Focus Vs. Cruze

[Reigner92]

http://wot.motortrend.com/6630804/miscellaneous/thread-of-the-day-make-your-choice-2011-chevrolet-cruze-or-2012-ford-focus/index.html

 

Seems like the comments are almost unanimously pro focus.

[PREMiERdrum]

Given the mediocre reviews that the Cruze has been earning in markets where it's already been launched... I'd say GM is in trouble.

What we have here, ladies and gentlemen, is a good and a bad example of a world car. I'll let you sort out which is which...

[Noah Harbinger]

The Cruze isn't BAD, it's just "not nearly as good as the Focus". If the price is a few grand less, well, everybody considers price when buying.

[PREMiERdrum]

The Cruze isn't BAD, it's just "not nearly as good as the Focus". If the price is a few grand less, well, everybody considers price when buying.

 

You mean GM designed a critical entry to compete against current competitors, without considering their competitor's pending redesigns? Man, I don't believe it!

 

I think that the Cruze will sell okay, allbeit with incentives, but I doubt they will grow volume from the current Cobalt (which still sells in decent numbers despite being outclassed).

[Hugh]

You mean GM designed a critical entry to compete against current competitors, without considering their competitor's pending redesigns? Man, I don't believe it!

 

I think that the Cruze will sell okay, allbeit with incentives, but I doubt they will grow volume from the current Cobalt (which still sells in decent numbers despite being outclassed).

 

Frankly, I remember fans complaining about the same thing about earlier Ford offerings (eg. Five Hundred/Taurus, 08 Focus which had some changes after the world premiere before production). The difference is whether GM can/will change quickly enough. If the goal is steady sales like the Cobalt (decent but mediocre IMO) they can do it.

 

I agree with Noah's statement, the Cruze is not bad. My theory is when it was approved, it was considering the philosophy you can't make money on B and C segment. I also think it was approved before the whole bailout. In Ford's case, it was forced to find a way, that is the critical difference here.

[sullynd]

The Cruze is not bad, but the Focus is in a different league. I think the Chevy grill is overplayed, and the Daewoo version of the Cruze (with a more traditional grill) is much better looking.

[jpd80]

This is more about continual improvement, Ford now sets the bar for GM and Chrysler to reach, Asian manufacturers know that Ford is getting its act together and coming after their customers. the next few years will see some strong market gains for Blue Oval, they want it bad enough to make it happen, I'm not so convinced about GM.....

[ANTAUS]

I have read the mediocre reviews over the Cruze. I remember the Cobalt started out that way too. It'll sell because I'm sure GM will discount it heavily, and they might have a follower or 2 (Enterprise being one of them). But it's another product that I'm hoping GM doesn't have their hopes high on because it's not looking very promising. The Focus in retrospect, is becoming less "utilitary" (I'm stuck with it because I need an economy car), and becoming more inspiration/aspirational as in (I really like the car, i gotta have it). People WILL pay a premium for that and I believe with the Focus product they are marketing it to be just that.

[battyr]

This is a non-scientific poll on a Ford site. Of course the Focus will win by a large margin.

 

I do think that when the Focus does come out, it will be miles ahead of any other car in it's size.

 

The only question is whether the consumer will pay the prices for such a good car?

[Hugh]

This is a non-scientific poll on a Ford site. Of course the Focus will win by a large margin.

 

I do think that when the Focus does come out, it will be miles ahead of any other car in it's size.

 

The only question is whether the consumer will pay the prices for such a good car?

Of course the results will be slanted. It has been said (and in the MT thread) there are Cruze fans out there. I think it's alright (I got a mate with a Cobalt) and a worthy replacement. Nonetheless, this Focus I think will attempt to up the ante in the 'C' Segment. This falls under Alan's mission statement of make B and C segment profitable. I think this is the reason all the features, build and inevitably price will go up.

Will the public pay for it? I really can't say. The public purchased a lot of current gen Foci and I personally can't figure that out since I feel there are better choices out there. Now, the new Focus will hopefully change that.

[battyr]

I really think the next Focus is the same class as the Fusion, only with a lower price and less rear leg room.

