If the Ford Focus were a trotting horse broodmare, it would have a name like Armbro-something-or-other, because it
has spawned some impressive offspring.

The Mazda3, the Volvo C30/S40/V50 and the next-generation European Focus – all terrific cars – all owe a great deal
to the genes of their common ancestor.

So, what happened to the Focus you and I could buy today? Why is the Canadian model so mediocre?

Part of the problem was that the factory in Wayne, Mich., building our Focus had a terrible time getting it right
– more than a dozen recalls in its first year and or so of production.

Eventually, Focus became one of the highest-quality cars built on this continent, but because it took them so long
to get it right, Ford figured it better not change too much too soon.

For 2008, we get the first major re-do of the car since its launch for the 2000 model year. New exterior styling,
revised interior (actually the second major upgrade here – the initial design motif was not well-received by the marketplace),
the availability of a two-door coupe (incredibly, not a hatchback, and no more wagon either) and added standard equipment
highlight the changes for the 2008 edition.

Let's start with the latter, because that's where Ford's advertising starts.

First, a wee analogy if you will: My first house was a double garage with an attached two-bedroom bungalow.
It was one of the few double garages in all of Leaside, perfect for all my automotive paraphernalia.

The new Focus seems to be like that – a new multi-media interface with an attached compact car.

Called Sync, this joint venture with Microsoft is intended to make interacting with the car's various entertainment and
communications functions easier.

Standard on the range-topping SES trim level and available on the one-up SE, Sync offers hands-free integration of
Bluetooth-enabled devices like cellphones and music players like iPods, plus USB connectivity.

Never mind that enabling further driver distraction is the last thing we need, especially for younger drivers who are
most likely (a) to have this stuff in their cars, and (b) to buy relatively inexpensive cars like Focus.

Needless to say, my cellphone is not Bluetooth-enabled, all my music is on CDs rather than USB keys, and I plugged
my iPod into my computer two years ago and the message still reads "Do not remove," so I can't tell you much about
how well Sync works.

Ford says the hardware is upgradeable, and new functions can be added with new software as time goes on.
All right then.

So, the car ...

The new body is pleasant-enough looking, but hardly eye-catching in the manner of corporate cousin Mazda3 or Honda Civic.

I wonder if the brightwork trim pieces behind the front fender on SES models like my tester are intended to mimic those of soon-not-to-be-corporate-cousins Jaguar and Range Rover?

The interior appointments do appear to have been upgraded since the last generation, but the car feels narrow and cramped
inside, though the back seat is reasonably accommodating.

The centre stack has two sets of identical buttons and knobs, the upper to control sound system, the lower for HVAC.
The graphics are different but it's hard to distinguish one from the other by touch, and at night, the massive array of
green-lit symbols is overwhelming.

You can change the ambient lighting colour for cupholders (okay, there's an idea) and footwells to one of seven hues,
a trick borrowed from the Mustang. Well, hand me my Nobel Prize nomination forms.

The seats are comfortable and supportive enough, although leather-covered (don't get me started) as an option in this
trim level. Don't check that box and you also don't get the power sunroof, which is no biggie as far as I'm concerned.

The automatic door locks (don't get me started II) can only be de-programmed by your dealer, which is just plain stupid.

The steering column tilts but does not telescope, and the wiper switch embedded in the turn signal lever is nowhere near
as handy as a separate stalk on the right side of the column.

More important shortcomings: Anti-lock brakes are standard only on this top-level variant (optional elsewhere).
Strike One.

You're paying for six airbags, and the probability that you'll ever use one of them, let alone all six, means they're a total
waste of resources.
Strike Two.

There are no anti-whiplash head restraints.
Strike Three. Yer out.

Seriously Ford, come on.

The engine is a Mazda-built 2.0 L four, developing a competitive 140 horsepower. It's rather noisy and whiny, and seems to
lack the sparkle it has in the Mazda3.

The optional four-speed automatic shifts well enough, but could certainly use an extra ratio to improve performance,
or at least a manual override function to help keep the engine in the power band without needing to resort to a massive
right-foot stomp to initiate a downshift.

Ford continues with its unfathomable shift quadrant:
once in Drive, you cannot return to Neutral without engaging the shift release button.

Again, a real-world safety issue, because in an incipient skid, the first thing you want to do is select Neutral to release
all tractive forces on the tires so they can direct all their grip to steering away from trouble. If you have to release a push
button in a panic situation like this, you run all-too-great a risk of slamming the thing all the way into Reverse or, worse still,
Park.

Not only will this increase your chances of a crash, it will almost certainly result in a huge repair bill.

I have spoken with Ford transmission engineers about this idiocy, which dates back at least as far as the Lincoln Mark VII
of the early 1980s – the first time I can remember complaining about it. I have never been given an answer as to why they
do it this way.

The newest models from Land Rover and Volvo, two other former felons on this count, have dropped it, and not a moment
too soon. Ford must do so as well, at the earliest opportunity.

The platform is essentially unchanged since the original, which should translate into brilliant steering and excellent handling.

Where did this all go? Did the rest of the world catch up, or has Ford dumbed this down too, maybe in search of softer ride?

Not likely. The SES actually gets a rear stabilizer bar for crisper handling, and the ride quality is actually nice and firm.

Not that the steering is bad or anything. But I used to use Focus as the benchmark for steering responsiveness and feel
– not any more. It's quick and direct enough, but sadly lifeless.

It should be clear that in my view, Ford is – pardon me – focusing on entirely the wrong things with the new Focus:
fancy electronic gimmickry instead of solid sensible engineering and real-world safety.

Maybe its market research tells them to do stuff like this. It also told them to build the Edsel.