Count me as one of the indignified ford fans that hate what ford's done with the new 08 focus. Microwaving 8 year old left overs covered with garnish indeed.  The new focus is hideous.  

What is worse, you can get the european focus in mexico.  If ford's official opinion is it's too expensive to import or make the focus in mexico, why the *** are they IMPORTING the european version of the same car that is also made in mexico.  

I, also don't get it.  

my options for a fast ford are as such:
-mod my 2000 zx3
-trade'r for a 2002 svt focus
-volvo c30 t5... or the 2.4 ($$$)  

And if the Euro Focus is too expensive, then why does Ford sell the reviewer-loved Mazda 3 for only a little bit more?

The C30 only comes as a T5. I LOVE that car. It looks so good, and the interior is perfect, and it's one of the few compacts that 6 foot 3 me fits comfortably in.  

It's beyond logic.  Mexico makes ford focuses in its own backyard, but ford brings them from europe to sell in mexico? That, as they say, is loco.

In Canada 2.4 is an option, but since this post, I've pretty much settled on the T5 anyhow.  

THIS has been going on long before most of you were born. Note long time Ford fan my self and know the beginning of it all. It all started with the RS Escort also note this is the first 2 liter ever to run 13s in 1/4 out of the box and note this is 14 years before the first evo or wrx sti ever pulled 13s . The reason Ford gives as to why they dont bring the Cossworth or RS Focus (legacy to the ESCORT RS which has more World rally champion ships than any other car hasnt in last 10 years though ) is due to it would show up mustangs in the 80s which the car is still worlds top selling sports car . Ford did attempt the Cossworth turbo 2 liter in america in rare car called the Mclaren mustang turbo in 1980 and then another attempt in 1984 to 1987 with the SVO turbo mustangs. Problem with the cars is they were put in full body heavy ass mustangs and not compact cars so the performance was almost zill to none despite being a 13 sec car in the escort.
 Though the 2 liter 300hp was going being developed back in the early 70s by sprint car racers on dirt oval tracks in southern america which was later taken engineers at ford and then developed over seas with the cossworth where gas has been 3 plus dollars a gallon since the 80s. Sorry but true the first 300hp 2 liter plus motors were built by Southern beer guzzling rednecks , though perference PINTO ford engines (cheap and block old school thick cast iron castings made them strokeable and could take any level of abuse) and Tony Stewart drove one of these PINTO powered sprint cars back in the day.  

Well to... get back on track... Ford has a history of letting themselves get wrapped up in the ideal of a short term gain via quality cost savings, and dealing with the consequences later which of course proves time and time again to be more costly anyway.  It's no secret, they even acknowledge it these days.

First look at Taurus - literally an industry changing car.  THE car of the 80's.  They took a real winner and killed it with the bubble redesign, which besides being ugly was dramatically cheapened.  Now look at the Countour - great, very popular car from it's native UK.  Ford brings it to the USA, and over the course of the model run cust costs by cutting quality which took it from a solid runner to a solid POS.  

Then the Focus comes over, still to this day the UK's best seller.  Easily the industry's best small car chassis.  Ford USA whacks quality to save a few pennies and IIRC the car had by far the most recalls of any car a few years running.  Then they claim the Focus 2 is too expensive to make and sell here, meanwhile the Mazda3 is selling like crazy, and no Ford execs write their monther about Focus sales.  Now Focus 3 is out across the pond and we're getting the same old song and dance (and the same old rebodied Focus 1).  

I've still got hopes that Mulally will pull them out of this rut but... those hopes are bleak at best.  We'll see what happens with the Verve I guess, but I think the bean-counters still have a stranglehold on Dearborn.  

the problem is that the whole excuse that "they're too expensive" is bull. Right now Ford is cringeing down on costs as it is and trying to re-invent itself the only way a dwindilying car company can. Going upper class. Thats why we have the edge, the fusion, and the same pudgy low cost focus with new sheet metal (not like its european brother) Don't believe me Look at Oldsmovile OH wait that didn't work for them and they disappeared, look at Buick! that somewhat worked for them. The only car company that it has worked tremendously for and that is very weird would be Saturn or Opel in gergmany. The (solstice/Sky) is actually the Opel speedster to the best of my recolection, the new view is actually also an European model and now they're bringing the Astra which in europe is second to the focus in popularity, with rumors of an Turbocharged Redline version comming about later I say screw the focus, they're never bringing it here plain and simple they'll just get some shitty idea of new sheet metal and fake leather and call it upper class.

lets compare:
Euro Focus: 5 cylinder turbocharged 300hp
Astra Red Line: 4 Cylinder Turbocharged 268hp

one would never appear here the other is speculated to come somtime in 09 with a maybe. I'd just settle and if you wanted European cars comming here just wait at least there's a Car company that does that.  

the basic european focus is not 300hp.  that would be the new focus rs, due in 2009.  the basic cars have less engine than ours.  

I'm talkign about the one that matters....  