[mike_in_va]

I actually was a bit of Cruze fan last year. I liked what I saw of it at Autoshows. I started losing interest when they decided to delay it. Then the new Focus came and put all the remaining nails in the coffin. Seeing the Cruze last week at Detroit it looked like an old model that was on it's way out. If you're going to keep the public waiting two years you better have a design that stays fresh.

[Ford Jellymoulds]

There is no comparison the OLD European Focus we have at the moment is already light years ahead of the NEW Cruze. Chevys NEW Korean made junk CRUZE we already have here is the same as you are getting Stateside went on sale here early 2009 last year in the UK. The Cruze has been already rated by the UKs motoring press as junk.

 

 

WHAT CAR REVIEW

 

Performance 2 out of 5 stars - Diesel is fine, petrols short on pull

Ride & Handling 2 out of 5 stars - Doesn't shine on either front

Refinement 2 out of 5 stars - Not the quietest way to travel

Buying & Owning 3 out of 5 stars - Cheap, but residuals unlikely to be great

Quality & Reliability 3 out of 5 stars - Massive improvement for Chevrolet

Safety & Security 4 out of 5 stars - Stability and six airbags to keep you safe

Behind The Wheel 3 out of 5 stars - Lots of seat and wheel adjustment

Space & Practicality 3 out of 5 stars - Can't match a hatch for ease of use

Equipment 3 out of 5 stars - Very good, for the money

 

What Car? says ***

3 out of 5 stars Quite a lot of car for not a lot of cash, but remember – there's a reason why it's so cheap

The gasoline engines are gutless, it's not particularly exciting or comfortable to drive and it's not as practical as your everyday hatchback.

 

Performance - 2 out of 5 stars

Petrol power comes from one of two engines, a 111bhp 1.6 or a 139bhp 1.8. The numbers may sound pretty good, but performance isn't. Both engines are really flat unless you rev them to their limits, and if you come up against the slightest incline, you'll probably need a downshift. The 148bhp diesel has much more pull, so it's much easier to drive, but choosing it will make your Cruze pricier than it should be. A 123bhp version is also available, but we haven't driven it yet.

 

 

Handling - 2 out of 5 stars

The Cruze is a budget car, and you can feel it in the way it drives. The ride has a jiggly quality, and can really get caught out by more vicious bumps and potholes. As for the handling, it's no better than acceptable. The body doesn't lean unduly in bends, but grip isn't particularly strong. The steering's quickness and lightness can make it feel a little twitchy at speed, and you don't get much feel in corners.

 

 

Refinement - 2 out of 5 stars

Because the petrol engines have to be worked so hard to keep you going at a decent pace, you're subjected to a loud, thrashy soundtrack for too much of the time. The more relaxed diesel is much quieter and smoother, but it isn't as silky as the best diesel engines in the small family car class. Wind noise is never a problem, but craggy surfaces can kick up a bit too much road roar.

 

Buying & Owning - 3 out of 5 stars

The Cruze undercuts its more recognisable rivals by a considerable amount, so even with the limited discounts on offer, the Cruze will be considerably cheaper. Before you rush down to your dealer, though, bare in mind that resale values are likely to be weak. The Cruze is not particularly good on fuel or CO2 emissions either, which will hike up running costs for both private buyers and company car users.

 

Quality & Reliability - 3 out of 5 stars

There's no doubt about it, the Cruze is a colossal step forward in quality for Chevrolet. The dash materials are hard to the touch, but they look smart and they're interestingly textured. However, hunt around in the lower reaches of the car, and you'll find some areas where the quality controllers have slipped up. Chevrolet is a bit of an unknown quantity on the reliability front, but it shouldn't be any worse than General Motors' other brands.

 

Behind The Wheel - 3 out of 5 stars

You get height and reach adjustment for both the seat and the steering wheel, so you can tailor your driving position to suit you. However, the strangely shaped seat is a tad short on lower back support. All the various switches and gizmos are easy to find and operate, and while rear visibility isn't as good as you get in most hatchbacks, it's not bad for a small saloon.

 

Cabin Comfort - 3 out of 5 stars

The back seats have a decent amount of legroom, but the sloping roofline means headroom is a little tight. A narrow cabin and chunky centre tunnel also mean that carrying three across the rear bench is best avoided. The Cruze gives you a fairly big boot to stash your stuff in, plus split folding rear seats to extend it if the need arises. The saloon bodystyle means a narrow opening, though, so it can't give you the practicality that a hatchback can.

