article even says that the fuel consumption is only marginally below the Corolla. What do you mean by 'platform'? Is it something to do with the suspension?

[Sir Osis of Liver]

The Ford Focus is the best 1990's engineered vehicle you can buy BRAND NEW in 2009, save the City Golf and Jetta.  At least VW has the sense not to pretend it's current.  How many Mks of the Golf have been created since 1998 (or will have created) by the time the Focus' replacement arrives?

The Focus is an antique circa 1998 in Europe, and depending on what manufacturer you compare it to, it's either OLD or VERY OLD. 

If little else, it appears to compete with the right car - a loaded City Jetta of the same vintage platform era.  I'l give them that!   

Except for the drivetrain, chassis, interior, exterior and electronics, it's identical to the 2000 Focus.

[Schmengie]

There's a bakery here called Silver Hills that makes organic and no-flour breads. They've been putting large tags on their products lately telling people to watch out not for new or improved bread, but new PACKAGING. That's what this Focus is - a new wrapper on an old car. At least the bread is top-notch so I can forgive the stupid marketing, the Focus is far from that.

You'd think with the economic situation being what it is, Ford would want to bring the absolute best they have to NA markets, but what do I know? Sad. 

[Rupert]

The car has independent suspension all around, very decent fuel ecconomy, looks ok to me. I don't see CVVT with i on the engine spec. What altogether is out of date with this platform. Perhaps the bulbous european blobs are the out of date ones. If the handling and feel on this torsionally stiff body is inferior then this aspect and the components involved should be addressed but it does not comprise a whole platform of wrongness. If the engine does not perform as well as the European engines then address this aspect...hardly a whole platform of inferiority. Perhaps what is meant is that the four door with trunk style is out of date. That might be valid but I suppose market research is done before the mouse is clicked on. Anyway not a platform, only a style. What all has changed that makes this 'platform' out of date.

[younona]

I think Ford did a great job bringing the market this 2009 Ford Focus. I love it because it is the economy car and give the impression of being a sports car; I also love the red color of this car. In the inside they use a lot of technology - with the Microsoft SYNC voice command system.
This is an amazing economic car. I read many reviews and I decide to buy it. I suggest you to see more about this car on topspeed.com.