[2001 ZTS]

Seeing the launch of the Focus was such a screw up they just can't afford to bring the European versions here. That is the reality. Everyone in the industry and press in 1999 said "the Focus could be Ford's most important car since the Model T" but Ford (NA) didn't listen/care. Rather than treat it as an Escort replacement they could have done something really special.

The Front Bumper, Fog Lights: Better projector fogs are definately more modern looking. WRX's went that way for 2004 as well.

Hood, Grill, And Headlights: They could have just done something similar to what I and many others have already done with HID's or the many incandescent European lights available. The biggest problem was the turn signals in the grill which just looked awful.

Tailights: Still no amber turn signals? That should almost be a legal requirement, they are safer.

Interior: It didn't mind current interior but on the whole interior is not a big priority of mine to begin with.

Black By The Exhaust: I do like this.

Painted Mirrors, Door Handles: Does alot to make car look less cheap. Finally folding mirrors too!

Engines: I understand the need for a utilitarian engine to satssfy 95% of sales but if you are going to offer a "perfomance version" of the same car you have to do better than 150HP. Really you should be in the 200+ club these days. To me the current "performance sedan" is as meaningless as a Windstar with a sport package, just stickers and badges.

Conclusions:

With the changes I have made my current Focus is, in my mind, already better than the 2005 offering. My changes have been very slow but adding those I have in mind over the next year 95% of the general public would prefer mine over what they offer in 2005 as well. It is costing me a good amount as I'm paying retail single unit prices but Ford could do it for very inexpensively, probably less than retooling the parts they did. Of course what it comes down to is looks were not the problem with the Focus it was the high amount of unscheduled maintenance.

Since this is going to be read by Ford here are the answers to the usual questions:

Me: 36, "manager", B.Sc, $65,000
Wife: 34, "nurse" Master's Nursing, $60,000
Child: boy 3-1/2
Location: Toronto, downtown
Vehicles in household: 2001 ZTS, 2004 WRX wagon
Next vehicle: Dodge Sprinter van.

Notes: Living downtown I will always have a need for one of the two cars to be an smaller economy model regardless of family size or income so what happens to the Focus is relevent to our situation.

While I have their ear, for the love of god do something about your dealer service. The people who buy a Focus today (or yesterday), especially the yonger ones could be (could have been) your customers for life. If you treat me the way you do I can't imagine how god awful it must be for younger owners.

To this day, 3-1/2 years of Ford ownership, I refuse to let my wife even go to Ford for an simple oil change as I know they will suggest all sorts of unecessary work and charges. I guess a certain muber of people will always buy Fords because "dad was a Ford guy" and this makes you collectively happy but you aren't gaining anyone new with current practices.

For the record I will not be a Ford customer again. Maintence costs has actually been zero dollars due to warranty but frequency and pain of maintence has just been too much with no signs of lessening. You've been building cars for 100 years, owning a new 2001 should not be as much work as this.