The 2008 Ford Focus is the third incarnation of the now outdated platform based off the C170 platform. Many Focus enthusiasts were saddened to see Ford North America take this approach to their beloved car while the European Markets get an upgraded C1 chassis. But take it from me, the looks of the new Focus can be deceiving.

First we'll start off with the exterior of the car. Many were unhappy with the decision to remove the hatch and wagon models from the lineup and only offer a two door coupe and four door sedan. When asked why drop the hatch and wagon, I was told it was to ease production and increase the quality of the car, and believe me they did. The sedan kept the existing roofline but received a completely reworked front and rear end, and to tell you the truth, looks great in person. The rounded hood and strange headlights do take a minute to get used to, but any true enthusiast will see the potential in this model. The coupe somewhat resembles the sedan, but adds a sporty look with a touch of class. Exterior trims include chrome door handles and chrome capped mirrors, but with an upgraded model you can receive color matched handles and color matched mirror caps.

Walking through the plant you could tell every worker that touched the car took extreme pride in their work, meticulously smoothing out even the most tiny imperfections in the body before it goes to paint. They took great care to ensure the body was as streamline and close to perfect as could be. Once glance and you could definitely tell this is a company that loves their car.

The interior of the car has changed as well. I guess a better choice of words would be grown up, matured. We've all watched the Focus evolve over the years and have grown with it as well. The interior reminds me of a college graduate fresh out of school looking to make it in the big world. The fit and finish is amazing and interior panels fit tight and true. The instrument cluster has changed and now features rounded gauges backlight in blue with a silver trim ring accenting them. As I stated earlier, a little touch of class to a sporty car. The car now features relocated window buttons located on the door arm rest, rather then up by the door handle. The emergency brake handle is now more ergonomical, relocated closer to the driver rather then in the middle of the center console; also it is a much smoother pull making it easier to engage. The manual transmission-equipped cars' shifter is very smooth, and reminds me very much of a short throw shifter. The throws are short and concise, making it easier to run through the gears.

Ford also offers and option for the Sync system on the SE model and it comes standard with the SES. I did not get a chance to go over it as I was test driving during the demo, but it offers steering wheel controls so you never have to take your had off the wheel. The dash board is covered with a brushed aluminum type face, adding a new age look that has a touch of elegance. Everything is with in arms reach on the car, so you never have to stretch to reach a button. Sadly though, the steering wheels/column is tilt only. There are no more telescoping columns available. The seats are extremely comfortable, but lack the usable side bolsters the previous models had. That was one nice feature about the seats of the Focus, they held you in place. The seats in the 2008 Focus seem to be set up more for long cruises rather then a spirited drive though the country twisting back roads.

Interior headroom is surprisingly well in the coupe. I'm 5'-8" tall and I rubbed my head on the roof in the rear of the sedan, but in the same seating position in the coupe I had no problems. The passenger seat in the coupe features a fold forward and roll track, unlike the seats in the now discontinued hatchback, making it easier to access the rear seating of the car. Legroom is somewhat lacking though in the coupe. With the driver's seat all the way back my legs were pinned in between the seat back and the rear seat bottom. It wasn't uncomfortable, but it did leave absolutely no room for movement.

Now on to the performance. First off, the 2008 Focus utilizes drive by wire technology with an electronic throttle body. This takes away some of the feel in the gas pedal that most enthusiasts love. Still though, the get-up-and-go acceleration is great. The only engine available is the 2.0 L Duratec engine as Ford has removed the beefier 2.3 L from the lineup. I was hard-pressed to get a solid answer to reasoning behind this; the majority of responses to my question was either a change in subject and/or accompanied with "no comment." When I finally did get an answer from the Head of Marketing, the reasoning was supposedly for fuel economy. The steering and handling have improved over the previous years though, allowing you to make sharper turns with greater ease. The suspension was reminiscent of a stock SVT suspension, firm and able to take tight turns with easy yet nimble enough to go over even the roughest terrain. Very little body roll was experienced when pushing the car at the Proving Grounds. The steering was another great improvement, allowing sharp and concise maneuvers with the tight feel we have all come to know and love.

One option I was not too pleased with at first was the lack of four wheel disc brakes. The Focus no longer has the option to four wheel disc, making rear drums standard on every model. Anti Lock brakes are still available, but you won't see rotors and calipers behind the wheels in the rear.

While at the proving grounds we were given the opportunity to go for a few "hot laps" on the test track. With the best of Fords drivers behind the wheel, I strapped and told them to let it rip. The car handled like a dream. It took turns with ease and braked so smoothly I was in awe. It took everything these guys threw at it and begged for more. The 2008 Focus still has its soul as a weekend track warrior. I was very pleased.

In closing the 2008 Focus is a well built machine and the workers take pride in producing the car we love. The Focus may look a little different on the outside, but it still has the heart and soul of the machine we've put through the paces for so many years. At first glance it may seem odd and unnatural, but give the 2008 Focus a chance. You will be impressed, I promise.

Text Source: Brian DePietro & Mike Dunn