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Thanks for the post and keep us informed. I have thoroughly enjoyed driving my ' 04 Focus ( with factory Sun roof ) for nearly 8 years. I considered purchasing another one, but this current daily driver is still going very strong.
I ended up ordering a base SEL hatch on 5/31. It arrived in Atlanta on 7/2.
The right column of this page is an advertisement currently showing a $500 "Ford Credit Bonus Cash" and when I do a TMV for a Focus with an MSRP of $21,895 ($20,451 invoice) it shows a value of $20,937.
The TMV doesn't show this $500 credit (which requires Ford financing).
So the current selling price seems pretty close to invoice with this $500.
Maybe the others in this segment are selling below invoice (I haven't checked).
Seems if you can find one they're not gouging people (not much mark-up anyway).
Of course I can't seem to find any inventory.
I just don't see this category being too affected by supply and demand (I supposed everything is to a degree)..."I got gotta have it...here's a few extra bucks".
On another note, I still don't see a lot of new Foci on the street around here. Maybe about 1.5 per week? I almost see as many Fiats as I see Foci.
Quite a coincidence that you should mention this. It came to my attention the other day that I have seen over the last week at least 2 Foci a day. Not as much as the New Elantra but it has caught up with the Cruze for example, in my very informal and unscientific survey. Taking into consideration that Focus has not been "available" to potential buyers nearly as long as the other two, this may be significant.
Trim Level:
Back on post #332, I reported seeing a sales rep's "cheat sheet" on anticipated production numbers broken down by trim level. 65% of entire build will be "SE". Of that number, it will be 50/50 betwen hatch and sedan.
If one prefers the Hatch configuration, you are paying more but you are going up a trim level. This is especially apparent in the back seat configuration. Personally, I still prefer the Sedan, but from a practical standpoint, if I do buy a new Focus it will probably be a Hatch.
He also , stated that the president did the right thing bailing out GM@ Chyrsler.
He was proud that Ford got it's own financing through the banks and the American public took notice of the great things Ford is doing. Ford has paid back 22 billion to the banks up to now and will repay the remaining 6 billion this year.
He is not a car guy a reporter asked himand being a plane guy(Boeing) How is going to help Ford ? The answer a Boeing 777 has 40million working parts and flies w/o a problem, while a Focus has 10,000 parts.
If you're on curvy roads and hit the brakes wouldn't you WANT it to downshift so that you had more power coming out of the curve? I can see where an upshift is unwanted but not a downshift if it's needed.
No need to worry about normal operation, but if you're really picky about how it operates in specific conditions in sport mode or selectshift auto-manual mode then you should do an extensive test drive.
http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2011/autos/1108/gallery.july_car_sales.fortune/6.- html
July 2011 sales were 14,889, which is 3% lower than last year. It's a shame that production problems are hampering sales (assuming production, not demand, is what is in fact causing the sales lag).
It isn't a slow seller - the 10 day supply would tell you that. Sounds like the writer didn't do much homework.
The problem with automatically downshifting when braking is that the car assumes you NEED to downshift, but depending on the circumstances, you might not want to, and the resulting downshift and subsequent acceleration might make the ride a lot choppier than it needs to be. I agree that on a really tight curve, the downshifting might be welcome, but on a broader curve going downhill you might want to stay in the same gear but just ease off a little. Again, I'd need to drive one to see how much that bothered me.
Years ago a friend visiting me rented a Thunderbird, which we took to Yosemite. We suffered with that transmission searching for the right gear in the mountains the entire trip, and it was really annoying. That's why my concern, though that particular transmission has long since passed into oblivion.
Wouldn't that just mean you take your foot of the gas and coast, instead of braking?
He was so impressed that after the other two parties left, the two of them stood around talking about cars for nearly a half of an hour.
The Focus is 5 mpg better than the Fusion according to the EPA estimates (the only ones that are controlled and repeatable), so I would expect you to get 37 and 41 in the Focus.
It comes down to fuel economy, style and sportiness. I own both and the Focus is much more fun to drive.
It's always been like this though. Do you get the loaded smaller car or the less well equipped larger car? Just depends on what you're looking for.
How about this aftermarket kit?
