The acceleration "problem" is because it's a DCT with dry clutches called the Power Shift transmission. It's mislabeled as an automatic, when it should be labeled as an automated manual. Stop and go traffic can cause the clutches to burn up. DCT stands for Dual Clutch Transmission = not a traditional torque converter.
100 Rental Cars ruclips.net/video/6iCRnAUftvI/видео.html It's a long video, but it could be skipped through to get the idea of what a Ford Focus transmission (DCT) is. I did research before buying my 2017 Focus SEL
Nice video, this is super informative. You got any other channels you like to watch to learn more about this stuff? I'm having a hard time finding "good" videos to watch.
Aa Voltz and 100 Rental Cars, I just picked up a 2018 Ford Focus rental for this upcoming week. At first I was wondering why the transmission was acting odd. Then it occurred to me that it's a DCT and it all makes sense now. A conventional automatic (with torque converters and transmission fluid, bands and planetary gears) acts much different than a DCT. A DCT acts more like a conventional manual transmission, it's just that the car's computer is handling the shifting and clutch work. I've been driving manual transmission cars since the late 1970's so once I put this tranny in the category of a manual gearbox, my world is right again. :) However, and I realize how difficult this is to accomplish, I feel like ford could manage their shifting logic a bit better. This transmission seems to shift at times when I wouldn't in a manual, and it feels to .... how can I put it ... eager to shift.
Never had mine overheat in stop and go traffic. If it starts to overheat, it will flash a warning on the display between the gauges. You have to treat automated manual transmissions like regular manuals. In stop and go traffic, you should never creep up to the next car by lightly holding the brake pedal so the car moves forward slowly. That is the same as riding the clutch (and thereby overheating it) on a manual car.
Lmao yeah when my Sonic totaled a guy got it at auction and fixed it up. He found out the key cost a lot and sought me out for the spare I still had. He offered $50 for it and I figured why not haha
I don’t understand your acceleration problem mine does fine ,it’s actually rather quick but mine revs to 6500 at full throttle. Is that a different engine than a 2.0 gasoline?
you have no idea, for a base model at that price to be able to have the acceleration and mileage and comfort and sportiness and reliability, your generation is spoiled, an expensive sports car from a few years back , if it's still running it's a money pit. I've been driving for 50 years and i have driven the best and worst you can name, I drove one of these with over 100k on it recently it's still like new, learn a little about your material before you get on here to do reviews don't waste our time
For an inexpensive commuter car I think the Focus is a good car. My sister had one for years and years until she bought a 16 ford escape. 100x better than the 93 ford tempo my poor mom had until they upgraded to a 95 ford Taurus lol
Nice review. No naturally aspirated 4-cyl is going to pull very hard when you floor it at 65mph. The Corolla is much slower (almost 10sec 0-60) but the base Civic is probably comparable in performance. You can also get this with the 1.5 EB turbo (pretty inexpensive upgrade I believe) or the 2.3 EB turbo (350hp) in the Focus RS. If I was buying a car in this class (against the Corolla, Elantra, Civic, Cruze, Sentra, etc) I think the only one I would even be interested in would be the Focus.
The Corolla is slower? I had no idea! That's so strange because it "feels" faster. I'm gonna try to rent another Corolla next week so I can compare the two.
100 Rental Cars yes just look at the specs. Focus is 160hp/146tq vs Corolla's 132hp/128tq and the Corolla's published 0-60 time is over a second slower. I wouldn't willingly spend 2 days in a Corolla just to see the difference LOL. However it's nice that the Corolla comes with a large touch screen and backup cam standard vs being an upgrade in the Focus which comes standard with basically nothing. But if you were to drive a slightly higher end Focus with Sync3 and some options you'd probably like it a lot better than the Corolla, at least in my opinion. And I don't particularly like any of the cars in that class.
The corolla is a slow box. Bitch please, the focus hauls ass and has the most power in its class and it’s 0-60 is far better than any other one in its class. Focus is the better buy to get.
Oceanic Flight I leased a 14 Focus and gave it back and now Financing a 17 Focus SEL and they now have SYNC 3 and The Transmissions are much better. I’m single who commutes a lot and drives out of state monthly so it’s perfect especially with the Navigation System.
Yeah, I have a problem being objective sometimes. The 3 or 4 cars I rented before this one where all 10 to 15,000 more expensive. I'm not making excuses, it's just that when I drive expensive cars for a while, and then switch to something more normal, all I notice is the negatives. I'm trying to be better. I'm actually just finishing my review of the 2018 Hyundai Elantra, which is a similar class car, and I'm making an active effort to just share the car with everyone and keep my high expectations to myself....or at least keep them to a minimum. Anyway, thanks for the comment! Hope you'll give me a second chance and check out the Elantra video later this week.
