2008 Ford Focus SES 2.0 from North America

Summary:

A great auto and great value!

Faults:

No faults noted.

General Comments:

The 2008 Focus SES is a wonderful car! The heated leather seats are nice and comfy! And the 500 watt Audiophile stereo sounds like a concert hall!

The fit and finish of the SES Focus is great! No squeaks rattles or bangs!

The 5 speed transmission was ordered for my car, as the fully loaded SES model comes with a automatic, however I am glad to have the manual transmission; it makes the Focus a fun car to drive!

The fuel mileage I have been getting surpasses the rating on the car. I have been getting 38-49 MPG! I recommend this auto 100%

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 9th July, 2008

14th Aug 2008, 05:46

Update on my 2008 Ford Focus "SES": Today, my check engine light came on. I ran a code check and it seems my fuel level sensor in the gas tank is no longer working! The car has 2100 miles on it.

15th Aug 2008, 20:31

To comment 05:46: The check engine lights on Fords are VERY sensitive and come on for all sorts of reasons. I've had one Ford that craved a tank of premium every once in a while and the light would come on. One tank of premium would turn it off for months. Hopefully it was your dealer who diagnosed your problem and it will be quickly fixed.

We bought a 2001 Focus ZX-3 new and it was an absolutely incredible car. Great power, sporty handling and never a single problem the whole time we owned it. The newer ones are even better.

2008 Ford Focus SES 2.0 gas from North America

Summary:

Fun car that's good on gas and is very comfortable

Faults:

Manual transmission is difficult for beginners.

Lack of standard ABS/Traction Control.

Others have a hard time hearing me at highway speeds when using Sync to make phone calls.

General Comments:

I work 40 miles from home, so I was looking for something that was fuel-efficient and comfortable. After seeing and liking the looks of the 2008, I went and took one for a test drive and bought one the same day. I opted for the manual transmission because the automatic felt sluggish after switching from a 210hp engine to the 140hp engine in the Focus.

There is a lot of trunk space and room in the back seat is more than expected from a car this size. I'm 5' 10" and I can sit comfortably in the back seat.

Interior is very nice in the SES. I went for heated leather seats. Sync system comes standard on the SES, and makes it very convenient to place phone calls while on the road (especially with a manual transmission).

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 8th July, 2008

15th Aug 2008, 20:37

A lot of people are finding the Focus to be an incredibly good little car. The sales of the Focus increased last quarter by a greater percentage than Civic and Corolla combined, and Ford has upped production to keep up with the demand.

15th May 2009, 08:13

The Focus is a great little car. The sales increase probably has much to do with the rebates and such, which is a good thing. It gets more people into the Focus only to realize they are as good as anything Honda or Toyota has to offer for much less.

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2008 Ford Focus ZX from North America

Summary:

If you want to combine enjoyable driving with cargo capacity in a well designed economical American

Faults:

Only thing wrong is roof racks don't come with cross bars.

General Comments:

I was driving a used Focus wagon with automatic transmission that I had bought used, but when the rebates went high enough, I purchased a new wagon with manual transmission for $14,500 and passed my old one on.

No problems with the old model. Both have excellent cargo space, but this one has nicer styling, all basic amenities, comfort, good pickup and excellent handling with more positive control from manual transmission. It gets much better mileage than the automatic (33-34 mpg vs. 29-30 mpg to date).

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 2nd May, 2006

2nd Jul 2006, 22:22

As a mechanic who has owned cars from all US manufacturers as well as one Japanese (LEMON) and one German (TOTAL DISASTER). I can assure you that few cars (if ANY) can surpass the quality of American cars, especially Fords. I currently own a GM SUV (because Ford SUV's are ugly as sin), a GM mid-size car (same reason) and a new Ford Ranger Sport pickup (because Chrysler and GM's small trucks are ugly as sin). We owned a 2001 Focus ZX-3 and found it to be a sporty, fast and great-handling little car that was way ahead of the competition on all points. I commend you for buying American, and I hope you have as few problems as we had with our Focus (which was NONE).

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