I test drove a 2002 Ford Focus ZTS as a replacement for my 8, here are my thoughts:

Pros:
-The focus has LOTS more headroom. At 6'3" I can fit comfortably in the focus, EVEN when sitting straight up. I still have another 3 or 4 inches to spare up top
-There is quite a bit more trunk space, even with a spare tire under the trunk
-With the manual seat adjustments sliding my seat forward/back is much quicker (only applies to some RX-8s)
-3 seatbelts in the back
-A bit more legroom for the back seat passengers, and a bit more headroom
-The cabin does not fog up as easily on humid days, because it is larger
-The back seats lay down, for lots of cargo area
-It doesn't burn oil, so no need to check it every week or two
-Better gas mileage. I get about 25-26 mpg instead of 18mpg
-Tires are cheaper
-TCO is far less
-Doesn't recommend premium gas


Cons:
-It seems to have a little less power than the 8
-Not nearly as unique as an 8


I guess that's about it.

So anyone who wants better gas mileage, more room, less hassle- go check out a focus! You'll love it!

A "little" less power?

What about the handling?

After reading your post about the Ford Focus, I'd have to say that you never really connected with your 8. Enjoy your Focus.

1.3L

The cabin does not fog up as easily on humid days, because it is larger


:confused:

breathe less. problem solved.

wow, in comparison to the Focus...i'd have thought the pro's and con's would have been a hair more equally weighed. Those are 2 totally different cars.

If anything, it looks like you found the car that's right for you.

Err..you forgot about the complete loss of your manhood, the fact that is has TERRIBLE body roll, looks like a bowl of hell, and...is a Ford.



Now, I rather like Ford's, but when it comes to Focus'.....I have had a terrible (secondhand) experience. My sister-in-law had one, and in the 5 months she lived with us, it was in the shop for some 2.5 months in total.


Have fun on twisty roads, in a Focus? No..

:confused:

breathe less. problem solved.

Ha, ha. My mom was riding in my car and the windows were starting to fog up and she was complaining about it (lower part of the windshield) and I told her if she would just sit there and stop breathing there wouldn't be any problem. :rofl: I don't think she like that answer too much!

Err..you forgot about the complete loss of your manhood,
Now that's funny and true. It's a Focus man honestly. It's slow, not attractive, not reliable, and is ugly to boot.

Did you buy your rainbow sticker yet for your focus??

If your gonna go for a boring car atleast get one that doesnt have a bad rep like the focus honestly. If your looking for something completly different than the 8 (sounds like it) try out a Golf.. erm a "Rabbit" or maybe the 4 door Jetta oh or.. the Yaris if your concerned with gas mileage. The only good focus's I've heard of were the SVT's. Sorry ya didnt fall in love with your 8 man and enjoy your search for a replacement.

:bootyshak

ok, I know my sense of humor is dry, but SOMEONE must appreciate this post lol. :) Don't you guys get tired of hearing all these complaints?? Poor gas mileage, TCO, space, blah blah.. Anyway, here's my solution for all those people- just get a focus and be done with it.

And yes, on a more serious note, I did have to sell my 8 recently for various reasons. :tear: When I had to move from my 8 to a focus, I thought it would be humorous to post a comparison. Well here it is. :-)

[QUOTE=AdRoCK3217]Err..you forgot about the complete loss of your manhood.

LoL

This review is just as bad as the guy that said the Cayman was worse then the 8. You probably wont be working for 'Car and Driver' any time soon.

^eh, he said the base Cayman is on par with the 8, but much more expensive

And, this thread suxorz.

However, one of my buddies is telling me he'll be getting a Focus SVT soon, and thinks he can give my 8 a hard time. He's excited about it, so I'm just trying to refrain from telling him he has less power, FWD with body roll, etc :)

And, this thread suxorz.