I don’t know everything, but I feel like you would save thousands of dollars buying this instead of a civic. I feel like they’re possibly not even comparable. This Ford represents the company’a staying true to the concept of an economy car and doing well. A Civic is a nicer but totally more elite situation if my feeling is right.
Agreed. I’m eyeballing a 2017 focus right now and that’s because at my budget ($14-16k) it’s that or a Cruze. Use Corollas and Civics are several thousand dollars more for the same mileage, year, etc.
@@TheKyleMark there is some degree of reliability advantage with civic and Corolla versus these Ford focuses. The 2010s focus has an interesting “automatic” which is not really an automatic but an automated manual and it drives like it except the clutch is automatic. I think it’s fun to drive because I have a 2018. Avoid any focus under 2017 though. All 2010s focuses have this weird tranny but the later ones were made a bit better and would theoretically last longer before you have clutch issues etc. My 2018 focus tends to shudder mildly when hot, but it has not gotten worse in months and drives with a sporty feel. An automatic Cruze might be a bit more reliable but not as sporty.
My dad has this car and his acceleration is good it goes all the way to 7 he wanted to try it out.. the thing I don’t like about the focus is it’s to small
Honestly I remember my older sister used to have a sliver 2004 Ford Focus but now she has another Ford Focus but that one right now is a dark 🌑🌑 or light 🕯️🕯️ gray 2012 Ford Focus Hatchback.
1:40 you are sad about the power of the engine. It is a 2930 pound car with a 122 cuin n/a 4 cylinder that does 0 to 60 mph in 8.5 seconds. That is good when you consider it has an automatic transmission.
You're right, and that's a great way to put it into perspective, but I was still a little bit disappointed. That same lag isn't on the Toyota Corolla or the Chevy Sonic. Which is why I wanted just a little bit more out of the Focus.
blackericdenice Exactly, in reality the focus is one of the fastest compact sedans. It,s behind the mazda 3 with the 2.5 or the civic with the 1.5 turbo but it is plenty fast for what it is.
Just traded my 14 Focus in and now Financing a 2017 Focus SEL with Navigation and Transmission is much better and SYNC 3 is much better than My Ford Touch. It’s excellent for highway driving. I drive out of state monthly.
Agreed. We have the same 2017 SEL Sedan. Oxford white with the 17” rims. has navigation with SYNC 3, does yours have Sirius satellite radio? My mom owns this car, bought it brand new financed and she loves this car. It is loaded and well equipped. The power is good and couldn’t ask for a better car.
Do yourself a favor... no matter what car you get make sure you love it. There's no reason to ever buy a car you don't love. You'll use it at least twice every day. Make every trip to the gas station to buy a bag of chips an adventure!!!!
@@michaelfisher1390 Agreed. I only drive a Corolla but I knew leather, heated seats, moonroof, tinted windows, and alloy rims would make me happy on my next car and it had all of that plus a nice metallic gray color. I also have LED interior lights and lights on my plates that were already installed before I got it. Any car can make a person happy!
I drove a 2014 model and was not impressed by it... the transmission has problems and the one I had as a rental stalled out a few times. But it as a good looking car and was good on gas. Not my favorite compact (that's the Mazda 3), but it still is a nice car.
I feel like this car should be rated worse actually. I owned a 2014 SE hatchback and I freaking loved that car. However the transmission was garbage and it was so jerky I had to have clutches (yes it’s an automatic) replaced 3 times then the whole transmission went out last year. If Ford would put a normal transmission in the car this car would be much better. I ended up replacing it with an 2017 Escape which to me is the same car but bigger and has a normal transmission.
3 times!?! Wow. And I had always thoughts that Fords were fairly reliable. That sounds horrible. Well, I'm glad to hear you ditched your Focus and bought an Escape. I think that was a smart decision. And personally, I love the 2017. Great ride. Anyway, thanks for the comment!
Unfortunately ford put a dual dry-clutch transmission in this vehicle. While there are many good dual-clutch setups in the auto world, these dry units and the control module had many failures. Lots of amendments since 2017 are probably why you didn't have a problem while testing. For the SE sedan only, a one-liter engine is available tied to the 6F15 transmission, which has had a good service history. Obviously, none fitted with manual-shift have this problem at all.
It’s so interesting which features come standard on cars in the same class. I have a 17 Corolla XSE and safety features like lane keep assist, Collision alert, etc. are all standard. I think it even is on the lower trims too.
