I am shopping for a new car. I drive a lot for work, over 2k miles a month. So I'm looking for something fuel efficient and fun to drive. So focus owners... Why should I get a focus over a Chevy cruze eco?

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Because the Focus doesn't look like an Ecobox pile of poo.

Focus Hatch for the win!!

If you are looking for something fuel efficient and "Fun to drive" get the Focus!

obvious on the focus boards its gonna be one sided, but everyone ive talked to hates everything bout the cruze, its a plain boring car, just like toyota's.......

One of my friends just bought the cruze, fully loaded, and i must say i liked it. It drove smooth, it had nice pickup, pretty good stock speakers i must say, overall id say it was a nice car. I was impressed with the interior quality not so much plasticki (sp) Ive only been in two of the new foci, and both have been base models. So as of now id get the cruze overall lol but then again if i were in a titanium it may be a different reaction. idkk But hey he loves it nd he said hes getting great mpg, idk what thou.

In your case, find a loaded titanium (if your willing to spend $), get a feel for it, sit in it, take some pictures, drive it, then find a equally loaded cruze and do the same. IM sure you can come up with an answer. And search some chevy forums im pretty sure people have reviewed that car on there.

At the end of the day, it comes down to $$$. How much are you willing to spend.

I am shopping for a new car. I drive a lot for work, over 2k miles a month. So I'm looking for something fuel efficient and fun to drive. So focus owners... Why should I get a focus over a Chevy cruze eco?

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Because you said fun to drive in your requirements, then the Focus is the one.
The Focus is the drivers car in this segment.

Don't just take this forum's word for it, do a Google search for '2012 Ford Focus vs' and you'll see video on side-by-side comparisons. I've watched them all and the undeniable winner has been the Focus in every comparison, but you should be your own judge.

OK! I can end this debate right now. I grew up a chevy kid. My dad was a GM worker and I always hated the direction of FORD. Within the last 5 years I have seen FORD change everything they stood for over the last century. The Mustang is still a giant lump of crap and probably always will be. But in this segment, Ford has worked and designed the best car in its class. BAR NONE! I went and drove the "cruze"... to be honest, I am not sure chevy understands that it is not 1994. I felt like I was in a new lumina. You also have to understand how dealerships work. They pack these cars up with options so it drives up the price of these cars. The cruze was cool and classy, BUT OMG WAS IT BORING! The first time I saw a new FOCUS I could not believe my eyes. I had to drive one(BTW the first time I saw one it was the owner of a Ford dealership who lives in my neighborhood). I went and drove a base hatch and hated the interior and lack of power(I had never driven a powershift). But I know how dealerships are. So I went to a different dealer and drove a packed SEL and fell in love. I tested it through the burbs of Boston. I roared through corners and beat all the yellow lights. I ordered my Titanium that day. In the end, go drive them. You will not need to ask anymore questions. For once, Ford does not need to sell you the car. The car sells itself. GO NOW.

It's a fun car but calling it THE driver's car for the segment is quite a bold statement. Obviously there's going to be a lot of bias in this forum as some members already pointed out.

I love many things about the 2012 Focus and it'll most likely be one of my top choices for next car... but not being able to fully disable stability control is what drops it down a notch for me as far as being a "driver's car". Its price versus package options can also be a turnoff for some people who are purely looking for key handling features.

I'd argue that technically speaking the Mazda3 s Sport, Impreza 2.5i, Golf, Scion tC, and Lancer GTS are other great choices. You'll sacrifice the gadgets and fuel economy of the Focus, but there's no arguing that these are also fun to drive cars that fit within the same price range. All of these come equipped with a decent engine, independent rear suspension, 4-wheel disc brakes, etc.

Although I don't think the Cruze will ever come up in a conversation when it comes to "fun cars". It's a solid car that offers a lot for its price. But I just don't think it's dialed in properly to be what an exclusive sport compact. The turbocharged trim sounds exciting at first... but it just doesn't inspire you to push the car much. And that's fine because that's not really its intended demographic.

I might add that I traded in my '04 Mazda3 S for the Focus.

