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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 9 of 133

#74 of 1316 rear leg room & rear visibility slashed! by creakid1

Feb 19, 2011 (1:57 pm)

Despite being 6-ft wide (fat) like the '06 Lexus LS430, the Focus III in the LA Autoshow has no rear leg room behind the front passenger seat, contrary to the sample I saw about a year prior at a focus group.
 
The new Jetta has excessive leg room my 5'11 frame doesn't need, but the rear seat cushion is uncomfortably low just like its driver's door armrest.
 
Unlike the Rabbit V, the current Golf VI has front passenger seat-height adjustment even on the 3-dr. This mean all Golf's now have enough rear leg room for me.
 
Only expensive compacts are "suppose" to have no rear leg room, such as IS250, A3, Mini Cooper, & WRX (right side only). I guess the Focus III belongs to this category?
 
But what bothers me is that even sedans & coupes today are lacking the "lower-right corner" rear visibility for lane-change/passing (to the right). That was the main reason I chose the '05-07 Focus ST 2.3 sedan over the Mazda3 2.3 sedan. The Mazda3's nervous ride can be calmed down with Gabriel shocks, but the blind rear glass? Forget it.
 
The Focus III doesn't cut it:
http://chrisescars.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/2012-Ford-Focus-Sedan-2.jpg
 
& neither does the foreign Focus II sedan when the rear headrest blocked off the lower right-side corner:
http://news.u-car.com.tw/news-images/8001-9000/8501/nc-20081201-97306.jpg
 
Today, only the Lancer sedan w/o the elevated rear spoiler saved the day:
http://furiouscar.com/wp-content/uploads/Mitsubishi-Lancer-Evolution-MR-Rear-Cen- - - - - - - - - ter-View.jpg
 
But here's a surprise from the near future. Even this compact hatchback can do it! (Wow...)
http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/front_website/gallery.php?id=424504
http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/front_website/gallery.php?o=0&id=424501

#75 of 1316 Re: E-Mail to Ford on 23-Jan-2011 [creakid1] by shipo

Feb 19, 2011 (2:06 pm)

Replying to: creakid1 (Feb 19, 2011 11:00 am)
Uhhh, what?

#76 of 1316 Re: E-Mail to Ford on 23-Jan-2011 [shipo] by creakid1

Feb 19, 2011 (2:29 pm)

Replying to: shipo (Feb 19, 2011 2:06 pm)
Don't you hated when the DSG does not let you go into the neutral mode from time to time such as when the car is slipping, or simply for fee-wheeling coast down like a bicycle?

#77 of 1316 plekto are these... by iluvmysephia1

Feb 20, 2011 (6:14 am)


 
more than likely painted alloys fresh from the Fo-Mo-Co factory? I'd say they probably are. If they wear sooner than usual that might be a concern but the inland Pacific Northwest (the Idaho Panhandle where I live) is not particularly rough on car paint. Wet and snowy and icy, though people throw generous amounts of rock salt down because of long winters here.
 
I would think a person if concerned could stave off early "painted alloy wear down" concerns by applying a wax of some sort to their Fo-Mo-Co (or Chrysler and Chevy, insert brand name here) alloys.

#78 of 1316 Re: gambit293.. [m6user] by baggs32

Feb 21, 2011 (10:09 am)

Replying to: m6user (Feb 18, 2011 11:01 am)
"Keep in mind that there are going to be other new roll outs of current compacts before you're ready to buy in 2013. Civic and Corolla for example and Mazda is going to be doing some pretty neat stuff with diesels it sounds like so the Mazda3 could be up for major body and powertrain revisions too.
"
 
Those are pretty bad examples if you ask me. The Civic has been shown now and it's a total bore. No reason to believe the Corolla will be any different. Those two may somehow beat the Focus, Cruze, etc. on FE but that's where it ends IMO. As for the next Mazda3, Mazda is on a roll with design these days but unfortunately, like Honda, it's in the wrong direction. Their powertrains may turn out to be good but I doubt that will get more people to buy them.
 
