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2014 Ford Focus Hatchback - my one month review


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After being out of the Ford family for quite some time (well over a decade), I returned to the Blue Oval with the purchase of a 2014 Ford Focus SE Hatchback. While I really only needed basic transportation to get me to work and back, I did have a few requirements going into buying a new car: It had to be a hatchback of some form (whether it was a wagon, hatchback or CUV…as long as it did not have a trunk). It also needed to be a 4 cylinder and have decent fuel mileage.

 

Well, putting those requirements together naturally led me to the Focus. I was not interested in the Subaru Imprezza and any other car that came close in requirements didn’t really interest me.

 

Ford was running some truly ridiculous incentives to get rid of the 2014 Foci (Never let it be said that Ford doesn’t go nuts with the incentives when they want to get rid of something). On top of that, the dealer gave a hefty discount on top of the Ford cash and 0% finance offering.

 

There were plenty of 14’s on the lot when I was shopping, so I had a decent amount of vehicles to choose from. In the end, I splurged and got the SE Appearance package, which netted leather seats, larger premium wheels, fog lights and turn signals integrated in the side mirrors. Being in the NorthEast (which has seen record cold weather this winter) I also got the winter package which added heated seats / heated side mirrors and an extra set of all weather floor mats.

 

I also opted for the Dual Clutch Automatic and (since I was buying off the lot) I ended up choosing a car that required a couple extra bucks for a premium paint color (Ruby Red Tinted Clearcoat). I can’t remember if it was part of a package, but I also got the keyless entry pad.

 

So what do I think of it after almost a month? Read on compadres.

 

 

 

Driving:

 

First off I’ll say that this thing is solid. It feels like a single piece of steel when driving down the road. There are no rattles or weird noises when traversing the winter damaged roads of Connecticut. It just feels “substantial” for lack of better terminology. The doors close with a reassuring THUNK and the inside is isolated from the noise of I-95 quite nicely. The solidness has an air of quality that is impressive for the price.

 

While the ride is firm, it isn’t harsh. However, it is much firmer then my previous vehicle and compared to the marshmallow ride of our minivan, it took some getting used to. My wife used the Focus to drive 45 minutes to her parents one day and said it rode much too rough for her. (Oh well, that’s why she drives a minivan).

 

When I was test driving it, I was a bit concerned that I wouldn’t warm up the firmer ride, but over the past month I have grown used to it and actually like it better then the softer ride I’d previous had in my old car. Of course, freeway on/off ramps really give you an idea of why the ride is firmer. :shift:

 

Engine / Trans:

 

I’m not expecting a powerhouse from a 4 cylinder, but it holds it’s own. I was coming from a 10 year old V6. While the V6 felt faster on the butt-dynometer, I found out (from online reading) that the 0-60 times for the 2.0 Focus are actually faster! I think a lot of the feeling comes down to how the computer shifts the trans.

 

Oh yeah, the trans…

 

It really doesn’t both me. Sure it feels different then a regular “torque-converted automatic” transmission, but I can’t say I dislike the dual clutch auto. I've noticed that slow speeds tend to bring out the worst aspects of it. In traffic, it tends to hunt for gears a bit and over-revs or bogs down when trying to go from “almost stopped” to moving again. But all in all, it isn’t the debacle that many make it out to be. That being said, I came into this knowing what it was…..something most consumers don’t have knowledge of.

 

Fuel Mileage

 

After almost a month, I’m averaging about 29 mpg. I’d say that’s about 70% highway and 30% city / traffic. Not as great as I’d hoped for, but hopefully it will improve as the engine breaks in more and the weather warms up.

 

One note on my mileage: I am a Ford Eco-Champion. (Full flowers on both speed and anticipation!) So the vehicle thinks I drive as I’m supposed to get good mileage, so not exactly sure why it’s not better then what I’m currently getting.

 

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Interior

 

For a small car, it feels roomy and airy even with the cockpit inspired IP. The backseat has decent leg room for my kids, I’ve not had an adult back there yet, so I can’t attest to it’s comfort level for those who are of age.

 

I really like the low cowl that gives a great view of the road, even though you sit low. The rear view is not bad and I don’t feel as if I have any major body pillars blocking my view when looking behind me or when backing up.

 

The leather seats are pretty comfortable, but lack decent thigh support that makes my legs kinda splay out in front of me. Other then that the bolstering is decent and the head restraints are supportive but nice and soft on my noggin. The leather feels nicer then some other I’ve felt in the price class. Still need to see how it wears.

 

The steering column has tilt and (surprise!) telescoping, which I found surprising in this class. The steering wheel itself has a harder grain of leather which feels a bit tougher then what you would expect on a steering wheel, but I feel will most likely wear better then the softer leather I’ve seen elsewhere.

 

One thing I found odd was that even though the dash-top itself is soft touch (something you would rarely touch), the upper door panels were not (they are soft-touch on the Titanium). They entire door panels are a hard plastic that doesn’t exactly inspire comfort. I’m the type of person who tends to drive with the window down in the nice weather with an arm resting on the top of the panel. I’m almost tempted to find Titanium door panels for this very reason. Even so, it is a minor qualm.

 

My glove box is really badly aligned as well. I’ll get around to fixing that one of these days.

 

Where I do have a slightly larger issue is the layout / ergonomics of some of the controls.

 

Pop question: Is the gas almost full or almost empty?

