Ford Focus 2012

[Ace of Pop]

I had a chance to see the new Focus at the motorshow last week, and answer my own question. No, the top line Focus does not have GPS, unfortunately. Actually, the entertainment system appears to be sort of downgraded from what I saw on the American Ford Focus site, which is a disappointment. It seems sort of odd that For dumped GPS while they retained the expensive active assist automatic parking feature, which I doubt many of us would use frequently in Bangkok since there is very little street parking anyway. I use GPS with traffic updates nearly constantly when I am driving and would gladly trade our the automatic parking feature for GPS. Also, for some reason, the American version has two USB ports located inside the armrest compartment, while the Thai version has a single USB port that is located at the bottom of the dashboard panel, and requires some sort of strange twin plug adapter to connect your iPhone. And of course the adapter is not included.

All in all, I was impressed with the specs, and it's a nice looking car for the price, but sort of disappointed that they cut corners on the entertainment centre panel technology, especially with the lack of a GPS option. Nissan even put GPS into their top model pickups now.

By the way, by the time I got round the the motorshow last Thursday, they were quoting September delivery.

Hi there,

I have the Fiesta 1.6 S and if it has a similar sound system, don't worry about the iPhone adapter cables.... you play anything on the iPhone via the bluetooth (and if you call, it stops the audio and restarts where you left off)

I initially had the AU cable for the iPhone, but only found out I could play podcasts/audio over the bluetooth after about two weeks!

As an aside, the dual clutch on my Fiesta is horrid. It hols gears 2 and 3 for far too long and feels like it 'rides the clutch' when it doesn;t have to. I don't know if it is feature of the car, but if I accelerate slowly in first, the rest of the gear changes will happen around 2000RPM and change quickly. It's only when I rev past 2000 RPM in first that a second sequence of gear changes comes in, those at higher revs.... this is super annoying at low, city speeds as numerous times I am driving in third doing 2200-2300 RPM and it doesnt change for several seconds (it feels a lot longer)... along with the obvious loss of fuel economy, it makes for a much jerkier ride at low speeds as any engine braking is higher. I took it in to Ford as it was driving me bonkers - they said ;it's normal'.

I am seriously considering selling it and getting a manual. any manual.

Cheers

James

Ive said for ages Dual Clutces are iffy, again poo pooed by the Pups. .Smash em fron new and dump em back on Ford.

[frankphuket]

Been to Ford Phuket asking for the Fiesta or Focus manual gear. Result: fiesta mt- not available anymore. Good discount on the 1.5 power shift : 60,000 Baht, although official website says 70,000. Plus free insurance 1st year. Compared with a Honda Jazz where u get nada, 0, nothing....this at least is some sugar. Not sure if I should wait the new Fiesta, sales not sure might be within the next few month till end of year. (Wonder how much they will sell the 1.0 ecoboost?). Still the issue that I would rather have the manual!

Focus 1.6 manual: after rechecking - very long wait time....like they can't tell when at all. Any of you guys had better success for the manual model somewhere? Promotion 48 month 0% interest.

Been to Suzuki as well: manual could be had by November, but no insurance, not even a radio in the price. All added features.

[anon210]

Been to Ford Phuket asking for the Fiesta or Focus manual gear. Result: fiesta mt- not available anymore. Good discount on the 1.5 power shift : 60,000 Baht, although official website says 70,000. Plus free insurance 1st year. Compared with a Honda Jazz where u get nada, 0, nothing....this at least is some sugar. Not sure if I should wait the new Fiesta, sales not sure might be within the next few month till end of year. (Wonder how much they will sell the 1.0 ecoboost?). Still the issue that I would rather have the manual!

Focus 1.6 manual: after rechecking - very long wait time....like they can't tell when at all. Any of you guys had better success for the manual model somewhere? Promotion 48 month 0% interest.

Been to Suzuki as well: manual could be had by November, but no insurance, not even a radio in the price. All added features.

You get on the one hand the sugar that you will lose on the other... Namely with a much lower resale value than the Honda.

[crisp]

I had a chance to see the new Focus at the motorshow last week, and answer my own question. No, the top line Focus does not have GPS, unfortunately. Actually, the entertainment system appears to be sort of downgraded from what I saw on the American Ford Focus site, which is a disappointment. It seems sort of odd that For dumped GPS while they retained the expensive active assist automatic parking feature, which I doubt many of us would use frequently in Bangkok since there is very little street parking anyway. I use GPS with traffic updates nearly constantly when I am driving and would gladly trade our the automatic parking feature for GPS. Also, for some reason, the American version has two USB ports located inside the armrest compartment, while the Thai version has a single USB port that is located at the bottom of the dashboard panel, and requires some sort of strange twin plug adapter to connect your iPhone. And of course the adapter is not included.

