Focus ST

[jasonj80]

I don't have a backup camera on my Focus, I've had the car almost a year and haven't backed into anything. Nuff said.

 

You listen up bonehead, I drive the car every day. It does not NEED a backup camera. Maybe you just need to learn how to drive.

 

Someone on the Raptor forum was saying the same thing about the Camera - few months later he backed over his dog that was on sleeping on the driveway behind his truck on day. All it takes is one time.

[papilgee4evaeva]

Someone on the Raptor forum was saying the same thing about the Camera - few months later he backed over his dog that was on sleeping on the driveway behind his truck on day. All it takes is one time.

Is there nothing to be said for checking behind your vehicle before you back up these days? I was taught that before I could even drive.

[timmm55]

You listen up bonehead, I drive the car every day. It does not NEED a backup camera. Maybe you just need to learn how to drive.

Oh come on guys! Yeah he shouldn't have called someone a "bonehead" but that's not the worst in name calling lol. Plus he got a lot of grief just for wanting the camera in such a "small" car. Wants and NEEDS are two different things. And apparently small is relative too these days.

[timmm55]

Is there nothing to be said for checking behind your vehicle before you back up these days? I was taught that before I could even drive.

Yes, plenty!

 

You can walk around your car/truck for a visual inspection. But by the time you get in your car, check all your mirrors, and put it in reverse.......a lot of things can materialize unseen: children, dogs, cats.........

http://www.kidsandcars.org/statistics.html

 

[papilgee4evaeva]

Yes, plenty!

 

You can walk around your car/truck for a visual inspection. But by the time you get in your car, check all your mirrors, and put it in reverse.......a lot of things can materialize unseen: children, dogs, cats.........

http://www.kidsandcars.org/statistics.html

 

I understand kids and animals running behind cars in reverse. I've read several stories about it.

 

Doesn't cover "running over a dog sleeping behind a Raptor" though, which is what I responded to. If the dog was sleeping there, there is no way that that was something that materialized unseen.

[twmalonehunter]

 

This is my work truck that I drive about 25,000 miles a year. While I will admit that a backup camera could be a useful tool for this truck, I have never backed into anything in 75,000 miles. If in doubt, I exit the vehicle and walk behind to check my surroundings. A backup camera could help me avoid having to do this and would be safer. As for the guy who ran over his dog, that really sucks, but you can't avoid all situations, sometimes personal responsibility has to apply. If there's any chance my dogs could be behind my car, I don't move the car. And he could have just as easily pulled frontwards and run over the dog.

 

I'm done arguing about this, everybody is going to have their own opinion as to how much technology needs to be in our vehicles.

[timmm55]

I understand kids and animals running behind cars in reverse. I've read several stories about it.

 

Doesn't cover "running over a dog sleeping behind a Raptor" though, which is what I responded to. If the dog was sleeping there, there is no way that that was something that materialized unseen.

Certainly.

Nor will it help cats that are napping on the tire under the wheel well, or a dog in the shade by the rear axle.

 

But clearly it's a universal problem, from 1 incident of Back Over reported in 1991 to 76 reported in 2011. But IMHO car design has changed dramatically, from a slight wedge shape in 1991 with a lot of window area and thin pillars (ex. Taurus or Integra) to a thicker/fuller wedge design with thick A, B and C pillars and gun slits for window openings (ex Camaro, Chrysler 300, etc.) Trucks are much taller with huge rear blind spots.

 

People are not compensating, visually, for the newer cocoons we drive today.

[timmm55]

 

I'm done arguing about this, everybody is going to have their own opinion as to how much technology needs to be in our vehicles.

 

That means you are done listening.

Some of the technology is a want vs a need. Most, including you, agrees it "could be a useful tool". So why the hostility? If you drive your work truck 25K a year, but haven't backed into anything in 75K, does that mean you did back into something approximately 3 years ago? Does your truck have a back up warning beeper? I see/hear a lot of them.........is that unnecessary too?

[twmalonehunter]

I've been driving 28 years, have never backed into anything and never had a backup camera.

[papilgee4evaeva]

Certainly.

Nor will it help cats that are napping on the tire under the wheel well, or a dog in the shade by the rear axle.

