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[UPDATE: Also check out our top ten list of the best...or was it the worst...April Fools' Day automotive gags.] Occasionally, an automaker likes to have a little fun on April Fools' Day by announcing a car so ridiculous it couldn't possibly be real. Unfortunately, what happens more often than not is that an automaker will announce a car so ridiculous that it couldn't possible be real... and it is. Some are poorly-styled and ill-conceived, while others seem to fill no foreseeable niche other than a need to show they're doing something, anything. Below is our list of new cars that are punch lines to jokes no one ever told (i.e. the least dragon-able new cars). [UPDATE: We've added a poll so you can proclaim the most foolish car of them all] More »
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I spent the better part of a week, tooling around in a 2008 Ford Focus SE, with one task at hand: to determine whether this newfangled Microsoft Sync system is all it's cracked up to be. I laughed, I cried, I made some calls, and in the end found Sync to be basically sweet. Not that me and Sync didn't have a few spats. At first, I approached the system the same way any average Joe would—I jumped in the car and started playing without picking up the manual or having any prior knowledge of how Sync actually works. That didn't go as smoothly as I was hoping, so I hashed through the manual and got Sync set up to my liking, in as much as I could. And for the final test, I took 'er out for a live road test. [Unboxing, Set Up, Road Test] More »
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The "unboxing" of Sync yesterday didn't go quite as well as I was hoping, but no fear, there's a trusty 80-page manual to guide me through setting up the Sync in-car entertainment system. I was able to connect my Zune to the system pretty easily yesterday, so today's setup revolved mostly around setting up my cellphone, which was quite the task. See some of my frustrations in the video above, and hit the jump for commentary about the Sync system, how I decided to approach it and setting up a cellphone. More »
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We knew someone trying to give away an '08 Ford Focus was an all but certain eventuality. But with all the offers out there in the Metro Detroit area for free leases on Land Rovers with a condo purchase, we never thought a seller would sync sink this low. That's right, buy a new all-sports waterfront home for $278,000 and get a free 2008 Ford Focus. Yup, all that lakefront property, Huron Valley schools and now even the Ford with sync kitchen sink. Yes folks, sometimes the easy joke is just that. [via craigslist] More »
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Autoblog's John Neff just finished his stint in the 2008 Ford Focus SES Coupe. Frankly, his picture atop the review sums it up. [Autoblog] More »
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Why you should buy this car: More »
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Exterior Design: zero stars More »
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If Ford's "Hi, I'm Dave" design language has created a Gillette-like lineup of Ford products, then the new 2008 Ford Focus is the most disposable of the family. From the tip of the dual-bar chrome grille, along a set of faux side vents all the way to the high rear end and large badge letters spelling its name, the formerly plain and simple Focus has adopted an unspeakable tawdriness. Maybe that was why I spent my three days with the Focus largely in the driver's seat. Not that it's a bad place to be. The thrifty Ford now bristles with enough new features and toys to distract from its looks. Then, for a moment or two, you start to wonder if there might be more to the story here. More »
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