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Where are the 5-speeds????

63K views 361 replies 147 participants last post by  Pioneer16 
#1 ·
Me and a buddy went window shopping the other day, man-style. WE were in the Houston TX area and visited some of the very large Ford dealerships there. They had literally rows of Focuses. HOWEVER we saw not a single 5-speed. EVERYTHING was automatic, even ALL of the Fiestas too. I know I have the only 5-speed Focus that I have seen at any of my local dealers, but I thought that was justbecause they were small and only had 5-6 Focuses on the lot. I though surely the large dealers with 20 or so on the lot would have one or two.

Out of curiosity, WHO here has 5-speeds? I love my manual, and as the wife drives it more and more she is falling in love with it to.
 
#66 ·
I like to wind it neaer redline more than what makes my wife comfortable;this engine loves to be revved high and this is where the manual is a bit better on agressive tight roads. You don't see an auto in the ST and it's commendable that Ford bit the bullet with a few lost sales and kept the ST a tad simpler plus the bad press and issues you see about the DCT in the media and on the net I think Ford knew it was risky to put one in the ST and avoided it all together.
 
#67 ·
Is it possible to order a Ti packaged Focus with the 5mt trans? I want to say that wasn't possible on Fords website when I tried a few weeks ago before plunking down the cashola on mine.

*edit* Nevermind, Just checked Ford.com, and it appears the 5mt is available on the Ti. Just not very prevalent it seems.
 
#69 ·
If Ford hadn't been stupid and made the manual available on all trims, or made Frosted Glass available with a dark interior I might have gotten a manual, but it was the color + rear disk brakes et al that really narrowed my choices in a hatch down to the DCT in the U.S. despite building the same car for Canada as an SEL with a 5MT.

Sometimes I miss rowing gears, and my next car in probably 5-10 years might be something more like the ST.



My old car was my first stick shift and as a mechanically inclined person and a Mech Engineering student at the time I loved it to death. Its still running, albeit in need of brakes probably, but I gave it to my father since I got the new car.

Its good that there is a choice, but its bad when they won't allow you to choose from every possible option or permutation.

When I said it feels like a manual is only on the initial take off though as it feeds in the power and applies the clutches. If this was your father's slush box I would not have even considered it and had to configure a less desirable color.

I was torn between getting one with everything I could want and more or just the most basic one I could almost pay for completely in cash and drive away with it. The trouble is there is so little margin on the S that on A/Z plan nothing comes off of the price, and at least in the example of the Fiesta its very small and X is actually more than the sticker price.

If I had to do it again I might have waited for the ST, but the rest of the 13 line up is a bust as they bundled everything into one super package.
 
#71 ·
Automatics tuned for economy will never be ok in my PERSONAL book.

Performance automatics like VW DSG is a proper driver's automatic w/o going into the big boy brands

Until then...Manual is the way to go. Different people different taste...i'll give up interior gadgetry/outside trim for a proper driver's car anyday[headbang][headbang][neener][neener][headbang][headbang][headbang]
 
#74 ·
Picking mine up either tomorrow or Saturday :)







Had to have Carmax transfer it up from Houston to Dallas...not a single Ford dealership had in new, but I lucked out and found this with only 8000 miles on it. Taking it for a test drive when it comes in and if I like it, I'm buying it!
 
#79 ·
My little S had 7,900 miles when I bought it. Saved some dough and still got the warranttee. And it was a 5speed :) win win. I know you will love it. I fell in love with mine from first shift.
 
#75 ·
I bought mine from our dealership, it had the motorsport exhaust,springs, 18x8 wheels and tinted windows already installed. With the 5spd it's really a blast to drive. We have sold several set up this way and currently have a 2012 white 5spd with white 18x8 wheels set up and ready to sell.
 
#82 ·
5sp SE Sport here. I had to order mine, no dealership around ever had one in any color. As it was my first brand new car I was really picky about what I wanted so there was no way the could find one anywhere that had what I wanted. I got one with sonic blue and the moonroof. Love it! I had a 5sp several years ago and missed it everyday. I like the fact I know I don't have to share with the wife since she cant drive it....yet! [clap]
 
#83 · (Edited)
I just took my 2012 SE 5-speed for its first long road trip. My 10 day vacation took me 1000 miles of which 80% was bi-way and 20% interstate in Northern California...from sea level to 6,600 ft. elevation and back. The starting overall mileage was 4,400 and ended at 5,400 miles, the focus and the 5-speed performed flawlessly in 90 heat with the AC on the whole time. I averaged 35.5 mpg (according to the computer)...using premium gas. I have read on this forum that the AC reduces engine performance in the DCT...no such issues with my 5-speed.
ps. My wife was "impressed" at how well this vehicle goes around corners.
 
