My Focus Ti - Two Months In!

[NSA]

So it's now officially been a little over two months since I drove my Sterling Gray Ford Focus Titanium off the lot @ Galpin Ford.

 

To recap, I got the Focus because my 2010 Ford Fusion SEL was rear ended and totaled, and I needed to get a new car. I loved SYNC in my Fusion, and was super excited for the MyFord Touch in the Focus. The Titanium had a lot of other nifty features, though I passed on the parking assist and back up camera (Seriously, the car is tiny, why do I need a camera?). Anyway.. I had posted my one month thoughts before, here we are after two months.

 

First thing, at around 3000 miles I got rear ended, AGAIN. Some older minivan didn't stop in the stop-n-go traffic and hit me going about 10-15 MPH. Drove around with the rear damage for a week or two until their insurance decided to pay for it. Dropped it off at a repair shop and drove a rental (bare-bones Mazda 3) for a week. In the end the repairs ended up being around $2500, almost everything behind the bumper was broken or bent. They had to drill holes in the bumper for the reverse sensing system, and order new badges to adhere to the back hatch (Had to repaint part of it). The exhaust was scratched, but it doesn't look like they replaced it. Not a big deal I guess, since you can hardly see it. Since I got it back it seems "good as new" I suppose, which is good.

 

I'm almost to 4,000 miles now on the car and here are my likes/dislikes:

 

Likes:

Keyless Ignition / Entry! OMG! I love this feature! It's AMAZING! I kept trying to start my rental car with the button. The key starting method seems so foreign already. Love being able to touch my car and open up for me. As someone who gets in and out of the car ALL DAY LONG, this is a Godsend.

Cargo space. I moved in the last month, and the extra space afforded with a hatchback was great for moving bins etc. Way more room for bigger stuff than my Fusion had.

Speakers. When working, the sound system sounds pretty good, I like the small subwoofer, and overall it sounds pretty good, even with the windows open on the freeway.

The Look. I still really like the new Focus redesign. From almost every angle I think the Titanium looks good. I really liked the Fusion look, but there were a couple angles I didn't think looked great.

Seats. Front and passenger leather seats are pretty comfy. I sit in the car for hours every day, so I am getting a lot of use from the seats. Haven't used the seat heaters yet though.

Rear-wiper. Pretty neat. Never had one before. Comes in handy.

 

Dislikes:

MFT. Stupid damn MyFordTouch. I have had a litany of issues, with nothing really working well for any duration of time. I get in, and out, of my car close to 20 times a day, and when MFT is working, it generally works until the car is turned off. When you turn it back on, it's like Russian roulette. Since I enter and exit the car so many times, I end up getting a messed up system (Re-indexing, Re-pairing, resets, etc) about half the time. So close to 10 "screw ups" per day. Really frustrating. Sometimes its as annoying as just not playing the same song I was listening to, others it has to re-index and rebuild the media files for my whole memory stick.

The Transmission! Ugh. In D and S modes it has the tendency to go all over the place. The worst is if I am stopped (At a light, traffic, what have you) on an incline. It never seems to know the right gear to go into. It'll rev high, rev low, change gears harshly, etc. At first I thought it was just me getting used to a new car, but as I've put a lot of miles on it.. it doesn't seem to be getting any better. I spend most of my day in stop and go traffic and downtown city driving. This seems to be the SUPER shortfall of the car, as it's great on the open highway.

The Power, or lack thereof. I have always had 4-cylnder cars, so I've never had an excess of power, but this car seems to have WAY less than anything else I've driven. (A couple Honda Accords, Jetta, Fusion). This also seems to be tied into the transmission, as the car seems to have power, just not when I *NEED* it to be there. I did notice that with the A/C off the car seems to have a bit more 'punch', which sucks, living in CA.

Speaking of the A/C... the A/C sucks. When it blows, it generally blows cold air. But randomly it will blow uncomfortable air for a minute or two, seemingly out of nowhere. People said that the car may turn the A/C off when you suddenly need power etc, but in my experience this phenomenon when I am slowing down or stopping. It continues to blow air, but it's almost humid air or something. *VERY* annoying. I tend to drive around all-day with the A/C on AUTO 72° and this happens at least a dozen times during the day. Sucks.

