It’s the 2008 model year and the Ford Focus is still what buyers have grown to expect since it made its debut for the new millennia.
It’s a few-frills economy car that comes with most of the adjectives heaped on such vehicles with a starting price at well under $20,000.
Affordable. Economical. Stark. Austere.
The Focus’ redesign for 2008 gives the new model a little more beef and a little more mature look, while keeping its identity as an economy car that still gets in excess of 30 miles per gallon of gasoline, something that no one takes lightly and has made the Focus of today and yesterday more desirable than the brief time ago when gas was substantially less than $2 per gallon.
The tested Focus SES, which is the top of Ford’s three-tier lineup for the model that also includes the S and SE, had its share of pluses and minuses, but was by-and-large an improvement over the Focus of old, which could be seen as a Ford fubar that never gave the company a real chance in a crowded small-car market that also included and includes the Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla and a host of other foreign cars built for the economy-minded.

QUICK FACTS:
2008 Ford Focus
Base sticker: $14,695
Price Range: Base to $21,000
Fuel Economy: 24 mpg city, 35 mpg highway
Body styles: Sedan and coupe
In the market: Toyota Corolla, Honda Civic, Chevy Cobalt, Hyundai Elantra.

Given Ford’s European version of the car, which appears to be where this Focus might evolve, this isn’t the end for Focus, but 2008 is rather a puberty of sorts, the beginning of a time during which the Focus might grow into its shoes, so to speak.

AESTHETICS/ERGONOMICS
To borrow a phrase from the real-estate game, the Focus has some curb appeal.
The tested model came in shiny black offset by subtle and tasteful chrome accents that were attention-getters.
The trunk, which is surprisingly roomy, features “Focus” spelled out in a futuristic chrome font. On the front quarterpanels are a pair of chrome accents that give the appearance of vents. It’s a nice touch and one that makes the Focus look a little more grown up.
Beyond a dash unit calling out to Generation Y, the interior was nothing special. The seats are rather flat, closer to church pew than La-Z-Boy.
The center console and display, however, are mostly engaging without being overwhelming. The digital read-outs for the media system keep the driver’s eyes up and
Ford’s new Microsoft-based Sync system is part of the selling point — maybe the biggest — for young, tech-savvy Focus buyers who prefer their iPods to talk radio.
Sync powers Fords new wireless and wired in-car technology and handles Bluetooth technology and serves as a hookup for portable music players (including iPod) and other devices. Sync was introduced at the 2008 Detroit Int’l Auto Show in the Focus and Five Hundred, but has since been expanded into 12 Ford, Mercury and Lincoln products, including the Lincoln MKZ sedan I am currently testing. Sync is a $395 option on the Focus, and it will simply make those things that distract drivers — fumbling with the stereo, making cell-phone calls — less of a distraction and therefore less dangerous. Even though I never quite got my phone in “Sync,” in my book, it’s easily worth the extra cost.

PERFORMANCE
The 140-horsepower, 2.0-liter, four-cylinder engine was thankfully paired with a five-speed manual transmission, which made up somewhat for the engine’s shortcomings from a power standpoint. But the driver’s indignant feeling over whatever power was lacking can quickly be soothed by the memory of 24/35 mpg.
As one might expect from an economy-class vehicle, noise dampening was lacking, so engine and road noise were a bit of a nuisance.
But a few days into my test drive, the Focus’s ride seemed to improve – maybe I just got used to it. Either way, that says something about the improved rigidity of the car’s frame for 2008, versus the shaky and shaken feel of previous models.

SAFETY
Six front and side-impact airbags are part of the package. Anti-lock brakes are available as an option.

FINAL THOUGHTS
The Focus’s redesign seems like a stop-gap until the European version of the car arrives in North American sometime in the next four to five years.
However, it is a drastic improvement from previous models, and the additional technology of Sync and shows a lot of thought and a desire to catch up with others who have already gone after the tech-savvy crowd. It’s a clue that Ford may just be serious about the small-car market.
While the Focus may not leave Honda or Toyota shaking in their boots just yet, it’s a necessary step out of the small-car doldrums the company has been in for the past decade or so.