I have driven the cruze and i plan on driving the focus this week. I have to say I was impressed with the cruze. It drove nice and shifted well in the manual. I don't love the front end of the focus. But i do like the rest of the body design of the sedan. The technology in the ford wins out for me. But the cruze interior felt nice.

The motor trend side by side was obviously biased though. They both seem like great cars. When I drive the focus ill have to see if the price difference between the cruze and the focus sel with sfe will be worth it.

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Because the Focus doesn't look like an Ecobox pile of poo.

^ Hahahahahahahaha. Pretty much.

I watched a quick "vs" of the Ti Focus and well kitted out Cruze, I can't remember how much more MPG the Focus got, but it did get more in their tests they did! This is what I think of Chevy [gunfire] Cruzzze.

It is really all about how well you like driving one or the other.
All the rest is not important.
I am a pretty di-hard Ford driver. but what makes a car good for one person is not what does it for another.
So try them out. period. Buy the one that makes YOU feel like "Hey i bought a great car!"
simple.
Do not buy the one all the magazines tell you to buy.
Do not buy the one your friends tell you to buy.
Buy the one YOU like best.
[driving]

Drive them both, maybe consider renting one of each for a weekend to really get a feel for each vehicle.

Having driven both a '12 Focus and '12 Cruze around merely a parking lot, I can say the Cruze impressed me for it being a Chevy and me not.. really caring much for Chevy quality in the past. It seems to be quite a well made car. It's a shame (as far as I've heard..) that Chevy won't do an SS Cruze because it'd be a great car.

Completely un-biased.

Go with your gut based on looks.

Chevrolet Cruze: http://hothotbuzz.com/wp-content/gallery/chevrolet-cruze/chevrolet_cruze_2011_1.jpg

Ford Focus
http://www.blogcdn.com/autos.aol.ca/media/2011/03/01-2012-ford-focus-platinum.jpg

My pants are now wet after seeing the Focus.
It's THE pick up and go car. Can't go wrong with a FoFo plus you get an awesome forum community that alone is worth choosing Ford.

I drove both cruze models in manual tranny, i found the cruze the closest competition, I found the cruze has a nice interior at lower trim levels, and i only liked the focus after spending about 22k, whereas the cruze i could get for 16k. In the end driving them the focus won, not only was it alot more solid but the cruze felt like a bigger car, also both cruze models were about equal in speed, the 1.4 made a bit more noise and had a lil more pull but it didn't really get u anywhere any faster. Focus is your best bet, it's what i have on order right now :)

The Mustang is still a giant lump of crap and probably always will be.

With 412hp, a lighter weight and better or equal performance than the competition, I'd hardly call it a piece of crap.

If you DO get the Cruze.. get the Cruze RS. My sister-in-law just bought one a few months ago. It looks nice, gets hella awesome gas mileage, and is dead quiet inside the cabin while going down the highway..

BUT since I'm a Focus guy.. I like the 2012 Foci more. They look better to me. They're more unique looking than a Cruze. They also get great gas mileage. Plus.. they're a Ford.. so they weren't built with bailout money. [thumb]

With 412hp, a lighter weight and better or equal performance than the competition, I'd hardly call it a piece of crap.

I knew someone would cry about that lol. I don't really blame the mustang as much as I blame the owners. They truly and honestly believe that they own the best sports car on the road. Btw? What is the competition? There are 90 trim levels and your price ranges from $25k to $70k. When you are buying a muscle car just buy a C5 Z06 for $20k. These are opinions. Oh... but I own a 2011 Corvette.

I knew someone would cry about that lol. I don't really blame the mustang as much as I blame the owners. They truly and honestly believe that they own the best sports car on the road. Btw? What is the competition? There are 90 trim levels and your price ranges from $25k to $70k. When you are buying a muscle car just buy a C5 Z06 for $20k. These are opinions. Oh... but I own a 2011 Corvette.

Well, you own one of the best bangs for the buck anyways, but Mustang owners (like me) are proud to own a piece of American Iron that has a rich history.

And it's not a 'sports car'. It's American Muscle that is relatively affordable to buy and own, and it's a blast to drive. The competition for a Mustang, as I'm sure you know, is the Camaro and Challenger. And I love both those cars too. I had a 2010 Camaro and it was awesome. It's a great time we live in when we can even discuss current generations of all 3 of these awesome rides.

