Seriously considering brand new focus as DD

[Dgc333]

We took delivery of a 12 Focus SEL in June 11, the car now has 24k miles on it.

The DCT transmission has been perfect, it is very smooth and provides quick and precise shifts (3 people i work with have them and are happy too). We didn't get the touch screen MFT, just the basic voice command Sync. Other than butchering some names in her address book it has been trouble free.

The thing that impresses me is how quiet and smooth the car is going down the road. It is also quite peppy and easily walks away from Civics, Corollas and Elantras. It is about the same as a 2.5 Mazda 3.

If you keep the speeds between 60-65 we have gotten as high as 43 mpg on the hiway but hiway mileage is more typically 38ish. We live in suburbia with a minimal number of traffic lights so our around town mileage is in the 33-34 mpg range (never had a full tank average below 30). The Hyundia has been in hot water for over stating the mileage claims of the Elantra so don't expect it to be any better than the Focus.

The MK3 Focus consistently places at the top of the heap in compact car comparisons. The Elantra usually gets knocked for road noise and handling (BTW, there is a Hatchback Elantra now). I know nothing of the Fit, can't get past the looks, but I had a 11 Civic for three weeks while my car was in the body shop and it had to be the most mind numbing car I have ever driven. I have had Corollas as rental cars on at least a 1/2 dozen occasions and it is almost as bad as the Civic.

If you are still looking you owe it to yourself to try the new Dodge Dart, Kia Forte and Mazda 3. I drove the Dart with a 6 spd manual and 1.4 turbo, just not enough power for me. It is roomier than the Dart, handles as well and has great styling. The Mazda 3 was our second choice to the Focus and we primarily chose the Focus because my wife didn't like the Mazda salesman.

My interests for a daily driver require a lot more power. I decided to replace my 03 turbo PT Cruiser late last year. The contenders I considered were the Focus ST, Mustang V6 with performance pkg, Subaru WRX and MazdaSpeed 3 (unfortunately the Dart GT isn't available yet). All of these cars can be had for mid $20Ks. I could have been very happy with anyone of them after testing them but the ST got the nod because of the better mileage rating. I picked up my ST on January 2nd and now have 2500 miles. I haven't had the car on a trip yet but in the same suburban driving as my wife I have been getting 28-29.5 mpg which I am happy with and is about 6-7 better than the turbo PT it replaces.

[fomenter]

Originally Posted by felixthecat

Focus, Elentra & a Honda Fit, wow. Why not the Civic? A Fit is in the Festia & Mazda 2 section.There is always going to be sales & offers, so I wouldn't jump onto that. To give you a better idea of how they drive & would work for you, How 'bout renting each one for a day or weekend. That'd give you a better idea of what works for you. For a used car, I'd look at a '10-'11 ses & then you wouldn't have any issues w/ the a/t if you wanted one of those. Good luck & let us know what you end up w/.

You can't buy a civic for under 16K OTD

[thejordan]

Elantra: Have you driven one on the freeway? It is not a solid ride.

Fit: Expensive for what it is, the older ones looked better than the current gen which look like a mini minivan.

Focus: I own one, in a manual, for my DD and am completely happy with it and have 0 issues. My gf owns one with DCT and has 0 issues with it.

Is there a reason you don't want a Mazda w/ SkyActiv?

This forum is full of 2 types of people: those few who have/had issues with their car (a very small minority in relation to production), and those who absolutely love their car. A lot of issues rely on the dealerships and not the manufacturing. Take all of the info you read here with a grain of salt. Remind yourself that the world is full of idiots. The average IQ in the US is 98. If you're at that average, only half of your world contains idiots.

[Deesiel678]

4 months, 10k+ miles in on my 2013 (se hatch, manual tranny, no mft) and I have ZERO complaints about the vehicle itself. I regret not going with the ST though.

I've been averaging approximately 30 mpg... and I have a heavy foot.

[MyThIc3LiTe]

The only thing I regret it not optioning in the 18" package on my Titanium.

With the aggressive tires and nice looking 5 spokes for that price it was a steal.

[HatsuneMiku]

Check out the Elantra GT.It was my number 2 choice.

[IngotFoFo]

I have had my focus for almost 4 months now (6,000 miles) and its been great. I have an automatic and only experience some shuddering occasionally. I use it as an everyday driver to and from work driving anywhere from 80 miles a day to 160 miles a day. I average the mpg of every single tank of gas and so far my most common number is 34, the best ive seen is 37, and the worst being 32. Its nice being able to spend $30 a fill up vs the $70 I was spending to fill up my f150. There are some known issues with the car, but I would still recommend it to anybody.

[felixthecat]

Originally Posted by fomenter

You can't buy a civic for under 16K OTD

There is always used= a late model si w/ the 24.

[PratoN]

You can probably buy a 2013 Focus and have no issues. I'm just bitter that I bought the 2012 a few months into production and have gotten the run-around. So if you do get it and have issues, Ford will tell you to off - and that is why I can't recommend you get the Focus.

If you're worried about resale, the Fit apparently sells for 3x the amount it was purchased for and never needs any maintenance in its first 400k miles. lol

I've only heard mediocrity when people speak of the Elantra - even from my friend who owns one.

[dragonpalm]

Originally Posted by Fomco

I guess what I am asking is, for those of who you bought your focuses over other cars in that segment, how do you feel about your choice x amount of miles later? I am looking for comfort, quality, good fuel efficiency and fun spirited driving factors. Even the base model focus I test drove seemed to have handled very solidly and the road noise was surprisingly minimal. How is your car faring in reliability so far?

I enjoy my 2013 Focus Ti, despite some minor issues with MyFord Touch.

Also, I love to test drive cars in my free time so here's a quick rundown of my impressions of cars in this segment:

2013 Hyundai Elantra: Slow acceleration and unsettled suspension on the highway but good looking and has a easy to use infotainment system.
2013 Honda Civic: Bland outside and inside, low tech features and noisy on the highway but has a nice, smooth manual.
2013 Chevy Cruze: Uncomfortable seats and has low tech features but quietest on the highway and handsome looking.
2013 Dodge Dart: Strange interior plastics/design and bland exterior but quiet and comfortable on the highway, has a large touch screen and has decent 1.4T performance.
2013 Mazda3: Dated interior design and a bit noisy on the highway but handles nicely and Skyactiv is supposed to net more consistent fuel economy.
2013 Toyota Corolla: A simple car with low tech features, poor cabin materials and low fuel economy but it takes you where you need to go with little fuss.

Versus the Focus, check out the Dart and Mazda3. Goodluck!