Ford Fiesta vs Ford Focus for SWMBO

[newbury]

Well I'm back asking for TBN advice on cars.

When I asked 4 years ago about getting the car for my son TBN helped out greatly.

Well thanks guys for all the input.

After 2 weeks of looking at all first and second tier offerings in my area three choices made it to test drive:
Hyundai Elantra
Nissan Spectra
Ford Focus,

The first tier offerings (Accent, Versa, Fiesta) were all deemed to small.

Ford Focus lost due to size and dealerships. With me in the drivers seat the drivers seat back was against my wife's knees behind me, the other two cars left a few inches. The several Ford dealerships also tried to pull stunts (extra charges, half quotes).

Nissan was neck in neck, but Hyundai won on warranty and actually a lower price. Both of these vehicles are almost identical.

And again - Thanks to all the TBN'ers for their input.

Deal done
Thread dead

Hyundai Elantra 2010

Happy child

Now this time the game has changed location and players.

We are moving (gradually) to Fulton, Mississippi. The ONLY car dealership within 30 plus miles is a Ford dealer (about 15 miles), who also happens to be a friend of SWMBO's mother. It's a good dealership and I've had my truck and van serviced there over the years. SWMBO is retired and really wants to get a car to replace her 2004 Honda Civic Hybrid. It's GOT to be a small Ford.

She originally wanted a Fiesta sedan, but is now waffling between the Fiesta and the Focus.

It will mainly be used for roundtrips to just past the dealership 3 or 4 times a week for MIL visits and groceries. Thus I expect less than 150 miles per week or about 7,000 miles/yr max. She just needs something Ford, reliable, safe, small for parking ease, easy to see out of (5' tall) and Ford. The Honda Civic is having small problems that may cost a thousand or so to fix at a dealership far away.

So a couple of questions - Any substantial problems with either Fiesta or Focus? Can I slap 4 larger diameter tires on either immediately to get a little extra clearance? Any quirks? The dealer said that both can cost about the same due to discounts on the Focus. I've sat in them and both fit.

Oh, and the Hyundai purchase of 4 years ago is running great.

So TBN thanks in advance for this conundrum and thanks again for helping out 4 years ago.

 

[k0ua]

If it was me, and I had to choose between the two, I would choose the slightly larger Focus, but your wife is 5 foot tall, so....Which one does she like best?

 

[Diamondpilot]

My uncle has a Ford a Focus and loves it. It's a 2010 and already has 150,000 miles on it. His other vehicle is a 2005 F350 that's not cracked 40,000 miles.

The Foucus makes monthly trips to FL and has been dead reliable.

Chris

 

[murphy1244]

My wife has a 08 Focus with 35000 miles. Only problem is the usual rear window leak.

 

[HHR]

Focus with the stick would probably be the most reliable and safe of your two choices. I have a cousin who has owned a 2012 Titanium (dual clutch went out at 25K), a 2013 Titanum (bought back by Ford), and loaded 2013 SE (trouble free so far).
A friend of mine has 2013 SE w/stick that has been trouble free.
Another friend just bought a 2014 SE automatic.
The cars will eat tires. 30-35K miles is the most you are likely to get from a set.
MPG is about 30-32 in mixed driving and 34-39 on long trips.
I know only one person with a Fiesta Sedan. It's a 5-speed manual and has been reliable but the mileage isn't that great.
If I had to get a ford car, I would get the Fusion 2.5L. Stay away from the 1.6 and 2.0 liter EcoBoost engine. The intake valves carbon up and cause a misfire at idle. You cannot do regular induction cleanings because the cleaning solvent will cause premature turbo failure. Ford's fix is to replace the cylinder head.

 

[newbury]

Focus with the stick would probably be the most reliable and safe of your two choices. I have a cousin who has owned a 2012 Titanium (dual clutch went out at 25K), a 2013 Titanum (bought back by Ford), and loaded 2013 SE (trouble free so far).
A friend of mine has 2013 SE w/stick that has been trouble free.
Another friend just bought a 2014 SE automatic.
The cars will eat tires. 30-35K miles is the most you are likely to get from a set.
MPG is about 30-32 in mixed driving and 34-39 on long trips.
I know only one person with a Fiesta Sedan. It's a 5-speed manual and has been reliable but the mileage isn't that great.
If I had to get a ford car, I would get the Fusion 2.5L. Stay away from the 1.6 and 2.0 liter EcoBoost engine. The intake valves carbon up and cause a misfire at idle. You cannot do regular induction cleanings because the cleaning solvent will cause premature turbo failure. Ford's fix is to replace the cylinder head.

Thanks, that's the type of info I'm looking for.

What's

usual rear window leak.

?

 

[murphy1244]

Newbury, I have had 4 Ford or Mercury products in the last 10 years and every one of them had a small leak on the rear glass. Cars, trucks even the Mariner had a leak. Thought it must be a Ford thing and I'm not the only one.

 

[wawajake]

yep stay away from the ecoboost

 

[Bird]

Stay away from the 1.6 and 2.0 liter EcoBoost engine. The intake valves carbon up and cause a misfire at idle. You cannot do regular induction cleanings because the cleaning solvent will cause premature turbo failure. Ford's fix is to replace the cylinder head.

That's interesting. I was at my Ford dealer this morning for an oil & filter change on our 2014 Escape SE with the 2.0L ecoboost, and asked the assistant service manager, whom I've known for more than 8 years, about this post and he said he never heard of such. He said the timing of the spark is so precise that they don't carbon up much, and the manufacturer's cleaning solvent for induction cleaning that they use won't hurt the turbo, but that maybe some after market stuff might.

 

[HHR]

That's interesting. I was at my Ford dealer this morning for an oil & filter change on our 2014 Escape SE with the 2.0L ecoboost, and asked the assistant service manager, whom I've known for more than 8 years, about this post and he said he never heard of such. He said the timing of the spark is so precise that they don't carbon up much, and the manufacturer's cleaning solvent for induction cleaning that they use won't hurt the turbo, but that maybe some after market stuff might.

Here is some info on the subject from a Ford tech:
http://youtu.be/0irwbwpuEbQ
http://youtu.be/nK2eXdaydqI