The Vette is in a different class altogether and you won't see me saying anything negative about them. They are great cars.

The Chevy interior is CRAP. I hated it when I sat in it. The door panel dug into my leg, the cloth accent along the dash is cheap, tacky, and hideous. The instruments and stack are all set up nicely but this leather seats were PAPER THIN. I could feel the frame in my back. I also got terrible customer service from the dealership (thats subjective, I know) so I've completely wiped it off my charts.

The Focus, although a bit narrow on the passenger side, was pretty much ace. The seats were super comfortable, the dash material above par, the design intriguing, and sync is outstanding.

Mind you these are my opinions based off my experiences. On a comfort level I found the Focus to be the winner.

With 412hp, a lighter weight and better or equal performance than the competition, I'd hardly call it a piece of crap.

Um, my buddy has a slightly modified Mustang GT Cali Specail with 302 mustang heads, intake, exhaust, tune, and he's tearing apart M5s and M3s in the races, beat a stock shelby, and any ricer car just gets stuck behind his tail lights the thing is a [:)][:)][:)][:)][:)][:)]g beast...The interior is flipping amazing, the technology is very nice, the car is far from crap...

I must say, each time I pass a cruze on the road I stop and stare. They have decent specs as well. But in any real world test I have seen, the Focus comes out on top each time. When the Focus ST comes out however, the Cruze is off the table, haha.
And like others have said, when it comes time for some modifications, or the inevitable repair, the focus community is pretty dependable.

And like others have said, when it comes time for some modifications, or the inevitable repair, the focus community is pretty dependable.

You make it sound unreliable. What makes you think there'll be inevitable repairs? [slap]

One strike against the new Focus seems to be build quality. I do not personally own one, and may be biased from watching all of the 2012 owners gripe on the boards, but it seems like the headliners tend towards falling apart, the door seals leak, MFT is a work in progress (to be kind) and there are some issues with lane wandering at highway speeds.

That said, it is still better than a car that has been built by the lowest bidder, paid for by the government.

One strike against the new Focus seems to be build quality. I do not personally own one, and may be biased from watching all of the 2012 owners gripe on the boards, but it seems like the headliners tend towards falling apart, the door seals leak, MFT is a work in progress (to be kind) and there are some issues with lane wandering at highway speeds.

That said, it is still better than a car that has been built by the lowest bidder, paid for by the government.

Anyone who remembers the 2000 model year launch of the American Focus should be feeling some deja vu right now. In all fairness this applies to any new model year vehicle from any manufacturer. There really should be no surprise at this point.

It especially applies to first model years from Ford. They like to do all their quality control testing by selling things to the public and seeing what breaks.

Chevy isn't better, though. If they were, they wouldn't be going bankrupt.

It's hard to feel sympathy for those new owners though. They should know this basic rule. And plus they got some incredible incentives involving brochure coupons and cashback for tech packages. I was extremely tempted to impulse buy a 2012 SE sedan (not gonna lie, the thing looks gorgeous to me) but luckily my sense of logic won that little battle.

If it makes Focus owners feel any happier, the Cruze had a recall (http://blogs.wsj.com/drivers-seat/2011/04/10/chevy-recalls-cruze-after-a-steering-wheel-falls-off/) where the entire STEERING WHEEL would come right off.

Steering wheels are for [:)][:)][:)][:)]ies. I just roundhouse kick my wheels when I want to turn.

I haven't had one issue with my 2012 Focus other than I just don't like some things about the dual clutch tranny operation - which to my understanding, is pretty much the way every automated manual tranny is thats available today.

But as far as fit and finish and everything else, it's been awesome. And the car just looks damn good sitting there.

I liked the Cruze 2nd best behind the Focus out of what I test drove (Focus, Cruze, Civic, Corolla, Elantra). It's a bit cheaper than the Focus.

I drive rental cars on a daily basis which means I have driven every car in this class that you can buy right now. I prefer the focus over the cruz because it is more fun to drive. The cruz seemed bland to me in the interior and I do not find the exterior to be attractive at all. The Focus looks ok to me. My only complaint is that the focus interior is poorly designed ergonomically and the interior feels cheaper than it looks.