I test drove one a couple years ago when I was searching for a new car, it underwhelmed me. I agree with the acceleration, and the transmission bugged me too. This generation has had massive issues with that transmission, hopefully ford has fixed it by now. The interior is nice but I think the exterior is getting quite dated, I’d gladly rent one but I couldn’t see myself buying one unless it was an ST
I didn't know they were having problems with the transmission. That's too bad. And I agree, this is a decent rental but not something I'd want to buy. I just think you can get a much better car elsewhere for the same amount of money. Maybe even less.
100 Rental Cars I have an unexpected rental next week, I was rear ended yesterday and my car has $1500 worth of damage, I’ve got a Chevy Cruze or similar all next week. I was going to go with a Focus but then I remembered the review! Decided to just pay $10 for the upgrade
I test drove a 2013 before I got my Sentra, the transmission was weird in low speeds, it kind of jolted when I would accelerate lightly. I was upset cause I actuality really enjoyed the design.
It does look nice, right? I'm glad I wasn't the only one disappointed in the Focus' performance. And I think you made the right choice going with the Sentra. I really like that car.
Yep. That's something you learn to live with if you own one. It's going to jolt and shutter like mad at low speeds, I guess I'm used to that. But unlike the review, I feel like mine has plenty of power. You don't just mash the peddle, it doesn't respond to mashing at all. When the car is in the lower RPM range you gradually let on and it will go quite nicely. At least, with the dual clutch model anyway.
Mine has plenty of power, I have a 15 SE. The problem with the Focus is you have to let it shift over 4K RPMs going from 1st to 2nd or else you slip the clutches and it will cause shuddering issues.
I have the 5 speed manual focus seems ok . Insurance is cheap...40mpg highway.... Worst thing. ..I pillars block front view.when turning . not the best driving on snow and ice. Make sure you have winter tires or all seasons for that. There is no 10k new focus..more like 13k .not bad for a new car . Resale is poor . .Dependable? 70k miles on a 2016 zero problems..only tires..oil changes and wheel alignments. Not the worst or best car not the cheapest or most stolen car...
Zero problems after 60,000 miles? That's great to hear. And I agree, the Focus isn't the best or most exciting car out there, but there's nothing wrong with driving a dependable, budget friendly vehicle. Too bad Ford is planning on stopping production on the Focus soon. Oh well....
I would rather get a corolla because for 1000$ more you can get a corolla LE with 6.1 touchscreen and you get all the safety equipment and resale value is better and Toyota has the reputation of lasting forever
If you think the acceleration in this model is bad, this one has 160 hp. They also offer an eco boost (which means turbocharged) 1.0 liter 3 cylinder with all of 123 hp! These focus transmissions are notorious for self-destructing as well. And I’m surprised how small the interior is from the dashboard being pushed into the cabin. Ok car, but not up to the standard of the rest of the Ford lineup. I understand that this comment is a little delayed, but I feel it’s appropriate to go with the throttle response.
123 hp!?!? Yowza. Honestly, I think I was a bit too critical of the Focus in my review. It really isn't a "bad" car....it's just that I really love most of Ford's lineup and this one was a bit of a shock. Anyway, thanks for the great comment. Cheers!
The acceleration is fine to me. My 2017 se sedan pulls quickly. Only jerky between 1st and 2nd gear cause you have to give it some gas. I already at 79000 miles (originally at 42000) and it still going strong. You have to treat the car like a manual and you will see a difference and be more fun to drive.
pretty good for the market, obviously I'd want a civic or corolla more but since that's what everyone wants you'll mostly find them at higher prices with a worse carfax
I can’t help but wonder if this car suffers from abuse, but the interior looks shot! The buttons on the left side of the steering wheel look unfinished and tacked on.
Had one as a rental, makes me cringe so much. I rather have a corolla le over this for the price, it might lack power but it drives much better in my opinion
I have not fully viewed this test drive of yours with the Focus, but I do have a question: Does Ford feature forward collision mitigation with pedestrian detection as an option with this SE, or Platinum version? It seems that the company has been lax in offering this option, at least, with the Focus. Perhaps with the '18 model, eventhough it appears that isn't the case. What's your spin on this? Peace! ♐BTW: HAPPY Christmas/Merry New Year...many thanx!
Great question! Well, the SE I had did not have any type of collision warning system. On the new 2018 Titanium Model, you can get "lane keeping alert" (Ford's words) for an extra $795. I don't see that option available on the 2018 SE model. And I don't see any type of collision control warning on either the SE or the Titanium. Kinda a bummer. I was kinda hoping Ford would lead the pack and make this stuff standard on ALL their vehicles (or at least have it available as an option).
