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Hatchbacks Ford Focus Ford Focus Sedan
1997 messages, Last post on Aug 02, 2009 at 5:57 PM
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Replying to: creakid1 (Dec 30, 2006 10:08 pm) I have kept track of my mileage since the car was new and it can vary a lot just on driving habits. In Minnesota we get enough cold to drop it some as well. I lose a couple of MPG if the weather stays below 10 F. My overall average has been 29.5 and my spedo checks out but that is using 10% ethanol. Just watched "An Inconvenient Truth" and that started me thinking about getting a Toyota Prius. Global warming is real and I don’t want to contribute any more to global warming than I have to. |
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The Focus vs Corolla is exactly the match the convinced me of the superiority of the Focus. I drove the sporty Corolla for a couple of weeks out of town on business. The interior was very nice but the driving dynamics terrible. The Corolla lacked a strong on-center feel and was constantly hunting for the line to follow. It was quiet and the engine was smooth but peaky (not much torque). This was a low miles car and later drives in other Corollas confirmed my first impression. The Corolla's suspension and steering lets the rest of the car down. The Corolla can be driven fast, but at much higher revs. The torque band is much higher and narrower and therefore not much use in everyday driving. The Corolla delivers a quiet, relatively luxurious interior and excellent fuel economy but even in the sporty model, not much fun or driver engagement. I spent too much time correcting the Corolla's hunt and peck steering to enjoy the ride. When I drove the Focus ST with the 2.3 liter engine it was like a revelation (especially for the price). The current Corolla is almost a carbon copy of the Focus in basic layout (more vertical arrangement)and size. Styling is subjective, but the Ford's sharp lines look sportier to me and the Corolla's softer curves a little richer but more sedate. The smaller engine in the Corolla does deliver better fuel economy but isn't very comparable in driving experience. That torque in the Ford/Mazda 2.3l makes a huge difference in driving flexibility. All depends on what you want. For me, I want to know where the front-end is going and to feel that kick that only torque can provide in any gear. I know Toyota's reputation for quality and reliability. Ford's reputation is not as good with the public. I've owned both and I've had better reliability and service from Ford than Toyota. (Your individual dealer always matters, no car is good enough to overcome a bad dealer.) The only service worse than my Toyota experiences are my Volkswagen experiences. I like small, sporty cars and have always had at least one in the stable. I'm cost conscious and not especially worried about what other people think. Bang for the buck matters and the Ford Focus delivers on value. My Focus ST is powerfully charming and delivers 38+ mpg on the highway at 55-60 mph. It delivers 30+ mpg at 70-75 mph and high 27-28 mpg in town in mixed driving on 10% ethanol in Midwestern driving. All pretty good in the class. Can a Prius deliver better fuel economy? Yes. Is a Prius anywhere near the same price or fun? No. The Focus ST strikes a pretty good balance in engineering trade-offs for me. It's still time for a new Focus. I want side curtain airbags, better interior styling and a quieter interior, but not at the expense of the superior driving experience.
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Replying to: basiliskst (Jan 02, 2007 9:46 am) http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/direct/view/.ef2656e/66 I remember sitting in the driver seat of the sport-model C-1 w/ impressively supportive long-thigh-length sport seats, but the outward vision is a very wide exterior w/ rather narrow rear-glass visibility out the back even for the sedan, which got those very low head rests that need to be raised in order to clear the intrusion for the rear passengers' upper back & that blocks the rear visibility even worse. "The current Corolla is almost a carbon copy of the Focus in basic layout (more vertical arrangement)and size." I'm 5'11" & only happy with driving position designed by tall people. Even the Swedes have to keep the seat cushion short enough for their female drivers. Just imagine how bad many Japanese designs can torture me. So forget about the Corolla. Even the Mazda3 needs to have the seat raised all the way just to barely provide enough thigh support for me, & then I need the moonroof-less models to clear my headroom. The driving position of a base S40 makes me truely happy. But even our C-170 Focus does just fine! By the way, our C-170 continued to improve after rest of the world discontinued it. The suspension is re-tuned again for comfort after '05. The parts dept confirmed w/ me w/ new part #s for the ST springs, shocks & swaybars. Is your ST an '06? Mine is an '05, therefore, doesn't got a very relaxing ride comfort. |
