Does the new Focus look like a Kia?

[Timewaster]

Or do new Kias look like Fords?

 

I am amazed how far the Koreans have come on in the last few years. How long before mainstream manufacturers start to struggle against this kind of competition?

I cannot see why anyone would buy a 308 or a c4 over a C'eed with 7 years warranty.

Discus........

[kinkersaab]

same reason people buy sheepwagens and dowdys over ...errrm, anything else, badge snobbery, just at a lower or different level.

[retrogeezer]

what new Focus? Have they changed it again?

[Negative Creep]

what new Focus? Have they changed it again?

 

 

There's millions of the things on the road already. Front it ok, rear is pretty ugly though

[R9UKE]

I resent the Koreans for one reason. The Scrappage Scheme. The Hyundai i10 and Kia Picanto meant a new car could be had for £4995 after trading in your gem of a Renault Safrane or Citroen BX to be crushed.

[Negative Creep]

I resent the Koreans for one reason. The Scrappage Scheme. The Hyundai i10 and Kia Picanto meant a new car could be had for £4995 after trading in your gem of a Renault Safrane or Citroen BX to be crushed.

 

Blame the government and the likes of Auto Express for that

[Tayne]

I cannot see why anyone would buy a 308 or a c4 over a C'eed with 7 years warranty.

Discus........

 

Really?

 

 

 

[retrogeezer]

what new Focus? Have they changed it again?

 

 

There's millions of the things on the road already. Front it ok, rear is pretty ugly though

 

so not another new one then, the 'World' Focus that has been out for ages..

[dollywobbler]

It has been facelifted again RG - now ugly and as suggested at the start, looks like a bloody Kia. It's also even bigger.

[retrogeezer]

oh I just can't keep up.

 

[retrogeezer]

Is this the 'new' one you are talking about?? It's been out for ages and thats why I am was surprised to see new focus in the title.

 

They have been racing one in the BTCC all year.

 

http://www.which.co.uk/news/2010/01/all ... ed-193811/

 

 

 

Old?

 

 

 

 

Or is there now another one I am unaware of?

[dollywobbler]

That's the one. I can't keep up either! Not watched much BTCC this year due to lack of telly.

[John F]

Am I the only one that's always thought the Focus was a complete munter?

 

I had one of the first ones (T reg.) as a hire car back in 1998... couldn't fault the performance from the 1.8 zetec or the excellent handling, but it was four-bag ugly and I had to lean out of the door to reverse the thing due to the absurdly-high back.

[dollywobbler]

Am I the only one that's always thought the Focus was a complete munter?

 

I had one of the first ones (T reg.) as a hire car back in 1998... couldn't fault the performance from the 1.8 zetec or the excellent handling, but it was four-bag ugly and I had to lean out of the door to reverse the thing due to the absurdly-high back.

 

The first ones have grown on me, especially with the rather effective facelift - even if that did put the indicators in the headlamps where no-one can see them. They're bordering Autoshite now I would have thought, especially the saloons.

 

The second one I've never liked. Yes, it looks and sounds nice in ST form, but to sit in one is like locking yourself in a cupboard with black painted walls and arrow slits to let in the light. Horrible and visibility is utterly shocking. Which sadly seems the way of things these days.

[Luxobarges_Are_Us]

I think the Kia looks better, and it probably is a better car anyway.

 

DW is right. The first Focus looks alright, the second one is like a small fortress on wheels.

[Guest Len H]

Most Korean cars are reasonably elegant looking compared to European mainstream competition, especially Kias as their design team is headed by an ex-Audi man.

 

The new Focus looks like an inflated and even more gopping Fiesta. Horrible.

[retrogeezer]

Agree with all of the above, the original Focus still looks good now and it's what, 13 years old?? My mum & dad had a 2001 tdi estate and it was great to drive too.

 

As for the new one, like most things it is bland and just blends into everything else that is on the road.

 

And talking of lights, I followed a new Audi A3 the other day and you could not see the rear indicators flashing at all!

[Pete-M]

I think the Mk1 Focus 1.8 Zetec 3dr is probably the best mainstream car of the last 40 years.

 

Not the prettiest, but so much better to drive than a Golf, Megane or whatever. Absolutely cracking things to drive, and to live with generally.

 

The Mk2 looked as if it was designed to get 'non-Ford' people away from Golfs, so it was basically made dull to keep the dullards happy.

 

The Mk3 - if that's what the current one is known as, no doubt someone will pop up and inform me that it's actually the MkXXVIIb shortly - appears to have lost the way. It probably drives very well, but look at it. It's dull and if the Mk2 is anything to go by it won't drive anywhere near as well as it should.

Ford look like they're repeating the Escort again. Start off with a blindingly good car then progressively make it worse and worse until only idiots buy them.

 

As for things that look like Korean econoboxes. Am I the only one who sees more than a slight resemblance between these two from the rear?

 

[R9UKE]

Agree with all of the above, the original Focus still looks good now and it's what, 13 years old?? My mum & dad had a 2001 tdi estate and it was great to drive too.

 

Without a doubt. Nicest interior too. I remember driving a 2.0 Petrol Zetec 3 door when I was buying the Mégane. It put up a lot of competition but the Meggy won because of it's frenchness and gadgets that made the Focus seem a bit pre-historic. (And yes, they all still work).

