Post by mdfords on Aug 11, 2011 10:58:24 GMT -8
Ford Focus - What the Auto Press Says
The 2012 Ford Focus ranks 5 out of 33 Affordable Small Cars. This ranking is based on our analysis of 24 published reviews and test drives of the Ford Focus, and our analysis of reliability and safety data.
The Ford Focus is completely redesigned for the 2012 model year, and reviewers love the updates. Not only are the Focus’s exterior and interior changes impressive, but it’s also more fun to drive than the previous generation.
The Ford Focus was popular and well-liked when it debuted in 2000, but over time the competition improved, and the Focus lost its appeal.
Now, eleven years later, Ford has completely redesigned the Focus in hopes that it will regain its reputation as a top choice among affordable small cars. With well-rounded competitors like the Chevrolet Cruze, Mazda3 and Honda Fit, Ford has revamped the Focus from the inside out to take on the competition. The interior was one of the first things to change, now featuring more high tech options. "The company is loading the Focus with all manner of optional niceties,” says Edmunds, “such as keyless entry and ignition, a rearview camera, a semi-automatic parallel parking system and the new MyFord ‘driver connect’ technology which reconfigures information and entertainment operation with five-way touchpads on the steering-wheel spokes and, with high-end versions, adds an 8-inch touch screen display."
The 2012 Focus also gets MyKey and MyFord, two features that are available on other models like the Ford Edge. MyFord integrates entertainment, navigation and communication into a touch screen console. MyKey is a safety feature that restricts vehicle speed and stereo volume while your teen drives.
The industry is also excited about the Focus’s standard torque vectoring control – a first for a car in this class. Torque vectoring control increases vehicle stability by adding brake force to wheels on one side during turns, and is a great feature for driving enthusiasts.
The Focus also got a lot of exterior updates, and the industry is very pleased with the changes. The newest Focus looks sportier and more aggressive than older models and falls in line with the Honda Fit and Ford Fiesta.
Reviewers love the changes on the new Ford Focus, but the most important question is if the Focus can survive when the excitement surrounding its redesign fades. Right now, it’s hard to tell. Reviewers think Ford has produced a great car, but there are a lot of other affordable small cars on the market – the Honda Fit, the Chevrolet Cruze and Hyundai Elantra – that are just as good and outshine the 2012 Focus in terms of affordability, utility and available features. If you’re considering the Focus, it’s a good idea check the competition first.
Other Cars to Consider
The 2012 Ford Focus is facing some stiff competition. Among affordable hatchbacks, there’s the Honda Fit, which is regarded as one of the roomiest and most utilitarian hatches on the market. The Fit is also about $3,000 cheaper than the Focus hatch and about $1,200 cheaper than the Focus sedan. Combined, it’s utility and value earned it our Best Hatchback for the Money award. If you’re deciding between the two, the Honda Fit is your best bet. It is one of the best combinations of affordability and utility.
Shoppers who prefer the Focus sedan should check out the Chevrolet Cruze and the Mazda3. Budget-minded consumers that value performance should test drive the Mazda3, which is also available as a five-door hatchback. It’s also fun to drive and heaper than the Focus. But, if you want a roomy and stylish sedan, check out the Chevrolet Cruze. Like the Focus and Fiesta, it has high fuel economy that brings highway fuel economy ratings to 40 mpg. It’s also has comfortable seating for five. To top it off, the Cruze has great safety ratings. It’s an insurance industry “2011 Top Safety Pick.”
Details: 2012 Ford Focus
Ford has redesigned the Focus for the 2012 model year. The new Focus is available as a sedan or hatchback. The sedan starts at just over $16,000 and comes with basics like an audio system with an AM/FM radio, single-disc CD player and MP3 capability, an auxiliary input jack and a tilt and telescopic steering wheel. The sedan is available in four trim levels: S, SE, SEL and Titanium. The five-door hatchback starts around $18,800 and includes a few more standard features like MyKey. The hatchback comes in three trims: SE, SEL and Titanium.
All models receive a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, torque vectoring control and airbags with adaptive venting technology that reduce pressure for smaller occupants. A partial zero-emission vehicle (PZEV) engine is also available in PZEV states.