 

But clearly it's a universal problem, from 1 incident of Back Over reported in 1991 to 76 reported in 2011. But IMHO car design has changed dramatically, from a slight wedge shape in 1991 with a lot of window area and thin pillars (ex. Taurus or Integra) to a thicker/fuller wedge design with thick A, B and C pillars and gun slits for window openings (ex Camaro, Chrysler 300, etc.) Trucks are much taller with huge rear blind spots.

 

People are not compensating, visually, for the newer cocoons we drive today.

 

And WRT your back-over stat, people also pay a LOT less attention to driving now than they did 20 years ago.

[RichardJensen]

when you've had cars that have had them for 5 plus years its a behavioral thing. It's really hard to break a habit.

 

Frankly, that's the best point in favor of a backup camera in your instance. You're used to it.

 

As far as the guy with the Raptor goes, that's a vehicle for which one can see a real practical value to a backup camera. But there's no substitute for doing a walkaround before driving a vehicle with visibility problems.

[97svtgoin05gt]

And WRT your back-over stat, people also pay a LOT less attention to driving now than they did 20 years ago.

This is in my opinion the biggest issue. It can also be blamed for many other issues as well. People are so preoccupied with their stupid phones and their friends posting they're eating pancakes for breakfast they just don't care they're operating a 2 ton weapon and need to pay FULL ATTENTION when doing so.

[JagXFRGuy]

The dealer is installing a camera and reverse sensors next week. There the factory items. Most of you continue to miss the point to this argument so lets just move on.

 

MyFordTouch has so many bugs they should be embarrassed. The type over the volume section is just terrible. So it's showing the song and the volume bars at the same time. It's a mess. Why on earth you have to find a narrow area for each of the four sections to change it when all you should be able to do is hit one of the four areas within their respective windows is really bad.

 

But the worst has got to be the worst car stereo made. I'm having all the speakers replaced along with some goddamn amplification. Sony should be replaced.

 

So the Range has 19 speakers and I'm spoiled but Ford has such an opportunity to add options that guys like me would buy in a minute and instead we get mass market crap.

 

It's a great car but I always get out and say boy could it be better for not a ton more money.

Edited February 27, 2013 by JagXFRGuy

[RichardJensen]

"Mass market crap"

 

Dude. It's a Focus.

 

A FOCUS.

 

A. F.O.C.U.S.

 

'yeah so the Range'.... That's about where you should just stop typing. This idea that you could 'make the Focus so much better for not much more money' makes you look like a real fool for paying over 2x the Focus price for your Range Rover.

 

Again, welcome to frickin' reality dude. You bought a COMPACT that sells in seven figures globally, and you've got some idea that it should be like your blankety-blank Range?

 

COME ON MAN!!! WAKE UP AND SMELL THE COFFEE!!!!

[transitman]

Terrible sight lines, climate control knobs for a 6 year old, no paddle shifters, no rear view camera, no rear sensors, MFT is embarrassing, software flaws, the Sony system needs to be replaced, the speakers and amp are inadequate and there aren't enough speakers. Is there anything good you can say other than the vauge statement of it's a great car? Based on your list of current vehicles, it seems you can afford any performance car you want, why did you choose the Focus if it has so many drawbacks? The reason Ford doesn't offer an a la carte selection is there aren't that many guys like you out there.

 

Oh yeah, the ST is turbocharged, not supercharged.

Edited February 27, 2013 by transitman

[JagXFRGuy]

Yeah. The car is a blast to drive and for the money nothing comes close. I've owed many Fords in my life. Thunderbird SC. What a car. Anyway Richard you get to caught up in posting BS.

 

I never compared a $118k car to the Focus. The Focus ST is a terrific car. But I want better. I want Ford to be even better. Like when I bought $100k worth of Ford stock at $1.83 when everyone thought I was nuts. I put my money where my mouth is.

 

You need look no further than the train wreak that is Lincoln. Left Lane News gives the MKZ a C. A goddamn C isn't going to cut it.

 

So I hope in some twisted way that on a cold snowy night like tonight Jim Farley is bored off his ass and reading posts from people that want Ford to be BETTER!

 

And while I can pick any car I want I want Ford to be better than everyone else!