I prefer the fiesta over both but that may be too small.
I like the civic a lot more than ever before and would even consider that over a focus.
Corolla. No.
Have you looked at hyundais lately? I like them but have not been in their more economical models for any exteded period of time (accent, elantra)

You make it sound unreliable. What makes you think there'll be inevitable repairs? [slap]

It isn't that I think there will be inevitable repairs. I think you should consider the fact that any new vehicle can require repair, and what is available to you to get it fixed. [whip]

There will be issues for any new vehicle. But year two of a car usually is better than the first.

I am also looking at the sonata and elantra. But they aren't as high on my list as focus or cruze.

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I wasn't registered on this forum, then I came across this post and had to join so I could give my feedback to the OP.

I just purchased a 2012 Focus SE Hatch auto (sync and convenience) 1 month ago and have put about 1,000 miles on it.

I just had a Cruze LTZ auto (full load) last week as a rental car (work travels). Less than 6,000 miles so still fairly new.

The Focus wins hands down for me because it's way more fun to drive and I think it looks much better. I couldn't wait to get home and drive the Focus again! :)

- Cruze had a horrible transmission (Focus DCT is much better)
- Cruze engine didn't have as much spunk (could have been the tranny)
- Cruze computer displays are very plain (Focus has some style)
- Cruze handled like my Mom's old 1990 Chevy Cavalier (I have always like the Focus handling)
- Cruze had more bells/whistles, but when it comes down to it, the handling, engine, and transmission are what you use all the time. Buttons, switches, gadgets you can live without (but are available on higher model Focus' than mine)

Hopefully that helps...

;D

I should add that I didn't even drive the Cruze when I was looking for a new vehicle because on paper the Focus seemed better to me. I think I made the right decision.

^Thanks for the input! You should definitely stick around! [cheers]

The Mustang is still a giant lump of crap and probably always will be. .

I saw this and couldnt leave it alone sorry. Ya are aware that its been one of the longest running production cars ever and is alot of the reason why Ford is where they are today. That car alone has brought many great engine platforms to the playing field, many of which I would stick in my street rod.

Im however glad that you have seen the change that Ford has made in the past 5 years, and I do agree that in the mid 90's they were pretty much a boring company with little to offer but the trucks, an escort and a outdated mustang.

I should also add when i test drove the manual cruze i was letting off the clutch on a hill, and let it out a lil too fast to the point where u would get a harder sortive shudder, but instead of the normal shudder u would expect it made a metal on metal clanking sound, big turn off!!

I knew someone would cry about that lol. I don't really blame the mustang as much as I blame the owners. They truly and honestly believe that they own the best sports car on the road. Btw? What is the competition? There are 90 trim levels and your price ranges from $25k to $70k. When you are buying a muscle car just buy a C5 Z06 for $20k. These are opinions. Oh... but I own a 2011 Corvette.

Corvette and Mustang in the same class?

/thread

That right there just tells me how naive you are. Mustang is the best car for your money against the heavy Challenger and ugly Scrapmaro. 412 HP and 390 ft torque is not crap in my opinion. The Mustang has been around for almost 50 years, and the Challenger and Camaro want to come back and steal its spotlight when they both have been on an hiatus for years and years.

Oh and the Mustang can almost beat an M3 of 70k-80k for quarter of the price? Educate yourself before you call a car a piece of crap.

It's and opinion. Grow up. I never stated that they were in the same class... as a matter of fact, no one did. The fact that you would let a statement about a car upset you to the point where you attack someone personally is really sad. The previous posters gave statements and opinions. Also note that I have switched to a ford because of how great they have done turning their cars around. I also stated that I blame mustang owners. You pretty much fall into that category I assume?

Corvette and Mustang in the same class?

/thread

That right there just tells me how naive you are. Mustang is the best car for your money against the heavy Challenger and ugly Scrapmaro. 412 HP and 390 ft torque is not crap in my opinion. The Mustang has been around for almost 50 years, and the Challenger and Camaro want to come back and steal its spotlight when they both have been on an hiatus for years and years.