All in all, I was impressed with the specs, and it's a nice looking car for the price, but sort of disappointed that they cut corners on the entertainment centre panel technology, especially with the lack of a GPS option. Nissan even put GPS into their top model pickups now.

By the way, by the time I got round the the motorshow last Thursday, they were quoting September delivery.

Hi there,

I have the Fiesta 1.6 S and if it has a similar sound system, don't worry about the iPhone adapter cables.... you play anything on the iPhone via the bluetooth (and if you call, it stops the audio and restarts where you left off)

I initially had the AU cable for the iPhone, but only found out I could play podcasts/audio over the bluetooth after about two weeks!

As an aside, the dual clutch on my Fiesta is horrid. It hols gears 2 and 3 for far too long and feels like it 'rides the clutch' when it doesn;t have to. I don't know if it is feature of the car, but if I accelerate slowly in first, the rest of the gear changes will happen around 2000RPM and change quickly. It's only when I rev past 2000 RPM in first that a second sequence of gear changes comes in, those at higher revs.... this is super annoying at low, city speeds as numerous times I am driving in third doing 2200-2300 RPM and it doesnt change for several seconds (it feels a lot longer)... along with the obvious loss of fuel economy, it makes for a much jerkier ride at low speeds as any engine braking is higher. I took it in to Ford as it was driving me bonkers - they said ;it's normal'.

I am seriously considering selling it and getting a manual. any manual.

Cheers

James

Ive said for ages Dual Clutces are iffy, again poo pooed by the Pups. .Smash em fron new and dump em back on Ford.

Dual clutches are not iffy now, initially when first produced they had problems, but what new system doesn't?. I would not consider a manual now , especially driving in Bangkok, or any other city for that matter.

[WarpSpeed]

Shame there is no manual gearbox option for people who enjoy driving

Not for bkk use though. And this box will shift faster than any manual anyway to keep you in the power band.

More misinformation, a transmission can not predict the need to shift so therefore it only responds when you press the accelerator but a human can see what's coming and downshift (upshift to some) well before it's required to be prepared for acceleration thus bringing the RPM's up into power range.. The only time an auto is quicker is in a straight line for all upshifts like drag racing..

Yes we can see how much faster the manual is than a dsg is around a track here. A focus won't do this though, no paddle shifters.

IF she could find an apex, down and upshift a manual properly and drive like a real performance driver and not a drift driver there'd be no discussion about which is faster..She's on the brake too hard and long, on the power too late and hard, not smooth at all, she's driving it like it's rear wheel drive, she's not heal and toe shifting or braking, rev matching or left foot braking (the techniques are unmistakable by sound to a professional ear) there's so many weaknesses in her driving capabilities the comparison has lost all credibility.

Edited May 18, 2013 by WarpSpeed

[WarpSpeed]

^^ The city is where a manual has it's best advantage but trying to relate this to amateurs driving grocery getters is ALWAYS going to be a futile effort at best..

[15Peter20]

I just got a focus titanium+ (2013). It's not a big car - smaller than a 1.2L Almera, and I wouldn't get one if it's just for short city trips as the fuel consumption isn't great, but my god it comes into its own on the open road.

Floored it at 140Kph and still got pushed back in my seat. Took it up to 200Kph without much effort although obviously there's not too many places you can (or should) do that. Torque on overtaking makes it very quick and easy. For me, these are the main things, but there's also all the gadgets and I particularly like the steering getting heavier the faster you go. It feels total quality - just hope it can maintain this performance over a number of years.

Okay, it hasn't got satnav, but just get a standalone one for up to 12K and you can use it in any car you drive.

Also, got to say the cornering is very comfortable at high speed and the sound system is great - the first time I've noticed panning make a noticeable difference in a car. It's a bit 'trebley' even when using the equalizer, but still, the best I've heard in a car in this price bracket. Haven't noticed the 'grinding' sound described elsewhere but usually have music on loud so can't hear much else. On a few occasions I've had some gear-related 'feedback' through the brake peddle when decelerating at low speed, but it's got a 3 year warranty so I'm not worried for now.

Edited May 19, 2013 by 15Peter20

[IMHO]

I just got a focus titanium+ (2013). It's not a big car - smaller than a 1.2L Almera,

Eh? It might not be quite as high as an Almera, but it's bigger in every other dimension.

