Since Ford is sending me coupons... and promising way too much for my Ranger trade-in... and giving away their inventory ... I'm looking for input on the Focus. I'm obviously not too worried about safety, resale, out-and-out performance, or any other traditionally MB aspects. On the other hand, I have enjoyed 2 years of 0 maintenance, depreciation that has not exceeded resale/trade-in value (bought it late in the model year, off the lot), and cruise, A/C, auto trans, stereo cassette C/D. So I might go back to the trough again...

Didn't Focus have an Audi-like unintended acceleration issue a couple years back? Doesn't the Ecotec get ragged on for being 'sewing machine-like' in its noisiness? Any websites for class-action suits? All input and humor appreciated... nothing personal, please- it's the holidays

Just for the record, the Audi unintended acceleration issue proved to be user error. Virtually all cases were new owners who simply stepped on the wrong pedal (I believe all the cases were owners of 3k miles or less). One of the big shots at Audi offered to sit in the driver's seat of any Audi with an unmodified brake system with HIS foot on the brake, then they could do whatever they wanted to the transmission. The claim was a transmission problem. His answer was the transmission was fine and even if not, the brakes do stop the car. This one pretty much rates up there with the faked pickup truck fuel tank fires and the comsumer reports rollover issue.
As to the Focus, I have not heard anything bad about it. It looks to be a small car for a specific purpose and market that performs as it should. Not a C class, but you knew that already. As always, YMMV.

I sold Fords for about six month, until very recent.

Things to keep in mind:

That car will depreciate dratsically. If you are going to pay for it outright or know you're keeping a while, and don't care about being upside down on payments vs what you later on, go ahead.

Price out Jap comparables, it might just be a $50-$60 difference in payment.

BTW, g/f has one nicely maintained, one owner, 3 yrs old, and on the highway at 80 you think its going to fall apart.. WHen my legs /feet are tired I admit I do drive it........... with all the vibraiton from the floor it gives a nice massage to the feet... oh and wind noice.... lets not go there..... They do have like a 10 year powertrain warranty, but remember ONLY powertrain, so if the evaporator in the a/c or something else goes, your ****ed...

good luck

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1995 E320 smoke silver / parchment

Car & Driver did a test.

70mph-0 braking took about 150 feet
70mph-0 braking with Wide Open Throttle took about 180 feet

Conclusion: the brakes were more than good enough to stop the Audi regardless the power output of the engine

Sorry for the hijack... we now return to our regularly scheduled programming.

They fixed the drooping melted dashboard look, so now I would actually consider one if I was looking in that category.

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1985 380SE Blue/Blue - 230,000 miles
2012 Subaru Forester 5-speed
2005 Toyota Sienna
2004 Chrysler Sebring convertible
1999 Toyota Tacoma

I maybe thinking of the same test or it may have been Road&Track.. The test involved failing an air valve of some type which caused the engine speed to increase by a 200-300 RPM. The test subjects were told to drive the car around some pylons in reverse. At some piont in the test they would fail the valve and the car speed up slightly. Several test subjects claimed they hit the brake and the car did not stop, in fact it increased in speed. Tape of the test showed that the subject did not hit the brake, instead they push down more on the gas.

I had a rental Ford Focus awhile back.....turns out that the fuel cutoff is at 110mph.

I later read somwhere that the wheel bearings were recalled for possible wheel loss. Perhaps they should have looked into that before pushing the limit on it.

Our 1993 Eurovan had unintended acceleration in my Dad's hands while the CC was on and accelerated out of control until it topped out at 90mph. Repeated braking and canceling of the CC eventually shut the system off. Fortunately he was on a freeway with light traffic.

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1974 240D 3.0L 4(M) - 250K -OM617.910 + 300D FW + Rajay turbo power!
1977 6.9 3(A) - 84k