Oh and the Mustang can almost beat an M3 of 70k-80k for quarter of the price? Educate yourself before you call a car a piece of crap.


So M3s are in a mustangs category? Or was that an opinion?

I went and sat in the Cruze today IMO you sit to low but it is a nice looking car for a re badged Daewoo

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I've read pretty much all the reviews on the topic I am a die hard ford guy so I'm gonna tell you focus, but the cruze would make a nice family car I guess the focus is a little more sporty and fun to drive.


[offtopic]
I think focustitan is smoking crack....mustang beats camaro and challenger in every comparison I've seen (those are cars in its class btw) and if you want to talk about price you can't compare new cars to used ones, makes no sense. If the regular ole mustang isn't good enough for you do me a favor and check the new Boss 302, spanks pretty much everything in its class and price range. Actually had the pleasure of driving a laguna seca edition all I have to say is WOW. [headbang]

Is it possible to get a model with sfe and the sport suspension? I test drove a focus without the sport option. Honestly I was a bit disappointed. I like the displays and the room. But it felt like I really had to hit the pedal to accelerate well. It's still an option. But I'll have to try it again without the ideas of how much i've heard it talked up.

I also tried a new 2.0t sonata. I have to say that was a fun drive. But it's a 12-18% percent loss in fuel economy which is the reason I'm buying a new car.

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I test drove a Cruze with the RS and a Focus SEL. Although I liked the Cruze a lot, I felt the Focus was a better all around car. I bought the Focus in May and am very happy with the purchase.

We bought our son a chevy cruze and I was sharing it with him prior to my Focus order coming in. They are both nice cars but I prefer the looks of the Focus HB and yes the Focus is a bit more fun to drive. It feels much sportier. The gas mileage is very close.
You will like either one, pick the one you think looks nicer.

I went and sat in the Cruze today IMO you sit to low but it is a nice looking car for a re badged Daewoo

Not exactly... More of a 'global' effort:

Underpinned by the front-wheel drive GM Delta II platform, GM has confirmed the Cruze development program occurred under a global design and engineering team. Most of the design work was conducted by GM Daewoo (now GM Korea), with GM's Opel division responsible for most of the engineering. This development program spanned over 27 months at a cost of US$4 billion. A total of 221 prototypes were tested in Australia, Canada, China, South Korea, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States.

from Wikipedia

I read somewhere that Toyota sold the cavalier under Toyota in Japan

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Before you go getting sold on Hyundai fuel economy, you should do some research on real world results. Motortrend did a test comparing automatic C segment cars, and the discrepancy between the advertised fuel economy of the Sonata and the real world was tremendous. You can expect all of them to get less than what the sticker says for the first 10k miles or so, but when you go from 40 to 23- that's considerable. We had a few FF's who chose to go Hyundai, and I've been hoping they wouldn't leave the board so we could see what their real world fuel economy and experience with the car was like. Unfortunately, everyone runs off.

The best fuel economy on that test was, no surprise, the Jetta TDI which can be had in sedan form for about what you'd pay for a loaded Focus. These cars are nearly impossible to find used for a reason, but the interior is uber bland. Some people like that though. I would like that there is a radio I can replace without having to purchase a multi-million dollar dash kit.

OH, it's out of the price range, but I'd also like to add that I really like the Volt. It is built how electric hybrid cars should be built, and the technology comes from the money that taxpayers spent on the program linked in my signature. It is completely different from current hybrid Atkinson cycle tech. Unfortunately, it's so expensive that it would take 10 years to overcome the difference of purchase price in the cost of fuel for most people, and I don't see the car lasting that long.

The fuel economy of the sonata was actually what's keeping me from it. With how much driving I do the reduced mpg makes it no longer a contender.

The tdi does seem like a good choice. But i dislike the design of the car. Also I had a passat for years and it ended up with a lot of issues that were expensive to get the parts for. So I'm staying away from vw.

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The tdi does seem like a good choice. But i dislike the design of the car. Also I had a passat for years and it ended up with a lot of issues that were expensive to get the parts for. So I'm staying away from vw.