You guys just have no sense of humor :evil_laug

ford focus? c'mon that's one of the ugliest cars out there! next thing someone will compare out 8 to a vw bug! hell lots of headroom there!! plus you can put a little plant in it! and it come's in pink..lovely

:bootyshak

ok, I know my sense of humor is dry...


http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h66/tiggerlee/chile38.jpg



:yesnod:

You guys just have no sense of humor :evil_laug
Could it be that maybe it just wasn't funny?

erm I still dont see the humor aspect of the post Groo??? If it was supposed to be funny then um dont quit your day job to become a comedian.

ford focus? c'mon that's one of the ugliest cars out there! next thing someone will compare out 8 to a vw bug! hell lots of headroom there!! plus you can put a little plant in it! and it come's in pink..lovely

Pink?!!! Now you've got me all excited. :)

erm I still dont see the humor aspect of the post Groo??? If it was supposed to be funny then um dont quit your day job to become a comedian.

Well it was more subtle tongue-in-cheek type humor than bust-out-laughing-rolling-on-the-floor humor.

And I assure you I have no delusions of being a comedian ;-)

Groo im hoping that you were in crack 0r something when you started this thread, i Shit a f#$7 focus man. i seen people compared the car to Porsche cayman, a bmw 3, Subaru Sti, Lancer Evo, not to mention the true rivals, the 350Z and the Infinity G35 and all you can come up with is a Focus and the ZTS too low end shit i mean seriously WTF is wrong with you? i mean at least compared it to the SVT Focus but even then that piece of shit its only 170 hp.
W/E man go ahead and buy that crap you probly ment for each other.

So anyone who wants better gas mileage, more room, less hassle—go check out a focus! You'll love it!I think what you want is a Lumina.

I think what you want is a Lumina.

But he wont be able to put his rainbow sticker on the bumber man..!! hahah

If you picture Groo being English, this thread makes sense.

I could not believe your points at first....as I read on and found out that you were joking and or trying to make yourself feel better about an unavoidable move all I can say is that the approach has a lot of merit. Once I had good friend who always looked for the positive in everything that ever happened to him. He talked so much and so well on the subject that he sold himself on the idea. He was the star saleperson of the company and if I must say myself .....good enough to sell himself and be happy with whatever came his way...enjoy your great "Focus".

wait a minute..... why??? that comparison was.... pointless

A Ford Focus? You're kidding, right? That thing has all the appeal of a bowl of cold oatmeal.

A Ford Focus? You're kidding, right? That thing has all the appeal of a bowl of cold oatmeal.


wait, i dont know how you people make oat meal, but the dominican way it taste super good cold. probly even better than hot.

Well it was more subtle tongue-in-cheek type humor than bust-out-laughing-rolling-on-the-floor humor.

And I assure you I have no delusions of being a comedian ;-)

I thought it was funny, because you reminded me that I work for the French and when they say focus it sounds like fuckus, like "we must fuckus on the job" ...gets me every time.

you sounded like you never owned a rx8!

I thought it was funny, because you reminded me that I work for the French and when they say focus it sounds like fuckus, like "we must fuckus on the job" ...gets me every time.
Haha, classic.

Ok, for all you haters, the focus is a great car. There are three within my immediate family, and they've been great for everyone. Ya, it's no 8. It's not even remotely close to an 8. It's not supposed to be. But they are good cars, and I've taken the focus out on the autox track a couple of times, and for what it is, I think it handled itself quite well. (Yay for H stock.)

And for my original post, my intent was to post a dry satire aimed at people who complain about all the little stupid crap on the 8 like backseats, gas mileage, headroom (my fav), etc. If you don't want a sports car then just buy a freaking focus and be happy with it. I figured the idea of comparing a focus to an 8 would be so outrageous this would all be apparent, but I was incorrect.

Err..you forgot about the complete loss of your manhood, the fact that is has TERRIBLE body roll, looks like a bowl of hell, and...is a Ford.



Now, I rather like Ford's, but when it comes to Focus'.....I have had a terrible (secondhand) experience. My sister-in-law had one, and in the 5 months she lived with us, it was in the shop for some 2.5 months in total.


