IRVINE, Calif. – Ford Motor Company has termed 2005 the “Year of the Car,” and with the debuts of the redesigned Mustang, the Five Hundred sedan and the GT, the pronouncement is definitely appropriate. The new Mustang gallops along on its first new chassis in 26 years, the Five Hundred is the blue oval’s all-new full-size sedan fighter, and the GT is a 500-horsepower monster priced at a fraction of its competition. Add in the recently overhauled F-150, the beefed up Super Duty trucks and the versatile Freestyle crossover vehicle, and most will agree it’s a good time to be considering a Ford product.

Thankfully, Ford hasn’t spent all of its resources on new nameplates and complete redesigns. They’ve also made an attempt at keeping existing products fresh and appealing, as is the case with the 2005 Ford Focus. This new iteration can be compared to a college student heading into junior year. Rather than being different for the sake of being different, a college junior is a bit more image-conscious, hangs with a somewhat more mature crowd, and begins amassing a wardrobe that says, “Hire me” rather than “Wash me.”