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That's a shame because the MkV/MkVI gen VWs have been extremely reliable in my experience (pushing 67k miles now). But I'm going to have to agree that the MkVI designs are getting ugly and bland.

Part expenses are about the same as Ford in my experience. My insurance is actually much cheaper than my old Focus despite having considerably more horsepower, but the terrible fuel economy of the 2.5L engine offsets those savings. 2.0T or TDI would be the way to go if you'd ever consider VW again... but neither are cheap options.

I probably won't be going with VW again unless they bring the Polo to the US (which they've been promising for years now). The Golf is just way too overpriced for what it offers now. I'd be paying $3k more for identical specs and less features in today's market. I'm not holding my breath at this point, and I don't blame you if you don't either.

I'd say the 2012 Focus is an outstanding option and a no brainer... except I'd be weary of first year model issues that some owners have been reporting. I've got my eye on both that and the Fiesta, but will probably wait until the 2013 model year comes around.

Have you also looked into Mazda as an option? The Mazda3 is getting a SkyActiv (http://www.mazda.com/mazdaspirit/skyactiv/) trim option this year (no release date specified). It's supposedly the equivalent of the 2012 Focus with the use of direct injection etc. It's supposed to get a slight exterior redesign too, but from what I've seen the goofy front-end smile still remains. Style issues aside I've heard nothing but great things about the new Mazda3.

I considered the Mazda 3 to be the runner up when we ordered our Focus, but the Focus got better fuel economy, had turn signals in the mirrors, and more space behind the rear seats.

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I thought about the mazdas as well. They're great cars but don't get the fuel economy I'm looking for. And that's one of the biggest factors for me.

I personally loved my vw until around 90k miles. Then it became one problem after another. And with the 20k + I drive a year I need something that's going to last more than 5 years.

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Just read ur post and had to comment, i just sold me 2000 TDI Golf for 500$ (as it was in rougher shape)

That's a shame because the MkV/MkVI gen VWs have been extremely reliable in my experience (pushing 67k miles now). But I'm going to have to agree that the MkVI designs are getting ugly and bland.


agree 100%

Part expenses are about the same as Ford in my experience. My insurance is actually much cheaper than my old Focus despite having considerably more horsepower, but the terrible fuel economy of the 2.5L engine offsets those savings. 2.0T or TDI would be the way to go if you'd ever consider VW again... but neither are cheap options.

I dont think this could be further from the truth, my golfs parts cost shit loads!, it's not too bad if they happen to have the part in stock (which they never did) otherwise they have to fly the part in and build all the shipping into the prices

As for insurance, i was payign 197/month liability only on my golf worth 500$, now i pay 283/month full coverage on a brand new focus, the golf has a very high insurance rate

I traded a 2010 fusion for a 2012 focus titanium and I like it much better. It is a fun car to drive and I have had no problems with it. The chevy cruze is a old fashion car and very plain. It's a matter of taste. I also have a mustang 2008 and have never had any problems. I prefer ford products over chevy. Again it is a matter of taste.

As far as the first year problems with the 2012 Focus and powershift transmission- not everyone is having problems. Lots of it has to do with what you're used to in a vehicle. I'd guess that drivers who were more familiar with manual transmissions would report less issues with the powershift than those who are accustomed to automatics. Unfortunately, this advanced design is likely going to be shelved in favor of torque converters in the next few years partially due to customer complaints, and more likely due to cost differences between designing, re-designing, and just having ZF make you an 8 spd. It will be interesting to see how that works out for Ford. I thought they had enough of 3rd party designed parts after the Powerstroke and electronics issues of the early 00's.

I read somewhere that Toyota sold the cavalier under Toyota in Japan

Yep. I used to have a Sunfire many years ago and was on those forums.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chevrolet_Cavalier#Toyota_Cavalier

Yep. I used to have a Sunfire many years ago and was on those forums.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chevrolet_Cavalier#Toyota_Cavalier

I thought the sunfire looked better than the cavalier I use to like the pontiac grand am year 2000+

I couldn't even force myself to compare the Cruze when looking. I drove the Elantra, the Forte, the Mazda3 and just for kicks, a GTI. To say the least, the GTI beat the pants off of all of the others hands down, but that's comparing apples to oranges. In the end, the Focus gave me more of an involved feeling, even for an auto. I couldn't stand the clatter of the Elantra and the others just weren't right for me. I am still not happy to have to drive and auto, but at least the rest of the car more than makes up for that one downside.