 

Other Notes

MPG.. it's getting better, now that I have more open highway between me and work. I think I'm averaging 27-28 MPG now, whereas before it was closer to 24-26 MPG. The car does not get good mileage in stop and go traffic or dense city driving (Stop lights every block or two). Seems to get around 23-25 MPG in that situation.

The space is small in the car, for passengers. Though I knew this going in, I really do miss the roominess of the Fusion (I have two kids).

Blind spots etc. The little extra mirrors come in handy, though the A pillar is kind of large, and gets in the way during turns sometimes. I haven't had too many issues with visibility yet though. I took off the rear headrests and it helps a lot.

MFT is pretty cool when it works, haven't got a chance to use the video input though..

Turning Radius is surprisingly sucky for such a small car. The Mazda 3 I had could turn in a dime.. the Focus needs a half dollar it seems. Not sure why this is.

The cigarette lighter is in a weird spot, would prefer it more on the dash.

 

So there you go.. thoughts two months in. I still wish I'd of bought another Fusion and kept with the basic SYNC. I like the look of the car, and have only seen one or two other Titanium's out in the wild in LA, which is cool I guess. I am taking the car in sometime soon to get my issues "looked at" as well as update the MFT, so we'll see how that goes. Overall it's been a rather frustration car owning experience thus far, something I *Never* had with the 2010 Fusion.

Edited September 16, 2011 by NSA

[NSA]

So I dropped the car off on Monday to have them update the MFT, take a look at the transmission and my A/C.

 

Getting the car back this afternoon. They updated the MFT, so hopefully it'll be better until the full redesign next year sometime.

 

The Tranny and A/C are "working according to their design" according to Ford. So I told them I guess they were designed to be garbage! Ugh.

 

I've been a huge fan of Ford for my whole life, but this Focus is really souring me on them. I'm very tempted to trade it in for a loss and get a Fusion again.

 

Sigh,

[mettech]

Another step for me toward the Fiesta.

[akirby]

Have you actually test driven a different vehicle to verify if the tranny is operating normally or not? Doesn't sound like it, especially lack of power.

[fusion37]

Have you actually test driven a different vehicle to verify if the tranny is operating normally or not? Doesn't sound like it, especially lack of power.

 

Having been one of several on this board who jumped from a Fusion (the Sport in my case), it has been an adjustment. There are lots of things I really like about the Focus; some that the jury is is out on.

Other than the occasion "black screen' for MFT, it's working fairly well. My biggest adjustments are the power, or lack thereof, and the transmission. The shift button works OK but the downshift and lack of feedback on when to upshift are much different than the manual/clutch of the 03 Focus SVT.

 

Probably the bottom line is: the Fusion Sport was my daily driver and the SVT the weekend, "fun" ride. Now, the Focus is the "weekday garage queen."

[akirby]

Having been one of several on this board who jumped from a Fusion (the Sport in my case), it has been an adjustment. There are lots of things I really like about the Focus; some that the jury is is out on.

Other than the occasion "black screen' for MFT, it's working fairly well. My biggest adjustments are the power, or lack thereof, and the transmission. The shift button works OK but the downshift and lack of feedback on when to upshift are much different than the manual/clutch of the 03 Focus SVT.

 

Probably the bottom line is: the Fusion Sport was my daily driver and the SVT the weekend, "fun" ride. Now, the Focus is the "weekday garage queen."

 

Less power than a 3.5L Fusion Sport? Who knew?

[fusion37]

Less power than a 3.5L Fusion Sport? Who knew?

 

Yeah, I knew it was down a 100hp. Just doesn't feel like 160. Most of that is probably in the gearing. Let's see, did I mention the transmission...?

[akirby]

Yeah, I knew it was down a 100hp. Just doesn't feel like 160. Most of that is probably in the gearing. Let's see, did I mention the transmission...?

 

Maybe you just don't remember what 160 is supposed to feel like? I've driven my daughter's and it has plenty of power for what it is. I think you should test drive another one just to make sure yours doesn't have an actual problem.

[NSA]

So.. like any great story.. the Saga continues..

