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2012 Ford Focus

1316 messages,  Last post on Feb 25, 2013 at 4:53 AM

You are in the Ford Focus Forum.

What is this discussion about? Ford Focus, Ford, Car Buying, Future Vehicle, Coupe, Hatchback, Sedan, Wagon

Messages Page 56 of 132

#551 of 1316 Just as I expected - expensive & cramped [farout] by creakid1

May 26, 2011 (10:46 pm)

Replying to: farout (May 26, 2011 5:47 pm)
which is not what you expected from a "Focus".
 
Why would Ford do this to you?
 
Take a look at the BMW 1-series. It's nearly as expensive as the 3-series, but w/ much less rear leg room plus a more spartan interior. That's b/c the 1-series is really a 3-series shrunken down. So pretty much everything is just as complicated, & thus hardly any less expensive to build.
 
The new Mk3 Focus is also a shrunkened Mondeo, which is the fanciest sedan from "Ford of Europe". You can't even buy one here at any price, & can only dream of owning one (since 2007)...

#552 of 1316 SE modle OTD 21853 by cigdog

May 28, 2011 (5:30 pm)

SE 5-Door Auto Transmission 203A PG Sport PG Red Candy
 
MSRP 22170
 
OTD 21853
 
MA State

#553 of 1316 SE Hatch, 5sp, 201A, Sport & Winter Pkg. by griswald

May 29, 2011 (6:14 am)

Went for a test drive to try out the stick. I'm 6ft 2in tall and had not driven a manual for years so I was interested in how the Focus would pan out. I was very pleased with the driving experience and the out the door price here in Canada. I'm now looking forward to picking up a new silver one Tuesday - yeah!

#554 of 1316 Auto parallel park/Touch system. ?? by pod

May 29, 2011 (9:47 am)

I am officially a luddite and tend to avoid a lot of the "new and wonderful" electronic options since I hardly ever take my eyes off the road for anything. Two offering strike me as bizarre. The auto parallel park seen a some Focus ads make the ad seems like a parody. Does anyone really need this, especially with such a small car? Could it be used on a crowded city street (where it may be helpful for the few)? Wouldn't you set off a riot in the drivers held up behind you while the car does its machinations? Are you in the car or standing clear? Does insurance cover "things the car does on its own"? The most offensive to me is the Ford push for "Touch" systems which by definition require that you take your eyes off the road to read labels and menus, etc. I couldn't think of a more unnecessary and ill-chosen type of system. It requires that you take your eyes off the road. Or am I wrong? I am very happy with the buttons and dials on my 2010 Milan whose positions are memorized quickly. The electronic steering on the new Ford cars seems very sensitive near the straight ahead position and I have found only a second or two of inattention can result in a lot of lane shift. It seems much more sensitive than the older ford hydraulic systems. That's okay but requires eyes on the road discipline.

#555 of 1316 Re: Auto parallel park/Touch system. ?? [pod] by pf_flyer HOST

May 29, 2011 (10:02 am)

Replying to: pod (May 29, 2011 9:47 am)
Luddites of the world unite!
 
Seems like everything they come up with that the car can do FOR you adds another thing to the list of things that people think you don't have to be able to do.
 
Daytime running lights started the list of things I think shouldn't have been done. The evidence? Take a look at the number of cars driving around at night with just DRLs on as if they were headlights.

#556 of 1316 Re: Auto parallel park/Touch system. ?? [pf_flyer] by backy

May 29, 2011 (10:06 am)

Replying to: pf_flyer (May 29, 2011 10:02 am)
That's why they added automatic headlamps... for the idiots who can't figure out how to turn on their headlights. At least with the DRLs you can see them. I see lots of folks out after dark with no lights at all... must have just come from a parking lot.
 
Just try to use the automatic parallel parking feature on your driver's test though!

#557 of 1316 Re: Auto parallel park/Touch system. ?? [pod] by creakid1

May 29, 2011 (6:36 pm)

Replying to: pod (May 29, 2011 9:47 am)
I am very happy with the buttons and dials on my 2010 Milan whose positions are memorized quickly.
 
Yeah, but those idiots probably can't memorize them anyway. So what's the difference...
 
Ford thought they have discontinued the volume-seller inexpensive roomy Focus (& replaced it w/ an expensive cramped "Ford Probe 4-dr coupe"), so they need to offer all those electronic gadgets (even including self-steering anti-lane-departure in some foreign markets ) in order to capture additional sales from idiots w/ no driving skill.
 
But then, by my standard, even drivers who can't enjoy stick are pretty unskillful.

#558 of 1316 Re: Auto parallel park/Touch system. ?? [pod] by lilengineerboy

May 29, 2011 (8:05 pm)

Replying to: pod (May 29, 2011 9:47 am)
he auto parallel park seen a some Focus ads make the ad seems like a parody. Does anyone really need this, especially with such a small car? Could it be used on a crowded city street (where it may be helpful for the few)? Wouldn't you set off a riot in the drivers held up behind you while the car does its machinations? Are you in the car or standing clear?
 
Focus Active Park Assist
 
So the way these guys work is you activate the system and it scans for a parking spot. Once it finds one, it has you stop take your hands off the wheel, put the car in reverse and control the speed with the gas and brake. Once it backs up as far as its willing to, it has the driver shift to drive and again control gas and brake. If its a really tight spot it keeps going back and forth a few times.
 
I guess the advantage is that it will find a spot that is smaller than most would be willing to try on their own. Its not totally autonomous since the driver is still controlling the gas and the brake.

#559 of 1316 Re: Auto parallel park/Touch system. ?? [lilengineerboy] by shipo

May 29, 2011 (8:07 pm)

Replying to: lilengineerboy (May 29, 2011 8:05 pm)
It's really cool to watch the clutch pedal and the stick shift swinging around on their own.

#560 of 1316 shipo... by iluvmysephia1

May 29, 2011 (8:38 pm)

It's really cool to watch the clutch pedal and the stick shift swinging around on their own.
 
Yeah, in a parallel universe!

Messages Page 56 of 132

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