OK! I can end this debate right now. I grew up a chevy kid. My dad was a GM worker and I always hated the direction of FORD. Within the last 5 years I have seen FORD change everything they stood for over the last century. The Mustang is still a giant lump of crap and probably always will be. But in this segment, Ford has worked and designed the best car in its class. BAR NONE! I went and drove the "cruze"... to be honest, I am not sure chevy understands that it is not 1994. I felt like I was in a new lumina. You also have to understand how dealerships work. They pack these cars up with options so it drives up the price of these cars. The cruze was cool and classy, BUT OMG WAS IT BORING! The first time I saw a new FOCUS I could not believe my eyes. I had to drive one(BTW the first time I saw one it was the owner of a Ford dealership who lives in my neighborhood). I went and drove a base hatch and hated the interior and lack of power(I had never driven a powershift). But I know how dealerships are. So I went to a different dealer and drove a packed SEL and fell in love. I tested it through the burbs of Boston. I roared through corners and beat all the yellow lights. I ordered my Titanium that day. In the end, go drive them. You will not need to ask anymore questions. For once, Ford does not need to sell you the car. The car sells itself. GO NOW.

Besides what you said about the mustang (owners) This is the best thing I've read in a long time. I see where your going with the owner thing but I can say the same thing for corvette owners. (no pun intended)

Corvette and Mustang in the same class?


10 years ago I would have said no, But I believe now they are which is why mustang and corvette are compared to each other all the time. With a 600+hp $100K ZR1 and 700+hp $100k Super snake I think they are very much in the same class. The mustang has a back seat and better interior. the corvette is far from being a super car as most people have classified it as.

There will be issues for any new vehicle. But year two of a car usually is better than the first.

I am also looking at the sonata and elantra. But they aren't as high on my list as focus or cruze.

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I couldn't even force myself to compare the Cruze when looking. I drove the Elantra, the Forte, the Mazda3 and just for kicks, a GTI. To say the least, the GTI beat the pants off of all of the others hands down, but that's comparing apples to oranges. In the end, the Focus gave me more of an involved feeling, even for an auto. I couldn't stand the clatter of the Elantra and the others just weren't right for me. I am still not happy to have to drive and auto, but at least the rest of the car more than makes up for that one downside.

My mother inlaw just bought a 2011 Elanra touring she traded her 2009 Santa Fe for it. It rides like crap it's cheaper built and she has had to send it back for repairs three times. The 2009 Santa fe was amazing in fact we almost bought one instead of the focus. Amazing might be too strong a word but it was a damn nice crossover for the money.





To the OP. My neighbors wife just traded her dodge Nitro for one nice car haven't driven one don't really want to. I've always been against GM for a while. I've heard it all from GM owners but really no matter how good they make em look I just can't get over the bad reliability once the warranty runs out it's almost like the GM has it programmed to fry everything. I can go on and on but the only they have going for them is crate motors they can build a nice motor but they still haven't quite figured out how to build a car yet. For the record that is my opinion.

if you like a quiet and refined car that drives well with no sporty intentions for the highway i would say go with the cruze... if you prefer stiffer suspension, crisper steering and you enjoy driving... i think the focus would fit your needs. the focus seems to be harsher and less quiet from the reviews ive seen. i also heard the dct transmission doesnt let the motor reach its power... its too focused on fuel economy... i also heard when the first reviews came out that the trans seems to hesitate in which gear to get in when downshifting. since then i think they updated the software of the trans to correct the problem. so if you enjoy driving try both transmissions and make your decision.

the new sonic by gm is supposed to be fun to drive and you can get a 6 speed manual with the turbo... it also has fun handling from what ive read... i dont like the look of it but if you dont care about a smaller car and you want good fuel economy this could be another alternative.

if you like the cruze you will probably like the elantra... they are both aiming the same audience.