Anyone Else Think The Focus Interior Design Has Gone Backwards?

[mjt]

Note that I'm referring here to the 2010 Focus Mk2.5 (facelift MK2) that I've recently bought. I can't comment on the Mk3 as I haven't seen one. We still have the MK1.5 that we bought six years ago and comparing the two I think the interior design of the Mk2.5 is very much inferior.

First the instrument panel looks really tacky. It puts me in mind of a childs toy. Ok, obviously some compromises were necessary to make room for the message panel but the fuel and temperature gauges are pathetically small and the chrome surrounds to the instruments and the silver infill just look cheap and blingy.

Next the console. Here again there's too much silver. It just looks cheap. The cover for the power connector sticks up like a sore thumb. The cup holders have got smaller and are pretty much useless.

The door pockets have also got smaller and the low position of the door handles prevents them from being used for any tall items, such a road atlas. The window and mirror controls feel a lot less robust and relocating the mirror control to the door handle is in my opinion a backward step : the combined switch/joystick on the inside of the mirror mount is much more practical for adjusting position while in motion as you don't have to look down.

In addition to those individual niggles the overall styling of the interior of the older car still looks fresh compared with the rather staid and unimaginative look of the new one.

I even find the exterior styling rather bland compared to the older car, which was quite ground-breaking in its time. I would accept the Mk3 looks a lot better although I'm not convinced by the rear lights - too far-eastern in concept for my taste.

So you might ask why I bought the Mk2.5 rather than another make and the answer is that I find it fun to drive with precise handling and a good clutch and gearbox. It feels much tauter on the road than the Mk1.5 although that's not really comparing like for like as the old one is an estate and has done 105K so it's running gear is probably getting a bit tired. Also it's a heavy old diesel lump whereas the new one's a petrol hatch with only 24K on it.

So have I opened a can of worms with these observations? What do you other people think?

[artscot79]

Can't say i agree the old focus mk1 had cheap hard nasty plastic that my 1995 hyundai had the dash though bold was cheaply painted in silver externally it was okay like all fords thin paint and rust saying that the mk2 isnt any better in that the quality is behind the lkes of kia and hyundai the new mk3 isnt new its a mish mash of different fords but better quality than any of the older fords

If i could ide have the mk3 interior in the mk2 actually galvanise the body use thicker paint

[Nighthawk]

I agree, I loved the shape and design of the mk 1 with its sweeping dash. The mk 2 just doesn't have the same spirit just looks bland and the rear end I am not keen on.

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[Nighthawk]

Take Green Flag for example, shows people could mistake it for a Nissan lol

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[alexp999]

I feel like this has happened with MK3 to MK3.5.

The MK3 felt like a step back more to the striking design of the MK1 compared to the MK2, now the facelift MK3.5 looks like a bland golf inside :(

[btmaldon]

Can't say i agree the old focus mk1 had cheap hard nasty plastic that my 1995 hyundai had the dash though bold was cheaply painted in silver externally it was okay like all fords thin paint and rust saying that the mk2 isnt any better in that the quality is behind the lkes of kia and hyundai the new mk3 isnt new its a mish mash of different fords but better quality than any of the older fords

If i could ide have the mk3 interior in the mk2 actually galvanise the body use thicker paint

Im with Arthur on this one.

[Invisible Man]

I quite like mine inside. Although I do agree about too much silver.....but the hydrodipping next week will resolve that particular issue

[mjt]

I must say I can't agree with Arthur. I don't know about the early Mk1 but the plastic in our Mk1.5 feels pretty soft and it's accentuated by the sweeping curves. I assume the interior wasn't changed substantially between the Mk1 and Mk1.5. If you want to see hard just look in my daughter's '04 Fiesta Flame. That's hard and angular and looks and feels really brutal.

I also don;t think the body protection on the older cars was any worse than the newer ones. At 11 years old ours has not yet shown any signs of rust except along the top of the chrome tailgate trim which seems to chafe through the paint.

I was wondering whether to get the console hydrodipped but I'm not sure I want to try making a silk purse out of a sow's ear.

[salsheikh]

you think the focus is bad - check the difference between the mk1 leon and the mk2 - the mk2 dash looks real cheap and thats what put me off buying one

its got no character and has cheap looking plastic. eurgh!

[jamesm182]

I always thought my MK2.5 was a significant improvement over my MK1.5. Then again it was the ST so had the (albeit fake) carbon fibre inserts which I quite liked. All felt pretty solid though for a Ford!

[catch]

Well I had a Mk1 on a "T" plate for 3.5 years until it was written off. I then had a Mk2 for 4.5 years, and I've now got a 3 year old Mk2.5.