"Like the new Fiesta, the Focus has been plucked straight from the European model -- a car that, unlike our Focus, hasn't been left for dead by the engineering team for a decade. Like the smaller Fiesta, the Focus is edgy, sporty, different, and decidedly European. Even though it's been tweaked and tuned for the U.S.-market, much of that was done by teams overseas. So it's the real deal, replete with the fully independent rear suspension, and that, of course, means it's the handler of the class." -- Automobile Magazine
"The Focus has the makings of a runaway hit. It's a bit smaller inside than its recently released competitors, but is otherwise a well-rounded package, with styling challenged only by the Elantra and dynamics that can take on anything in the compact class." -- Cars.com
"And with available goodies like MyFord Touch and a hatchback body style, the Focus also delivers a little extra usability than either of those offerings. If you're willing to give up a few miles per gallon for a few extra giggles per apex, it's hard to do better than the Focus." -- Autoblog
Focus Performance - 8.4 (Very Good)
In all, reviewers don’t call the 2012 Ford Focus’s performance ground-breaking, but they do say it’s a more fun to drive than earlier generations, especially around corners. For a better performer, reviewers suggest the Mazda3. Read More
Focus Exterior - 8.5 (Very Good)
Hands down, reviewers have fallen in love with the 2012 Ford Focus’s exterior styling. “The new Focus is handsome," says Car and Driver. Read More
Focus Interior - 7.4 (Good)
These days, affordable small cars offer comfortable, utilitarian interiors that offer tech features you’d see in a more expensive car at an affordable price. The 2012 Ford Focus tries to stand out, but Automobile Magazine doesn’t think it succeeds. "Inside, the Focus offers up an interior that, while nice, isn't going to redefine what buyers have come to expect from small cars in America." Read More
Focus Safety - 10.0 (Excellent)
While the federal government and the insurance industry haven’t tested the 2012 Ford Focus, it does come with numerous safety features and MyKey, restricts speed and stereo volume while young drivers are behind the wheel. Read More
Focus Reliability - NA
Warranty information for the 2012 Ford Focus isn’t out, but Ford covers other models with a three-year/36,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty. Read More
Review Last Updated: 3/4/11 by Rachel Smith
The 2012 Ford Focus ranks 5 out of 33 Affordable Small Cars. This ranking is based on our analysis of 24 published reviews and test drives of the Ford Focus, and our analysis of reliability and safety data.
The Ford Focus is completely redesigned for the 2012 model year, and reviewers love the updates. Not only are the Focus’s exterior and interior changes impressive, but it’s also more fun to drive than the previous generation.
The Ford Focus was popular and well-liked when it debuted in 2000, but over time the competition improved, and the Focus lost its appeal.
Now, eleven years later, Ford has completely redesigned the Focus in hopes that it will regain its reputation as a top choice among affordable small cars. With well-rounded competitors like the Chevrolet Cruze, Mazda3 and Honda Fit, Ford has revamped the Focus from the inside out to take on the competition. The interior was one of the first things to change, now featuring more high tech options. "The company is loading the Focus with all manner of optional niceties,” says Edmunds, “such as keyless entry and ignition, a rearview camera, a semi-automatic parallel parking system and the new MyFord ‘driver connect’ technology which reconfigures information and entertainment operation with five-way touchpads on the steering-wheel spokes and, with high-end versions, adds an 8-inch touch screen display."
The 2012 Focus also gets MyKey and MyFord, two features that are available on other models like the Ford Edge. MyFord integrates entertainment, navigation and communication into a touch screen console. MyKey is a safety feature that restricts vehicle speed and stereo volume while your teen drives.
The industry is also excited about the Focus’s standard torque vectoring control – a first for a car in this class. Torque vectoring control increases vehicle stability by adding brake force to wheels on one side during turns, and is a great feature for driving enthusiasts.
The Focus also got a lot of exterior updates, and the industry is very pleased with the changes. The newest Focus looks sportier and more aggressive than older models and falls in line with the Honda Fit and Ford Fiesta.
