2012 ford focus

[gdcwatt]

I filled the tank for the first time, today, in our 2012 Focus SE Sedan, with Sport Package, and 6spd autotrans. We've only driven it around town, but it continues to impress me every time I get into it. Even with the 16" alloys, the car is just so well connected to the road; the torque vectoring system really does seem to reduce understeer, and I can't wait to try it in the rain (and snow, but I can wait for that), and the engine is strong enough. But everything about the car is just so positive: turn the wheel, the car turns; touch the brake to transfer some weight, flick to a lower gear, or two, crank the wheel and nail the gas, then upshift... What a fun, pointable car.

Light on the gas, getting started, it quickly and quietly upshifts to 4th at low speeds, but there's good pull from the engine. I've gone around the block a few times at night, with the auto S (Sport mode, instead of Drive), which holds onto the gears, and toggled up and down - I was having a great time, and was not trying to save fuel, at all, except that I kept it to no more than 20 over the limit.

The entire family agree that this is one impressive car. And visibility out is great, and the seats are comfortable enough, regardless if you're 6ft or 5' 2", but it's the suspension that is so wonderful.

Btw, 8.9L/100km city only = 26.5 US mpg, except we haven't been trying.

We looked at the new 2012 Civic EX, but couldn't believe how cheap the interior was. Since there are often a few of us plus luggage in the car, the Civic's lack of torque, combined with the 5 spd auto really put us off - on paper anyway, because we didn't even bother to drive the thing, the memory of the sloppy suspension in a 2010 model still fresh enough in our minds. The strength of the Focus engine and 6 spd auto is a real plus.

I liked the Elantra, and the backseat and trunk were larger than the Focus or the Civic, but the showroom was too busy for us to find a ride and, more importantly, my wife had reservations about the brand. I admire Hyundai bringing important things to market, for incredibly low prices: direct injection, rear disc brakes (Sorry, but I'm not buying a 2,800lb car, loading it up with 800lbs of people and stuff without 4 disc brakes!), air, heated seats (Hey, it's Canada), and 6sp autotrans.

I drive a TSX, and purposefully not a TL, but if I want to go fast I know how to, although the rest of the family just don't have that option, and I want it that way. The Focus, however, is just so easy to get into and go. Way to go Ford. Finally, a great, affordable small car - I LOVE $4 GAS, and what it's done for the automobile.

[tjts1]

Originally Posted by Arragonis

So letting potential bodgers at your product means its unreliable for everyone ? Hmmm.

You must've missed the part about low oil light never turned on. Typical VW quality.

[Arragonis]

Originally Posted by tjts1

You must've missed the part about low oil light never turned on. Typical VW quality.

Well, thats what the guy who had charge of it when it failed says....

This guy has 457K on his which seems pretty good. He has the same (well similar capacity) engine to mine so I'm going to stick with Helga

[Daox]

Over lunch today I got to look at a coworker's 2012 Focus with the SFE package. Overall, it looks like a very nice car. The active shutter system is pretty cool and the open grill area is actually quite small. Below is a picture showing the the front bumper cover. The green areas are where air can actually enter and flow through the radiator. In addition to that, the lower grill has the shutter system, so it can almost completely block off airflow to the radiator which has to be good for warm up time.




The trunk was also quite spacious which I was a bit surprised by. You can't tell from looking at the outside. The interior styling is also very nice IMO. The coutoured dash is a little flashy, but looks good.

The only disappointing thing I saw was the rear seat room wasn't that great (less than my 04 Prius).

Overall though, a very nice car.

[tjts1]

Originally Posted by Daox

Over lunch today I got to look at a coworker's 2012 Focus with the SFE package. Overall, it looks like a very nice car. The active shutter system is pretty cool and the open grill area is actually quite small. Below is a picture showing the the front bumper cover. The green areas are where air can actually enter and flow through the radiator. In addition to that, the lower grill has the shutter system, so it can almost completely block off airflow to the radiator which has to be good for warm up time.




The trunk was also quite spacious which I was a bit surprised by. You can't tell from looking at the outside. The interior styling is also very nice IMO. The coutoured dash is a little flashy, but looks good.

The only disappointing thing I saw was the rear seat room wasn't that great (less than my 04 Prius).

Overall though, a very nice car.

It is a much bigger car than the old focus which makes the 40mpg all the more impressive. I didn't have a chance to sample the back seat. Hopefully the wagon is on the way.

[gdcwatt]

I had my first chance to drive our 2012 Focus SE in the rain last week. The "torque-vectoring" system really does a wonderful job of letting the drive wheels hook-up, to get the car going, when you, for example, start a left turn into traffic from a stop sign.

This is wonderful technology, which makes the car safer, and reduces the annoying and useless spinning of the inside front tire on a fwd car, in similar situations. I rented a Toyota Corolla a couple of years ago, and had the speedo reading 200kph, although the car was hardly moving; that car was dangerous, a waste of time, and wasted gas. [I found out later that the real culprit, however, was the OEM Goodyear Integrity - now there's a laugh - tires, the same tire which came on my Dodge Caravan, although Toyota knew what they were doing, I assume, when they specked that tire for the car].

Anyhow, way to go Ford. This "traction control system" is clearly superior to that on my 06 Acura TSX. Perhaps people considering a 4wd SUV might find the Focus is a viable option. I am impressed every time I get into the car, and drive it.

[RH77]

Originally Posted by gdcwatt

This "traction control system" is clearly superior to that on my 06 Acura TSX.

We have the same car. It works well for the average driver, but it seems like the traction ECU (or the hardware itself) takes too much time to switch torque between the two wheels for me, personally.

But for me, I disable it, use a higher gear on the auto-manual selector, and feather the throttle. I'm not a big fan of traction control thus far, but it sounds like the Focus has a superior design to what exists.

I look forward to renting a new Focus (I keep getting the Fusion, which is an excellent mid-sized sedan -- probably my favorite fleet vehicles right now).

-RH77

[bestclimb]

My mom is visiting with a rented one only a few thousand miles on it, wheel tracks straight and it does have the look and feel of one abused yet. I am not impressed, The ride seems excessively harsh for a 4 door family car perhaps they were going for "sporty" but I found it to be more along the lines of tiresome. You practically have to slam the trunk (I am the type of person who has to try and be gentle with things like that). The back doors you have to "double tap" the opening latch from the inside to get it to work (was tested repetitively and on both doors, perhaps the child lock?). I am 280 lbs and 6 foot 4 the back seat was adequate, though I don't know how I would have fared on a long drive.

[euromodder]

Originally Posted by bestclimb

The back doors you have to "double tap" the opening latch from the inside to get it to work (was tested repetitively and on both doors, perhaps the child lock?).

When the doors are locked automatically, you have to pull the lever twice to open the door.
It's the same on my Volvo (ex-Ford )

It's not the child lock - kids are too smart for such a simple scheme to work

[Frank Lee]

GM to sell diesel Cruze in U.S. | StarTribune.com

Cruze diesel coming to America!