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Creakid1 asked, I have a 2005 black Focus ST. The leather/suede seats are good, but not great. I'd prefer the ability to independently tilt the seat bottom front and back and some adjustable lumbar support. That said, the seats remind me of some of my older European cars, an R5 and a Volkswagen 411. Both had very comfortable if basic seats. Like the Focus they were more chair height, with wide, firm seat bottoms and backs that hug the lower back. The Focus' seats could roll away on the front edge more gradually. Sometimes it's a bit sharp after a long drive. I'm 6' but drive the Focus from a fairly upright position, much taller and I'd be forced to recline the seat back. My ST is a comfortable car with a firm, well-controlled ride. The tires are always well-planted. None of the floaty, lumpiness of many competitors. My primary complaint is the road noise transmitted into the interior. The noise is more wearing on a long, high-speed trip than the seats. Toss in a few curves and the noise is worth it. The American version of the Focus still honors its European heritage with a ride-handling balance skewed heavily towards sporty control and feedback with less concern for cushy ride comfort. Occasionally I'll hit a stretch of expansion strips at just the right frequency to remind me that the Focus is a small, relatively short wheelbase car, but mostly the ride is firm, controlled and relatively smooth. I'm still impressed after several thousand miles. The Focus ST is fun in every day driving in a way that bigger more expensive sports cars can't be. You can't legally drive most of the expensive, over-achievers anywhere close to their limits. The ST is not perfect, but it's awfully good, especially for the price. I'd pay for more sound proofing, better seats, a more stylish interior, and current safety additions, but my 2005 is still surprisingly competent, especially for the price. I'm a lawyer in my mid-40s and grin every time I drive the ST. |
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Replying to: alfmz3 (Nov 25, 2006 1:23 am) But isn't the Focus for the US & Canada made in Mexico? Why would they import it? I wish they'd bring the Euro version over. I'd consider that model, but I don't care for the 2008 refresh. Just looks kind of ugly to me. The interior looks interesting, I'll give it that much... Man, if I could bring them into the country, I'd drive one up from Mexico back up here...And they get the new Mondeo too! I'll never understand their vehicle lineup. I know the Euro model is more expensive than the NA model, but why not at least import it as a Mercury? As another poster mentioned, GM finally got a clue and is using Saturn to bring in some of their Euro products here. Ford could do the same with Mercury instead of just rebadging existing NA Ford product. At least in Mexico they get the choice.
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Replying to: sir_timbit (Jan 13, 2007 12:37 pm) Not since the '05 facelift (U.S.-built only). I spoke to a driver in Mexico about his Euro-spec (yellow rear turn signals, better-equipped dashboard, lock-able gas cap, different bumpers, etc.) C-170 Focus. He thinks his car is made in Mexico. I thought that once the Mexican factory stopped supplying the cheap-spec U.S. Focus, it simply applied the Euro-spec as their '05 facelift, b/c I saw this car in their Ford-dealer show room last year. I wasn't sure if it was built domestically or imported from Europe b/c Europe's C-170 production might have already been converted to the new C-1. & then lately I saw the new expensive C-1 (imported from Europe) in their new-car show room: http://www.ford.com.mx/vehicles/vehicles.asp?idModel=FOC Too bad -- 2.0 only. I wish they import the 1.6, which has better steering feel due to the conventional hydraulic pwr steering, so I can bring one (w/ stick) over here just make people in the U.S. territory look stupid w/ their ugly '08 creation.  I sat in an '05 C-1 Focus overseas w/ sport package. & these front blue-cloth/leather sport seats are so cool w/ the super-long & supportive thigh cushion -- something you wouldn't find in a Japanese-engineered IS300. Mexicans can still buy the cheap Fiesta as their entry-level Ford sedan. "I know the Euro model is more expensive than the NA model, but why not at least import it as a Mercury?" They did. At first it was the pre-'79 Mercury Capri. Then later they changed the brand name to German & called it "Merkur". The Sierra 3-dr w/ the engine replaced by a turbocharged 2.3 Pinto engine was called the XR4Ti. The Scorpio 5-dr had the original 2.9 V6. Neither one was reliable. Another European lemon was Rover's Acura-Legend based sedan imported from Britain & sold under the "Sterling" (just to sound British) name plate. Again, the reputation of these North-America-only "made-up Euro name plates" all went down the drain. |
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Replying to: gibsonlp5902 (May 23, 2006 8:30 pm) |
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Replying to: bobk14 (Oct 21, 2003 4:52 am)
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Replying to: bronco5 (Feb 05, 2007 2:59 pm) Most dealers charge $75 for this. Mark. |
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| Just purchased a used 05 focus sedan SE, with 33500 miles. The engine has a sort of vibration in low gears and when idling. I can feel it in the steering wheel. Find that the engine is a little noisy at idle, aside from the vibration. Is this normal for a Focus? Is there anything that I should get checked while it still is in warranty? | |
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