At the time of this writing, I have had my SVT Focus for about two weeks, and I...am...in love.  
 
Let's start with the visuals... Personally, I have a very slight issue with the way the window line travels up to the rear of the car on the sides, and then back down to a point on the gate. I don't think it looks bad, per se, but I can't tell you exactly what the issue I have actually is. I can only say there's something about it. So, I ordered mine in black not only because I love black cars, but also to de-emphasize the rear window line. I even blacked out the windows with dark tint. I think it looks completely sharp in black, and let me tell you -- if Darth Vader drove a car, this would be it.  
 
I love Ford's New Edge design concept, which traces it's roots back directly to the Ford GT-90 concept car of the early nineties (who says concept cars serve no purpose in the production world?), and I think they did a particularly bang-up job with the Focus 3-door (much better than the new-style Cougar). The car looks like it's hauling a-- even when it's parked. I often find myself standing and staring at it after parking just because it looks so darned cool. The agressive, angular front end mates well with the curved, swooping roofline that tapers off in the rear, and the custom fog lights, rear spoiler, and 17-inch argent five-star rims that SVT installed put the icing on the cake. Not that cheap sugar icing, either -- we're talking gourmet butter icing, baby!  
 
And, although it is defined as a "small car," it really isn't that small. It's taller than most of the cars I park next to, and the wheelbase is  
103 inches.  
 
Let's talk about comfort now...  
 
The smell of the leather interior is absolutely dreamy, and it is outdone only by the way the SVT seat wraps around you and makes you feel completely comfy while driving. They fit [me] so well, in fact, that when I'm driving, I actually cannot feel the seat. Say what? You read that right. Let me explain... You know how, after you've been in a car for a while, you can tell what parts of the seat are pushing on you? Maybe your thighs are pressing against the side supports, or the lumbar support is jutting into your back a tad too much, or maybe even that darned seatbelt extension is about an inch too long, and it's poking your beer belly. No problems for me in the SVT! Even after extended periods in the car, the seat feels completely natural. This is due, in part, to the nice adjustments Ford built into them. Not only can you adjust the lumbar support, back angle, and forward position, but you can also adjust the ride height of the seat. Very nice for adjusting the headroom and seeing over the steering wheel, should you need a "boost". BTW, I'm 6'1", 200 lbs., just so you can gauge.  
 
Driving position is excellent and sporty. The steering wheel and gear shifter are exactly where they should be in relation to the driver. All controls are within easy reach, and the leather-wrapped wheel and shift knob are a dream to grab. The silver-faced guage cluster is awesome and easy to see. At night, the faces glow green and the numbers are black. The red SVT graphic on the panel glows purple under the gauge lights -- pretty cool.  
 
I think the stereo controls could have been laid out a little more stylishly, but they aren't bad (They're definitely better than the plastic toy Speak 'n Spell-style buttons that GM loves to put in their vehicles!). The stereo display is large and very easy to read. Oh, by-the-way, it sounds great, too! The subwoofer is very powerful, especially for an eight-incher. It is concealed in a nicely-finished ported box that sits on the driver-side wall in the cargo area. This takes up a little bit of your cargo room, of course, but hey -- did I buy an SVT to haul groceries and gear in huge quantities? No. I can deal with it. The six-disc in-dash CD changer is a luxury -- no annoying cartridge to deal with; you just load them all in the slot. There is also a radio/stereo control stalk that comes off the steering column on the lower left side for easy finger-tip sound control while driving.  
 
In summation, when you close the door and seal yourself inside, the relationship of driver and car is T-I-G-H-T.  
 
Road noise is a bit of an issue, due in large part, in my opinion, to the low profile ContiSport tires and large 17" rims. That's a lot more solid material to transfer sound, and you can tell. It's not bothersome to me, but if it irks someone like you, then the application of some aftermarket spray undercoating would take care of a lot of the noise.  
 
Yes, the ride is rough on less-than-desireable roads, but I wouldn't have it any other way. You pay a price for a car that performs and handles as well as the SVT Focus.  
 
Handling is a dream, pure and simple. I didn't think it was possible, but the SVT handles as well and is as fun to drive as my hopped-up Alfa Romeo GTV6, and that is saying a lot!!! If you have ever driven an Alfa, you know what fun they are, and the SVT matches. The car goes exactly where you point it, and there is no perceivable torque steer, which is something that has always irked me about front-drivers. How tight is it? Last night I took a corner that was marked for 30 MPH at 65. I don't recommend you try this at home. Coming into the unexpected turn, I thought I was going to dig a trench, but instead, the SVT dipped its nose, dug in, and sprung right back out again, taking the turn and teaching the road a lesson while it was at it. Amazing. It behaved like it had a tough racing torsion bar suspension. In, dip, and out.  
 
For a front-driver especially (61%/39% weight distribution), the handling is amazingly neutral. There is no pronounced over- or understeer, unless you really want it to be there. Once again, the driver is in command.  
 
The engine is amazing. Ford took the already-nice Zetec I-4 found in the ZX3 and cooked up a variable intake valve timing system, which ups the HP from 130 to 170, and gives you 145 lb/ft of torque to work with. Couple this power with the gorgeous Getrag six-speed gear box, and you have speed-on-demand through the entire range of the engine. Seriously. There are no dead spots in the power curve. From stop to redline, the motor will pull and go like a champ, with no perceivable lag anywhere, and it sounds great doing it.  
 
The gear ratios are right on target, too. Normally, with a modern manual transmission (esp. a six-speed) I expect fifth or sixth gear to be sort of an "overdrive" gear; not worth much for performance. However, sixth gear in the SVT is actually a useable gear. All of them are very nicely and smoothly spaced.  
 
In addition to the VIVT system, Ford also stuck in some other improvements, including forged steel connecting rods, aluminum pistons, and a dual-stage intake system, which dramatically improves torque and low-end performance. The compression ratio is also higher, at 10.2:1, so you have to use premium fuel.  
 
There are also some pretty cool mods after the engine, including the dual-mass flywheel and one-in two-out shaft design of the gearbox. If you want to know how these work, you can find the info at http://www.svt.ford.com  
 
You have to be careful when shopping for an SVT Focus, because many dealers will charge an extra fee on top of the MSRP simply because it's an SVT, and therefore more collectible. However, if you shop around, you can find dealers that won't gouge you. I found mine at Covert Ford, in Austin, for sticker: $19,265.00, which is exactly what Ford says they should charge. Northside Ford, in San Antonio, wanted 23K for the same car.  
 
In case you didn't know, not all Ford dealers sell SVT cars. Only specially-authorized dealers get them, and they are only allotted a certain number per year. If you find one for MSRP, don't expect to talk them down on the price, either. SVTs are also usually exempt from any special deals or rebates. Having the SVT badge on your car guarantees a certain level of collectibility, and the dealers know it.  
 
Being an SVT owner has other perks as well. You get a free one-year membership to the SVT Owners Assoc., and a free loaner car when yours is in for servicing. Nice touch.  
 
If you're into it, there are also TONS of aftermarket performance parts available for the Focus. Not that it needs it...  
