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Comments
-Jaz
Do you think the Focus Wagon would compete favorably with the Corolla in terms of ride quality?
Hope this helps
Thai
Wow ... that's surpising I thought the Mazda5 would outperform both the Corolla and Focus Wagon.
The FW is the perfect size for my needs I really don't want a minivan. The FW seems to have considerable more room than the Matrix and the rear seats fold flatter ( I think ... can someone confirm this?)
The deal on the FW with the family plan and rebates puts an SES with a MSPR of $19,400 for $15,100.
My biggest concern about the FW at this point is resale value.
The FW rear cargo area is flatter than anything else we have seen and the floor is perfectly even, whereas in the M5, there are nooks and crannies and gaps but it too is flat.
We also do not want to do the SUV or minivan thing and the selection of wagons is poor, to say the least. So it is certainly looking like FW is my next car.
As for pricing, I am Canadian, so not sure what you mean by rebates and family plans? but the cost here is lower than the M5 would be, for sure. And again, I agree the resale is poor, BUT sometimes we have to do what we have to do in order to get what we want, if that makes sense. For us, we would rather take a hit on resale, than go with the majority, and get the gas guzzling SUV or a minivan.
Thai
I'm still undecided I still have to consider a Matrix. I'm scared to get the double whammy with trading in my Corolla and poor resale value of the Focus SW.
I believe the Focus is a much improved car, but I'm not sure the general public recognizes that so resale value is going to suffer.
Not sure how much cargo area you need but you will be very disappointed in the Matrix if you need what the Focus offers! There is no comparison at all. we looked, believe me as I would prefer to stick with the Toyota BUT they just don't make what we need.
Still want to check out the Chevy HHR too.
This is such a cool vehicle...:-))))
Have to do more research on it such as pricing, cargo area, gas mileage, etc.
Have you done this yet on the HHR?
FW = 73.7
-Jaz
For me cargo was also high priority. We were looking at MPV's, Outbacks, mostly cars that were almost a foot longer then FW, and were really surprised when we started measuring inside the FW. Then we saw it had the 220lb rated roof rack which is at a height where I can actually use the rack. Then I realized we can sleep in the FW while camping if need be (45" almost as wide as the big minivans)... and I can easily fit it in the garage at 178". The footprint is about the same as a Civic, just a few inches longer.
As for resale, of course the longer you own the car the less this will matter.
-Jaz
While I think that the HHR is a very cool looking vehicle, we are almost 100% decided on the FW at this point. It just seems to have ALL that we need, while giving us GREAT mileage, the size of vehicle is what we want to drive around town, the roof racks and very reasonable cost.
Thai
The sales rep said "I hated it at first, but you'll get used to it."
And the plastic/vinyl interior is totally cheap. BUT...so is the price of the car.
The value for me is under the hood on this one, and in the cargo space.
BTW I'm finding all sorts of neat tricks like how to disable and enable the seat belt chimes. Keep us posted on how everything goes.
-Jaz
Thai
From another site:
#Before starting, make sure that:
# The partking brake is set.
# The car is in Park(automatic), Neutral(manual).
# The ignition is OFF.
# All doors are closed.
# The driver's safety belt is un-buckled.
# The parking and headlights are OFF.
1) Turn the ignition switch to ON, but DO NOT START.
2) Wait for the safety belt warning light to go OFF(1-2 minutes).
Steps 3-5 MUST be completed within 60 seconds!
3) Buckle, then un-buckle the driver's safety belt 3 times, ending with the belt un-buckled.
4) Turn on the headlights, turn off the headlights.
5) Buckle, then un-buckle the driver's safety belt 3 times, ending with the belt un-buckled.
After step 5, the Safety Belt Warning Light will be turned on for 3 seconds.
6) Within 7 seconds of the safety belt warning light turning OFF, buckle then un-buckle the safety belt. This will disable the Belt Minder if it is currently enabled, or enable the Belt Minder if it is currently disabled.
Confirmation of the disabling of the Belt Minder is provided by flashing the safety belt warning light 4 times per seconds for 3 seconds. Confirmation of the enabling of the Belt Minder is provided by flashing the safety belt warning light 4 times per seconds for 3 seconds, followed by 3 seconds with the safety belt light off, then followed by flashing the safety belt light 4 times per second for 3 seconds again. After confirmation, the deactivation/activation of the Belt Minder procedure is complete.
Procedure not recommended for people who need the seat belt reminder for themselves or passengers.
Ordered my new wagon this afternoon and will have delivery next Thurs....
Thai
I have noticed that on all of the four wagons concerning the following :
1) On all four, the screws above the bump are visable, while the hatch door is closed.
Is this common, and can this be fixed - DIY, or even covered under ford warranty ?
2) Three out of the five wagons, the muffler seems to be heavily rusted. Started one wagon with rusted muffler, it spits out small amounts of water.