 

[JagXFRGuy]

Oh and the Range Rover has a rattle. Lol. Nothing is perfect.

[LSFan00]

The Range Rover brand finished dead last in JD Power for the 16th year running. Some perspective;

 

 

I’m not going to sugarcoat it: Land Rover had 220 problems per 100 vehicles. The average TTAC reader might be saying, “That’s not so bad over three years! My Crown Vic leaks water every time it rains through the holes for the light bar!” or possibly, “We’re 600 words into this and you haven’t made a joke about Land Rovers and fire yet?”

To them, I say: for perspective, Lexus had only 71 problems per 100 vehicles. And we know most of Lexus’s problems stemmed from the owner’s manual font size being too small, while most of Land Rover’s were because the towing eye is difficult to locate in the vehicle’s charred remains. Boom – there it is.

It gets worse. While most brands were separated by one or two problems per 100 vehicles, Land Rover was 30 problems behind the next-worst brand, Dodge. That means Land Rover would have to trim 30 problems per 100 vehicles – or nearly half of Lexus’s entire score – in order to become second worst.

Most importantly, this is not exactly uncharted territory for Land Rover. I went back through the last few Vehicle Dependability Studies and discovered that Land Rover typically ends up in one of three places: dead last, damn near last, or not included because the sample size wasn’t large enough. One year, they had 344 problems per 100 vehicles. Truly.

[RichardJensen]

The Focus ST is a terrific car. But I want better.

 

Oh good grief, man. Who doesn't want 'better'?

 

"Nice day out"

 

"It's a little hot."

 

"Good cup of coffee"

 

"They roasted the beans too long."

 

"How 'bout them Ravens?"

 

"I don't care what anyone says, Flacco's not an elite quarterback."

 

"Did you hear the latest U2 album?"

 

"Joshua Tree was the best album they ever did."

 

"Joshua Tree is a great album."

 

"Man, they get way too preachy on that album."

 

See what I mean? Easy access to keyboards and other people has turned us all into a bunch of never-satisfied whiners. You complain about your Focus ST. I complain about your complaining, and round and round the world goes.

Edited February 27, 2013 by RichardJensen

[FordFanForEver]

Back up camras are nice on Class A and Class C motorhomes.

 

Back up camras are nice on vehicles, a family friends 2013 Taurus has one. I have to strain my neck when I look behind me. More so now, I just use the mirrors. Also a plus for a back up camra is to make sure no one is behind you. My mom is only 4'9 and the rear of a F350 4x4 is taller than she is... Looking behind you with a mirror, you could not see her or a small child, or even the neighbors dog. Point being, back up camras are nice. I wish my 2009 Focus would have one, same for the 05 Five.

[transitman]

If you're not getting the responses here you thought you would, you should check out and post on Focus Fanatics. The folks over there are much more agreeable when it comes to complaints.

[Pioneer]

Paddle shifters on a manual transmission car? Huh?

[Deanh]

The dealer is installing a camera and reverse sensors next week. There the factory items. Most of you continue to miss the point to this argument so lets just move on.

 

MyFordTouch has so many bugs they should be embarrassed. The type over the volume section is just terrible. So it's showing the song and the volume bars at the same time. It's a mess. Why on earth you have to find a narrow area for each of the four sections to change it when all you should be able to do is hit one of the four areas within their respective windows is really bad.

 

But the worst has got to be the worst car stereo made. I'm having all the speakers replaced along with some goddamn amplification. Sony should be replaced.

 

So the Range has 19 speakers and I'm spoiled but Ford has such an opportunity to add options that guys like me would buy in a minute and instead we get mass market crap.

 

It's a great car but I always get out and say boy could it be better for not a ton more money.

pretty simple really...its called keeping a vehicle to a price point, however , if you like you could appese us slappies and name another car that can compete with the ST with ALL of the options you deem necessary, under 30k that has the same handling aspiritions and performance...hell, how would you handle a Lotus?.....as for Stereos, I agree, however unlike yourself I dont have visions of a $$$$$$ Mark Levenson, Meridian or B & W system in a sports compact sedan....unless one ponies up BIG money for a vehicle I dont think theres a standard stereo system in ANY vehicle that could be considered acceptable to an audiophile.....

Edited February 27, 2013 by Deanh