At 7.5 years old the Mk1 had bubbling [rust] behind the paint work on the top of a rear wheel arch. I sold the Mk2 a fortnight ago at 8.5 years old, no rust.[apart from where the rear cable sheaf rubbed on the rear tail gate opening, easily sorted]

Whilst the Mk 1 broke the mould regards design flair, and the Mk2 was dull looks wise by comparison. The Mk 2 was a more spacious car inside, and a better drive in my opinion. The Mk2.5 revitalised the appearance of the Mk2 externaly, Ok the engineering is the same, but that to me is no bad thing as it's proved reliable in my experiance. And with ESP added as standare it's a good car.

Now whilst there is far to much silver on the centre consul, and the zetec seat fabric looks cheap IMO. With the Mk2.5 I opted for a Titanium, the centre consul has been given the "carbon fibre" treatment. And has better seat fabrics, upgraded music set up 8 Speakers, cruise and all the toys, oh and keyless entry / starting, and I still have a decent boot.

The Mk3 to me, not withstanding the engineering, is a little bit to Asian looking for my likeing, especially around the rear lights cluster. And I never actually fell in love with the front come to think of it. The cenre consul is far to fussy with to many buttons for me, looked OK in the Fiesta, but not in the Focus. Oh and the shrinking boot was a definate No No for me, hence I went for the Mk2.5

To me the Mk2.5 shape especially the rear, and in regard to the rear that applies to the Mk2 also, is what I would describe as the "Definatve Focus Shape" in that there is no mistaking it for anything other than a Focus. Whereas the Mk 3 just blends into the ubiquitous mix of Asian styled cars on our roads IMO.

[mjt]

To me the Mk2.5 shape especially the rear, and in regard to the rear that applies to the Mk2 also, is what I would describe as the "Definitive Focus Shape" in that there is no mistaking it for anything other than a Focus. Whereas the Mk 3 just blends into the ubiquitous mix of Asian styled cars on our roads IMO.

I agree, as I said in my OP the MK3 rear lights look too far eastern for my taste.

[markjw]

you think the focus is bad - check the difference between the mk1 leon and the mk2 - the mk2 dash looks real cheap and thats what put me off buying one

its got no character and has cheap looking plastic. eurgh!

owned two Mk1 Leon TDi SE models (2000 'X' and 2003 '52') and have to say the interior on them did have a quality feel, although on the first one the finish on the internal driver's door handle started peeling off (replaced under warranty). Actually apart from the 'standard' VW niggles of that time (sticking VNT turbo vanes and dodgy door seals) I feel they were a much better buy than the equivalent Golf or A3.

The Mk2.5 (2010) Focus I own does have a cheaper look to parts of the interior, especially the 'silver' rings around the instruments (does anyone do a better looking replacement?). Was in a Mk3 (2012) Focus the other week and it did feel a bit bland compared to the Mk2.5, though the quality looked OK.

[ben1191]

Mk1 I don't like at all,looks like a slanty conker.the inside is bare with hardly anything to look at,the mk2 they played the exterior safe and the mk3 is another generic bubble fish Mongy car every manufacturer seems to pump out these days.even the ford transits been given fiesta headlights,it's ment to be a big van with presence on the road.

Mk2.5 is the best looker IMO.

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[mjt]

One thing I forgot to mention in my initial post is that I find there's a higher level of wind noise audible in the Mk2.5 than the Mk1.5. It seems to me that less attention has been paid to closing up the panel gaps. In fact I get the impression that a lot more thought and attention to detail went into the Mk1/1.5 which was a complete break from anything that had gone before. It seems as though these days they just draw something that looks pretty on the computer without giving much thought to practicality. The Mk2/2.5 and it's successors look like just run-of-the-mill generic cars as has been said. The loss of the high-level rear light clusters on the Mk3 has finally removed all trace of the distinctive Focus styling.

There's also more road noise in my Mk2.5 although that's probably due to the fact that it's just a Zetec while the Mk1.5 is a Ghia so the sound insulation standards are likely to be different.

[ForTim]

Responding to the question "Anyone Else Think The Focus Interior Design Has Gone Backwards?": I'm the one.

I'm with Mk2 but when I see Mk3, I don't envy to upgrade. Same for the exterior design.

[Guest]

I bought a 2.5 because it looks like a Focus, love the rear lights, wheels and exterior styling, I actually like the clocks, the rest of the interior, glove box and the little flip door where the ashtray goes are a bit naff.

Plenty of trim creaks and groans on mine, no rattles just creaks and noises from the roof lining and parcel shelf joins in if the boot hasn't been opened for a week or so.