 

I went to pick up my Focus yesterday afternoon, after they called me and said everything was "working as designed". The service guy did print out an "Awareness" bulletin for me regarding the transmission, which was not encouraging:

 

22051 (AWARENESS) CALIBRATION UPDATE - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION AND ENGINE DRIVABILITY IMPROVEMENTS - BUILT ON ON BEFORE 8/12/2011

SOME 2012 FOCUS VEHICLES BUILT ON OR BEFORE 8/12/2011 MAY EXHIBIT VARIOUS AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION AND ENGINE DRIVABILITY CONCERNS. THE VEHICLE MAY ALSO EXHIBIT DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODES (DTC) U0422, P00D2, P068A, P0850, P2610, P2832, P286F OR P2877. ATTEMPTING TO REFLASH THE POWERTRAIN CONTROL MODULE AND TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE WITH IDS RELEASE 74.05 OR 75.01 WILL RESULT IN A NO CRANK/NO START CONDITION AND SHOULD NOT BE PERFORMED AT THIS TIME. CONTINUE TO MONITOR OASIS FOR UPDATES.

EFFECTIVE DATE: 09/16/2011

 

So yeah, great. FORD realizes the car is f'd up but there is no fix. Sigh.

 

They didn't see any issues with the A/C either, though I wonder what they did.. as it's not something that happens like clockwork. Guess I need to do more research on my own to try and find a way to reproduce the issue, as it's real and it can't be normal.

 

All that being said, I was already a bit ticked off, but was at least looking forward to getting my car back (Missed my mp3 music, tinted windows, push button start!).

 

I turned the in rental car, picked up my car, drove off the lot and low and behold, the auto up/down on my front windows doesn't work! I remembered seeing the same issue in another thread here, so I pulled back into the dealership and tried their instructions. Wouldn't work. Pulled out the manual and checked the instructions for restoring the "bounce back" feature.. same instructions that were posted.. and still doesn't work. The service techs come out, try the same thing, and can't get it to work. They fiddle with it for about 20 minutes and can't get it to work again. So they tell me they need to keep it another day since it was after 5PM PST and the Ford service people are closed. UGH. I get ANOTHER rental car (A 2011 Ford Focus.. what a POS!) and have to wait another day or two to get my car back that wasn't even fixed the first time... so not happy right now.

 

At least they did update the MFT though I think.

 

While I was at the dealership dealing with all this I met up with my salesman, who I've kept in contact with. I had him let me test drive another newer Focus Titanium so I could compare it to mine. I learned a few things:

 

The newer Focus seemed a LOT smoother in around the town driving. This vehicle had a build day in mid August I believe. I was happy (I guess) to learn that the sunroof does not go all the way back, by design, and wasn't just my car. A/C seemed fine.. though I wasn't in the car long enough to really test it. The test car had the parking assist package.. I got to use it to park.. OH MY GOD! Haha it's freaking AMAZING! I couldn't justify spending the $1200 or whatever to get it on mine, but it is really neat. The rear camera is pretty useful too surprisingly.

 

And Akirby, after driving a Mazda3 for a couple of weeks now, and the 2011 Focus and another 2012 Focus, I think mine does seem somewhat lacking in power, but it does seem more like a transmission issue, where I'm not getting the right gear when I need it, as opposed to just a total lack of power. Once I'm cruising along on the freeway (at freeway speeds) I can punch it and accelerate great, it seems to have real issues with the lower gears (which sucks, as that's what I'm using 75% of the day).

 

UGH! I really hope there is a happy ending somewhere, Japanese cars are looking better and better again.

Edited September 22, 2011 by NSA

[fordtion]

22051 (AWARENESS) CALIBRATION UPDATE - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION AND ENGINE DRIVABILITY IMPROVEMENTS - BUILT ON ON BEFORE 8/12/2011

SOME 2012 FOCUS VEHICLES BUILT ON OR BEFORE 8/12/2011 MAY EXHIBIT VARIOUS AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION AND ENGINE DRIVABILITY CONCERNS. THE VEHICLE MAY ALSO EXHIBIT DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODES (DTC) U0422, P00D2, P068A, P0850, P2610, P2832, P286F OR P2877. ATTEMPTING TO REFLASH THE POWERTRAIN CONTROL MODULE AND TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE WITH IDS RELEASE 74.05 OR 75.01 WILL RESULT IN A NO CRANK/NO START CONDITION AND SHOULD NOT BE PERFORMED AT THIS TIME. CONTINUE TO MONITOR OASIS FOR UPDATES.

EFFECTIVE DATE: 09/16/2011

 

 

Had mine lock in 1st gear and wouldn't shift up. Had to pull it in and out of D to get it going. Talk about a safety issue when traffic is coming up behind you. I take it Ford knows about this as the above states "drivability concerns"..It's time Ford fixes this problem....