[Negative Creep]

Ok so it's not the final version and it has a stupid name, but check out the rear wheel drive Kia K9

 

 

Now that is lovely

 

 

I can also see the mk.1 Focus attracting a fair bit of scene tax in 25-30 years time

[retrogeezer]

that looks very similar to the new Civic that is due shortly:

 

[barrett]

All these things are absolutely GOPPING. That Kia K9 thing is the best thing in this thread but even that looks quite wank. Sorry, I can't think of a single car in production that doesn't look utterly hideous.

[Luxobarges_Are_Us]

All these things are absolutely GOPPING. That Kia K9 thing is the best thing in this thread but even that looks quite wank. Sorry, I can't think of a single car in production that doesn't look utterly hideous.

 

The old-school Jetta that's being made in China is pretty good.

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

I wouldn't have a new Focus. They're just miserable looking and another lazy Ford cop out. It's even worse than the lazy arsed 'phone it in from the pub' Mondeo revamp.

 

The Astra is much prettier and drives nicely. It's the best Astra ever IMO.

The Golf is better looking by far and has a resale value and a no nonsense image.

The Giulietta is really good looking - an object of desire in its class.

The Kia is as ugly as the Focus but is loads cheaper and probably more reliable.

 

So....Focus = why??

[Pete-M]

So....Focus = why??

 

Because even though it's not as much fun as the Focus Mk1, it probably still drives better than 95% of the alternatives.

 

Sometimes that matters. Not to everyone, obviously, but sometimes it's why people choose some cars over others. Sometimes living with a car that is mundane to drive, yet holds its value well - did someone say Golf? - is just not enough of a reason to choose one over the competitors. The Mk1 Focus absolutely crucified everything in its class to drive, the Mk2 less so as a lot of the alternatives suddenly had to become a lot nicer to drive just to compete with the old one. As is normal for Ford, now they've created a car that is perceived to be bloody good they've backed it down again and allowed the competition to get closer.

 

VW did a similar thing with the Mk4 Golf. They took perceived quality to a new level for the class and everyone ended up copying their interior with rubber coatings on bloody everything and shock absorbers on the bloody grab handles. They had to kill most of it with the Mk5 and spend more on making the car handle because of the Focus. Unfortunately, Ford had to improve the interior on the Focus so it's swings and roundabouts.

 

Then there's the other alternatives:

 

Those who've driven cars that don't drive as sharply as a Focus / 306 for example that can't get used to accurate steering and tidy handling and simply don't 'do cars'. They'll always buy the Golf or Astra instead because if you drive an Astra or Golf like a hooligan they respond ok to ham fisted inputs. The Focus will make their driving as bad as it really is by doing what it's told to, as opposed to doing what it thinks is being asked of it.

 

Then there's the BMW 1 series, Audi A3 brigade. The BMW owners will justify having less rear legroom than a TR7 by barking on about RWD balance and 'getting it sideways' yet tend to have only every experienced oversteer once, in the wet and it shit them into getting the bus for a week. The A3 brigade will rattle on about prestige and the sheer quality of the Audi switchgear (without realising you can get the same in a Skoda Fabia).

 

Oh, and there's Alfa buyers. Generally mental but enthusiastic, or people who just wanted the Alfa because of the looks and sound and who are mega-peeved because the bloody thing never works properly and they wish they'd kept the Seat Leon / A3 / Megane they had before.

[dollywobbler]

Sorry but I doubt 95% of Focus drivers give two hoots what it drives like! They choose it because Ford offers sensible motoring which is why when Ford do anything even slightly outrageous - like the Focus Mk1 initially and the original Ka - people run for the hills. A Focus is never going to be the enthusiast's choice. Don't get me wrong, I quite liked the Mk1 and even the Mk2 is quite pleasant to tool around in once you get used to the dark, but it's hardly a sports car.

[Guest Len H]

I've driven a couple of mk1 Focusesii, I think their handling is massively over rated, slightly better than the HH-R Rover 400s I was tooling about in a several years ago but they don't hold a candle to torsion bar Peugeots.

You have to put up with their daft toytown dashboards and typical Ford cost cut trim and rust proofing too.

[warren t claim]

I've driven a couple of mk1 Focusesii, I think their handling is massively over rated, slightly better than the HH-R Rover 400s I was tooling about in a several years ago but they don't hold a candle to torsion bar Peugeots.

I really need to drive a mk1 Focus soon before the memory of my 306 fades away.

[Barry Cade]

I was at the Motability sale at the local auction last week, halls full of 3 year olds, and was amazed by how Kia's were making more than the Focuses, like for like. Most of them had around 18,000 on the clock and I'd say the Fordy's were about £800 behind. Even the little Chevy's were doing better than the Peugeot's and Cits.. Was up for a mate of mine, and ended up with a thouroughly pleasant little Renault Modus giffermatic, which luckily has a Nissan autobox.

 

Did around 60 miles in my sisters 3 month old Focus diesel last week, up to the bodyshop to get a trolley dink taken out. Not impressed, gutless, over complex dash, which is too bright, no steering feel and just felt lardy. This sounds mental, but was glad to get my wee Seicento back! Dash showed 45.4 MPG.. My old 190D 2 litre did 46.6 on veg.

[Guest]

I loved the mk1 Focus and its one of those cars that was right straight out of the box. But sadly like the Golf its evolved into a hideous bloater