An American in Paris disses the Euro Focus
We spend so much time on this blog bemoaning the fact that Ford has yet to offer to the "Euro" Focus in the United States. So much time, in fact, that we fear the concept of a C1-based Focus on U.S. soil has been placed on a pedestal and is widely considered to be the smartest move Ford has never made. While all that might be true, it was refreshing to read Edmunds editor Erin Riches recount her experience renting a Ford Focus ZX5 TDCi in France (Editor's note: we have no idea if she visited Paris while there, but who goes to France and doesn't visit Paris?). Franc-ly, she was not impressed. Knowing the Euro Focus is based on the same platform as the lauded Mazda3 and Volvo S3, perhaps she was expecting a car that could carve a twisty path between wineries and plow down cobblestone streets with aplomb. Alas, she found the ride "soft, soft, soft" and the steering uncommunicative, which surprised her considering how fun our Focus can be to drive in any trim level. The nail in the coffin was Ford's 1.6-liter TDCi diesel engine, which while able to lurch around for 400 miles between fill ups, was noisier and clunkier than modern day diesels from Volkswagen.
Of course, this doesn't mean Ford is off the hook with the North American market. It just means that now we want Ford to fix the soft suspension, sharpen up the steering and have a better diesel available before it brings the Euro Focus to our dealers. You know what? Forget all that, just sell the Focus ST here and we'll call it even.
[Source: The Driving Woman]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Bill Maher is an Idiot 7:01PM (10/05/2006)
Some folks praise the Euro Focus without having driven it. I agree that the US Focus should borrow the Euro's upgraded cosmetic work inside & out, but European sub-compacts aren't known for offering premium-grade driving experiences.
Reply
That One Person 6:54PM (10/05/2006)
The only good reviews I hear about the Euro Focus are about the ST (stated above). I know people who travel to Europe constantly who rent Focii with different trim levels and they are never really impressed. Personally, I would like to drive one just so I could see what its like. From what I have gathered from friends and reviews, you might as well buy the ST or go with the Mazda or Volvo.
Honestly, I would be happy with the Euro design (exterior and interior) on our current platform or maybe a heavily modified one. My sis has an 06 sedan and its a blast to drive. The ST we get is also a lot of fun to drive...
Reply
holy_cow 7:31PM (10/05/2006)
I don't know, I was under the impression that most of the UK motoring press consider the Focus to be the best-to-drive in the class, followed by the Golf. Unless that's just some sort of anti-German thing going on, because it still happens with them in this day and age.
Reply
Al 7:33PM (10/05/2006)
What in the world is the VOLVO S3?
Reply
Gallopinggoat 7:49PM (10/05/2006)
To those who said that our focus is already a superb drive, you're absolutely right. To those who said the euro focus isnt an improvement, and is "soft soft soft" - bullsh*t.
I have driven the euro focus (a ghia 5-door hatch), and I own a north american model, and I can assure you, the new focus improves upon what was already great. I think the reviewer is making the same mistake Jeremy Clarkson identified a while back: Americans assume a hard ride equals "sporty". Who wants a ride that jars your fillings loose when you go over a bump? The beauty of the focus' suspension is that it can offer a relatively soft ride, while still retaining class-leading agility. The 1.4 diesel is junk, though, so we have some common ground there.
I'll take the word of What Car?, 5th Gear and Top Gear before I'd listen to Erin Riches about the new focus.
And what the heck - "european sub-compacts arent known for offering premium-grade driving experiences"?!? As opposed to, what, American cars? And the Focus is a compact, not a subcompact, just while we're getting our facts straight.
Reply
doug 7:56PM (10/05/2006)
S30??? read between the typos - you know fill in the obvious mistakes with your own knowledge!!!!
The upcoming Volvo S30 is basically a rebodied Euro Focus ST - same engine/tranny and chassis.
Reply
Bill Maher is an Idiot 7:58PM (10/05/2006)
What sub-compacts offer a premium-grade ride? Oh, I'm sorry--you seem to think Smarts and Fiats ride like Benzes and Bimmers.