Have fun on twisty roads, in a Focus? No..
I'm sorry your sister-in-law had a terrible experience. I had one for three years ('01 model ZX-3) and it was dead reliable (one non-sched visit to the shop, for a broken clutch return spring), was fun on twisty roads (C&D Top Ten for three years or sum'in, just like the RX-8), and I don't rely on my car to determine my manhood.

I didn't regret owning that car for a single minute. It was great.

BTW, am I the only one that assumed that the original post in this thread was a joke?

This review is just as bad as the guy that said the Cayman was worse then the 8. You probably wont be working for 'Car and Driver' any time soon.
Nope, it's YOU who won't be working for Car and Driver anytime soon. The car you so gleefully bash was well-received by C&D (see above post).

This thread is hysterical... It looks like very few people got the joke, and then go on about what a piece of crap the Focus is... And then pooh-pooh it for many of the same reasons that OTHER people pooh-pooh the RX-8. :hahano:

wait, i dont know how you people make oat meal, but the dominican way it taste super good cold. probly even better than hot.you must have a better recipe then. :)

i'll pick Mazda 3 over Focus for sure!

Groo nothing personal, but c'mon man its a focus.you couldve said VW gti, or Audi 3 even a Mazda 3 for that matter. IMO i way and i mean WWWWWWWAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYY rather have my old Talon Tsi or my Subaru with 100k miles on them than a new Focus. even any toyota or Honda, and i F!@# hate hondas more than a fat kid hates diets.

Here's a pic of a current male focus owner, or a MFO ;)
http://karl.tiselius.se/images/Karl%20Ford%20Focus.jpg

Don't you know that ALL Euros are faaaaigs? :D

People get defensive when you come out swinging. ;)

What made it hilarious was the reactions people gave on the original post. :rofl:

I seen a Saleen Focus, looked a bit mean. Not sure what it made for power but it looked good.

Groo did you mention that wearing a helmet for auto-x was not comfortable in the 8 being you are 6'-3"?

Did you look at racing seats for the 8? Think they sit lower.

and...is a Ford.

What the hell are Mazdas?

I figured the idea of comparing a focus to an 8 would be so outrageous this would all be apparent, but I was incorrect.Alas, subtle humor often doesn't work here—I, for one, didn't realize you were putting us on. The problem, I think, is that the Focus is thought of as somewhat sporty by some. Perhaps if you had made the comparison more absurd and compared the 8, with a straight face (as you did), to a Camry or a Buick Lucerne.

Don't you know that ALL Euros are faaaaigs? :D
:bootyshak

Problem is that (at least here in S-pain) many of them get 250HP Golfs and Audi A3's, and prepped Focus', Citroen C4s and Seat Leons. My RX8 gets lots of attention and challenging from them... a bit scary at times...

:bootyshak
I was teasing! *sheesh* :)

(at least here in S-pain)
I'll assume that you're at least a little bit of a car nut and therefore you might follow F1...

Is the Spanish press commenting on what happened to Alonso's car yesterday? It sure looked like a wheel nut on TV, but the "official" story is that it was a driveshaft failure...

I was teasing! *sheesh*

So was I :hahano:

I'll assume that you're at least a little bit of a car nut and therefore you might follow F1...

Is the Spanish press commenting on what happened to Alonso's car yesterday? It sure looked like a wheel nut on TV, but the "official" story is that it was a driveshaft failure...


I am more of a motorcycle nut, but cars are fun also :mdrmed:. Regarding the other Alonso's "nut", even the most bribed and "officialist" press recognises what was seen on TV: too fast a wheel change, improperly installed nut... bang!

Just making sure. Both about the teasing and the wheel nut. :)

Sometimes our imaginations can get the best of us, but I think Flavio is off his chump if he thinks we're going to buy the "driveshaft" explanation.