[Ace of Pop]

I just got a focus titanium+ (2013). It's not a big car - smaller than a 1.2L Almera,

Eh? It might not be quite as high as an Almera, but it's bigger in every other dimension.

And the Fords bigger than the Almera in the Complaints Dept.

[sjonburi]

Might be true and Ford Thailand has a lot of catching up to do in terms of after sales service compared to some of their Japanese counterparts but I learned that if you escalate the problem via the proper channels you will get in touch with some very knowledgeable people who understand that one buys this car because it's fun to drive, has plenty of power, feels very composed during cornering and has some very interesting safety features that are not found in any vehicle in Thailand within this price range.

I updated my post yesterday about the 2012-2013 Focus / Fiesta TSB to eliminate some issue I had with a grinding sound of the powershift transmission and by re-flashing the TCM / PCM software to a newer version (08.APR.2013) they were able to fix my problem and now it's even more a blast to drive: http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/639599-ford-focus-fiesta-mk3-2012-transmission-update-resolves-dct-gearbox-shudder-grinding/ (I sometimes like to compare it to an upgrade of Android / iOS where a new version fixes some bugs) So if you have any similar issue then go your dealer and ask them for this software update.

If you want to know some more detailed information about your Ford you can go here: http://www.etis.ford.com/vehicleRegSelector.do and enter your VIN.

I just got a focus titanium+ (2013). It's not a big car - smaller than a 1.2L Almera,

Eh? It might not be quite as high as an Almera, but it's bigger in every other dimension.

And the Fords bigger than the Almera in the Complaints Dept.

Edited May 20, 2013 by sjonburi

[ThaiBob]

I have a 2011 Toyota Altis 1.8G TRD. My friend purchased earlier this year the 'new' Ford Focus. He is absolutely delighted. This car is full of innovations and has all the bells and whistles. The quality of interior materials is a higher standard. The OP has made a good choice. The cramped rear seat on the Ford unfortunately could be a deal breaker for me if I was in the market for a car now.

[15Peter20]

I just got a focus titanium+ (2013). It's not a big car - smaller than a 1.2L Almera,

Eh? It might not be quite as high as an Almera, but it's bigger in every other dimension.

I've got both a Focus and Almera (both 2013, both top of the line), which is why I felt I could make that comment. Parked them both side by side. As you say, the Almera is taller. It also has a bigger boot than the Focus. It also has more leg room in the back, and the Focus is not visibly bigger length ways. Of course the Focus is better in many ways, but in terms of dimensions and space I don't think it beats the Almera in any department.

If anyone can reproduce the relative specs regarding this, I will happily defer to those.

[sjonburi]

Yup, the Focus is longer and wider than the Almera except for the height ;-)

http://www.nissan.co.th/~/media/Files/Nissan/Asia%20Pacific/Thailand/Brochures/Specifications/Nissan_TechSpec_Almera_Eng_03.pdf

http://www.ford.com.au/cars/focus/specifications/spec-options

It's also 300 kg lighter than the Focus

I just got a focus titanium+ (2013). It's not a big car - smaller than a 1.2L Almera,

Eh? It might not be quite as high as an Almera, but it's bigger in every other dimension.

[Ace of Pop]

The tale of the tape is misleading then. The Nissan looks bigger and better to me. The Ford looks a mess compared with the Fiesta.

[sjonburi]

You have issues and drink too much coffee

The tale of the tape is misleading then. The Nissan looks bigger and better to me. The Ford looks a mess compared with the Fiesta.

[Ace of Pop]

You have issues and drink too much coffee

The tale of the tape is misleading then. The Nissan looks bigger and better to me. The Ford looks a mess compared with the Fiesta.

True, but i dont own a Thai Made Ford.

[ThaiBob]

Not clear to me why the comparison between a Focus and an Almera. I could be wrong but I thought the Focus competition is the Altis, Civic, Cruze and Sylphy, for example. I own a 2011 Altis and as previously mentioned a friend has the new Focus. Another friend just purchased the Nissan Sylphy. From the passenger seat, the car with the best ride and most bang for the baht is the Focus. However, rear seat comfort is important to me so I would not purchase the Focus for that reason. The Sylphy was a disappointment, but the rear seat was very roomy.