 

 

 

 

Buyers Notes..

The Cruze is cheap, and the best way to maximise the value for money you get is to keep it as cheap as possible. That's why we'd recommend the 111bhp 1.6-litre petrol engine. Sure, it's noisy and it feels desperately flat unless you're revving it to the redline, but it's much slower than the 139bhp 1.8.

 

There are two 2.0-litre diesels, too. We haven't driven the 123bhp version yet, but once we have, we reckon this could be the pick of the range. It's still reasonably cheap to buy and run, and the extra pull over the petrols means it should be miles better to drive. We'll keep you posted. The 148bhp range-topper is the best version we've driven, but it makes the Cruze too pricey, at over fifteen grand.

 

The basic S trim is a touch too basic for our tastes because you don't get air-conditioning, but there's an S AC version that plugs this gap. That's the one you want. LS and LT versions give you more toys, but only spend the extra if you can't live without them.

LINK

 

All the Old Focus only really gets marked down on is residual values in What Car reviews, they are not very sort after due to lack lustre styling, big batch fleet/rentall discounts help shift new models in Europe but they are to well sort after by second hand buyers, the styling is something l think Ford have addressed in the new Focus, although a lot of comments here think the NEW GM Vauxhall Astra which is a large Fiesta copy will eat more into Focus sales in the UK than the UK Korean made junk NEW Cruze has sold next none in the UK in the last year, and is absolutely no threat at all to Focus sales here. VW Golf is walk away SALES winner in the Focus class market at the moment in Europe....

 

OLD FOCUS REVIEW

LINK

Edited January 24, 2010 by Ford Jellymoulds

[BORG]

Without a doubt the Focus will eat the Cruze alive. GM is just not very good at this whole car business When they try to get on the world stage, they usually get booed off because of their arrogance and incompetence. One of these days, maybe they'll do something decent, like another CTS or Corvette .

Edited January 24, 2010 by BORG

[RangerM]

http://wot.motortrend.com/6630804/miscellaneous/thread-of-the-day-make-your-choice-2011-chevrolet-cruze-or-2012-ford-focus/index.html

 

Seems like the comments are almost unanimously pro focus.

Before I comment, I'd like to know are the Cruze and Focus competing at the same price?

 

That said, the Focus (based on looks) wins hands down. The Cruze strikes me as a smaller Chrysler Sebring, as interpreted by Chevrolet. The rear quarter black plastic instead of an actual window strikes me as cheap in much the same way as it does on the Sebring.

[silvrsvt]

I do kinda like the Cruze interior, but I'm assuming thats a top end model...but in relation, the MyFord system the Focus is getting just puts it on another level all together.

 

Exterior styling...the only issue I have is how busy the lower bumper opening is on the Focus is, though just adding black to in between vertical slats is a HUGE improvement on it. The Cruze is down right dowdy looking compared to the Focus.

 

I'm not a huge fan of the current Focus nor the previous gen models, even though I had a SVT Focus, but the new model really grabs my attention and makes me want the car...it has features in it that a car that costs twice as much as it will don't even have.

 

Like I saw on another message board, I think Ford is starting to slot themselves like Apple...which is a good and bad thing, but a much better image then they've had in the past...and would play well for them as to make the company successful...basically have neat looking asperational products that sell at a slight premium then their competors

[pictor]

It seems like every new design is a significant improvement over the previous. I know there has been a lot trepidation on this site about the direction new Explorer will take. I would bet that the new Explorer will exceed its competition on towing capacity and mpg's and look good doing it. More importantly I am very interested in seeing what they will do with the Fusion/Mondeo redesign. I think that the Apple analogy is very apt. There are worst models to emulate.

[Extreme4x4]

The main problem that I have with the Cruze, is the lack of choice.

 

You have to remember that styling is subjective, and boring is not necessarily a bad thing in this segment.

 

What reeks of "old GM" is the lack of choice. You can get a Cruze sedan................. sedan.................. or a sedan. You cannot get a performance model. You cannot get any model with over 150hp. The base engine is not the fuel economy engine. Instead, you have to get a higher trim model, just to get the turbo engine, which is more expensive. There is no DCT.

