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You're right about the Focus' interior material. I got to warn all of you before buying an '05 Focus -- the air coming out of the vents of my charcoal interior kept giving me (& everyone else) a nauseating plastic smell, & I had this '05 ST since Oct '04. I don't lower the seat all the way, so my right elbow feels just right & relaxing resting on that high center armrest while shifting the stick. Other than that, the Focus' elastic ride & responsive handling is like a dream, & the Civic/Corolla can't even come close.

"Its not the best compact car out there..." Than what is? The Accord may be a slightly better car overall, but who sez it's a compact? Except when comes to resale, it sure digs into your wallet in a rather compact way. At under 67" width, the Focus evades Japan's wide-car tax, which should start at 170cm. I bought the fun little narrow-&-tall BUT STABLE Focus ST b/c these wider Mazda3 & S40 actually got a narrower rear-glass visibility to offer instant safe passing to the right, plus the new electro-hydraulic steering assist hurts steering feel. Other "telephone booth" cars w/ high chair tend to feel tippy over high-speed corners b/c their platforms aren't German designed. By the way, how many compact cars rides as smoothly as the Focus SES?

I just test drove'em all (SE & SES) over the weekend & fell in love w/ the SES, which neither Mazda nor Volvo can match this final tuning. My God, for just over $14k, I can have an "ultra comfy yet sporty" SES w/ ABS & audiophile. Even if price is no object, where else are you gonna find a car that handles & rides this good w/ compact length, width & turning circle. Not the Civic, not even the C-class or the 3-series! As an ST owner, I'm jealous of the comfy-riding SES. :(

Manual is for pleasure. That's why Ford builds the '05 ST sedan Focus just for you -- stick only!