FWIW, on technical merit alone I'd opt for the Mazda over the Ford, add in the extra interior space of the Mazda and it sits solidly a notch above the Focus on my short list.
If you took a comparably equipped Fusion and compared it to a comparably equipped Focus I'm sure there would be a significant difference in MSRP. I'm not talking street prices as that can vary greatly especially on a new model versus one that has run for several years like you say. Focus street prices will come down too once the market adjusts and they get adequate inventory built up.
Bigger is not always better and it is what you're implying. Like someone else said, some people like the smaller vehicle for sporty handling, parking ease, a little better mpg and a slightly smaller price. There is always overlap of prices from the absolute loaded smaller car versus the average next size which is why I say they need to be compared equipment to equipment and similar status in their model runs.
So to say the two are essentially the same price is simply not true. The difference in MSRP between a 2012 Focus SE and a 2012 Fusion SE is $5430. Hardly "essentially the same". The Fusion is over 30% higher than the Focus. Even completely loaded they are still several thousand apart and the MPG difference is about 5 mpg on average....again not insignificant unless you simply don't care about MPG which it is obvious by your comments that you do.
The MSRP range for the Focus is $16,500 to $22,700k. The MRSP range for Fusion is $19,850 - $29,000. So yea, there is a pretty pronounced difference across the lines. Having said that, the difference shrinks as you move up. A fully optioned Focus Titanium pushes close of $30,000. A fully loaded Fusion tops out at around $33,500. I think this is because while the Focus has shifted upscale, the Fusion has not really shifted to account for the new Focus.
1) lighter weight
2) better handling
3) better FE
4) easier to park and fit into tight spaces (parallel park)
5) less cost
However, they opt to have a moonroof put in at a none dealer shop.They do push that.I'm not saying the Focus sedan is a chick car,but I see more women driving them than men. It's probably, because women are more frugal than men.I think a guy would go with a HB more.
The above being said, I go on alot of European motor car web sites.Skoda(never heard of them) and VW is coming out, or have with an 8 spd tranny w/80 mpg.I mean is this possible and if so how come we can't get these 1.2l.1.4l ,or 1.6 l in a diesal?Oh, what's TCi engine?The Brits have cars that avg 40 to 45 MPG.They have to because petrol is double our gas.
I don't know how your portfolio is doing,but I 'd like to see more of the above cars on the market here.
Keep in mind the Imperial (British) Gallon in about 16.5% larger than the gallon we use here in the States.
I'm in Maine now and and within a ten mile radius gas ranges from $357.9 to $379.9 and thanks for the reply.
However, I do not understand the mind set of Ford, Dodge(Fiat) and it's Durango that's been improved in Germany.
I drive my BMW all summer here using Mobile 93 octane and now Mobile is leaving the state and is selling their stations to Citgo.So, now I'tryin' to find a Shell station . I think the country will not recover from the financial situation we are in for a few years ,if it does. So why does't Ford or GM send it's high milage cars here. It's bad enough you have to option the vehicles out ie: you want lumbar support in a Focus ,you updrade to an SEL witl a 302A pkg.It reminds me of what Toyota used to do ,or still does.Fiat isn't selling here .I read their prospectus this morning.If I was a CEO of an European company I'd ship over here cars equipped or optioned out like the Mini, only the size of a Focus ,or Cruze. The Astra a few years ago almost had it right in HB department.
Well, the wife wants me to get rid of the VW with only 8k on it and when we get to Denver,pick up a Subararu that's a Turbo and to stop tryn' to buy American.She's probably right.
While my wife and I have yet to rule out the Focus for our next car, the inability to use it for any of our frequent family trips is a serious drawback compared to the competition (which on our short list includes the 2012 6-Speed Mazda3 SkyActiv-G (or even the 2013 SkyActiv-D) and the 6-Speed Golf TDI).
I was only a little kid when barely sat comforably inside the Mk1 Scirocco front & back, but it's still no match for the air-cooled Beetle's high-chair back seat (both leg & head room).
Now @ 5'11", I'm too big even for the new Focus' back seat.