#92 ·
S, SE have the pictured setup. SEL and Titanium have the cupholder setup you have. Those inserts came from Ebay. I'm not sure they will fit the SEL and Ti cupholders, but don't you already have a rubber insert?
 
#97 ·
gf picked up an SE (not sport AFAIK,but has the sync and 6 speaker audio package, not sure exactly which package that is) a few weeks ago, new, 50mi, for $15,000. in a manual. she wanted a manual and enjoys it.

im not too impressed with the manual trans in this car personally. the clutch is too light for my tastes, feels like you are barely doing anything and reduces the feel when trying to feather the clutch, which is necessary when setting off in first gear due to the lack of power. but maybe im just used to the heavy clutch in my car (2010WRX). the gearing is also relatively long for a lower powered car. shorter gears would definitely help that i think.

also, the shifter is sloppy as all hell, with very little feedback. but maybe that can be remedied with some stiffer shifter bushings (is this a cable shifter? or mechanical linkage?)
 
#99 ·
not sure how a motor mount will fix the light and bland clutch pedal feel? thats almost totally dependent on the clutch master/slave cylinders and the pressure plate. im sure it would improve the vague shifter feel a little though, by reducing motor movement. im going to assume you mean a urethane aftermarket MS3 mount? unless the stock MS3 mount is not rubber like most OEM motor mounts are.

also wont fix the long gears. but i digress.

so does this car have a cable shift linkage? or a mechanical linkage?
 
#100 ·
How does she feel about the clutch? I personally prefer the Ford unit to the Subie. It is nice and light, I can tell exactly where I am and I think the shifter is great and nearly perfect with listed mods.

Cables for the shifter

Stock MS3 Rear Motormount, most have found truly aftermarket ones to be too stiff with high duros...

MS3 vs Stock


Peruse the forum and see what other people are saying and doing...

I send my congrats to your GF... Why isn't she posting?
 
#101 ·
She thinks car forums are "stupid" lol.

Cable shifter kind of seals the coffin. It's just never going to feel as notchy as precise as a mechanical linkage. Kind of like power steering vs manual, or DBW vs cable throttle. There are things that get lost in translation for the sake of comfort to the masses.

To be fair The linkage in the subie is mechanical. And I've added a STS and rather stiff poly shifter bushings to the equation. Hands down the best shifter I've felt so far. Everyone who drives my car seems to feel the same. The shifter is just rock solid tight with almost zero play in gear, even takes a bit of force to move it around in neutral. But with the focus it's just slop (even compared to the subie in stock form). Moving through the gears feels like you are just moving the shifter around without really knowing what gear your in or what's goin on at the transmission end. Kind of just feels like the shifter isn't connected to anything at all.

As far how she feels? She thinks it's fine I'm sure. She's coming from a Chevy cobalt. Equally light clutch.
 
#104 ·
yes, im HERE regarding her car.

she doesnt know any better. thats what im getting at lol. shes complacent with the current setup and she still has the new car googly eyes, but shes owned a nissan 350z (got totalled, rear ended) and driven my car and the new corvette, so she can appreciate upgrades of this nature im sure.

shes onboard with me looking into future upgrades (already expressed interest in new wheels and suspension), shes not down with the whole car forum thing lol. and she knows that i just like working on cars in general and can make a solid decision on what will be right for her. i have a close friend who is a reg on this board who referred me and is a source of focus knowledge (as i am a source of suby knowledge for his wife's impreza). ive driven her car, and ive driven many cars. im not "complaining", just giving my honest input that the tranny/clutch is meh and lackluster. its akin to driving a newer honda civic. thats my opinion. like it or dont like it. but i thought this was a discussion about the 5-speeds? im sorry if i struck a nerve, but thats not my intention, im not trying to spark some suby vs focus debate lol.

some things can be corrected im sure, and id like to just get a bit of info regarding that. like i said above, im curious what the ST feels like. and id also like to feel a focus with the STS and RMM before considering it. btw, which mount is which in the above photo? i assume the round one is the MS3 one?

sure the light clutch may be a personal preference, but the whole setup screams econo (cause it is, hell even my wrx is an econo box with a turbo) and doesnt give much in the way of feedback.
 
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