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Introduction
Ford Focus - 2008 First Drive: A "killer app" is something so useful it makes something else indispensable. For example, in the 70s, computers were just toys for geeks. Then Visicalc came along, a spreadsheet program that gave accountants and bond traders an indispensable tool. Macintosh computers were little more than nifty toys until Aldus PageMaker practically invented the industry of desktop publishing. Today, iPods are the killer app for downloaded music and movies, making entertainment portable and personal in a way never before imagined.
The last brings us to the 2008 Ford Focus. The Focus has its own killer app, one that could, at least for a time, help it rule the small car segment. This isn't because the car itself is revolutionary. No, the mechanical reality is that it's a reengineered version of the original 2000 Focus platform. Instead, the true value of the Focus is in a $395 option called Sync. Developed with Microsoft, it pairs up devices such as digital music players, cellular phones and even simple USB "thumb drives" in a way that makes them accessible, easy and actually fun to use with the on-board audio system in a way no other manufacturer does.
Take away Sync and it gets harder to recommend the Focus in the face of newer and better competition. For example, the Honda Civic is bigger and drives nicer, the Hyundai Elantra has a higher quality interior and lower price, and even though it's long in the tooth, the Toyota Corolla is still an excellent value, and one that's due for replacement this spring.
Still, if you think the new Focus's styling is perfect rather than peculiar, and don't mind some cheap-feeling plastics inside, you'll find that the Focus is good basic transportation for not too much money. For others, they'll just have to overlook those shortcomings if they want the Focus's best feature: Sync.
Origins
The Focus replaced the Escort as Ford's small car entry way back in 1999 as a 2000 model. Its edgy styling and European-inspired driving dynamics made it a quick hit, and the Focus sold well despite early teething troubles. As the bugs were ironed out, the Focus continued to do well, and was mildly refreshed in 2005 with re-creased sheetmetal and an improved interior, but still didn't quite measure up to newer competition. The 2008 Focus is still based on this same platform, however Ford has updated it considerably, hoping it will entice enough customers back to showrooms to keep the Focus a player until another world platform debuts in a few years.
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