My NEW Car

[Peter Gariepy]

After 4 years of Arizona summers without air conditioning I finally decided to buy a new car.

2009 Ford Focus S, 4 door sedan

Bare bones model. (5 speed manual, rollup windows, manual door locks, seats, etc.)

I bought the Ford for a number of reasons:

1. Air conditioning

2. Fuel economy (35mpg)

3. Price (employee price less 2500 rebate and 250 dealer rebate)

4. Built in Dearborn. (my extended family is in the area are directly impacted)

5. The local Ford dealer contributed to the local charities in a big way, 8 figured in recent years.

6. I like that Ford isnt doing the BK thing.

7. Oh... and I like the car!

[Guest DagoRed]

My family salutes you and your family for a wise and thoughtful purchase.

4 years without A/C. You must be a Green Beret! I was on TDY flight duty in AZ several times back in the day. I learned the importance of deep hydration and a new appreciation of my home state's pleasant summers....

[Barry Wolk]

No AC in AZ, are you nuts?

I used to be in the video vending business. The group in AZ complained that they had to use the AC all the time to keep the tape cartridges from warping.

I understand that your purchase is one of the best cars Ford has built. Ford stock is at $6.13. I thank you for contributing to that.

[Restorer32]

I owned Ford stock @ $20/share, sold at a profit, bought again at $8, sold and lost money, bought again 8 weeks or so ago at $1.93. So far this investment has tripled. With luck I can make up my previous loses. I hear many people praising Ford for not giving in to Big Brother. Hope they make it.

[Barry Wolk]

I bought a bunch at $1.91 and a little more at. 1.80. We're looking pretty astute.

However, I don't understand how Ford's going to compete with a $2,500 per car legacy cost. How long will people pay that premium for Ford product? I can't see how they'll avoid bankruptcy, simply to level the playing field.

[Lebowski]

You didn't have to buy a new car just so you could have A/C. You could have done what this guy did....

[Barry Wolk]

What a great system. No sense idling your car to have air conditioning when you can have a 5,000-watt generator blaring away on the trunk.

Imagine the blind spot on that car. He'd need a spotter to change lanes. That may explain the fancy tail light.

I wonder how a generator would look on the trunk of my Mark II?

[Barry Wolk]

Nice.

[jdome]

I can't believe the Focus is the most recalled auto in history. I bought a 94 Plymouth Voyager mini van new. It had 6 recalls the first year we owned it, 4 of them safety defects. It had a couple more recalls the second year. The seatbelt latch was recalled twice because the first fix wasn't good enough. It had some other service issues too.

We traded the Voyager in on a new Toyota Previa because it was supposed to be more reliable. I didn't care for the car when we test drove it but the wife loved it. I thought it was underpowered and the steering was too sensitive and the van had an awkward feel during cornering. You sat on top of this odd engine/front transaxle combination so it felt like you were out in front of a turn. In a fast corner it was like sitting in the first car of a roller coaster. The rear seats were uncomfortable for adults but OK for kids. That was the same problem with Fords & Chevys at the time. I don't recall that it had any recalls but it was just a bad car. Left my wife stranded twice, dead in a parking lot, and quit running once when my wife pulled out of the kids school and couldn't get it started. Had to have it towed 3 times that first year. Broke a door hinge. It had so many problems that it made me long for the good old days of the Plymouth. It didn't cost much the 2 years we owned it because warranty took care of everything except the door hinge that they said was damaged. ??? It was the wife's car and I didn't drive it much but she loved it until we drove across I70 from Ohio to Denver to visit her sister's family. Because of its high center of gravity, and tendency to under/over steer, when a cross wind hit when my wife was driving, it went from one berm to the other several times. I don't know how she kept from loosing complete control. When she finally got the car under control and pulled over, she refused to drive the rest of the trip. Since I had to do all the driving I really got to hate the car. While on vacation in Denver, my brother-in law and I took the car to a local Chrysler dealer with my wife's insistence, and tried to trade the Toyota in on a new TC mini-van. The Toyota was not a safe vehicle we wanted to haul our young family back to Ohio in and we canceled our planned trip up Pikes Peak. When I complained to the salesman & his sales manager (you know that trick) about the low trade in they offered for a less than 2 year old Toyota, they said they could walk me over to the used car lot and show me a dozen 1 & 2 year old Previas they took in on trade. They can't move those so they've been wholesaling most of them. According to the sales manager, Previa was the most common model vehicle traded in on T&C and Carryvans at their sister Dodge dealership. We ended up driving the Toyota home but the return trip wasn't uneventful. About halfway home the engine lost what little power it had. We managed to limp off the highway and found a hotel near a Toyota dealer where we stayed overnight and had the car repaired the next day.

About 3 months after we returned home Ford came out with their new windstar, their first real Chrysler mini-van fighter. I didn't care about a new model without reliability history, I just wanted to unload that poor excuse for a family truckster. I found a Ford dealer that was so anxious to deliver new Windstars that he gave me a super trade on a 17,000 mile 2 year old Toyota. The Windstar turned out to be a great car. In fact we traded it in on another Windstar we still own. Both Windstars have made uneventful trips to Denver, Pikes Peak and back. We don't need a mini-van anymore because the kids are grown, 2 are married. I keep it around for swap meets and used it to haul a horseless carraige body back from Hershey the past 2 years.

I swore I would never own another Toyota but I did buy a used Celica 3 years ago on insistance of my teenage son. Its had its own maintenance problems but nothing like my previous experience.

