2008 Ford Focus

[Tornado]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but are you saying that no car uses the MK IV Golf platform?

No I'm not. I'm saying the Golf doesn't use it anymore.

If so, the New Beetle still does. But that car is craptastic.

And was when new as well.

 

[TopHat]

Ah. Ok then, just wanted to make sure. If its still a willing and competitive platform, I say use it until its not usable.

 

[a6m5]

I don't think it's ugly, but not pretty, either. It's an improvement over the model it's replacing, but not as good as the original one. I'd leave it at that.

I'll bet this has more to do with tooling costs in the Focus plant than anything else.

Or material/parts cost, but I think we can all agree that it has to do with the cost. It clearly is a bad idea, and Ford is forced into this situation. I highly doubt it's by choice.... then again, it is Ford Motor Company.....

No it's not, it was launched last year.

Mazda 3 in the States are three years old, so you could say it's a three year old platform.

 

[JCE]

No it doesn't, and in the perfect world that would be okay. However, the Chevrolet Cavalier comes to mind very rapidly when you use such an example. And the fact that it is still a good platform is all well and good. But the point of fact is that the car is essentially the same as it was in 1999. Why would anyone want a 9-year-old new car when they can have the brand new Cobalt (not a good example), Rabbit (A better example) or Caliber? You can't tell me that they don't have bettrer chassis than the Focus.
And the fact that Ford continues to try to shove the Focus down our throats hurts even more because the Euro Focus is far better in every way than the old one.

Does the Golf still use the Mk. IV platform? No. You comparing different cars on older platforms is apples to oranges as one manafacturer restyling a car thrice and calling it "redesigned for X."

What I meant was the MkIV Golf platform was recycled on not just VW's and Audi's but other manufacturers like Seat (who still use the MkIV platform if I'm not mistaken?) long after it was deemed "outdated" and or "old". And I'm sorry but the Calibur is a POS through and through--it feels like driving a more ugly PT Cruiser...and trust me that is not a good thing as my brother's wife owns a PT Cruiser and it is not very good. The Focus and Cobalt are such better cars. And I'd debate whether or not the Cavalier was a good platform...none of GM's divisions made any cars off of it that were worth the plastic and aluminum that they were made of.

My point is (and a valid one at that)-- is that yes the MkII Euro Focus is light years better than anything American, it will never...let me say it again...never come to America. Thus concluding that still using a Euro designed chassis--albeit a 9 year old one--is not that bad. You can't really argue against that point can you?

 

[YSSMAN]

All things considered, the VAG A4 chassis and the Ford Focus MKI chassis are about the same age (released in the same 1998/1999 window), and thusly have displayed greatly different outlooks on life. While the A4 chassis continues on in various Seat and Skoda products, along with the VW New Beetle, it would feel as though the chassis still has plenty of life to it, offering a solid ride and performance trade off at a pretty reasonable price. Certainly the A5 chassis overshadows it in almost every way conceivable, but then again, it is much the same story over at Ford.

Taking the gamble on "value" as Ford North America seems to have done comes off as risky in my mind. The reluctance to improve a strong-seller only sets the car up for an eventual failure, as they will only cater to the hardcore fans, and that gets you nowhere. You would think that Ford would take a page out of the GM J-Body page (aka Cavalier and whatnot) and realize that you can't drag a platform out too long despite the various updates given to it.

...With the Japanese stranglehold on the small-car segment, Ford needs to work a bit harder on their small-car lineup. Granted, GM and DCX seem to have done something about it (DCX, not so good?), and the Europeans will always do their "thing" (IMO, better than what the Japanese do), but it still doesn't give Ford an excuse to only update what we already have. If this is their "Way Forward" plan in action, it appears as though it will only set us up for disappointment.