If Ford brought the euro version over here i would have a better score in my books.
Also the euro version actually looks a little bit like a volvo and it is alot better looking more aggressive.

make belief. americans still think that the u.s. is the biggest country in the world. car manufacturers and every other companies know that they make more money outside the u.s.!
when will americans wake up? pres. bush is ruining this country, and everybody is too scared to say anything about it.

That's it, Folks!

I think the official reason for it was because of the product lifespan; the Focus we have was over in Europe a year or two before we even got it, so it hasn't fufilled its product cycle here yet. Plus, the European Focus is a far more expensive car, if I remember right. The ST's like 17 000 pounds sterling, which makes it a 30 000$ car here. Ford's not respected enough to move a compact that expensive (especially given all their current finacial troubles).

André, way to be a flamebait. Really, very on topic of you.

What kills me is, like the Escort this was supposed to be a 'world car'. One car model built for every market, so they are basically meant to keep pace with each other, one upgrades, they all do. Of course Ford america just keeps messing it up and holding onto the old model for long enough to kill the model.

Ford does have the Euro Focus here already ready to roll, they call it the Mazda3 and it is one of the most desireable and capable small cars on the market. This implies that crash testing and emissions testing has already been done and validated and that a Euro Focus/Mazda3 would be as simple as a trim change and rebadge but alas Ford will be stuck selling trash and wondering why Americans aren't buying them in droves in the face of obviously superior vehicles elsewhere (ironically including their own superior vehicles).

I drove a 2005 Ford Focus in England. Other than it's significant power degrade (Read Improved-Fuel-Economy) from my friends ZX3, it really wasn't that much different to drive (well, except for that whole passenger seat to the left of me thing).

The styling and interior were significantly different, but better is in the eyes of the beholder.

As to the reason we don't get it, thank regulation.

First off andré stay in your country and leave our problems to us. You don't like President Bush too bad. Hes not ruling your life so go hate someone in your country.

Now that I got that out of my system time for the cars. If Ford actually did merge what they have in Europe and the US it would be a very different world. The cars in Europe that Ford make are much better in many ways.

Obviously DaMinority, its good to hear your experience. Now a 2005 Focus would be the same but a 2007 Focus ST would rip a Focus SVT easily. Due to the regulations that we have, the stock Focus wouldn't keep up. The Focus ST uses a turbocharged I5 that has roughly 250hp and 300 tourqe.

And also you may not have felt much of a difference driving it but its longevity is better. They are more dependably, although my whole family has had Fords and nothing major ever goes wrong. Just regular maintanence such as belts, hoses and gaskets.

Along with the Escort they had the Ford Contour known as the Mondeo in Europe. It only lasted 5 years. And that sucks since that car is very under rated. My friend had a 99 SVT Contour and took on a BMW 325i.... He said it didn't even touch him. I have a 99 SE Sport Contour. That car is awesome. No major problems. Just stupid people.

Pepboys put the wrong size brakes on my car, one replaced the wrong air intake gaskets and Wal Mart craked my oil pan. Guess what? Now I only take it to Ford since they know what they are doing.

years ago when the big three were way behind in quality it seemed Ford was the first to improve. But its pretty clear they only made a half effort. How long do they think they can make inferior cars without anybody noticing.
They pay the top execs 20 million plus per year. Maybe its time to just ignore them and buy the better cars.

volvo's hatch is also the same AND uses the turbo 5cyl
so the euro focus st should be close to passing D.O.T standards and SHOULD cost less than the new U.S. model (design, certify etc is expensive) + with the net people KNOW what they are missing
to André the basic focus on ford.co.uk is 11.522 on road
the mazda 3 is 11.430 on road
so a basic focus should cost aprox $15000 (basic
Mazda 3)
the volvo c30 is 22700 and uses a 227 horse 5cyl turbo
so if the focus was priced to mirror its twins the basic model should be $15000 up to $23000 for the st
which is very close to the prices of 06 models
$13700 to $17330 with out a sports model

Nice site. Thanks.

Nice site. Thank you!!!

US consumers probably would never want to pay as much as Europeans would for such a great quality small car. It will always remain a 'small' car in their eyes and therefore they will limit their spending to a certain limit, regardless the superior driving quality.

The Ford Focus Wagon version is certainly among the bigger comonly used cars in Europe. Thefore the quality is considered to be more in par with the car's market position.

Also: the European Focus is made in Spain and Russia with short lines to cheap but high-tech suppliers. The EU has struck gold with cheap well qualified tech employees from Eastern Europe now within their trade barriers.

Don't know where the American Focus is made ... anyone?

US customer: expect the trade deficit to slip further. No matter what you might find in Chinese toothpaste.
US businessman: want to make a profit? Produce and sell outside the US.

Hi.

Just here to tell that I do have a 2006 Ford Focus ST 220- here in the US. Color black, Recaro seats ,0-60 6.5s, 225Hk, torque just below 300, 5-door hatchback, 18'' org. wheels. And it will be out for sale late this summer..
Have a nice one....

I don't think i have seen a a car so blan...I own a 03 svt focus and that compared is nothing. The redesighn wasn't that bad, but this is just bad. And who knows what engines there putting in these things.. yes i know they were desighned for gas milage, but who says that you can't have style...hopefully its faster then the sentra...

I'm so glad i just found ppl that are thinkING just like me about the EU focus and the US focus.Well, as ya'll can c,the more ford is putting out newest version of the focus since 2005 the suckest it's getting..i almost threw up when i saw the new.2008 focus at the DC auto show early this year..was it a focus..i really don't know or the car designer was drunk or smth . i think ford is treating the american market as car style unsavvy and gas mileage and safety features desperate..that's all..that kinda sucks i might never drive a EU focus..well unless i want to get myself into enourmous debt trying to import a EU focus to show off here in the US.

i personaly think the euro versions sucks, oh and by the way i like it american just like george w bush the 2005-2007 facelifed ford focus looks the best; and as for timothy your thoughts sucks.talkin bout euro versoin man go to hell.