 

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That’s my first complaint. All the gauges in the IP point to left when they are in their lowest position except the fuel gauge, it points to the right. Yeah, I know...it sounds like a whiny / stupid complaint but it drives me bonkers. I’m constantly thinking I’ve got plenty of gas only to realize I’ve got a quarter tank.

 

I do like the small display that displays information at a glance about my mileage / distance to empty and other data in between the gauges. I’m a data nerd so being able to keep track of this stuff is like porn for me. I also dig the little game you can play to get leaves on your flowers based on your driving habits to become an Eco-Champion (it was a little too easy for me…I guess I’m a pretty sedate driver).

 

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The center stack is a cacophony of buttons. Like, way too many buttons. I pretty much only listen to two or three different radio stations, so I don’t have a use for much any of them. So, it isn’t a big bother for me. But I can see this being an issue for others.

 

I was really excited about the voice commands when I first drove the car home. Turns out that there really isn’t a whole lot you can do. I’m not sure if it is only because it’s the standard MyFord system (and not the full-blown MyFordTouch), but I can’t tune a radio station via voice but I can tell it what album to play on my iPhone? Seems weird. I only find myself using the voice commands when making calls. Side Note: It seems they added a lot more commands for the 2015 model year vehicles, including using voice command for radio stations, etc.

 

Cool Stuff

 

A couple of things I wasn't particularly enthusiastic about until I used them:

 

The keyless entry pad. How cool is this? I love being able to leave my keys in the car if necessary when I go running or something where I don't want to drag my keys with me.

 

Capless Fuel Filling. This was something I knew about on Fords but never realized until filling it up for the first time how awesome it is. I don't have to touch anything and get my hands all smelly.

 

Both of these items fall under "I didn't know I needed them until I had them". Very cool stuff.

 

Overview

 

In closing, I really like the car. It has its interior design quirks and some questionable controls, but is a solid vehicle. … Especially at the price point. I really feel as if you get a lot for the money. I’m curious to see what they do with the next generation of the Focus and the next generation of SYNC. Thanks for reading!

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Edited by Intrepidatious
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A friend of mine I work with has a '13 Focus sedan, and as a 5'11" 175lb 25 year old, the back seat feels a little cramped to me, so i can't imagine what its like if you're over 6'.

 

 

Glad to hear you're enjoying it. Just out of curiosity, what's the build date on the door? (not window sticker, those aren't always 100% accurate)

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Cool Stuff[/size]

 

A couple of things I wasn't particularly enthusiastic about until I used them:

 

The keyless entry pad. How cool is this? I love being able to leave my keys in the car if necessary when I go running or something where I don't want to drag my keys with me.

 

Capless Fuel Filling. This was something I knew about on Fords but never realized until filling it up for the first time how awesome it is. I don't have to touch anything and get my hands all smelly.

 

Both of these items fall under "I didn't know I needed them until I had them". Very cool stuff.

I'm in the market to replace my Escape, and these are two items from our Flex that gives Ford an extra boost in the list of potential vehicles. They're small things, but as you say, once you get used to them they're very nice to have.

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Re: the fuel gauge. To me the fuel gauge don't go left-right but up/down. At an angle, but still mainly up/down. Full tank is up and low tank is down. Not to mention the big red E.

 

 

This is a perfect example of something I complained about to my wife about her Escape with the same display.

 

For those of you who don't already know - looking at the display, which side of the car do you think the fuel filler is on?

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Re: the fuel gauge. To me the fuel gauge don't go left-right but up/down. At an angle, but still mainly up/down. Full tank is up and low tank is down. Not to mention the big red E.

 

 

This is a perfect example of something I complained about to my wife about her Escape with the same display.

 

For those of you who don't already know - looking at the display, which side of the car do you think the fuel filler is on?

Arrow points right. The filler is on the right side. ?

 

I am constantly amazed to see people with expensive BMW's and Trucks who pull up the wrong side of the pump. Watching the fuel attendant smack a fuel hose across those vehicles is painful to watch.

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A friend of mine I work with has a '13 Focus sedan, and as a 5'11" 175lb 25 year old, the back seat feels a little cramped to me, so i can't imagine what its like if you're over 6'.

 

 

Glad to hear you're enjoying it. Just out of curiosity, what's the build date on the door? (not window sticker, those aren't always 100% accurate)

Just went out to the garage to look. It says 03/14. (No day, just month and year?) Wow, it's almost a year old! Lol

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All the gauges in the IP point to left when they are in their lowest position except the fuel gauge, it points to the right. Yeah, I know...it sounds like a whiny / stupid complaint but it drives me bonkers.

 

 

As far as I know all vehicles fuel gauges point at the side the filler neck is on when empty.

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As far as I know all vehicles fuel gauges point at the side the filler neck is on when empty.

Look at the pic fuzzymoomoo posted a couple posts up. Empty on left, fuel door on right (see arrow in gauge).

 

And all the gauges in his pic are consistent too!

Edited by Intrepidatious
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Nope. Your arrow is on the right side of the gas pump symbol. The new one in post 1 is on the left side of the pump symbol. Both point right but they're on different sides of the pump icon.

 

These the two images you are referring to? The arrow is on the right on both of them?

 

 

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Intrepidatious. The biggest issue with the DPoS6 is NOT the quirks and oddities of trying to make an automatically shifted manual transaxle function like a typical torque convertor auto. Its that it WILL eventually develop shudder that is NOT ok. Even if the clutch does not get contaminated by an outside source, the discs will contaminate themselves with dust from wear. They extended warranty on the clutch and the TCM, but that is a band aid on a sucking chest wound. Hopefully yours fails in the warranty period.

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