2008 Ford-Five Hundred and 2008 Ford Focus

[Made In the USA]

Why can't we just get the European Focus?

[KaJuN]

The grille on the 500 reminds me of ones you see on cheap die cast cars. It's like it's not colored in and it looks cheap and awkward. The Focus is boxy in some places, round in others. It just doesn't look right. I do appreciate the fact that they're getting less conservative in their styling though.

[Momentum57]

Originally Posted by KaJuN

The Focus is boxy in some places, round in others. It just doesn't look right.

Says the man with a Disco

[Paul_The_Aussie]

Damn both very ugly cars. They should have just used the Euro Focus. Oh well.

[AG.Daiba]

dear willy ford,
here's an easy fix to your woos.
give us the "almost already old" euro focus II and give us the new mondeo instead of a dreadfully updated focus thats now "seriously really old" that looks like an escort and a five hundred that looks worse than before. oh and will, people stopped using drum brakes in the 70s cuz theres something called disk brakes.

[jetsetter]

oh and will, people stopped using drum brakes in the 70s cuz theres something called disk brakes.

That statement is completly false in quite a few ways. It has already been explained in this topic several times so I will not go over it again.

The Euro Focus base price is around $21,700. You can get the base US Focus for about $14,000. You see what I am getting at here? If the Euro Focus was brought over it would be too expensive to compete again what it competes against in the US and would most likely affect Fusion sales also. For that $21,700 you could get a base Mustang, Fusion, or if you wan't to pay about 2 grand more a 500.

[scoops]

people who diss drum brakes don't know the mechanics behind one and how they actually have advantages over disc. the only problem is that the public is only interested in one one benefit of the disks and it wins....

['CruiserMan]

The Focus...Or a Proton Gen2?

The Euro Focus isn't nearly as expensive as you're suggesting Jetsetter... We get it here for $20 990 Australian, which currently equates to $16 351 US. The XR5 Turbo (ST 5 Door for the Euro markets) is $28 036 US.

[jetsetter]

Originally Posted by 'CruiserMan

The Focus...Or a Proton Gen2?

The Euro Focus isn't nearly as expensive as you're suggesting Jetsetter... We get it here for $20 990 Australian, which currently equates to $16 351 US. The XR5 Turbo (ST 5 Door for the Euro markets) is $28 036 US.

I found my prices here: http://www.ford.co.uk
Base price is £10,995.

[Vitamin J]

Just some more info on drums, they are lighter than disc brakes and on a car this size with this power will stop it the same (sometimes better) they are on the back anyway and in a FF car like this will do less than 20% of the stopping so fade isn't an issue.

Less unsprung weight is better than big brakes in this case.

[scoops]

on a drum break the whole pad has the same amount of coverage on it's pads as opposed to the most outter diameter of the pad on a disk type of breaking system, a drum is actually more efficient because of this, but the problem is the fade since a drum can'd disperse heat as well. this is why transports still use drums, they just work better, but as you all know there are the run off points in the mountains because they do eventually heat up too much.

[SoxXpupPeT]

the focus looks like a saturn ion

[Magnet]

God that Focus is incredibly nasty looking. It's almost as if they had a board meeting where everone was told to design an individual part, then cobble it all together in the end. It's too slab sided, the wheels are way too small for the body design, and the front end has no harmony in its design whatsoever.

The 500 should have "DULL" spray painted on its side, but that would make it too interesting.

[3Colin]

The hard line down the side of the Focus, below the door handles, is very similar to the Chrysler Sebring. It's awful. Nothing about the new Sebring should be imitated or dupliacted, ever. Except maybe the cupholders.

The 500 is still bland, but at least it's more muscular.

[The_Clincher]

i think people are being to harsh with this car, looks...people already doin the love/hate thing, althought its more hate this time around...i like it...but if theres drum brakes and that stuff...look at the bright side, the price can be lower..thats what ford did with the mustang, no IRS to keep price down, and its selling like mad...and if price is low, thats what most people want...well that and fuel efficiency, but it cant b bad rite...so i think it should do well

[BlaRo]

Are "drum brakes" going to be the next "live rear axle"?

Plenty of small cars have drum brakes. Nissan Sentra, Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla, Hyundais and Kias...but z0mg! Ford is American, so they're cutting costs because they're cheap bastards!

Honestly, this is ridiculous. The new Focus doesn't have massaging seats either. MASSAGING SEATS.

[scoops]

Originally Posted by BlaRo

Are "drum brakes" going to be the next "live rear axle"?

Plenty of small cars have drum brakes. Nissan Sentra, Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla, Hyundais and Kias...but z0mg! Ford is American, so they're cutting costs because they're cheap bastards!

Honestly, this is ridiculous. The new Focus doesn't have massaging seats either. MASSAGING SEATS.

don't forget that the focus doesn't have the lazer guided cuise control.... how silly of them to forget something so cheap...

[TomCat]

I personally don't like drum brakes. They're ugly, for one, and a bitch to change the shoes. And every vehicle I've driven with rear drums had noticeable fade under even moderate to light braking. I know the advantages though, but I personally don't think they out-weigh the cons.

[Ezbok58a]

Compaired to what the original five hundred and Focus look like. I absolutely love them.

And this redesigned Focus is supposed to only last 2 years till 2010 when the US and Europe get the Gen III Focus.

[bartboy9891]

Focus isnt too bad and even looks cool in that blue color. The 500 on the other hand just looks bad. But is bad better than bland? maybe