The writer of the article seems to be suffering from talkingouthisbuttitis. A common malady suffered by motoring journalists, especially those who never get to test anything exotic.
As for the Focus, I have driven both UK and US spec models. UK ones have sharp, precise handling and are fun to drive. They may not be that fast in a straight line, but get one on a tight twisty road, and you can have fun. US spec ones, on the other hand, have a soggy ride, and are slow to change directions. They may have more power, but there is no fun. In short, they are freeway cruisers. The culprit is soft springs and dampers; Ford probably belives that Americans want a soft ride so they don't spill anything that may be stuffed into the numerous cupholders. This is not helped by state planners who insist that any and every road runs as straight as possible. Ancient Romans would be right at home in planning meetings - they built straight roads too. <img src=icon_smile.gif border=0 align=middle><img src=icon_smile.gif border=0 align=middle><img src=icon_smile.gif border=0 align=middle> (Anyone guess I miss the twisty roads back home in Olde England? <img src=icon_smile_sad.gif border=0 align=middle>)
What I think Hyundai should do is release a road version of the 4x4 turbo Tiburon rally car. Ford Europe did this with the Escort Cosworth (225bhp, 4x4, sweet bodywork mods <img src=icon_smile_tongue.gif border=0 align=middle>
http://liquidcooledpc.dyndns.org/pictures/escort-rs-cosworth.jpg) and now Subaru have done it with the Imprezza WRX. If Hyundai released a real high performance vehicle, they might be taken a lot more seriously with the auto press.
Look at what else you can get for the price of a top-of-the-line Tibby - a base model Cavalier coupe, a Saturn SC2, Pontiac Sunfire or mid-range Honda Civic. Even uninspring sedans like the Suzuki Esteem can cost more.
There is one big thing that all these numbnut journo's forget - spending less on the basic vehicle means you can spend a whole lot more on modifications. Why buy a $20K vehicle that is identical to every other one on the roads, when you can spend the same on something unique and personalised to you.<img src=icon_smile_evil.gif border=0 align=middle>