For Ford, 2005, the year the company claimed it would get back to selling honest-to-gawd cars, started in the spring of 2004 with the launch of the 2005 Focus lineup. Because of new Ford Five Hundreds, Freestyles, and Mustangs popping up in Ford showrooms, it's easy to overlook the refreshed Focus.

Since the Focus was launched in North America as a 2000 model, in-the-know car zealots have consistently turned to it for cheap thrills. Ride and handling that belied its price, modern design and a roomy cabin were all Focus attributes in a price class where such expectations were admittedly low. A certain model that had "SVT" on its flanks certainly pushed the right buttons with enthusiasts too.

Originally, the only caveat to Focus ownership was a recall list in its first two years that would have early Focus owners racking up more miles riding in their dealer's courtesy shuttles than on the cars they had just purchased. Today, to Ford's credit, the Focus ranks as a top pick with various consumer mags and folks who research such things. Folks like JD Power & Associates who rank the Focus well above the industry average in its Initial Quality Survey--equal to the illustrious Honda Civic.

These improvements in quality are small consolations for car zealots who are looking for a 2005 SVT Focus. Don't bother. The SVT hot hatch is gone, supplanted with the less powerful ZX4 ST sedan. It's the only 2005 Focus that receives the Mazda-derived 150 horsepower 2.3 litre dual overhead cam straight-four engine. And the ST package is only available on the four-door sedan, not exactly a sports compact enthusiast's choice. It also doesn't receive the carefully crafted suspension pieces that the 2002-2004 SVT Focus benefited so much from, and well ... it's just not an SVT!

To simplify the 2005 model lineup, every Ford Focus gets a "ZX" nameplate. The usual suspects (except the SVT!) are here: three-door hatchback ZX3 ($17,555); four-door sedan ZX4 ($16,795), five-door hatch ZX5 ($21,755) and the wagon ZXW ($19,565).

At $26,145 our test Focus ZXW (with its SES level of trim plus automatic transmission, moonroof, perimeter alarm, and 6-disc in-dash MP3 player as options), is approaching Volkswagen Jetta GLS money ($27,320, base with auto). Beyond the demise of the SVT (Get over it! - Ed.), you will find the most noticeable changes to the Focus are on the inside.

Gone are the cheap and ill-fitting plastic swooshes and ellipses from the original model. They have been replaced with a dash and instrument layout that is close to said Jetta in quality and execution. It's not as dramatic as the previous Focus, but it is certainly better put together using higher quality plastics. Our car being an SES came with a two-tone interior scheme with the lower portions of the instrument panel and door trim panels finished in a lighter shade.

Ergonomically, there's little to fault with the Focus. Because of the tall body, you sit fairly upright and the steering wheel/pedals/shifter relationship is good. The one down side is that I could not find a sweet spot with the front seats. Your body shape however may. Also challenging the Jetta was our ZXW SES's luxury accoutrements.

Heated leather seats, one-touch power windows, and a thick, leather-clad steering wheel with proper thumb indents, and redundant audio and cruise controls, are all unique in this price class. A similarly equipped Jetta would be thousands more.