2012 Ford Focus Titanium 1.6 TI-VCT 125 from UK and Ireland

Summary:

Ford - Found On Rubbish Dump, says it all

Faults:

Engine faults - various.

Poor trim quality.

Radio skips channels.

General Comments:

The car looks great and is comfortable.

Fuel consumption should be up to 53 MPG; the best I have had is 35 extended on road journeys, resetting while moving. Round town it's more like 22-25.

Engine fails to start in cold conditions. When running it loses power when it feels like it. Been for multiple repairs; lambda sensors, MAF sensors, EGR etc. 6 repairs later and several weeks of time, and the car was no better.

Radio tunes to whatever it feels like, whenever it feels like.

Dealerships are poor. Ford Customer Resolution Services are hopeless and seem to think they can operate outside their own policy and the law.

Best thing I did was sell the car on 2 months ago, luckily before the snow! Feel sorry for the next owner though!

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 8th February, 2013

11th Feb 2013, 14:10

I wrote the review on the Zetec 125. I'm glad I'm not the only one who found this engine horrific. They also do it in 105 and 85 PS; imagine how bad they are. Apparently the 1.0 turbo 125 is a great drive, but I'm kind of put off Fords at the moment.

In reply to 11th Feb 2013, 14:10

7th Sep 2022, 14:29

Diesel? Should be mid 50's mpg at average.

Given the problems you have had, something else is obviously wrong and undoubtedly is also affecting the fuel consumption. All modern diesels do 40 - something minimum even on a bad day, should never be as low as 20 something even in town. Make sure you are calculating the figures accurately yourself and never trust what the trip computer says.

2012 Ford Focus Titanium from North America

Summary:

A great economy car with lots of extras!

Faults:

Minor glitches with MyFord Touch/SYNC system.

General Comments:

Otherwise the car is fabulous!

Comfortable seats.

Good acceleration, steering and braking.

Great gas mileage (about 30 MPG combined city/highway).

Sound system is amazing.

Easy to use controls.

Sport gear.

Styling is very cute and sporty.

Plenty of room for 4 people.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 25th December, 2012

2012 Ford Focus SE 2.0 from North America

Summary:

I would buy this car again, just not a manual transmission

Faults:

Nothing has broken on this car to date.

General Comments:

Overall the 2012 Focus is a beautiful car. It has a sleek design, comfortable interior, and great fuel economy. I thoroughly enjoy the Sync system, and usually listen to my iPhone.

The main issue I have with the Focus is related to the manual transmission. The car is all drive-by-wire, and this causes a lengthy delay between pushing the gas pedal and the engine starting to accelerate. If the clutch is released at the same time as the gas pedal is depressed, the car will stall. If I press the gas and wait a second before releasing the clutch, it won't stall, but then there is another delay between letting up the clutch and pressing the gas to accelerate. This causes a rough start.

Another issue with the Focus, is that the car does not drop the RPM immediately when the clutch is depressed. It will slowly decrease the RPM until it realizes the driver is not changing gears. This wastes a lot of gas in the city, where the car hardly ever reaches 5th gear.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 24th July, 2012

29th Aug 2012, 13:43

I will be sad if this is what car manufacturers are doing with the new manual transmissions.

I am a bit of a car enthusiast, and even with a daily driver car, I love to drive manual, because the interaction with the car and control of the driving experience makes it more fun to drive. It also lets you save the life of your brakes by downshifting when coming to a stop.

All my cars have been manual, but I've noticed the newer cars are becoming more manufactured to isolate the driver from the driving experience.

I noticed this in the new Mazdas. There is no steering feel at all, and you cannot get any feedback through the steering wheel. I think this is because of new electronic steering components.

These changes are making cars boring to drive, and perpetuating the idea that cars are appliances, but I still see them as something that should be enjoyed, especially if you pay a lot of money for a car.

In reply to 29th Aug 2012, 13:43

29th Dec 2012, 11:31

Downshifting to save the life of your brakes? Seriously? Price a clutch and then price brake pads.

In reply to 29th Dec 2012, 11:31

5th Feb 2013, 22:27

A single engagement and release of the clutch, and allowing the engine to slow you down, is less wear than riding the brake pedal to slow you down.

4th Mar 2013, 00:46

I just bought a 2013 Focus SE Hatchback with the 2.0 engine and manual trans. I haven't noticed the things you mention. I'm very happy with the transmission and clutch feel, although the Dodge Dart I test-drove had an even better (lighter and smoother) clutch (though I didn't get the Dart, because I am tall and didn't fit as well in it).