Facing stiff competition from Honda, Toyota, Hyundai and Mazda in the small-car market, the Ford Focus was in need of more than a face-lift. Unfortunately, that was all Ford was willing to do for the 2008 model. Reviewer David Thomas does find some improvements and attractive new features to recommend it, but at the end of the day the Focus fails to set itself apart from competitors that are either less expensive or simply better cars.