 

When I comment about "old GM," which I realize this car was developed under, it all goes back to typical GM arrogance. "We will make it how WE want to make it, and you WILL buy it, because we are GM."

 

The funny thing being, when I mention the lack of choice, all of the GM faithful cry "other configurations will come in the future." Oh goody. Hurry up and wait. By the time the other versions come out, they will be so far behind, as to be pathetic.

 

The reality is, the Cruze will do well for GM, as the typical blindly biased GM buyer with think it is an epiphany, and buy plenty. Especially next to the Cobalt. However, next to the rest of the compatition, it will just barely be competitive. Then, on Edmunds, you will read buyer comments that read much like the Cobalts................ where they rarely talk about it being a good car, but instead always bring up "it was so cheap that I really couldn't say no." Talk about damning praise.

[Hydro]

"The reality is, the Cruze will do well for GM, as the typical blindly biased GM buyer with think it is an epiphany, and buy plenty. Especially next to the Cobalt. However, next to the rest of the compatition, it will just barely be competitive. Then, on Edmunds, you will read buyer comments that read much like the Cobalts................ where they rarely talk about it being a good car, but instead always bring up "it was so cheap that I really couldn't say no." Talk about damning praise."

 

I second that extreme4x4,

The cruz is just a plain clean design. Nothing "wow" about it. It will do very well in the rental, fleet and die hard GM market. The Focus now has some edgyness to it where it can compete with the Civic. This should be fun :shades:

Edited January 24, 2010 by Hydro

[Mr. Gumby]

I'll agree with most here in that the Cruze is not BAD. In fact, if it fits nicely with the current Malibu and Impala... but therein is the problem. This car would have been good if it were a 2006 model. It looks dated, especially when compared to the new Focus, and it hasn't even hit the roads yet (at least here in the States).

 

Like I saw on another message board, I think Ford is starting to slot themselves like Apple...which is a good and bad thing, but a much better image then they've had in the past...and would play well for them as to make the company successful...basically have neat looking asperational products that sell at a slight premium then their competors

 

I think Ford, like Apple, realizes that attacking the bottom end of the market is futile. It dilutes your brand's image and you're competing with the Chinese, Indian, and Korean companies that have unfair price/cost advantages.

[Bizuce]

I'll agree with most here in that the Cruze is not BAD. In fact, if it fits nicely with the current Malibu and Impala... but therein is the problem. This car would have been good if it were a 2006 model. It looks dated, especially when compared to the new Focus, and it hasn't even hit the roads yet (at least here in the States).

 

 

 

I think Ford, like Apple, realizes that attacking the bottom end of the market is futile. It dilutes your brand's image and you're competing with the Chinese, Indian, and Korean companies that have unfair price/cost advantages.

 

 

Couldn't disagree more...Apple uses a niche strategy that differentiates itself through product development. They have 8% market share which reflects their strategy.

 

Ford has stood for value for over 100 years...value does not always mean cheaper as evidenced by our recent success. Ford competes (soon) in pretty much every segment but the minivan.

[silvrsvt]

Couldn't disagree more...Apple uses a niche strategy that differentiates itself through product development. They have 8% market share which reflects their strategy.

 

 

Think iPods and iPhones, not computers...Apple has nearly 74% of the market in the personal music players

 

http://www.afterdawn.com/news/archive/19294.cfm

 

 

 

 

[Bizuce]

Think iPods and iPhones, not computers...Apple has nearly 74% of the market in the personal music players

 

http://www.afterdawn.com/news/archive/19294.cfm

 

 

Which makes even less sense in comparing Apple to Ford...is Ford getting out of its core car business?

[danup]

I prefer the Cruze's styling direction inside and out—wake me up when Kinetic styling is over with, please—but the Focus is likely to be the better car.

Edited January 25, 2010 by danup

[rmc523]

Which makes even less sense in comparing Apple to Ford...is Ford getting out of its core car business?

 

In a sense, I suppose one could say that, but they're absolutely not going to be alienating their past customers. Ford is simply shifting their core customer target and product line to make products that people WANT to have at a great value, rather than products that are just there and compete only on price/value. They're not going to try to cater to everyone - to build "one size fits all" cars - they'll be making more "specialty" cars. This also allows them to increase transaction prices, which leads to a more profitable/healthy company.