100 Rental Cars I totally agree. It seems Ford really doesn't care about the Focus or Fiesta for that matter. A pity, but that's the way it is, unfortunately. I'm sure the lack of the safety features I mentioned earlier can turn off some potential buyers. The company's loss. Happy Christmas, Merry New Year, mate! Thanx for replying. I appreciate it. Peace! ♐
Nice review but I think the interior on the Focus looks dated and needs a refresh. The Toyota iA/Mazda2 is a better car for a much lower price. Is there any chance you could review that car?
I don't have total control over the cars I rent. It just depends what's on the Enterprise lot when I pull up. Lately there's been a lot of variety, but in the two years I've been doing this I have seen a Scion. I'll ask though. If it's possible, I post a review of the Scion iA asap.
I like the iA, but it is a compact car and not a subcompact like the Focus. It is smaller and has a 108 hp engine, not a 160 hp engine. It is also a more expensive car when discounts are put into perspective. ford has generous discounts in rebates, incentives, and dealer discounts. I have seldom seen the iA as low as $12,500, best deal I was offered recently was $13,295..and it is very fun to drive, nice steering and wonderful shifter.The Focus as low as 10 grand range in base form. I don't know? I am going to test one this week likely. I heard the shifter is quite nice. If fuel economy is the desire, I would go iA, if you need a little more livable back seat (even though it is not that big) and want more Go.. the Focus is hard to beat in base form. Even in higher trim SEL model with winter package, moonroof, and Sync.. it is commonly $13500. That is a sweet deal.
Unfortunately the main issue with the Ford Focus is its poor reliability, mostly because of the jerky dual clutch transmission. Plus the interior on the SE model has far too many buttons for my liking. Consumer reports has given it an overall score of just 47, only better than the Fiat 500L.
I think the issue is just the dual clutch transmission, nothing else is an issue, but since like 90%+ of buyers in the USA are buying automatics, the car has had abysmal reliability. I heard the stick shift is very nice and precise without any issues. Buy the stick save money, and get a far better car to drive as well as more reliable.
I fix and sell cars i have a 2015 sho it is fast and thirsty. I just got this exact car also yes it is slow but with my lead foot it saves at least 20 miles to the gallon. We just got a liberal gov here in Maine she spent the rainy day funds allready and gas tax is going up 1.50 per gallon just like California. I am conservative i am driving a focus now, i think i will keep it.
Hey nice review I just bought a 2012 Ford Focus myself it is a pretty nice car but kinda not sure about that 6 speed automatic transmission seems to take some gas to get it up and going but overall nice car! I wanted to ask what is your opinion of the 2017 Kia Optima?
The acceleration "problem" is because it's a DCT with dry clutches called the Power Shift transmission. It's mislabeled as an automatic, when it should be labeled as an automated manual. Stop and go traffic can cause the clutches to burn up. DCT stands for Dual Clutch Transmission = not a traditional torque converter.
I just highlighted/favorited your comment. This is great! Thanks. I'm googling DCT now to learn more. Thanks again!
100 Rental Cars ruclips.net/video/6iCRnAUftvI/видео.html
It's a long video, but it could be skipped through to get the idea of what a Ford Focus transmission (DCT) is. I did research before buying my 2017 Focus SEL
Nice video, this is super informative. You got any other channels you like to watch to learn more about this stuff? I'm having a hard time finding "good" videos to watch.
Aa Voltz and 100 Rental Cars, I just picked up a 2018 Ford Focus rental for this upcoming week. At first I was wondering why the transmission was acting odd. Then it occurred to me that it's a DCT and it all makes sense now. A conventional automatic (with torque converters and transmission fluid, bands and planetary gears) acts much different than a DCT. A DCT acts more like a conventional manual transmission, it's just that the car's computer is handling the shifting and clutch work. I've been driving manual transmission cars since the late 1970's so once I put this tranny in the category of a manual gearbox, my world is right again. :)
However, and I realize how difficult this is to accomplish, I feel like ford could manage their shifting logic a bit better. This transmission seems to shift at times when I wouldn't in a manual, and it feels to .... how can I put it ... eager to shift.
Never had mine overheat in stop and go traffic. If it starts to overheat, it will flash a warning on the display between the gauges. You have to treat automated manual transmissions like regular manuals. In stop and go traffic, you should never creep up to the next car by lightly holding the brake pedal so the car moves forward slowly. That is the same as riding the clutch (and thereby overheating it) on a manual car.
Cheap? That key evidently costs $289.00! 😂😂😂
Outrageous!
Lmao yeah when my Sonic totaled a guy got it at auction and fixed it up. He found out the key cost a lot and sought me out for the spare I still had. He offered $50 for it and I figured why not haha
I love this car. I’ve had mine for a year.
instablaster...
