2008 Ford Focus SEL
 

I'm very close to purchasing a 2008 Ford Focus SEL w/ leather and sunroof. Tell me why I shouldn't....

10 years ago I'd tell you not to buy Ford, but Ford's really stepped up recently. Quite frankly, I can't really think of a reason not to get it. It's a decent vehicle.

Edit: I'm on Edmunds and they don't list an "SEL". I see "S", "SE", and "SES"

Ohh. SES.

All of Ford's other model's with leather are SEL, so I thought this was too...

The only thing I see wrong with it is is the lack of rear headrests. Other than that, I don't really see anything wrong. And, with decent negotiation, it'll be much cheaper than a similarly equipped Civic.

Yes, and current Fords are actually poised to last longer than their predecessors by a considerable margin, though I'm not sure it will last as long as a Civic. And they're cheap to repair.

Yeah, I can't really think of a reason to talk you out of it. What I will recommend, though, is to replace the airbox with a cold air intake. I know it sounds silly, but the air box is built to be replaced in cars.

i find the new foci to be ugly cars.

however it's quite practical and i'm sure it will serve you well.

The '08s have Sync, right?

Quasi: Yes, they do.

BTW, I'm even considering a Focus SVT, and I pride myself on being a well informed consumer when it comes to the automotive industry.

the rear headrests are a bit strange. i thought all new cars had them on all seats. i know 3 people that were killed because the back seat of the car had no headrests :(

Probably not a bad choice considering the way gas prices are going. You didn't say if it was used or new. If you buy it used you should save at least $6000. (probably more) If the miles are decent you will have factory warranty either way.

Since it's an '08, I can only get demo or new. "New" cars sold as used always have something wrong with them (totalled, high km, no maintenance done, etc.)

There is no logical reason to do this in a Focus SES. If (and that's a huge, huge, huge if) you gain any power it will not be noticeable and the much more likely thing to happen is the CAI will actually be a HAI leading to a loss in power. If you're looking to buy the car for performance (which I can't imagine you are) then I can think of a hundred and one reasons not to get it. Other than that I agree with Willravel, there is no real reason not to get one as they're good on gas, good on your pocket book, and have some nice features. Style is much better than the 07's as well.

*edited for clarity to what a "CAI" will actually do

It's mostly about increased airflow which makes the engine run more efficiently, but a decent CAI will have a heat shield, like this one:
http://www.steedafocus.com/store/Fue...duct_info.html

That heat shield means that the air coming in will be cooler, which means a theoretical increased efficiency.

In my neck of the woods, we call that bench racing.

While an aftermarket intake might be beneficial in a performance engine when used with other parts such as headers, underdrive pullies, camshafts, and a remapped ECU, the 2.0 engine in the Focus is anything but. At best, an aftermarket intake on a stock engine does nothing to improve performance or efficiency. At worst, an aftermarket intake on a stock engine does nothing to improve performance or efficiency.

At best it improves efficiency. Which is the idea. Replace factory restrictions with aftermarket parts to free up the potential of the vehicle. I'm not suggesting to get a turbo, intake manifold, ceramic headers and a catback system. I'm just talking about a slight increase in efficiency.

There is no increase in fuel efficiency to be found with the installation of a cold air intake.

What you're failing to consider is the air/fuel ratio. This ratio is monitored and controlled by the ecu to ensure that the engine operates as close to a stoichermetric ratio of 14.7 pounds of air to 1 pound of gasoline as possible. When this combustion ratio is not met, byproducts of incomplete combustion is produced. Too rich, and you get excess hydrocarbons (HC). Too lean and you get excess nitrogen oxide (NOx).

The ecu monitors this mixture through the oxygen sensor in the exhaust stream and adjusts the air/fuel mixture to compensate for an excessively lean or rich mixture. This is known as closed-loop feedback operation.

So what happens when you throw in a cold-air intake (assuming you'll move more air through the engine)? During closed loop operations, the oxygen sensor will detect that the extra air coming into the engine has leaned out the fuel mixture, and the ecu will compensate by adding more fuel to richen things back to that magical 14.7:1 ratio. There's a lot more that happens, but this is the very very very basics of closed-loop operation.

So while you think you're increasing volumetric efficiency (in theory) with the installation of a cold-air intake, you're really decreasing fuel efficiency with the installation of a cold air intake.

Maybe you can point out where I said fuel efficiency. I'm under no illusions about the CAI's capabilities. It's about a small, theoretical power increase and small, theoretically quicker throttle response.

In my car, there was an increase in fuel efficiency with the installation of a CAI, btw. Of course, I have over double the HP of a Focus.

In theory that is correct but keep in mind he'd be doing this to a 2008 Ford Focus. Any improvement that it might make just wouldn't be worth it. Besides, if the dealership wanted to be a dick about it they could mess with his warranty because it's a non OEM part. On the right car with the right parts a proper CAI is a good idea, I just don't see this instance being one.

If this was a used, performance car I'd agree with you. This is a new economy car though.

Oh. Didn't realize you meant that. Let me correct myself then:

The installation of a CAI on an otherwise stock engine will be as effective as the installation of a loud muffler to increase power.

There will be no quicker throttle response because that is determined more by the design of the intake manifold than an intake pipe.

You have an Eclipse. I had one too and I experienced the same increases when I installed my bolt-ons. That was because those parts affected the performance of the turbocharger more than anything, namely in reducing lag. Turbocharged engines are much more responsive to bolt-on parts than any naturally-aspirated engine will ever be.

It's an all-or-nothing commitment with today's naturally aspirated engines. These aren't the engines of yesterday where they were intentionally choked up to meet fuel economy and emissions regulations and you could get away with adding a part here or a part there. The slight gains you envision are simply not there anymore.