[Chibana]

Concerning the turning radius of your Focus, do you have the Titanium Handling Package? This package increases the turning radius dramatically. I knew that beforehand, and I wouldn't give up THP for anything, but it does take some getting used to.

 

I'm continually stumped by people, including professional reviewers, who complain about the car feeling a bit slow. For the Titanium with PowerShift, 0-60 mph times I've read in all the magazines (and I do mean just about all) are typically between 7.6 and 8.3 seconds. I usually use Car & Driver for comparison purposes, as they typically get the quickest times. They clocked 7.6 seconds. I'm pretty sure that that is the quickest 0-60 time of any car in its class with the exception of the 2.5L Mazda3, which gets MUCH worse gas mileage (and is only .3 seconds quicker with the manual transmission). The manually equipped Focus does 0-60 in only 7.3 seconds, matching the 2.5L Mazda3. These times (and quarter mile times) are beyond reasonable in a car in this class. If you want faster then you shouldn't have bought a smallish economy car. Wait for the ST.

 

I suspect these complaints come more from the PowerShift as some have said here. Sometimes the hesitation after pressing the pedal down is aggravating. I've found that I often get better throttle response if I just tap the gas pedal first, and then increase it to the floor a bit more slowly, rather than just stomping it to the floor.

 

The vast majority of fuel efficiency complaints are squarely on the shoulders of the driver. I suspect that perceived poor city driving fuel efficiency may also stem from the frustrations with the poorly programmed PowerShift transmissions. When I'm driving "normally" and not losing my temper with it, I get 28 to 31 mpg in city driving--probably a good 10 mpg better than any other car I've owned (almost all of which have been small 4-cylinder cars). When I'm having more fun, or just annoyed with PowerShift or moron drivers, I tend to get around 24 or 25 mpg (still better than any other car I've ever owned).

Edited September 23, 2011 by Chibana

[NSA]

Concerning the turning radius of your Focus, do you have the Titanium Handling Package? This package increases the turning radius dramatically. I knew that beforehand, and I wouldn't give up THP for anything, but it does take some getting used to.

 

I'm continually stumped by people, including professional reviewers, who complain about the car feeling a bit slow. For the Titanium with PowerShift, 0-60 mph times I've read in all the magazines (and I do mean just about all) are typically between 7.6 and 8.3 seconds. I usually use Car & Driver for comparison purposes, as they typically get the quickest times. They clocked 7.6 seconds. I'm pretty sure that that is the quickest 0-60 time of any car in its class with the exception of the 2.5L Mazda3, which gets MUCH worse gas mileage (and is only .3 seconds quicker with the manual transmission). The manually equipped Focus does 0-60 in only 7.3 seconds, matching the 2.5L Mazda3. These times (and quarter mile times) are beyond reasonable in a car in this class. If you want faster then you shouldn't have bought a smallish economy car. Wait for the ST.

 

I suspect these complaints come more from the PowerShift as some have said here. Sometimes the hesitation after pressing the pedal down is aggravating. I've found that I often get better throttle response if I just tap the gas pedal first, and then increase it to the floor a bit more slowly, rather than just stomping it to the floor.

 

The vast majority of fuel efficiency complaints are squarely on the shoulders of the driver. I suspect that perceived poor city driving fuel efficiency may also stem from the frustrations with the poorly programmed PowerShift transmissions. When I'm driving "normally" and not losing my temper with it, I get 28 to 31 mpg in city driving--probably a good 10 mpg better than any other car I've owned (almost all of which have been small 4-cylinder cars). When I'm having more fun, or just annoyed with PowerShift or moron drivers, I tend to get around 24 or 25 mpg (still better than any other car I've ever owned).

 

Yeah I have the Handling package.. I didn't know that increased the turning radius, but that would explain things. I couldn't figure out why it took so much extra room to turn. Glad to know that's a design thing.

 

Like you said, I do think the speed issues are more with the transmission, as when it decides to work, it seems to work fine, I can merge easily on the freeway etc. It's just that damn first few seconds of getting going where you feel like nothing is happening that's the most frustrating.

 

With the Focus I'd say I'm getting about +2 MPG over my Fusion, with the same driving conditions/locations. If I really baby it, and coast a lot etc I might be able to push it a smidge higher, though the transmission does make me go agro sometimes.