Chibana

Gack. Sorry, but *every* enthusiast magazine disagrees with you Corolla fans. It's crap. When the current gen was released, it may have been competitive, but it certainly hasn't been for years, and it's handling and steering are not in the same league. I also find it funny how much weight so many people put into reliability surveys (especially those that don't look at any real data, but rely on owner feelings and impressions), when the fact is that the difference between most modern cars in the same price range isn't all that large. Most modern cars will not be all that different statistically speaking. Buying any brand new model will always tend to result in more problems. My wife and I bought a 2005 Honda Odyssey about a week after that completely redesigned vehicle hit the dealers. We had TONS of problems with that vehicle in the first several years. So while the ancient Corolla platform is probably more reliable than the completely redesigned Focus will be in its first year or two, it's driving characteristics are undeniably worse, and I would probably slit my wrists if I had to commute in that boring lemming-mobile every day. Then again, most American drivers aren't capable of recognizing a car that handles well and has good steering feel and feedback (or even know what those terms mean). The Corolla is one of the most boring appliance vehicles on the roads today. If that's all you want, more power to you, but some of us want more than getting from point A to point B.

I can't think of any reason why you wouldn't want a linear response between gas pedal application and throttle opening. This gives you the most control over what the car is doing. After all, if you don't want the car to move, then don't press the gas pedal, no? I can think of no reason why I would want my car to sit still when I press the gas, which is what it frequently did prior to the TSB application. I have not hooked up my OBDII-to-Bluetooth adapter to my Focus yet, but based on the fact that my average fuel efficiency numbers still skyrocket when I coast to a stop immediately after filling up (when the average fuel efficiency displayed by the trip computer will approach instantaneous fuel efficiency), I have to believe the aggressive deceleration fuel shut-off is still very much in effect. I've noticed no difference in my displayed or calculated fuel efficiency since having the update done (I fill up about 3 times a week).

I got the full ECU update done yesterday morning. I didn't notice much on the way to work, but I didn't have much reason to drive in a way where I would have noticed anything. On the way home, though, it became very clear the PowerShift update made a positive change. It's smoother in slow speed driving, and more importantly, it's faster to downshift and get moving when you press the gas pedal. On the way home last night on I-75 I had to get over to the middle lane to let traffic merge, and I hit the gas to accelerate so as not to slow down upcoming traffic. The car startled me with how quickly it responded and downshifted once, and then again right after, and I got up to speed quickly. And the car showed no sign of hesitation when hitting the gas from a stop. The update transformed the car to a genuinely fun car to drive (at least as fun as an automatic can be). It's too early to say for sure that it's 100% cured of the annoying hesitation, but there's no doubt it's a big improvement.

I'm getting the PowerShift TSB done Monday morning.

Besides, the new Civic sucks. The Focus is far and away the better car.

I definitely want to get that TSB done. I hope it makes a big difference in the performance in D mode. I also need to bitch to the dealer about MFT. When I first got the 2.11 update, it was better for quite a while, but now it's been absolutely terrible. Almost every day it has some bad brain fart, won't turn off, won't turn on, misses phone calls because it's too slow to respond, or has to be forcibly rebooted via fuse/battery cable. I've just about had it. I saw there's a TSB for MFT for cars built before July or August, and mine was built in April, so maybe there's actually something wrong with the hardware (or maybe this is just the 2.11 update?).

That's my take on it. It's pretty subtle on mine, when it's there at all. Thankfully, my PowerShift is just fine (other than some annoying shift logic, and a manual mode that isn't really manual). I'd still rather have a manual, but since I had to get a car my wife can drive when the minivan's in the shop, I needed a fun automatic, and I'm very happy with my Titanium. Now if they can just get that full rewrite of MFT ASAP....

I'm surprised by the complaints. I don't like the *programming* (shift logic) of the PowerShift in my Focus, but other than that, mine drives just fine for an autotragic. Certainly better than any other autotragic car I've ever driven. It's smooth and shifts very smoothly. I just want them to program it so that the manual mode actually is, and so it doesn't hesitate to shift and get moving so often in D mode. S mode is actually pretty good for an auto.

This is a good solution, but I don't have an account on that system, so it won't let me download the zip file. Anyone have an account on the fordedgeforum.com site so you can download the zip file and post it here? I would love to have it, but I don't feel like creating a forum account I will never use again.

I had a chance to check it out. I do remember reading about it. I think I glossed over it, thinking I would play with it later after learning the more basic functions, and I wasn't sure it was something I would use. It is pretty cool, though. Thanks again.

I recently took mine in for its first oil change at 9382 miles, and the car hand't told me it was needed yet. My concern with waiting until it does is that I put about 38,000 miles on my daily driver every year, and if the notification goes off and I can't get it in for a couple of weeks, it could be another 2,000 miles before I get it in. Maybe that's not a huge deal when most of those miles are expressway, but it still makes me nervous. I want this car to last, so I figure better safe and get it in around 10,000 whether it says to or not.

Thanks, mrgdr57, I'll have to run out to my car and give it a try.

Gotta love the Titanium Handling Package!

I recently ordered my winter wheels and tires from Discount Tire. When the guy I dealt with saw my 2012 Focus Titanium hatchback with the 18" THP wheels, he said, "That's a Focus?!" He was stunned. This morning, I went in for the test fitting of the wheels (Drag DR-9 wheels, see photo). The guy I dealt with today came out to look at the car and see if the OEM tires needed rotating (the car has about 10,400 miles on it). He asked which car was mine, and I said, "The Focus." I could tell that he didn't think he saw a Focus in the lot. As we walked toward the car he said, "That's a Focus?!" I said, "Yep. I love it." Then I flipped him out when he tried to open the door and I touched the inside door handle to unlock all the doors. Thank you Ford for giving us Americans the "real deal" Focus, and not a dumbed-down version compared to the rest of the world. It's a fantastic car that's also fun to drive!

Wow, I apparently didn't pay close attention to the manual the TWO TIMES I read it, or all the playing with MFT I've done, because I totally missed all those Sirius Travel Link functions. All I thought it was were the warnings I get in nav for construction and accidents. I'll have to see if I can find the Travel Link menu you mention, mrgdr57. Doh!