"Just lots going on in this segment presently and in the near future. Would be hard to completely decide on what car I am going to buy two years from now.
"
 
If gas is $5 a gallon in two years I can see your point. Based on recent designs I can't see any of your examples taking away his enthusiasm for the new Focus.

#79 of 1316 Re: gambit293.. [baggs32] by m6user

Feb 21, 2011 (11:11 am)

Replying to: baggs32 (Feb 21, 2011 10:09 am)
Two or three years ago nobody would have thought the Focus would be this good either. I would tend to agree with you that it may be a long shot that a couple of these could surpass what Ford has done in the Focus. However, you know nothing more than I do about future drivetrains/styles of these cars. The Forte will probably be due for some major changes by then as well and who knows what Kia will come up with. If you want to believe that the Focus will be the only car worth buying in this group that is certainly your perogative. I just try to keep an open mind.

#80 of 1316 Re: Here's a good look at... [backy] by sandman_6472

Feb 21, 2011 (11:28 am)

Replying to: backy (Feb 18, 2011 8:15 am)
I do...I do! Had those on my 1976 Opel...the worst car ever built! it was the 1st year as Opel was sold to a Japanese company & it truly was an awful ride. Got it used in mid '77 & it nickel & dimed me to death until I went out & bought a different car. Pissed my folks off so much they wouldn't loan me the $2500.00 I needed. Ended up financing through the seller at a 19% interest rate...had just started my career with the postal service & had almost no credit. Funny thing was my folks were millionaires & balked at lending me the $...it turned out this one incident forever changed our relationship & we never rectified it before their death's. When we got married, the 1st thing we did was pay the note off as my bride told me, "we don't finance anything"...except the mortgage!
 
The Sandman

#81 of 1316 Re: 1976 Opel [sandman_6472] by creakid1

Feb 21, 2011 (11:53 am)

Replying to: sandman_6472 (Feb 21, 2011 11:28 am)
Had those on my 1976 Opel...the worst car ever built! it was the 1st year as Opel was sold to a Japanese company & it truly was an awful ride.

The 1976 Chevette & the 1976 (Buick) Opel built by Japanese truck company Isuzu, which continued w/ the stylish Piazza (Impulse), are all the same old Opel-designed RWD compact. I remember how uncomfortable it rides. Even a 1971 Super Beetle w/ the more advanced MacPherson struts can do better. Only a Pinto can do worse.

#82 of 1316 Re: The next Forte [m6user] by creakid1

Feb 21, 2011 (12:03 pm)

Replying to: m6user (Feb 21, 2011 11:11 am)
The Forte will probably be due for some major changes by then as well and who knows what Kia will come up with.
 
I already saw it! The tail lights look very much like the new Focus III sedan's. Rest of the car is quite gorgeous, & seems to be sharing the same platform as the new Elantra. But, remember, beauty is only skin deep. Have you seen a Korean car w/ good steering feel???

#83 of 1316 Re: The next Forte [creakid1] by m6user

Feb 21, 2011 (2:22 pm)

Replying to: creakid1 (Feb 21, 2011 12:03 pm)
Have you seen a Korean car w/ good steering feel???
 
Good is in the eye of the beholder. I dare say that 95% of the people buying them would say they have good(not great) steering feel or they probably wouldn't buy them. I don't particular like their iteration of EPS but it is fairly new and I would expect both that and their handling to improve over time. But 2012 Focus, from what I read, seems to have the best combo of ride and handling. Mazda3 probably handles better but it has a pretty stiff ride.
 
My first car, a 2dr 1960 Ford Falcon w/ 3spd stick on the column had 13" rims as did my 3rd car, a 2dr 1963 Tempest 2sp auto. It was 14" and upwards from then on until today where I have 17" on all 3 of my current rides, a midsize car, a full size p/u and a midsize SUV.

Messages Page 9 of 133

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