Should I buy a Focus - Bit Nervous

[MyThIc3LiTe]

Originally Posted by Dialed

Test drive one. Use it in Auto and Sport mode if you're getting an Automatic. Shift like a mofo. If you feel jerking, get away from that car. I, and others, suspect certain build date Foci to be problematic.

I have absolutely not hard evidence to back this up, so leave me alone, it's just an opinion.

I know what you mean with respect to jerkiness especially at low speeds.

Mine was typical DCT shenanigans at low speeds but at speed it was a dream, I know its hard to get away from the 3 pedals but the DCT damn well did a good job.

[scott7278]

Originally Posted by bozo089

Hi Everyone,

I am a new member to the forum, however, I have been browsing over the last week as I consider purchasing a 2012 Ford Focus.

When I began researching, I was unaware of the DCT and the issues related to it. After reading numerous threads with over a hundred responses, I am a bit nervous to buy a Focus.

Disregarding the DCT, the Focus is by far my #1 choice for a new vehicle, therefore I wanted to ask everyone if I should feel confident in pursuing a 2012 Focus.

I am thinking that the people posting about DCT issues may represent only a small number of all 2012 Focus owners. With that in mind, I may just be acting silly....

Also, I am considering getting a slightly used one so should I be looking for a newer build date?

Thank you

I love mine today even more than I did when I bought it on June 8th. The DCT has given me no problems, although it did feel different than a conventional automatic. Having driven a few manuals, I knew the feeling was like driving an automatic manual.

It is the perfect car for me. The perfect balance of size, power and fuel efficiency.

[bozo089]

Originally Posted by Kaaru

To the OP,

May we ask what kind of usage you will be doing ? What kind of traffic will you do ? Rush hour trafic ? short commutes ?

I noticed you are from BC. What kind of winter conditions do you get on your end of the country ? I'm from the east coast (well, kinf of) and some winter conditions can be a source of irritation depending on your usage.

I will be doing 60% highway driving and 40% around town. I expect to drive around 200 km a week on average..

I do my best to avoid traffic but a few times a month it is inevitable. Also, trips will always be under an hour(ranging from 20 mins up to 40ish)

Finally, our temp doesn't usually drop below 0°C with only a week or two of snow.

Could you be more specific on the kind of irritation you experienced?

Thank you!

[jagreene]

My focus has had a ton of problems but is of an earlier build. I can't say for sure how they run now but I would be cautious if I were you. Regardless of it being a newer build or not Ford is having problems that they can't seem to figure out a fix to right now. Maybe give it some time and wait until the kinks are worked out.

I have to admit I love the look of the car and the packages offered with it seem to have a slight edge over the competitors... but mine started having a ton of problems after a year of ownership. Granted it's still drivable. I don't know how new cars work, for this is my first, but I've never heard of so many people having problems with a car that the manufacturer is unwilling to fix.

Whatever you do take your time.

[Sonic_HedgeHog]

I've got a mid-Feb build (so not a true Job 2 car). It's an SE Sport equipped with the 5 speed MTX-75 transmission. Other than the front suspension clunk and a coupe squeaks and what not this car is perfect. If you're that worried about the DCT, don't get it. If you're worried about MFT, don't get it. The nice things about the 2012's, there were a ton of options. Find one with the right ones, buy it and love it. If you really want to get picky, find a 2012 job 2 car or pick up a 2013.

[suss6052]

Originally Posted by Sonic_HedgeHog

I've got a mid-Feb build (so not a true Job 2 car). It's an SE Sport equipped with the 5 speed MTX-75 transmission. Other than the front suspension clunk and a coupe squeaks and what not this car is perfect. If you're that worried about the DCT, don't get it. If you're worried about MFT, don't get it. The nice things about the 2012's, there were a ton of options. Find one with the right ones, buy it and love it. If you really want to get picky, find a 2012 job 2 car or pick up a 2013.

Your feburary build would be a very late Job 1 car. Job 2 builds started 3/5/12 but it was not until 4/16/12 or so that they started to be built with the full number of changes including the four way head restraints and the flex fuel compatibility for non PZEV models.