Funny thing about the Mazda2 versus the 2012 Focus, the dealership where I bought my Mazda3 is a combination Ford and Mazda dealership and I had the opportunity to compare a 2011 Mazda3, a 2012 Focus, and a 2011 Mazda2 side-by-side-by-side, and I was so shocked that the Mazda2 seemed to have a bit more legroom than the Focus that the first thing I did when I got home was to look it up. Sure enough, the Mazda2 has 42.6/33.0/75.6 (Front/Rear/Total) inches of legroom versus 41.9/33.2/75.1 inches. To be sure, both cars are too tight for fitting my family so I guess the point is moot when the Mazda3 has so much more room (42.0/36.2/78.2).
Anyways Himler, Spyder and Nippon Only had the answers for our Integs and GSR'splus the RSX.
My problem is I have a short list made. .The Ford Fiesta SE HB because of the SFE pk and you can get a moonroff etc; as you can't in the Focus. I have to step up to the SEL HB to get get lumbar, and some other stuff. I never use the backseat in any of my cars and I don't care if they fold flat or not.The Fiesta is about 3k cheaper than the SEl Focus .
Now, the TDI Golf has every thing the Fords do not offer except ,if you get a moonroof I think you have to get navigation also. and the price is maybe $2300.00 more than the Focus.
Now, the Fiesta acording to the dealer w/SFE will get me 40mpg, the Focus 36 mpg I can't get anything out of Mazda on their Sky engine dieasal for milage or price.Oh, I forgot I don't care about rear seat room. Oil is $85.38 a barrell today ,but I wouldn't put much stock in it.
Lastly, I was driving home @ and stopped at a dealers lot and they left a Mini unlocked and I sat in it and it fit like a glove,however I locked my self in it and it was dark out so I called the police and they got me out. They saw my purple heart plates and one was a Marine so they laughed at the situation. I like the Mini, but living in snow country forget it.
Ok, which car would you buy,bearing in mind diesal cost 50- 60 cents more a gallon?Also, we just got a new governor that has changed the car tax system as no one pays MSRP. So forget bringing the sticker to pay your excise tax and sales tax.Excise tax is $50..00 a thousand of cars value and sales tax is5 %. Thanks Puffin
Best of luck with whatever you get.
Just in daily driving to and from work, we spend about $90 a week in gas. I'm considering downsizing to a Focus, if it gets 32 MPG in DD, that would save us roughly $118 a month in gas alone. If I get it for $450 a month or less then I would be saving an additional $50+ a month. We put on 500 miles a week to and from work plus what ever weekend driving we do. At a minimum $168 a month savings might be seen, but going down a size in the car, plus we have 2 car seats in it, I am not sure if it is worth doing. Our family car, when we go out with the whole family is a 2010 Flex, and that is a great car, but it gets 18 MPG, so it is even more expensive to drive daily, But oh so much fun, its Ecoboost, and QUICK!
What kind of MPG can I expect in rural driving, mixed of Country highways and city? As a comparison, a 2009 Camry Hybrid got us 38 MPG, and a Prius 53 MPG. I like driving the Sport, but the FE on it is just not that good.
21.6mpg is about exact for the average EPA on the 6...if you have the 4cyl and you're getting 21.6mpg...that's like the city mpg.
So I'd compare what you get now compared to the Focus EPA.
Fusion 4cyl @ 21.6mpg (you're getting city mileage) = Focus 27mpg (city)
Fusion 6cyl @ 21.6mpg (you're getting average) = Focus 31mpg (average)
I used http://www.fueleconomy.gov for these calculations/comparisons.
I test drove the Focus, and the back seat doesn't look like it will cut it. I have two kids still in car seats, one in a booster, and the leg room is too tight for either of them, my son would have to curl his feet to keep them off the seat back. Other than that the car drove rather well, though the engine is loud, and it is a bit of a slug compared to what I drive now, but is something to take with a grain of salt considering the difference in MPG. The other thing I did have a problem with is the center console, my knee presses right against it, and to alleviate that I had to move the seat back a bit, which used up more rear leg room. I was considering the Titanium package, the one I test drove was an SEL base, so maybe the seat would be a bit more adjustable in the Titanium. I still have to put the car seats in and see how the kids fit before writing it off. If this doesn't work, I could always look for a used Fusion Hybrid.