It's almost getting too easy to pick on our 2008 Ford Focus, what with that passenger side door handle falling off, the way the headlights (and horn) don't activate when you hit "unlock" on the keyfob, and such. (Though it's possible that the Focus can be reprogrammed for the lights to flash when you press "unlock," how many people will take the trouble to figure that out?) I'd like to add one more gripe, but, to be fair, counter that with a compliment or two.

First, the gripe: I hate the way the coupe's shoulder belt anchor is positioned. Granted, this is a coupe, so I guess it's not that unusual to have to reach all the way behind you to the b-pillar to grab the belt. But then the anchor doesn't adjust up or down either, and the result is that the belt rubs my neck, and not in a good way. Perhaps this situation could be ameliorated by moving the seat, but only if the steering telescoped, which, of course, it doesn't. Both the wheel and the belt anchor are big issues for shorter drivers. So bottom line is. I'm not comfortable in the driver's seat -- and I'm 5'6".

On the plus side, I really like the way the cup holders illuminate with the cool blue lighting. It makes it easier to see what's in there at night, when you're fumbling around for your keys, your cell phone, whatever. I'm always throwing stuff in the cupholders or console, and it's handy to have a little light.

Then there is the more important issue of fuel economy. I can't yet release the numbers from our "Gas-Sipper Smackdown," which publishes next week, but suffice it to say that the Focus is worth a look just for that reason.

Is the trade-off worth it? I'm looking forward to the debate.

Joanne Helperin, Senior Features Editor @ approx. 7700 miles

If you focus on the Big Things when evaluating our long-term 2008 Ford Focus you get all caught up in the whole ancient chassis thing. But if you focus on the little things it doesn't get much better. For instance, immediately after getting behind the wheel several weeks ago I confirmed that the "new" Focus doesn't have a telescoping steering wheel. This is doubly disappointing because it used to have a telescoping wheel, so while the Focus' chassis dates from the Clinton Administration, this "little thing" has gotten worse.

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We're an enterprising sort around here. With the Focus' faulty door handle placement, we thought it wouldn't be too hard to correct this problem without the need for millions of dollars worth of R&D. So DiPietro and myself took a trip out to J.W. Higgins Auto Yard in Crenshaw to search for our solution. Within minutes, we spotted a '71 Cadillac Eldorado with a suprisingly well-preserved red leather interior. With little effort, we crowbarred off the chrome and wood applique that held what we were looking for. Ten minutes and a whole heap of industrial glue later, voila. We'll see if our door handle design lasts longer than Ford's.

James Riswick, Automotive Editor 

We've blogged before about the poorly placed door pulls on our Focus Coupe. They are located too far forward and subsequently don't provide enough leverage to easily close the door. This is not only a problem for weak-armed folks, but for the handle itself, as the passenger side one now comes out every time you try to pull the door closed. As the below video shows, it doesn't take a lot of force to do it.

This is simply a design flaw and a curious one given the previous Focus' handles were placed at least six inches aft of their present location. We'll try to get the handle fixed at our next appointment, but there's no getting around the faulty positioning. I'm curious to know if other Focus buyers (sedan and especially coupe) have had their handles pop out. In the mean time, I'll just keep closing the driver side using the plastic trim piece lip at the base of the window.

James Riswick, Automotive Editor @ 7,213 miles

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The Focus is back and all spick and span from our two-day fuel-sipper smackdown to, from and around Las Vegas. I logged about 200 miles in the Focus, including about 130 miles of aimless wondering around the greater Las Vegas area for city mileage testing. After covering that distance, I have mitigated my stance that the Focus is an unmitigated crap can. It's still a class bottom dweller to be sure and a complete half-cocked effort on Ford's part, but there are bits and pieces that work well enough.

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I got the keys to our 2008 Ford Focus SES on Thursday evening and immediately zeroed out the fuel economy meter. By Monday morning I had driven about 100 miles, about 60 percent of which was on the highway. As you can see Ford lived up to its 30+ mpg promise.

True, there are a lot of things the Focus doesn't have. And as this blog has pointed out over the past months there is a certain cheese factor to the styling. But it is capable of good gas mileage and the higher fuel prices go the more valuable that is. Funny how this car even looks better when you know it's saving you dough.

The Focus will soon be part of a fuel economy cage match we're calling the "Gas Sipper Smackdown." It will compete against the Toyota Prius, 2005 VW Jetta TDI and the smart fortwo. Which car can get to Vegas and back on the least amount of fuel? Stay tuned for in-your-face coverage of this important automotive event.

In some ways, car-journalist world is like a funhouse-mirror version of the real world where aspects are exaggerated and what's opposite is true. In the real world, I'd gulp and squirm at the thought of putting too many miles on my daily driver. However, in car-journalist world, putting some miles on a test car leaves me with sense of real accomplishment, like a newly potty-trained toddler surveying his first porcelain-bound number two.

I had to make a couple of treks to a distant land called Orange County this weekend, and in the process, put about 200 miles on the 2008 Ford Focus. It goes without saying that with just 140 horsepower and 136 pound-feet of torque, the Focus sometimes feels a bit out of breath in high-speed passing situations on the freeway. Still, in other ways, it was a pleasant enough companion. If I'd actually plunked down money to buy the car, I'd pat myself on the back for having selected a ride that offers a great sound system and decent driving dynamics for not a lot of coin.

Warren Clarke, Automotive Content Editor @ 5,735 miles

I'd be the first to admit that we automotive journalists are a persnickety bunch. We wail and fuss and moan about the slightest of missteps when it comes to automotive design and performance, because, well, that's our job. The truth of it is, a large percentage of these missteps are anthills, not mountains, likely to escape the attention of all but the most discerning and demanding buyers.

However, the Ford Focus bears a design misstep that I'm fairly certain would be noticed by pretty much everyone: It lacks a useful interior door handle. The one handle that exists is too awkwardly placed to serve any real purpose, and there's no secondary handle to grab on to when opening and closing the door. Brent pointed this out in an earlier blog post, but I'm so bemused by this oversight that I felt the need to call it out again. It's not the end of the world, of course. This weekend, I got used to sort of using my shoulder to nudge the door open, in lieu of grabbing a handle.  But it's still an oddly glaring oversight  in an otherwise quite satisfactory little coupe.

Warren Clarke, Automotive Content Editor @ 5,343 miles

Shorty after our long-term Ford Focus arrived a few months ago, Magrath and I had the following conversation regarding the Focus keys sitting on my desk (pictured).

Magrath: "Hey, have you seen the keys to the Focus?"

Me: "Yeah, they're right here."

Magrath: "Oh god. I was hoping those were to your Mom's '86 Sable wagon."

Do they open the doors? Yes, and I suppose that's all they need to do. But this antiquated key and fob are indicative of an entire car created by the Joan Rivers school of automotive design. Unfortunately, a major facelift and some plastic chrome botox can't mask an aging car that screams in a raspy engine note: "I cut corners!"

James Riswick, Automotive Editor @ 4,250 miles

It bothers me that there are no numbered gears on Ford's shifters. What ever happened to selecting a specific gear for climbing a hill or for engine braking? Call me old fashioned, but I Iiked it when I had options other than "Low." I guess the days of choosing your gear in a Ford went the way of the throttle cable. It's too bad, cause I liked those too.

Josh Jacquot, Senior road test editor