Otherwise I concur with the MFT comment, but can't say I concur with the DCT vs MTX-75 comment personally.

If you do a lot of highway commuting at higher speeds that extra gear alone is worth a few mpg no matter how you drive. Sure theoretically you could almost meet or exceed the DCT's efficiency if you go slowly enough as to keep the revs down, but there is no getting around the fact that the gearing falls in favor of the DCT. I had strongly weighed my options prior to ordering the car but although I enjoyed the manual Focus I had driven it was just that the gearing hadn't been subsancially improved over my older car, which was also lighter. It helped that in the U.S. at least for 2012 my car was unavailable with the manual.

Just be aware that its an automated manual, not a planetary gear set automatic with a torque converter, if you can't get used to it then perhaps the manual is right for you.

My DCT has been good to me so far as are the majority of the units as far as I'm aware, most of the complaints come from a vocal minority whose units might be feeling the after affects of the earlier programming, hardware failures or user error, but I won't speculate as to what percentage might all be self inflicted.

[Sonic_HedgeHog]

I wasn't advocating for the MTX Suss, just saying if the OP is that worried he just shouldn't get it!

[billand]

I just picked a 2012 titanium up for my wife we live it. The dtc is a bit funky at first but drives like a regular car after it learns your driving pattern

[Johnson17]

I have a Titanium built in the last week of 2012 production and I'm telling you it is a FANTASTIC little car. If you understand what makes a dct different than a reg trans, you can fully love it as I do. Mine shifts so quickly when I'm excelerating hard that I get all giddy. It has zero rev loss and loses no momentum while shifting. I have never felt a car so stable at 183km/ph as this car, and in fact, my brother inlaws 2005 V6 mustang couldn't catch me once we were going over 90kmph at wot. ( we were out in the back roads of Saskatchewan with zero traffic for miles)

[Kaaru]

Originally Posted by bozo089

I will be doing 60% highway driving and 40% around town. I expect to drive around 200 km a week on average..

I do my best to avoid traffic but a few times a month it is inevitable. Also, trips will always be under an hour(ranging from 20 mins up to 40ish)

Finally, our temp doesn't usually drop below 0°C with only a week or two of snow.

Could you be more specific on the kind of irritation you experienced?

Thank you!

Sure, I can try. Let me put on my flame retardant suit first.

I dont beleive you will experienced what I define as an irritant since you wont be driving it in the same winter conditions. Imagine, if you will, this scenario:

It's winter time, it's 06h00, it's -10 Celcius, it's snowing and the roads are icy
You are stuck in morning trafic, bumper to bumper, to cross a bridge to get to work downtown...and you are going uphill

Of course you car will be equiped with the best winter tires your money can buy and you will drive with an egg under the gaz pedal, after all, it's a snow strorm and you dont want to wreck that new sexy Focus.

The following is what I experience with my car:
You press the gaz pedal to catch up with the car in front of you (remember, you are in bumper to bumper trafic). Still you press the gaz pedal with your big winter boots on, but nothing happens...the car doesnt move, so you press some more. Then, the car realize ''Oh, you wanna go forward? that much ? Ok buddy, here we go!!'' and then the traction control kicks in 'cause your wheels are spinning on the ice and you dont move at all. That's the biggest winter time irritant for me, with my car. I'm not saying they all do that, but mine does and it's annoyant as hell.

Now before you guys start trowing big chunks of molten lava in my direction, I'd like to share that I have drove in those same winter conditions for the last 28 years and that I even drove a Mustang in those same conditions, same road, same bridge with no driving aids at all...and I did just fine. I drove FWD, RWD and AWD cars, I've been around. I'm not expert but I'm no rookie either.

The FF shines in some area and does not in some other, in my book. I'll stick with the rest of the peeps here. Rent a FF, manual and/or DCT and have fun with it. Try it out, and get your own opinion about it. Yes the majority of owners are VERY happy about their FF...some others are less lucky and are having a pletora of issues, minor an major. But I agree, they tend to be isolated cases. Like mine.

Have fun experiencing!