To make a long story short (too late) I would buy a Ford over a Toyota any day. My experience with dealers, service, reliability, drivability makes Ford a better choice in my view. The Ford & Toyota are my wife & son's cars. Personally, I drive a Pontiac Gran Prix, and 7 pre-war Cadillacs & a Buick.

[Shop Rat]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Barry Wolk</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> I wonder how a generator would look on the trunk of my Mark II? </div></div>

Barry, You know better than to tempt West with a question like that.

[Guest abh3usn]

Our '05 Focus has been great! Only issue was with the pass. air bag that was fixed under warrenty. Car has 80K on it now and is a great little car! Only wish it had a 5 speed. It's very roomy and has a large trunk. We regularly go to Pittsburgh, (400 mile ea. way) trip and it does great.

[R W Burgess]

Youngest son got a '02 Focus for a graduation present. It was well earned...he actually got out of school.

This car had about 50,000 miles on it. It had been towed behind a motor home for many of its miles. In the last 2 years, it's had its headlight not operate (used dealer fixed it under warranty), then he had a noisy rear bearing (What noise Dad? ). After a shop friend repaired that for him, <span style="text-decoration: underline"><span style="font-style: italic"><span style="font-weight: bold">he</span></span></span> noticed a "rear noise" again. (At least he's getting better!) In replacing the other bearing, they also had to replace a brake cylinder.

Oh, it's a 5 speed!

So far, that's been it for a cute little used car. It's white, so we tell everyone that it's Mike's little egg. I was tempted to get some colorful round "stick-ons" for his graduation day, but I ran out of energy.

"Hey, there goes Mike's Easter Egg!!"

[Oldsfan]

I think you will be happy with your Focus. I've had my '08 for a little over a year. Just turned 20K. Only issue I've had so far was wiper blades. Mileage is great. It's not my favorite car, but I kinda like it, and it gets the job done. I'm glad I bought mine. I came out of a Dodge Magnum, so it was quite an adjustment for me.

Paul

[Guest Richard D]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Dave Fields</div><div class="ubbcode-body">The Ford Focus is the most recalled car in automobile history. I hope they have the bugs out. </div></div>

I don't know about that, my 84 Fiero was recalled 6 times it's first year for things like oil leaks, engine fires, cracked engine blocks and more. And yes, mine did catch fire, but not too bad.

[Dave@Moon]

I rented a 2007 Focus 18 months ago for 6 weeks when my wife's car was in the body shop after an accident. I was not impressed with the NVH characteristics (it was quite noisy compared even to my wife's old Hyundai Elantra). Also the gas mileage struggled to break 25 mpg city driving, and on a trip to Pittsburgh it averaged only 31 mpg. Otherwise it was a very pleasent, tight-handling car that I actually enjoyed driving.

The Focus was a recall magnet in the first few years of production. The 2000 model was recalled 17 times, and the 2001 model was recalled 13 times. However since 2006 there have only been 2 recalls each year, and none so far this year. Unfortunately the Focus is a prime example of the customer doing the development, but fortunately that appears to be over for today's buyers. ( mycarstats.com's Ford Focus recall page )

All of that said, the Focus is <span style="text-decoration: underline">now</span> a very reliable car and very affordable car that's fun to drive. I'm sure you'll be very happy with it Peter!

[Peter Gariepy]

Dave, i had to look up NVH. (Noise, Vibration and Harshness)

Keep in mind my daily driver for the last 4 years was a 1973 VW Superbeetle convertible. The VW IS the KING of NVH! Or what i call it, "Charm".

I got 32mpg for the first tank of gas - mostly highway - and the air conditioning blasting.

We'll see how the second tank does. It'll be all city.

Peter

[Mika Jaakkola]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Peter Gariepy</div><div class="ubbcode-body">After 4 years of Arizona summers without air conditioning I finally decided to buy a new car.

</div></div>

Peter,

when I first saw the topic, I was almost CERTAIN that this topic would contain some sort of picture of a car with roof cut off and a cow sitting in it, or something like that.

But, you were serious!

Hey, they didn't use A/C back in the 30's, so I don't think it's a MUST accessory in todays world either!

[R W Burgess]

NVH?

Radio blasting......

"Whamm-a whamm-a....OH Baby, you know what I like! Whamm- a whamm-a.........."

NVH?? What the heck? I don't hear nothing, don't feel nothing. What? What did you say???

Wayne

[Dave@Moon]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Peter Gariepy</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Dave, i had to look up NVH. (Noise, Vibration and Harshness)

Keep in mind my daily driver for the last 4 years was a 1973 VW Superbeetle convertible. The VW IS the KING of NVH! Or what i call it, "Charm". </div></div>

Do you know what we Triumph drivers call VW Superbeetle convertibles? <span style="font-style: italic">Bank vaults!</span>

(We also don't give up the "fun to drive" card very easily! )

[stock_steve]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Peter Gariepy</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Dave, i had to look up NVH. (Noise, Vibration and Harshness)Peter </div></div>

Old VWs aren't for the faint of heart, Peter!

Congrats on your new car, by the way!

[Guest Orphanauto]

Peter, you should have bought a swamp cooler , that happened to be conected to a cool clasic car, well, that is ORIGINAL a/c right?, a great way to explain why you needed the car, it came with a/c . hehe, always looking for a reason why I needed another cool car.

[Guest bkazmer]

dB in NVH don't distinguish between noise and music.

90 dB of Ferrari is music

80 dB of Beetle is noise