It is pretty despicable what Ford has done with the american market focus. I used to drive a 2001 ZX3 and its the best handling most solid CHEAP car I ever experienced. No recall problems with it either. My mom bought an 06 ZX3 and it feels VERY CHEAP. She doesn't care much about cars at all and even she can tell you it was a step down. The interior layout was a huge step backward and overall the car feels seriously compromised. Im kind of in the market for an early low mileage SVT, I have driven it briefly and its an appealing starting point. I would never buy any Focus past maybe 2004, and DEFINITELY NOTHING BUT THE ZX3. Ford really needs to remedy this. The focus used to be a respectable car. FORD KILLED IT  

I have ofter wonder if Ford brought the RS Cosworth Escorts to America , or the turbo Ford Falcon inline six from austrila in the 1980s how it would of reshaped american history . The Fast and Ferious movies would of been about fords and not asain imports.
I watched this show called Fith wheel about the top 10 cars they had ever driven. One of those cars was a RS Escort , the women hosting the show said she dated her BF cuase he owned a RSEscort. (Now this is a story you will neve hear in the USA.) Oh the last POPE drove a Ford Escort sold over over 500 thousand.
PERSONAL OPINION on why americans have been dumped on so much in the automotive world. The Rest of the world looks at americans as big dumb fat cash cows they can cash in on with cheap junk. Its not that americans want to buy the junk me included its that todays world in America there is nothing of quality to buy the CEOs sold us out years ago. If there is anything of quality sold in America its priced Galged out of existance like the GTO (holden austrila manero) , pontiac solstice or saturn sky 20 thousand dollars BS 30 plus thousand on dealer ship lot, WRX STI 30 thousand for a lancer thats 12 thousand but wing and turbo its 20 thousand dollars more oh BS ...
Another part is US GOVERMENT pushing this world economy crap. (I just want to buy a affordable kick ass car doing 13s in 1/4 stock for under 20 grand for crying out loud the SRT4 neon went out production so what am I to do) Oh the world Economy BS says that if China is Maken money were maken money yet china is surplus trillions of dollars every year and America and Europe is in the RED. What idiot came up with this. Oh I know the one getting rich selling made in china crap..  

America is for sale and one out of six american kids is straven and liven in poverty . Its over America had a good run and now its over china needs to march in and take over though I will be the ones who choose to fight and die even when my goverment tells me to stand by and let them in.  

GodspeedS777SS:
I have ofter wonder if Ford brought the RS Cosworth Escorts to America , or the turbo Ford Falcon inline six from austrila in the 1980s how it would of reshaped american history . The Fast and Ferious movies would of been about fords and not asain imports.
I watched this show called Fith wheel about the top 10 cars they had ever driven. One of those cars was a RS Escort , the women hosting the show said she dated her BF cuase he owned a RSEscort. (Now this is a story you will neve hear in the USA.) Oh the last POPE drove a Ford Escort sold over over 500 thousand.
PERSONAL OPINION on why americans have been dumped on so much in the automotive world. The Rest of the world looks at americans as big dumb fat cash cows they can cash in on with cheap junk. Its not that americans want to buy the junk me included its that todays world in America there is nothing of quality to buy the CEOs sold us out years ago. If there is anything of quality sold in America its priced Galged out of existance like the GTO (holden austrila manero) , pontiac solstice or saturn sky 20 thousand dollars BS 30 plus thousand on dealer ship lot, WRX STI 30 thousand for a lancer thats 12 thousand but wing and turbo its 20 thousand dollars more oh BS ...
Another part is US GOVERMENT pushing this world economy crap. (I just want to buy a affordable kick ass car doing 13s in 1/4 stock for under 20 grand for crying out loud the SRT4 neon went out production so what am I to do) Oh the world Economy BS says that if China is Maken money were maken money yet china is surplus trillions of dollars every year and America and Europe is in the RED. What idiot came up with this. Oh I know the one getting rich selling made in china crap..

I really hate to be the one to say it, but your frequent spelling mistakes make it very hard to read your post(s), let alone take them seriously.  And this part:

"WRX STI 30 thousand for a lancer thats 12 thousand but wing and turbo its 20 thousand dollars more oh BS ... "

has me baffled.  The WRX is a Subaru Impreza, the Lancer is a Mitsubishi, and there's a hell of alot more difference from base Impreza to STI than just a turbo and silly (yet fully functional) wing.  

AMEN to that brother!  

NO WING ON A STOCK CAR IS FUNCTION BUT A WIND DRAG EATING YOUR MPG UP.
SECOND YOUR RIGHT IMPREZA YOU KNOW ALL ASAIN CARS LOOK ALIKE JELLY BEANS ON WHEELS. IMPREZA IS WHAT A 12 THOUSAND DOLLAR CAR STOCK WOW SO FAR FETCH YOU CANT CATCH ON .  

DOESNT TAKE MUCH TO BAFFLE A IDIOT!!!!!