Reviewers love the changes on the new Ford Focus, but the most important question is if the Focus can survive when the excitement surrounding its redesign fades. Right now, it’s hard to tell. Reviewers think Ford has produced a great car, but there are a lot of other affordable small cars on the market – the Honda Fit, the Chevrolet Cruze and Hyundai Elantra – that are just as good and outshine the 2012 Focus in terms of affordability, utility and available features. If you’re considering the Focus, it’s a good idea check the competition first.
Other Cars to Consider
The 2012 Ford Focus is facing some stiff competition. Among affordable hatchbacks, there’s the Honda Fit, which is regarded as one of the roomiest and most utilitarian hatches on the market. The Fit is also about $3,000 cheaper than the Focus hatch and about $1,200 cheaper than the Focus sedan. Combined, it’s utility and value earned it our Best Hatchback for the Money award. If you’re deciding between the two, the Honda Fit is your best bet. It is one of the best combinations of affordability and utility.
Shoppers who prefer the Focus sedan should check out the Chevrolet Cruze and the Mazda3. Budget-minded consumers that value performance should test drive the Mazda3, which is also available as a five-door hatchback. It’s also fun to drive and heaper than the Focus. But, if you want a roomy and stylish sedan, check out the Chevrolet Cruze. Like the Focus and Fiesta, it has high fuel economy that brings highway fuel economy ratings to 40 mpg. It’s also has comfortable seating for five. To top it off, the Cruze has great safety ratings. It’s an insurance industry “2011 Top Safety Pick.”
Details: 2012 Ford Focus
Ford has redesigned the Focus for the 2012 model year. The new Focus is available as a sedan or hatchback. The sedan starts at just over $16,000 and comes with basics like an audio system with an AM/FM radio, single-disc CD player and MP3 capability, an auxiliary input jack and a tilt and telescopic steering wheel. The sedan is available in four trim levels: S, SE, SEL and Titanium. The five-door hatchback starts around $18,800 and includes a few more standard features like MyKey. The hatchback comes in three trims: SE, SEL and Titanium.
All models receive a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, torque vectoring control and airbags with adaptive venting technology that reduce pressure for smaller occupants. A partial zero-emission vehicle (PZEV) engine is also available in PZEV states.
"Like the new Fiesta, the Focus has been plucked straight from the European model -- a car that, unlike our Focus, hasn't been left for dead by the engineering team for a decade. Like the smaller Fiesta, the Focus is edgy, sporty, different, and decidedly European. Even though it's been tweaked and tuned for the U.S.-market, much of that was done by teams overseas. So it's the real deal, replete with the fully independent rear suspension, and that, of course, means it's the handler of the class." -- Automobile Magazine
"The Focus has the makings of a runaway hit. It's a bit smaller inside than its recently released competitors, but is otherwise a well-rounded package, with styling challenged only by the Elantra and dynamics that can take on anything in the compact class." -- Cars.com
"And with available goodies like MyFord Touch and a hatchback body style, the Focus also delivers a little extra usability than either of those offerings. If you're willing to give up a few miles per gallon for a few extra giggles per apex, it's hard to do better than the Focus." -- Autoblog
Focus Performance - 8.4 (Very Good)
In all, reviewers don’t call the 2012 Ford Focus’s performance ground-breaking, but they do say it’s a more fun to drive than earlier generations, especially around corners. For a better performer, reviewers suggest the Mazda3. Read More
Focus Exterior - 8.5 (Very Good)
Hands down, reviewers have fallen in love with the 2012 Ford Focus’s exterior styling. “The new Focus is handsome," says Car and Driver. Read More
Focus Interior - 7.4 (Good)
These days, affordable small cars offer comfortable, utilitarian interiors that offer tech features you’d see in a more expensive car at an affordable price. The 2012 Ford Focus tries to stand out, but Automobile Magazine doesn’t think it succeeds. "Inside, the Focus offers up an interior that, while nice, isn't going to redefine what buyers have come to expect from small cars in America." Read More
Focus Safety - 10.0 (Excellent)
While the federal government and the insurance industry haven’t tested the 2012 Ford Focus, it does come with numerous safety features and MyKey, restricts speed and stereo volume while young drivers are behind the wheel. Read More
Focus Reliability - NA
Warranty information for the 2012 Ford Focus isn’t out, but Ford covers other models with a three-year/36,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty. Read More
Review Last Updated: 3/4/11 by Rachel Smith