I have bought a european focus in Turkey for $30,000.. it is Ghia.. and has brake disks on front tires. now, i think that ford is expensive, technically you should be so very careful what you get from ford and its interior quality is bad. road noise isolation is so bad. You have to get your gas pedal be removed to get the polen filter changed. so you have to go to service to get your polen filter changed. it also does not have ESP and TC in GHIA. well, GOOD side of the car is that its diesel engine (109hp) has a very efficient fuel consumption. Sony music system is wonderful. automatic head lights, rain censor and cruise control are present in GHIA. if you dont have extra security pack installed on the car, you dont have all that 5 stars that it has on crash tests.

Again, Ford Amerca can't design a good looking car unlike its European conterpart. Do they think that we are unable to appreciate what is beautiful. The European version looks GREAT. Why try to re-invent the weel when others can do it better!
North American 2008 Ford Focus is an UGLY car.

I honestly like the euro version of the ford focus better then the newly design we have now plus it look really sportly with the 4-door and i would buy one if it come over

For all the whining about the U.S. Focus, every review I've read said that it rides great, handles compentently, shifts smoothly, and is very quiet. And, it also offers "SYNC", the most advanced communications and entertainment solution in an automobile, unheard of in an economy car. If that's not good enough of a car for you, then you need to have your head examined!

First i just want to say great site. Now about the 2008 Focus. I honestly think you have to drive the generations back to back to really tell the difference. The drive train remained the same for the most part(moved a few sensors and lines around) The beauty of this cars redesign is the interior. It is comparable to most "import" companies. I just don't understand why people have such a hard time realizing that the focus is just Fords way of getting its mpg rating up. Ford sales about 50 F150s to about every one Focus. So now look into what the consumer reports are saying about Fords F-series and suvs. Ofcourse Ford trucks are the most recommended by almost all automobile reporting magazines. Yeah even beating out Toyota, Nissan, Chevrolet/GMC and Dodge. Why would a company disbanded there flagship vehicle to please a minority? They wouldn't..... I don't know why but i cant ever recall hearing advertisements on t.v. about it being like focus,fusion fest.... no i believe its normally always Truck month.

If you haven't driven one, please do so....It's quite remarkable for a inexpensive vehicle.

http://autos.yahoo.com/ford_focus-reviews_user/

Alright, personally i feel that he EU focus is nothing to prized to look at.. I just bought a 2008 for focus for the reason that gas prices are sky rocketing and I think the car it self is really cute. No, its not going to be the all around family car or the lexus of the fords like you people seem to think it is is EU.. We are not in europe and personally go there buy one if you feel that it is so much better. the 08 Focus drives great, i have yet to have a problem with it, I only pay maybe 30 dollars to fill up my tank while others i know are paying near 60 - 70 dollars. Are looks really everything? No, but the car is safe, affordable and most importantly now great on gas.. oh on the side-lines the US focus unlike the EU focus is not designed for the high class expensive car it is focus on a younger crowd with the main points other then the new sync (which is also great in the vehicles) being affordable, fuel efficent, and safe... It is called a TARGET MARKET and another thing its sales atleast in my area are very.

I'm not sure I understand the comments on the Focus engine. It has the second highest HP in the class with the best torque at the lowest RPM to boot. And, this engine is sweet where you use it, with addressable midrange power the Honda only dreams of. Only the Mazda is faster, and it is a high RPM hyper fest, too, and not much to my liking. And, the power characteristics of the Focus 2.0L engine pull an automatic like no other small engine I've driven. Granted, the stick is the best with a smaller engine.

The Focus has a ride that feels like a bigger more secure car. Say, a BMW like. It is good handling and quiet at the same time. No, it isn't as hard as the Mazda or Civic (thank God), nor has the pure chassis of a sports car. Besides, why would Ford build another Mazda 3? They have one already. Go get the sedan or hatch and ZOOM, ZOOM. The chassis is old, and well thought out. It still leads the pack on 80% of the tasks thrown at it. It meets the world head on in quietness, composure, and value for the class. The rest can be a close second fiddle and I'm more than fine with that. I bought the last chassis series of my E320 for the same reason, it was thought out and refined.

I did drive the European ASTRA, and it was lathargic, loud and clumsy. The engine transmission was a poor match with this car. But, it had a great chassis (solid) and interior (again, well made). It just didn't like the low torque output of the 1.8 liter Ecotech engine. To little torque, even though it is at a reasonably low RPM. This car with the 2.4 liter Ecotech though? But, the gas mileage will suffer too much.

If you compare the Focus car comparably equipped, it is an amazing deal. I drove everything out there, and this car was clearly better than the rest as a daily driver And, several thousand dollars less, too. My sixteen year old Ranger is still running like new so Ford quality is there, and my 1999 E320 MB is going to be VERY jealous of this car.

Sync? Well, I forgot to memorize all my song names and artists. So, I won't be talking too much. But, I will load up a nice big thumb drive and plug it in and leave the CD's behind. I never have been so lame in planning as to have to call anybody from my car, so that's out, too. But it does recognize speech very well.

We liked the car so well we bought two of them, a stick and the Auto. For the money, with such a thought out chassis and drive train, I don't know how you could go too wrong. I think that if this car had any other name plate on it than Ford, it would be heralded as a breakthrough product based on overall competance. Something only the Japanese were thought to posses.

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