Well I've always been a honda/chev guy but I was looking at a couple 09 focuses today and they are kinda apealing. for the price of a fit dx I could get a pretty loaded focus and have like the same fuel economy and more power... but then im driving a ford. any thoughts beside the usual buy a honda recomendation?

 

well i think i'm less biased than most here.........

get the Fit Focus' are total pos.........IMO

 

the focus is an excellent value proposition. it comes with a lot of stuff standard. and i mean a lot. but the fit is no slouch either.

you know what the problem with the focus is? its not the newer refreshed mazda 3 based european version: its the same damn chassis that came out when it was first available in the states. the civic has had 2 generations since that time. only the interior and exterior has changed.

and if you value handling, even just a little, or refinement, you will take the fit.

power? check out focus 0-60 times especially with the auto. nothing to write home about imo.

and when it comes time to re-sale? (if you so choose) its not even fair to compare.

 

Although I knew I wanted a Fit from the beginning, I did check out the Focus as well. I was attracted by the MPG and the fact that it was a Ford and didn't look like a mid-life crisis car or a truck. I heard good things about the car, as well. Anyway, I checked it out and really wasn't that impressed. Yes, it is light years beyond most Fords I've driven, and it does have a bit more power than the Fit, but the interior looked like 1985, and the city MPG is pretty low (24), and I've heard it's not much of a hypermiler (meaning I couldn't get the 40+ I get in my fit on the highway). I also found it to be a bit uncomfortable (seats, position, control locations).

I really like the styling (especially if they bring over the Euro Focus next year) and the idea that a domestic car can be a sort-of econo car without being an Aveo. I also liked the power, though it isn't THAT much more than the Fit, it takes hills a bit better. The car (and the Fusion even more so) is a clear sign that Fords are starting to look like really serious contenders for the mid-size and even compact car sectors. I'm looking forward to seeing the Euro Focus and the Fiesta (though were not getting the diesel!). Also, if this is important to you, the Focus has a leather option. That turned me off, personally, in terms of the car I drove--it had leather seats. I'm not a fan, vegetarianism aside, of leather seats.

Honestly though, although I compared them (sort of) they aren't really comparable in the sense that the Focus is still just a plain CAR and the Fit is a versatile, transformer, spaceship and, of course, a Honda.

If you're dead set on a Focus, however, i would wait for the Euro Focus.

-P

 

What he said.

Choice observations, as usual.

-P

 

The biggest problem with the Focus is that they don't make a hatch anymore. The next biggest problem is what was mentioned before--the platform is old, and North America is getting shortchanged by not being offered the same nice Focus as the rest of the world.

I had an '01 Focus zx3 for years before I bought my Fit this past spring. I loved that little car, but it was just wearing out and having problems. It was a reasonably fun car to drive, got good mileage (though my Fit is doing better), and was very good for hauling stuff. My Fit does pretty much everything better than that car did, except that I think I liked the clutch on my Focus better than the clutch on my Fit. Unfortunately, as Ford has made lame updates of the Focus, they've axed the hatches and cushioned out the ride to dumb it down to bland sloppy cheap econocar status.

 

agree with everything said. trick i actually dont hate the way the focus looks either, but like you mentioned, it has other 'issues'. (though the chrome m3 wannabe fender vents were lame anyway you look at it.)

 

"honda/chev guy" huh?

very interesting combination. :D

 

haha ya I know eh... I drive an ek, dream about a 69 camaro and can't figure out what I'm gonna buy...

basically the fit and focus are posted as having the same fuel economy and the focus had more power and handles better stock to stock imo... but it doesn't look as good, it's less practical, and it's not a honda... can't really decide

 

My wife and I just traded in a 2000 Focus like two weeks ago for a Cube. The biggest factor in not buying another Ford was at 107,000 miles the A/C was busted, the Heater was busted, the whole car vibrated because according to my mechanic, Ford built the engine wrong so after about 40,000 miles that's what they all do. (I've driven 3 other 2004 Focuses and they all did the same thing). The power mirrors stopped working. The alternator had to be replaced twice.
My family has owned a '94 Nissan Pickup and a '98 Honda Civic and each gave us over 250,000 miles on the same engine/transmission, The A/C and Heater never failed. The car never vibrated do to over paid/under skilled union workers. And they both held their value better than the Ford.

I say go with the Honda.

 

you sure? stock to stock? is this from your driving impression or hard anecdotal evidence?

 

I like to look at the fuelly averages:

Browse All Ford Focuses | Fuelly

Browse All Honda Fits | Fuelly

As you can see, the Focus settles around 29 and the Fit around 32 - 36. Hardly any fits make it below 30 while quite a few of the Focuses do (25-30).

Most here have stated that the Fit's EPA is underestimated. The Fuelly data seems to agree with that. The fact that I'm getting avg. 36.1 driving mostly city also reflects that. The Focus is rated at 24 city--not something I could live with, personally. Still, it is a step in the right direction for Ford.

-P

 

i need you to listen to me very carefully. VERY VERY CAREFULLY!
1st the fit has a better safety rating. now moving along me and my ex gf bought our cars one month apart i bought an 08 fit in december of 07 she bought an 08 focus in january she has 30k miles i have 50k so far problems with my car are as follows.
1. douchebag bro in a big truck hit me.

end of list.

this is a list of things she has replaced so far ( i swear im not lying about the list please dont buy a freakin ford)

1. radio twise
2. front and rear FULL SUSPENSION (shocks and springs)
3. breaks
4. door seals
5. window seals
and here comes the big one :)
6. TRANSMITION! (YES ALREADY)

my neighbor has an 08 focus as well and the check engine light has come on 6 times already one time at the dealership as she was picking it up from gettin the check engine light problem fixed and diagnosed hahahhahhah. unless your going to europe and getting the focus hatch and bringing it back (wich your not) you will be in the same place as these girls. there both in the process of dealing with lemon law lawyers. when i was gunna buy my fit i was talking to jdmchris and he said something very profound to me that i want you to ask yourself. i said "chris i think im gunna get a yaris its cheaper" and he said to me "sounds good IF YOU WANT TO DIE!" hahahhahahhahhaha you might not die but you will have migranes.
thats my piece foo

 

Woah. That is an extensive list.



OK, yeah, so go with the Fit. Even if you waited for the Euro Focus, it's still not a Honda and we aren't getting the diesel.

-P

 

If you can afford the time to wait, why not wait for the Fiesta to hit. Personally I think it's a really sharp little car even though the rear seats don't fold flat. The Fiesta will be availible in a hatch.

I only know one person who has owned a Focus. I think it was an '07 and he had to have the automatic transmission replaced last year due to it failing. It was covered by warranty though.

 

well my decision is made now anyways. the ford was a possibility but I'm having no luck selling my car and so I went and looked into a trade in. Honda offered me 4500... Ford... 2000. so basically if my car doesn't sell there is no debate over which one at all. btw, anyone want an ek si-g?