@@alessandrodraven9791 huh? I think I’m missing something. Or a joke went over my head
@@sebastianfrost5035 how’s the car going
I don’t understand your acceleration problem mine does fine ,it’s actually rather quick but mine revs to 6500 at full throttle. Is that a different engine than a 2.0 gasoline?
you have no idea, for a base model at that price to be able to have the acceleration and mileage and comfort and sportiness and reliability, your generation is spoiled, an expensive sports car from a few years back , if it's still running it's a money pit. I've been driving for 50 years and i have driven the best and worst you can name, I drove one of these with over 100k on it recently it's still like new, learn a little about your material before you get on here to do reviews don't waste our time
The gas mileage is so good though! I love mine!
nice review; bummer that the car won't be available in the US, model discontinued.
Nice, you know what means the letter that appear after the PRNDL......w ( that " W " change to "S" .. ) thnak you!
For an inexpensive commuter car I think the Focus is a good car. My sister had one for years and years until she bought a 16 ford escape. 100x better than the 93 ford tempo my poor mom had until they upgraded to a 95 ford Taurus lol
Nice review. No naturally aspirated 4-cyl is going to pull very hard when you floor it at 65mph. The Corolla is much slower (almost 10sec 0-60) but the base Civic is probably comparable in performance. You can also get this with the 1.5 EB turbo (pretty inexpensive upgrade I believe) or the 2.3 EB turbo (350hp) in the Focus RS. If I was buying a car in this class (against the Corolla, Elantra, Civic, Cruze, Sentra, etc) I think the only one I would even be interested in would be the Focus.
The Corolla is slower? I had no idea! That's so strange because it "feels" faster. I'm gonna try to rent another Corolla next week so I can compare the two.
100 Rental Cars yes just look at the specs. Focus is 160hp/146tq vs Corolla's 132hp/128tq and the Corolla's published 0-60 time is over a second slower. I wouldn't willingly spend 2 days in a Corolla just to see the difference LOL. However it's nice that the Corolla comes with a large touch screen and backup cam standard vs being an upgrade in the Focus which comes standard with basically nothing. But if you were to drive a slightly higher end Focus with Sync3 and some options you'd probably like it a lot better than the Corolla, at least in my opinion. And I don't particularly like any of the cars in that class.
The corolla is a slow box. Bitch please, the focus hauls ass and has the most power in its class and it’s 0-60 is far better than any other one in its class. Focus is the better buy to get.
1.5 Ecoboost isn't an option on the Focus in the US. You can get a 1.0Ecoboost or 2.0NA.
It pulling so hard tummy felt free fall
This car what is what it is.
Your buyer is probably single, who has to commute to work and put alot of miles on it.
Oceanic Flight I leased a 14 Focus and gave it back and now Financing a 17 Focus SEL and they now have SYNC 3 and The Transmissions are much better. I’m single who commutes a lot and drives out of state monthly so it’s perfect especially with the Navigation System.
Flex fuel? Thought we only had that crap here in Brazil...
This guy expects too much from this tiny car
Yeah, I have a problem being objective sometimes. The 3 or 4 cars I rented before this one where all 10 to 15,000 more expensive. I'm not making excuses, it's just that when I drive expensive cars for a while, and then switch to something more normal, all I notice is the negatives. I'm trying to be better.
I'm actually just finishing my review of the 2018 Hyundai Elantra, which is a similar class car, and I'm making an active effort to just share the car with everyone and keep my high expectations to myself....or at least keep them to a minimum. Anyway, thanks for the comment! Hope you'll give me a second chance and check out the Elantra video later this week.
I thought he did a pretty fair assessment.
I don’t know everything, but I feel like you would save thousands of dollars buying this instead of a civic. I feel like they’re possibly not even comparable.
This Ford represents the company’a staying true to the concept of an economy car and doing well. A Civic is a nicer but totally more elite situation if my feeling is right.
Agreed. I’m eyeballing a 2017 focus right now and that’s because at my budget ($14-16k) it’s that or a Cruze. Use Corollas and Civics are several thousand dollars more for the same mileage, year, etc.
@@TheKyleMark there is some degree of reliability advantage with civic and Corolla versus these Ford focuses. The 2010s focus has an interesting “automatic” which is not really an automatic but an automated manual and it drives like it except the clutch is automatic. I think it’s fun to drive because I have a 2018. Avoid any focus under 2017 though. All 2010s focuses have this weird tranny but the later ones were made a bit better and would theoretically last longer before you have clutch issues etc. My 2018 focus tends to shudder mildly when hot, but it has not gotten worse in months and drives with a sporty feel. An automatic Cruze might be a bit more reliable but not as sporty.