Reply
Dan 8:00PM (10/05/2006)
You cannot really assess the quality of a model based on your experience with a *rental* car!!! Most rental cars get through so much bad treatment that they have little to do with "normal" ones! This Erin should have asked Ford Europe for a real test drive! Perhaps show would have reached the same conclusion. Yet, I'm really not sure of that based on what I know about the Euro Focus and... rental cars!
Reply
jg 8:40PM (10/05/2006)
I'm going to france later this month and not going to Paris. Nice and Mpnte Carlo for me. And I want to rent a BMW 130i if possible not a euro Ford.
Reply
Nick R 8:43PM (10/05/2006)
Isn't the new Volvo coupe based off the Focus. I really like the way that looks.
Reply
icerabbit 8:39AM (10/06/2006)
I've driven a low mileage Ford Focus rental for 2 months through about half of Europe (yes road trip!) and was very very pleased. Was it the greatest ride? No. But it was absolutely comfortable, responsive, economic, ... handled quite well and had plenty of power for the autobahn.
The one thing I did not like was the heating wires throughout the entire front windshield. I had to actively 'focus' into the distance or my eyes kept looking at these lines in the windshield. (I can't stand a dirty / foggy / ... windshield btw) ... and ... it throws off cameras' focus too.
Reply
focaljet-1 10:15PM (10/05/2006)
Another article by an American journalist that will kill the prospect of Euro-flavored cars and turbo diesels ever becoming popular here.
Let's continue to build 5000lbs., body on frame, ugly looking, gas guzzling V8 "American" vehicles!
Read more about the Focus at:
www.focaljet.com
Reply
Howard Kerr 10:06PM (10/05/2006)
Gee, I've been trying to tell people for almost a year now, that the Euro Focus is only SLIGHTLY better than the N.A. Focus. After the "new" Focus debutted in Great Britain, many different editors from CAR magazine tested it and were LESS than impressed. One editor who owned an "old" model Euro Focus said that the new car would never replaced his much beloved old model Focus. The C-1 Focus is a better car than the Focus it replaced...but only marginally. (It's hard to improve what is a pretty good car.)
And by the way, yes, the 1.4 liter turbo diesel Focus is probably it's worst engine and it's possible that the extra weight of the diesel may have something to do with the "soft, soft, soft," ride/drive experience.
Reply
Louis 10:11PM (10/05/2006)
WTF is a Volvo S3?
Reply
Louis 10:14PM (10/05/2006)
doug wrote:
"S30??? read between the typos - you know fill in the obvious mistakes with your own knowledge"
If one has never heard of a Volvo S30 then one can't fill the gaps can one? BTW, I thought he might be referring to the C30 but interchanging S3 and C30 are not typos, more like brain-flatulence.
Reply
Design 11:16PM (10/05/2006)
It was a G DAMN diesel!! You can't compare it to an American Mazda 3! No way!
#14 What American V8 are you talking about? 300C, Dodge Magnum, Caddy?? I don't know of an UGLY American V8. Well Maybe the Caddy DTS, but it's OK.
Reply
Brian 12:02AM (10/06/2006)
I rented a Peugeot 206 in Ireland last month. It had 5000 KM on the clock... It threw error codes left and right and felt like it was going to fall apart. The engine didn't sound so hot either.
So let me ask: Is the 206 just a terrible car that won't last 3 years, or did I get a CRAPPY RENTAL that was driven into the ground by rental customers that did not care one bit about the car since they didn't own it? And maybe on top of that, the car was "maintained" by some guys that didn't like their job?
Reply
jg 2:33AM (10/06/2006)
What does body on frame mean?
Reply
Bill Maher is an Idiot 12:39AM (10/06/2006)
Look, the Euro Focus is a nice econobox compared to the ZX3s I see everywhere in the States. But the US Focus serves its role well. It's a cheap economy car with a low MSRP and excellent mileage. Sure, it'd be nice to see it made up to the British Focus's grade.
As for the Focus being a compact versus sub-compact, the ZX3 has an overall length of 14 ft. with a wheelbase measuring 8.6 ft. The Nissan Versa, which everyone acknowledges is a sub-compact, is in fact longer and heavier than a ZX3 Focus.
Reply
toronado455 1:38AM (10/06/2006)
Bring me "soft, soft, soft" and I'll "buy, buy, buy".
Reply