Is this a mounting problem, and would it be covered under ford warranty ?
3) The model, that i took the test drive is ZTW, there was no additional lettering.
I checked on carfax, and it does not indicate SES or SE. What is the difference between ZTW and SES ?
Thanks in advance.
My test drive :
1) feels like the wagon is going much faster, but not really. I guess this car is very light, and think that winter tires may or may not be required.
2) the brakes feels very solid and comfortable.
Not sure what to say about the other questions.
2). The muffler is stainless steel, but it seems like a grade where you do get some visible oxidation (rust). Mine (04) is not what I would call heavily rusted and I am confident it is stable and will not rust through. There is a corrosion warranty but I think that applies mostly to the body. Water coming out of the exhaust is normal for all cars.
3). It is a pretty fast car considering the MPG. In the proper engine/transmission combination it will leave the Mazda5 (for example) in the dust.
ZTW is 04 or earlier.
-Jaz
Charging System went bad, both rear window motors went bad, valve cover leaks. Since I don't have an extended warranty (long story itself), I find myself paying nearly what the car is worth in repairing it.
-Brett
I decided to make the purchase and will be picking it up this week.
It is fully loaded with sunroof.
Thanks trixwagen and jazvan, you both are very helpful and quick.
Can't Wait!
I am from Charlotte.
Bought Mine at Town and Country.
Great deal.
Heard different things about them but I have been Satisfied.
Hope your experience has been a good one.
It has some sort of spring action that when you hit a dip in the road it bounces slightly and cushions the ride.
I really like the seats in the '03 focus Se Wagon, more comfortable- and they are pretty much the same as the 03 Taurus fabric. in a crossweave.
This is one good riding wagon. I can't say my Old Astrovan was any more comfortable. It was an LT with custom seats! That thing floated like a ship on high seas...wavy and side to side.
Well, for 03 it was pretty simple (and '04 wasn't far off this track)
The SE for '03 came fully loaded with standard features:
15 inch alloys
Cargo Cover
CD/MP3-Blaupunkt
Roof Rack WITH CROSSBARS
Zetec 2.0 standard
Premium Paint and interior amenities like Center console
and Faux leather trim on doors.
The SE had No tilt/Cruise option for this year, as there was no Convenience group for the SE Wagon (but available only on fleet)
Upgraded cloth upholstery and more cushioning. Sound deadening added
to increase comfort and reduce noise.
(It's amazing what armor all can do for the 'Virgin' Focus dashboard)
The ZTW(base) came with Tilt/Cruise, but deleted the cargo Cover. ZTW Had ugly cloth seats that look as though they had cigarette burn holes all over.
The ZTW Sport came fully loaded with all that stuff and then you could go leather, traction control, 16 inch wheels, etc.
The '04 SE wagon saw the start of some major shaving, but gained the powerful 2.3
nationwide.
No Crossbars on roofrack,steel wheels w/ covers/ base CD player/no cargo cover.
Still no convenience group offered for SE wagon, and fleet lost that option as well.
Last year for 16 inch wheels on ZTW.
05 SE comes with a bevy of packages and is well worth the cost if you shop them right. SE lost the Color coded side trim, but gained a convenience group- and Sport group is now an option! The seats suck because they are ZX3 'washable' trim, but actually look somewhat cool (No more cushy cloth seats) 2.3 motor given solely to ST, so no big motor for '05.
Pricing an 05 wagon is challenging in some ways because you can equip an SE so close to an SES you'll be scratching your head wondering which is best pricewise.
The ZTW can be topped out w/ options and can be a hell of a good deal if you shop it right.
2) I'll take a look at my Ford DVD later and tell you what I find. Sensor replacement sounds like the 1st thing to try.. Does the temp guage run high?
3) There are some Focus sites where you can just do a search and usually find the info you need. WIll I get in trouble for this, focusfanatics?
'later
-Jaz
Is your temp guage going up well past 1/2 way?
If not, you may not have a problem.
From what I have gathered, a properly functioning Focus' handles high temp pretty well and it is not unusual for the radiator cooling fan to Not come on even on a hot day in stop and go. Most Focus' have 2 cooling fans and one is dedicated to the air conditioner condensor. The only time I hear a fan come on is when my AC is on and I
am stopped on a 100F day. My heat guage never goes above 1/2 way so I think everything is OK. FWIW
-Jaz
So far we really like the car, but the gas mileage has been no where near the estimated values. We drive mostly on city streets and it is summer, but we are still only getting around the low 20s MPG--not even close to 26! We have around 1500-2000 miles on the car so far and it is an automatic.
What MPG are others getting with the focus wagons? Do you keep the overdrive on when driving on city streets?
I'm hoping the gas mileage improves in the future. If we had wanted low 20s MPG, we might have have opted for a larger car like the Freestyle.