1:54 You're right. It isn't.
Love the user name.
My dad has this car and his acceleration is good it goes all the way to 7 he wanted to try it out.. the thing I don’t like about the focus is it’s to small
Honestly I remember my older sister used to have a sliver 2004 Ford Focus but now she has another Ford Focus but that one right now is a dark 🌑🌑 or light 🕯️🕯️ gray 2012 Ford Focus Hatchback.
1:40 you are sad about the power of the engine. It is a 2930 pound car with a 122 cuin n/a 4 cylinder that does 0 to 60 mph in 8.5 seconds. That is good when you consider it has an automatic transmission.
You're right, and that's a great way to put it into perspective, but I was still a little bit disappointed. That same lag isn't on the Toyota Corolla or the Chevy Sonic. Which is why I wanted just a little bit more out of the Focus.
I have not driven either but Car&Driver put the Corolla 0 to 60 at 9.5 seconds.
Another site put the Sonic 0 to 60 time at 9.7.
blackericdenice Exactly, in reality the focus is one of the fastest compact sedans. It,s behind the mazda 3 with the 2.5 or the civic with the 1.5 turbo but it is plenty fast for what it is.
With a stick I think it would make a difference. 160 hp is pretty darn good.
I need to do some review on some small cars. 2015 Fit was the last car i drove. It was a 6 speed manual and that 130 hp 1.5 was pretty strong.
Just traded my 14 Focus in and now Financing a 2017 Focus SEL with Navigation and Transmission is much better and SYNC 3 is much better than My Ford Touch. It’s excellent for highway driving. I drive out of state monthly.
I've heard really good things about the SEL. Do you like it? I
Love it. Always use the Navigation System, Sony Sound System is really good, Apple Car Play works really good also.
Robert Schneider - 2016 is supposedly the year they finally improved and fixed the problems with the automatic DCT.
Agreed. We have the same 2017 SEL Sedan. Oxford white with the 17” rims. has navigation with SYNC 3, does yours have Sirius satellite radio? My mom owns this car, bought it brand new financed and she loves this car. It is loaded and well equipped. The power is good and couldn’t ask for a better car.
TheToyota andFordlife Yup mine has Sirius Radio.
I want this as my first car
I think it'd be a great choice. Good luck! I hope it happens.
Do yourself a favor... no matter what car you get make sure you love it. There's no reason to ever buy a car you don't love. You'll use it at least twice every day. Make every trip to the gas station to buy a bag of chips an adventure!!!!
@@michaelfisher1390 Agreed. I only drive a Corolla but I knew leather, heated seats, moonroof, tinted windows, and alloy rims would make me happy on my next car and it had all of that plus a nice metallic gray color. I also have LED interior lights and lights on my plates that were already installed before I got it. Any car can make a person happy!
I was flying down the highway with that car over 100 mph
You got a Focus up to 100?!? Wow. Well done sir.
100 Rental Cars a 2015 with the 115 mph limiter removed does 137 mph. (I know from a freind😉)
Didn't self destruct???
Peter Panassow nope.
100 Rental Cars I’ve taken it up to 118
I drove a 2014 model and was not impressed by it... the transmission has problems and the one I had as a rental stalled out a few times. But it as a good looking car and was good on gas. Not my favorite compact (that's the Mazda 3), but it still is a nice car.
I've never driven the Mazda 3, but I've heard good things. Did you rent it? I don't think Enterprise has many Mazdas, if any. Maybe Hertz?
No, the only other car I've driven in this class was the Jetta 1.4T SE. And I really liked it. More than the Focus.
I have never driven a Jetta. Love the look of those cars though. I gotta remember to add that to my wishlist.
I heard the manual is really nice, and much more reliable. I would like the base model.They discount them for like 10 grand.
I feel like this car should be rated worse actually. I owned a 2014 SE hatchback and I freaking loved that car. However the transmission was garbage and it was so jerky I had to have clutches (yes it’s an automatic) replaced 3 times then the whole transmission went out last year. If Ford would put a normal transmission in the car this car would be much better. I ended up replacing it with an 2017 Escape which to me is the same car but bigger and has a normal transmission.
3 times!?! Wow. And I had always thoughts that Fords were fairly reliable. That sounds horrible. Well, I'm glad to hear you ditched your Focus and bought an Escape. I think that was a smart decision. And personally, I love the 2017. Great ride. Anyway, thanks for the comment!
