Considering a 2nd Gen North American Focus
 

(model years 2008-2011)for my wife's next car. So far I took only one of them for a spin. It was only a 8 minute ride. With that in mind first impressions are:
+ positives:
+ right sized. The interior is quite roomy for such a compact car.
+ comfortable ride in SE trim. This fits our intended use well.
+ firm seat. We diligently worked for years to add the pounds ;). A firm seat is a plus for the plus sized.
+ good ergonomics. I think the ergonomics are well sorted out. I can't say that for my other ride (Pontiac Vibe).
+ familiarity: She drives a Ford Contour now. I think the switch to a Focus would be easy for her. The controls ought to be very similar.
+ good fuel economy (as reported on various sites).
+ appears to be a good value on the used car market.

- negatives:
-rear view: the trunk is rather high. It will make reversing harder for her compared to the Contour.
-buzzy engine when cold. What a disagreeable noise it makes!
-vague steering: was it just the car I drove or is it a feature of the model? The steering felt spongy. I had to keep correcting the car to keep it straight. It felt like the tires were severely under-inflated, Maybe the alignment was off? It did not pull to either side though. How is yours acting on the straight line?
-interior design. It's a taste thing, so not all that important. I think it is a bit too rectilinear. Not a deal breaker.

Things I don't care fore: Mytouch. At least there is an aftermarket bezel available to put in an aftermarket radio. Guess what: she will want a tape player.

Please comment if you agree, like to correct me or make me aware of some issue I missed.
Thanks!

Really, 66 views and nobody cares to comment? Tell me about the steering of your '08 to '11 Focus. Is it responsive at turn in? Is it requiring a lot of correction to go straight?

I took another Gen2 Focus for a spin and it had very good steering feel and response.

I have driven maybe 2 ??? after performing alignments on them and the ride was ok. Short wheelbase vehicles do seem to need more correction at high speed.
Platinum models are great looking cars
A small, fwd mass produced vehicle always seem to do well. parts are cheap ie tires/brakes, cheap to maintain, repair and operate. These are important factors for me.

Thank you primem!
The points you make affirm how I am feeling about these cars.
Just yesterday I was driving yet another one and liked everything, except that horrendously buzzing engine and vibration under foot. A little Google-time revealed that the engine mounts are prone to failure. They are easy enough to fix.

Now there are 2 Focus and a Toyota Matrix on the short list. It depends on my wife's preference.

.....and she decided to get a 2010 Focus SE, sangria red with black interior and 50K miles on the clock.
This was after I tried yet another Focus, a blue one. This blue one made even more noise than the very first one. I learned that the motor mounts fail kind of early and they transfer the vibration to the body. They are easy enough to replace. She liked the red one better because of and accident free history.

great...lets have a look when you get it home.

Sure!. It will be some time next week, depending on how fast the mutual find sends the check.

Here are some pictures from the dealer's ad:
Ford Forum - Enthusiast Forums for Ford Owners - bluewind's Album: Wife's new ride: 2010 Focus SE

It looks and feels like a new car. She is rightfully proud of it.:)

looks good