[Wiggy]

Not clear to me why the comparison between a Focus and an Almera. I could be wrong but I thought the Focus competition is the Altis, Civic, Cruze and Sylphy, for example. I own a 2011 Altis and as previously mentioned a friend has the new Focus. Another friend just purchased the Nissan Sylphy. From the passenger seat, the car with the best ride and most bang for the baht is the Focus. However, rear seat comfort is important to me so I would not purchase the Focus for that reason. The Sylphy was a disappointment, but the rear seat was very roomy.

Agreed. There's no point in comparing the Almera/Focus as they fall in different segments of the market. Almera v Vios/Fiesta/City is fair enough though. Just look at the prices to know their relative competition.

[15Peter20]

Not clear to me why the comparison between a Focus and an Almera. I could be wrong but I thought the Focus competition is the Altis, Civic, Cruze and Sylphy, for example. I own a 2011 Altis and as previously mentioned a friend has the new Focus. Another friend just purchased the Nissan Sylphy. From the passenger seat, the car with the best ride and most bang for the baht is the Focus. However, rear seat comfort is important to me so I would not purchase the Focus for that reason. The Sylphy was a disappointment, but the rear seat was very roomy.

Agreed. There's no point in comparing the Almera/Focus as they fall in different segments of the market. Almera v Vios/Fiesta/City is fair enough though. Just look at the prices to know their relative competition.

Yes, sorry, I only brought up the Almera to help people get the picture about how long a Focus is. I get the feeling there are more Almeras out there than Focuses so thought more people would be familiar with the length of an Almera.

I could also have said something like 'A Focus is about the length of one and a half horses' - again, without meaning to offer an equine alternative to buying a Focus. Anyway, mine's still going nicely and is a pleasure to drive over long distances. Have just done over 2000Km in less than 3 weeks without any significant issues.

Edited May 25, 2013 by 15Peter20

[Wiggy]

Not clear to me why the comparison between a Focus and an Almera. I could be wrong but I thought the Focus competition is the Altis, Civic, Cruze and Sylphy, for example. I own a 2011 Altis and as previously mentioned a friend has the new Focus. Another friend just purchased the Nissan Sylphy. From the passenger seat, the car with the best ride and most bang for the baht is the Focus. However, rear seat comfort is important to me so I would not purchase the Focus for that reason. The Sylphy was a disappointment, but the rear seat was very roomy.

Agreed. There's no point in comparing the Almera/Focus as they fall in different segments of the market. Almera v Vios/Fiesta/City is fair enough though. Just look at the prices to know their relative competition.

Yes, sorry, I only brought up the Almera to help people get the picture about how long a Focus is. I get the feeling there are more Almeras out there than Focuses so thought more people would be familiar with the length of an Almera.

I could also have said something like 'A Focus is about the length of one and a half horses' - again, without meaning to offer an equine alternative to buying a Focus. Anyway, mine's still going nicely and is a pleasure to drive over long distances. Have just done over 2000Km in less than 3 weeks without any significant issues.

I see where you were coming from now. Thanks for the clarification. The comparison is now logical for the reasons you state.

[WarpSpeed]

I have a 2011 Toyota Altis 1.8G TRD. My friend purchased earlier this year the 'new' Ford Focus. He is absolutely delighted. This car is full of innovations and has all the bells and whistles. The quality of interior materials is a higher standard. The OP has made a good choice. The cramped rear seat on the Ford unfortunately could be a deal breaker for me if I was in the market for a car now.

I just test drove the 252Hp 6 speed manual ST spec and I found it a bit anemic and sluggish in power delivery. It had good torque but the power was deceptive and it didn't seem to be as responsive out of the hole as I expected and I was quite disappointed after initially being excited, especially at a price of nearly $30,000. I'm not quite sure what is missing but my 99 VR6 GTi seems to have more out of the hole than this Focus even in similar performance trim though favoring the Focus by some margin.

Maybe it's in the gearing and such and the lack of drama in the Focus but in some sense that is part of it's failing IMHO for a sport spec car it's too tame so no real fun to drive..

My Integra @ 225hp also seemed to have more power and throttle response and my Rx8 certainly does @ just under 240hp and it's a much larger car too.

[DILLIGAD]

And this relates to Thailand how?

[WarpSpeed]

This is the motoring sub forum in case you hadn't noticed and not EVERYTHING relates to Thailand in this sub forum, ala F1 for just one example..If it were that way there'd only be discussion on boring 1.6L crap boxes and how to get a tire repaired and it would have about 2 entries per month..Unless of course someone posted up ANOTHER thread about importing a car to Thailand, there's about 1 or 2 of those threads here per week...

Edited May 25, 2013 by WarpSpeed