Unfortunately ford put a dual dry-clutch transmission in this vehicle. While there are many good dual-clutch setups in the auto world, these dry units and the control module had many failures. Lots of amendments since 2017 are probably why you didn't have a problem while testing. For the SE sedan only, a one-liter engine is available tied to the 6F15 transmission, which has had a good service history. Obviously, none fitted with manual-shift have this problem at all.
It’s so interesting which features come standard on cars in the same class. I have a 17 Corolla XSE and safety features like lane keep assist, Collision alert, etc. are all standard. I think it even is on the lower trims too.
I test drove one a couple years ago when I was searching for a new car, it underwhelmed me. I agree with the acceleration, and the transmission bugged me too. This generation has had massive issues with that transmission, hopefully ford has fixed it by now. The interior is nice but I think the exterior is getting quite dated, I’d gladly rent one but I couldn’t see myself buying one unless it was an ST
I didn't know they were having problems with the transmission. That's too bad. And I agree, this is a decent rental but not something I'd want to buy. I just think you can get a much better car elsewhere for the same amount of money. Maybe even less.
100 Rental Cars I have an unexpected rental next week, I was rear ended yesterday and my car has $1500 worth of damage, I’ve got a Chevy Cruze or similar all next week. I was going to go with a Focus but then I remembered the review! Decided to just pay $10 for the upgrade
Problem Solved. DON'T get a auto. A manual is a MUST.
fixed in 2017
The interior could be nicer, idk I feel like it dosent look like a 2017 more like a 2015
I think all of those damn buttons Ford puts in it doesn’t help.
Even tho it was a rental and your not supposed to smoke in it they should come with ashtrays
You know, I think the only cars I've lately with ashtrays are Infinitis. Seems like they've been removed on everything else.
I test drove a 2013 before I got my Sentra, the transmission was weird in low speeds, it kind of jolted when I would accelerate lightly. I was upset cause I actuality really enjoyed the design.
It does look nice, right? I'm glad I wasn't the only one disappointed in the Focus' performance. And I think you made the right choice going with the Sentra. I really like that car.
Yep. That's something you learn to live with if you own one. It's going to jolt and shutter like mad at low speeds, I guess I'm used to that. But unlike the review, I feel like mine has plenty of power. You don't just mash the peddle, it doesn't respond to mashing at all. When the car is in the lower RPM range you gradually let on and it will go quite nicely. At least, with the dual clutch model anyway.
Mine has plenty of power, I have a 15 SE. The problem with the Focus is you have to let it shift over 4K RPMs going from 1st to 2nd or else you slip the clutches and it will cause shuddering issues.
Really? That sounds a bit annoying.
It can be pretty annoying, but it's the trade-off of owning a dry-clutch DCT transmission. My 15 has 54K miles on it
I have the 5 speed manual focus seems ok . Insurance is cheap...40mpg highway.... Worst thing. ..I pillars block front view.when turning . not the best driving on snow and ice. Make sure you have winter tires or all seasons for that. There is no 10k new focus..more like 13k .not bad for a new car . Resale is poor . .Dependable? 70k miles on a 2016 zero problems..only tires..oil changes and wheel alignments. Not the worst or best car not the cheapest or most stolen car...
Zero problems after 60,000 miles? That's great to hear. And I agree, the Focus isn't the best or most exciting car out there, but there's nothing wrong with driving a dependable, budget friendly vehicle. Too bad Ford is planning on stopping production on the Focus soon. Oh well....
5 speed MT makes it reliable
Ahhhh, good point.
The back seat is profoundly better for space than, say, a 2013 Mercedes Benz C class sedan.
I would rather get a corolla because for 1000$ more you can get a corolla LE with 6.1 touchscreen and you get all the safety equipment and resale value is better and Toyota has the reputation of lasting forever
If you think the acceleration in this model is bad, this one has 160 hp. They also offer an eco boost (which means turbocharged) 1.0 liter 3 cylinder with all of 123 hp!
These focus transmissions are notorious for self-destructing as well. And I’m surprised how small the interior is from the dashboard being pushed into the cabin.
Ok car, but not up to the standard of the rest of the Ford lineup.
I understand that this comment is a little delayed, but I feel it’s appropriate to go with the throttle response.
123 hp!?!? Yowza. Honestly, I think I was a bit too critical of the Focus in my review. It really isn't a "bad" car....it's just that I really love most of Ford's lineup and this one was a bit of a shock. Anyway, thanks for the great comment. Cheers!
I have an 18 SE and when I hit the gas it goes it does not give two f**** it will go as fast as you want to
Nice ford focus! I'd love ta have one!
My se had push to start. It’s was a 2017 se
The acceleration is fine to me. My 2017 se sedan pulls quickly. Only jerky between 1st and 2nd gear cause you have to give it some gas. I already at 79000 miles (originally at 42000) and it still going strong. You have to treat the car like a manual and you will see a difference and be more fun to drive.
