Hi everyone! I have posted a few threads in recent weeks on my car shopping experience and decision. I thought I'd share my thought so far for anyone else considering the new Focus Hatchback.
I picked up my focus yesterday. I am 2 days in, and here is what I think so far.
First off, my driving pattern is a bit sporadic. I work from home, so I mostly drive around town short distances. A couple times a month, I have a 35 mile commute. I can typically time it to miss traffic, but if I don't it is stop and go for about 15-20 of the miles.
I got the Focus because I wanted a stylish hatchback and reasonable gas mileage. I was completely sucked in by the My Ford Touch.
My Car:
Sterling Grey Hatchback, Titanium Trim with the Winter Package, Handling Package, Moonroof and Leather Interior.
I didn't get the Park Assist, even though it was something I wanted because I was a little crunched for time and it was either sacrifice color or parking. I chose parking because the last new car I got I sacrificed on color and the one I got wasn't really me. I only wanted the rear parking camera, and I figure this is something that can be added aftermarket at some point if I really need it.
First impressions and likes:
On my test drives, I thought the focus felt far more polished than the competition and this pushed me other the edge.
Fit and finish is excellent, I saw a loose thread on one of the seats, and a tiny chip in the hood (I assume from transit for the dealer trade) otherwise the car looks great.
I really like the keyless entry and ignition. The only problem is I keep forgetting to take my keys out of my purse before piling stuff in and I have to dig them out so I can close my garage. I did leave my car and try to lock it up without turning off the ignition. This whole push button thing is going to take some mental adjustment. It didn't let me lock up with the sensor, so that was my clue.
The focus is surprisingly wide. It is a good 5 inches wider than my previous compact car, so I definitely have to concentrate and adjust a few times to get it into my parking spot (I have a tiny 3 car garage space in my apartment. The 3 cars are my focus, a circa-2000s Civic and a 1980s Porsche. We all need to park carefully so we can open the drivers side doors, passengers need not apply).
The Focus trunk is about half the size of my previous hatchback, this car is 6 or 8 inches shorter and the full size spare with the handling package take up a good amount of trunk space. I'll need to get better about keeping my car clear.
The handoff at the dealership:
When I picked up my car, I didn't feel like the salesmen was knowledgeable enough about MyFordTouch. I get the impression they haven't sold many of them yet. There was a lot of guessing to figure out where options were. This is one area where you'll probably need to reach out to the Ford team for support. They should look into getting some younger tech savvy sales people to help with this.
Friends and Family Impressions:
Over the holiday weekend, we saw a focus in the wild from across the freeway. I said to my mom, that's what my car looks like. She said, that's a stylish car. Considering my mom has absolutely no opinion on any car and would be hard-pressed to tell the difference from an Audi A6, a VW Jetta, a Civic, and an Accord, that is high praise.
I carted around my sister and a friend on the first day. My sister is plotting to copy me and get one in another color for her first car, and my friend loved it. Especially the heated seats and dual climate control. They found the seats comfortable and liked the ambient lighting.
First Drives:
On Sunday, I drove around town so I didn't really get a good sense of driving. MFT was a little flaky right after I drove off the lot. The voice activated button became unresponsive. After 10 minutes, MyFordTouch rebooted and updated. Since then things haven't been too flaky, but MyFordTouch is pretty slow. It takes a few touches for things to work. I also find it is easy to confuse it if you type too fast, and there is no way to look things up/force it to calculate a point of interest or street if it doesn't find it on it own. This feels like a work in progress, but offers good functionality. Using the voice for navigation is going to be easier than typing it in.
I was able to pair my phone easily, but I wish I could turn off bluetooth music streaming when my iphone is connected via USB. Also I found some issues if I left my phone plugged in when starting the car, music did not start playing. If I unplug/replug it works perfectly. Sound quality sounds decent. Still experimenting with Siri in my car. It looks like it is hard for her to hear. The mic is in the ceiling, so you need to speak up literally.
Overall I think MyFordTouch has a lot of promise, and I can't wait for the next update.
Yesterday, I took the afternoon off and took a drive to the outlets 40 miles away. I had a few things on my shopping list and I know I won't have many opportunities for highway driving in the coming weeks.
Handling was great. Things were pretty quiet. I was worried because reviews mentioned that the 18" tires increased road noise, but it was good for a compact car. When I replace these summer tires with all-season, we will see how things change. The cabin was quiet and the road was smooth. Passing was easy. Acceleration was good. The seat was comfy, All-in-all a good ride.
I love the heated seats! I get cold easily, and this is the perfect way to take the chill off. Also, I am very happy about the sunglasses holder, but I wish there were more interior compartments. I am struggling with where to put my change and bridge transponder, and keeping the center console organized.
During the stop and go in city driving, I did notice a manual transmission like "shudder" at low speeds (this car has a dual clutch automatic). It wasn't consistent but noticeable. We'll see how this wears over time.
Overall I am really happy with my focus. We'll see how things go with MyFordTouch. This is the first time I have had bluetooth in a car, and I know I'll be using it a lot. The voice commands are exciting, and seem easier than using the touch screen, but I naturally speak pretty fast, so it will be fun going through the training period.
Pros:
Handling
Stereo
Great front seats
Fit and Finish
Quiet interior
Dual climate control
Keyless entry and ignition
Ambient lighting (surprisingly useful)
Battery/signal strength on the MFT screen for my cell phone
Trip computer screen has the next direction for navigation
Cons:
Lack of interior compartments in the front
Small trunk
Lots of clicks to manage MFT
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