Flavio is an expert in covering somebody else ass :rolleyes:

Sorry for reviving a dead thread, but.. Does this car count as a Focus?

http://www.ultimatecarpage.com/images/large/2128-2.jpg

http://www.ultimatecarpage.com/images/large/2128-4.jpg

Dunno, but those scoops and wings are a hoot!

The roof scoop is what? Driver AC? Can you banish someone for mentioning the rx8 and that ford car in the same sentence. Oddly CNET has the 2 cars in the same grouping as 4 doors.

-- :P

Dunno, but those scoops and wings are a hoot!
At least they actually serve a purpose!

At least they actually serve a purpose! :rollingla

I'm not really sure what you're laughing at. I'm actually kind of confused. It's a race car, the wing and scoops are functional. I don't know, that just doesn't seem funny to me. Maybe it's because I didn't eat my wheaties this morning.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Paul_in_DC
Dunno, but those scoops and wings are a hoot!


At least they actually serve a purpose!



Our front scoop and diffusser are fake, but this Focus WRC has them painted to look bigger (see higher contrast close-up) . Maybe what's good to cool a competitive World Championship car is not big enough for the tuning-oriented customers. :mdrmed:

And I KNOW its pears and apples :rolleyes:

Well I was referring more to the rear wing.

I think that would look simply FANTASTIC on an RX-8. ;)

nah, too small

You know I love my 8, but before I had the 8 I had an 03 ZX3. Honestly I loved that car. It had the 2.3 liter pzev engine so it had a higher output and the torque was great. After some mods, the body roll was non existent, the car looked great, and it picked up pretty close to the 8 (without the nitrous) if not faster (with the nitrous) I loved that car and am still considering getting a focus some time soon! Its comfortable, the rides amazing, the mileage and storage are great, but that doesnt mean i wanna get rid of my 8 for one.

I just think all cars should be hatchbacks.

Funny that the first time I've heard the word "hatchback" was in the sixties, applied to a certain Ford coupe with a horse on the grille...

wow...that spoiler would keep you on the ground at astronomical speeds...which furthers to question, why's it on that car?

To keep it on the ground.

Because it is a rally car...

http://www.webwombat.com.au/motoring/news_reports/ford-focus-rs-wrc.htm

To keep it on the ground.

as much as i'd like to imagine it'll be reaching those atronomincal speeds, it'd hardly be wishful thinkin. :cwm27:

Yeah. I'm going to lay it out for you. I'm an aerospace engineer, you're not. I understand wings, you don't. The wing makes mucho downforce at the speeds the car runs. It also offers a yaw moment when the car is sideways. I'm going to have to side with the professional race car engineers and aerodynamicists on this one.

as much as i'd like to imagine it'll be reaching those atronomincal speeds, it'd hardly be wishful thinkin. :cwm27:

To help out the common person...

Ever put your hand out the window at 60 mph?

A bit of force is applied to it when you move it up or down into the wind.

Just an example, now imagine if your hand was 5 feet wide. ;)

It was meant to be a joke blue....and by astronomical, i was refurring to aircraft speeds, not just fast.

I'm very well aware of the effective downforce provided on a real rally/race car. Although you think you're the only one that has grasped the concepts of physics in this instance, try not to be so closed minded. You may have a further understanding then I, but I've had to study physics in-depth for almost 4 years just to get an understanding for gamma and x radiation...which included a basic understanding of aerospace engineering before going more in depth. Same field, no...same idea, yes.

But I will be humble and admit the miscommunication. Sorry if it came off too seriously.

It only came out serious because you said it twice. ha

It only came out serious because you said it twice. ha

Good point BlueEyes :rock:

It only came out serious because you said it twice. ha

guess i was trying to reitterate the humor behind it. I don't think i've ever spoken seriously of anything in my life. :101384_l:

Yeah. I'm going to lay it out for you. I'm an aerospace engineer, you're not. I understand wings, you don't. The wing makes mucho downforce at the speeds the car runs. It also offers a yaw moment when the car is sideways. I'm going to have to side with the professional race car engineers and aerodynamicists on this one.Congrats and all, but the mere thought of putting something that looks like a kid's box kite on a poor unsuspecting RX-8, then driving it down a public street, is too humiliating to think about. :mdrmed:

RX8 lines are already busy -bordering the baroque- (with all those fenders, wheel arches, fake scoops and diffussrs, rotary accents and all), so another ornament should not hurt much... :FIREdevil

Which fake scoops would those be?