I think this car has slipping clutches
Hmmm, you could be right. Thankfully it's been returned and I'll likely never see it again!
pretty good for the market, obviously I'd want a civic or corolla more but since that's what everyone wants you'll mostly find them at higher prices with a worse carfax
in my experience ~washington state 2023
My Ford Focus is the s and it's blue
Nice!!
julian BRO! ty!! WOW that’s basic
Aftermarket headers/exhaust will cure accelleration
I love it and I have this car.
I can’t help but wonder if this car suffers from abuse, but the interior looks shot! The buttons on the left side of the steering wheel look unfinished and tacked on.
Yeah, I think someone didn't treat this one very well. Do you think that's part of the reason the acceleration is so bad? ...probably not.
Had one as a rental, makes me cringe so much. I rather have a corolla le over this for the price, it might lack power but it drives much better in my opinion
IMO having driven both. They both have strange accelerations.
What happened to that fancy new chime?
I have not fully viewed this test drive of yours with the Focus, but I do have a question: Does Ford feature forward collision mitigation with pedestrian detection as an option with this SE, or Platinum version? It seems that the company has been lax in offering this option, at least, with the Focus. Perhaps with the '18 model, eventhough it appears that isn't the case. What's your spin on this? Peace! ♐BTW: HAPPY Christmas/Merry New Year...many thanx!
Great question! Well, the SE I had did not have any type of collision warning system. On the new 2018 Titanium Model, you can get "lane keeping alert" (Ford's words) for an extra $795. I don't see that option available on the 2018 SE model. And I don't see any type of collision control warning on either the SE or the Titanium. Kinda a bummer. I was kinda hoping Ford would lead the pack and make this stuff standard on ALL their vehicles (or at least have it available as an option).
100 Rental Cars I totally agree. It seems Ford really doesn't care about the Focus or Fiesta for that matter. A pity, but that's the way it is, unfortunately. I'm sure the lack of the safety features I mentioned earlier can turn off some potential buyers. The company's loss. Happy Christmas, Merry New Year, mate! Thanx for replying. I appreciate it. Peace! ♐
Nice review but I think the interior on the Focus looks dated and needs a refresh. The Toyota iA/Mazda2 is a better car for a much lower price. Is there any chance you could review that car?
I don't have total control over the cars I rent. It just depends what's on the Enterprise lot when I pull up. Lately there's been a lot of variety, but in the two years I've been doing this I have seen a Scion. I'll ask though. If it's possible, I post a review of the Scion iA asap.
I like the iA, but it is a compact car and not a subcompact like the Focus. It is smaller and has a 108 hp engine, not a 160 hp engine. It is also a more expensive car when discounts are put into perspective. ford has generous discounts in rebates, incentives, and dealer discounts.
I have seldom seen the iA as low as $12,500, best deal I was offered recently was $13,295..and it is very fun to drive, nice steering and wonderful shifter.The Focus as low as 10 grand range in base form. I don't know? I am going to test one this week likely. I heard the shifter is quite nice.
If fuel economy is the desire, I would go iA, if you need a little more livable back seat (even though it is not that big) and want more Go.. the Focus is hard to beat in base form. Even in higher trim SEL model with winter package, moonroof, and Sync.. it is commonly $13500. That is a sweet deal.
Unfortunately the main issue with the Ford Focus is its poor reliability, mostly because of the jerky dual clutch transmission. Plus the interior on the SE model has far too many buttons for my liking. Consumer reports has given it an overall score of just 47, only better than the Fiat 500L.
I think the issue is just the dual clutch transmission, nothing else is an issue, but since like 90%+ of buyers in the USA are buying automatics, the car has had abysmal reliability. I heard the stick shift is very nice and precise without any issues. Buy the stick save money, and get a far better car to drive as well as more reliable.
My 2015 accelerates just fine,but I don’t have California snow ❄️ emissions.
I fix and sell cars i have a 2015 sho it is fast and thirsty. I just got this exact car also yes it is slow but with my lead foot it saves at least 20 miles to the gallon. We just got a liberal gov here in Maine she spent the rainy day funds allready and gas tax is going up 1.50 per gallon just like California. I am conservative i am driving a focus now, i think i will keep it.
Hey nice review I just bought a 2012 Ford Focus myself it is a pretty nice car but kinda not sure about that 6 speed automatic transmission seems to take some gas to get it up and going but overall nice car! I wanted to ask what is your opinion of the 2017 Kia Optima?
Key? all the ones I seen where push button start