I think the most meaningfull baseline is your max MPG under ideal conditions like going through an entire tankful on a long highway trip with few stops. If you get that opportunity it should be close to your EPA Highway number. My best was 35 mpg over 2 tankfuls at a steady 75 mph. I average around 29-30 in mixed driving but it drops when I have "episodes of enthusiasm". . That is with a 2.3 and 5-speed.
-Jaz
only turn it off when hitting steep hills or curves (mountain driving-up the hill)
It was opposite of what I expected to read, and had initially driven the car for 3 weeks with it off.
Check your owners manual. It will state that.
I found an OEM cruise control unit on Ebay and was assured it was a plug and play install. I keep getting stuck trying to find a 7 pin ignition plug connector in the directions. I have a 9 pin ignition lock connector when I remove the steering column shrouds, but the 7 pin connector is MIA. Anyone ever done one of these installs before? Or know where this 7 pin ignition plug is?
Re: AC. I have to agree with penguinfrost's comments. I notice the AC seems to have more of an effect on my Focus MPG that it did on my Civic MPG. Maybe a bigger and/or less efficient AC unit?
BTW I test drove a Mazda5 and took interior measurements. Interior cargo area height from deck to ceiling is the same as our wagons, about 36". Second seat floor to ceiling height is also the same on both cars. That's in a vehicle that is 4" higher. Lastly, I verified the MZ5 is 41" wide in the back vs 44-45" for our cars. Clearly, the Focus Wagon has more cargo volume.
-Jaz
I too did a test drive of the Mazda 5 and the cargo space in the Focus Wagon is not only bigger, it is IMO better configured with a flat floor space.
Lovin' my wagon, so far.
Thai
Yeah, the Mazda5's "theater-style" seating raises up the 2nd and 3rd row, so no more head-room in back even though it's a taller vehicle.
I keep the air conditioner off, and am very light on the gas pedal. When driving, I look in advance for a red light ahead and will not bother accelerating to reach the light.
With the engine cold, I noticed that when first starting the vehicle, the rpm is at 2, and will slowing go down to .4, a few minutes. After this with the engine hot it will be at .4
Also when accelerating the engine doesn't seem to be as smooth as my previous vehicle, or it could be just me.
The fuel gauge seems to be precise, since the needle moves noticeably.
Is the newer Taurus a better choice ? I had 1994 before (head gasket blew).
Haven't been driving much because of gas prices and have been feeling sick because now I want to trade it in (but can't afford to),
Having a hard time getting a gas cap lock that will fit, so will try again next month.
I am thinking about installing a K & N air filter, if it is possible.
This vehicle had 26,000 miles on it and I thought gee what low miles for a car that is almost 6 years old now. I test drove it and noticed nothing to dissuade me.
When I drove it off the lot I got an education. Without warranty it looks like I now own the problems.
The directionals broke or were broken and amazingly I did not detect this during the test drive, the dealer insisted they were were working. They do not turn off on turns and have to be manually turned off. When I went to fill it up it took only 6 gallons despite the gauge showing 1/4 tank. Upon closer inspection I could see where the previous owner had gouged the plastic instrument facing trying to make it work. Broken gas guage which I have been reading on the forum here is very common on these cars. Finally after driving it for some time I noticed the high pitched whinning noise that either comes from the engine, transmission or rear end, take your pick. Of course this may be just how they sound in general but nonetheless I find it irritating and have never owned a car with this.
I am thinking my best bet is to fix these things and get it in the paper quickly and consider myself lucky if I can get rid of it
Any comments would be appreciated. Caveat Emptor. :lemon:
-Jaz
-Jaz
I should have done my homework and lot checks better, shame on me.
The dealer which is an off lot supposedly with a good reputation is looking into possible Ford recall notices on the non working directional auto off. I am seeing that the non working gas guage is a common problem in reading the board.
As far a the whine, I am not optimistic. I thought at first it was just how the car ran and sounded but I believe it comes from either the trans or the engine as it rises when I accelerate but is not loud.
Sorry to admit but it looks like my best bet would be to get rid of this turkey before it costs me much more to keep fixing and fixing.
I guess the lesson here is that a vehicle with low miles should be viewed with as much suspicion as one with high mileage should be with caution!
Dave
http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/problems/tsb/tsbsearch.cfm
I would venture to guess the whine is not the engine, more likely the tranny ( I assume it's an auto). Here's one possibility that would be good to eliminate - have the ATX fluid completely changed and defintiely replace the filter. It can get really gummed up and clogged in 5 years even with low miles and cause some noises.
-Jaz
Would the telescoping wheel allow the wheel to get closer to me than the standard non-telescoping, or only further away?
Was the telescoping wheel part of an option package for these? It might help me identify listings for ones that have telescoping, if I know they had to have some other option(s) to get that.
-Jaz