I was refering to the front grille, I got a little bit carried away and used "scoops" instead of "scoop". A/C and oil openings seem genuine :) . Are they called scoops?

Ah. Well, the grill is only half fake (the top half) but yeah, the lower A/C "scoop" and the oil cooler openings are fully functional.

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm,
Judging by everyone's reaction to the original post, I think maybe I should do my RX8 ~ 96 Yukon comparison. Lord knows gas mileage is comparable. :40oz:

Dude, you are freakin crazy. I had a ford focus rental for 3 days this week while on a business trip. Its freakin sucks! It sucks to the point that I don't even think its a safe car to drive. The brakes suck, the handling sucks and it has no power. I was in a parking lot going maybe 15mph and a car backed out unexpectedly, but far enough ahead that stopping for it in the 8 wouldn't even be an issue. I slammed on the brakes and it managed to stop in time, but not without causing me to sweat a few bullets. The car feels very unstable above 75mph, the steering is very twitchy and the body roll is horrendous.

Dude, you are freakin crazy.
Strange, this is EXACTLY what I was thinking about YOU when I read your post. Your credibility plummets when you claim you could barely bring the car to a stop in time from fifteen mph... :boring:

Dude, you are freakin crazy. I had a ford focus rental for 3 days this week while on a business trip. Its freakin sucks! It sucks to the point that I don't even think its a safe car to drive. The brakes suck, the handling sucks and it has no power. I was in a parking lot going maybe 15mph and a car backed out unexpectedly, but far enough ahead that stopping for it in the 8 wouldn't even be an issue. I slammed on the brakes and it managed to stop in time, but not without causing me to sweat a few bullets. The car feels very unstable above 75mph, the steering is very twitchy and the body roll is horrendous.


If the RX8 was a used as a rental car then people would make the same comments about it. Rental cars are no barometer for judging any car as they are usually the cheapest version with the smallest engine and they are beat to hell. I have driven a coworkers SVT Focus on many occassions and have never been disappointed in the brakes, power or suspension.

I have driven a coworkers SVT Focus on many occassions and have never been disappointed in the brakes, power or suspension.
Even the base car is at the very least passable in all these respects. Well, maybe except in the power department... :) But even the old 2-liter, 110hp car saddled with an automatic was a 10-second 0-60 car, which is at the north end of acceptable for an economy car.

Whats a focus??? Im losing focus on this.... :Freak_ani

Here's a pic of a current male focus owner, or a MFO ;)
http://karl.tiselius.se/images/Karl%20Ford%20Focus.jpg

Dude, I didnt know Andy Dick was the spokesman for the Ford Focus. Anyway, you guys wanna hear something funny? Well my mom bought a brand new 05 RX-8 Shinka AT. She wanted to have a sports car and decided to trade in her RX-300 to get it. This happened about 2 weeks after I gotten my Mazda 3. Well, about a month after buying it she decideds that she doesnt like the car and trades it in for a fucking Explorer. She could have atleast took the 3 instead and gave me the 8 ya know. :angel: God Bless Her Soul, atleast she owned a RX-8 before she passed on and didnt get a pussy car like a focus

If the RX8 was a used as a rental car then people would make the same comments about it. Rental cars are no barometer for judging any car as they are usually the cheapest version with the smallest engine and they are beat to hell. I have driven a coworkers SVT Focus on many occassions and have never been disappointed in the brakes, power or suspension.I rented a Nissan Sentra last week that actually wasn't too bad, except for the AT. It rode smooth and took corners reasonably well.