New Ford Focus commercial targets Prius

Ah! the sweet smell of victory

Our (priuschat) whole purpose as a group is to make the top execs in car and oil companies realize that people DO care about the world. Hidden in this advertisement I see the fact that the execs are getting our message and taking it seriously.

Time for a victory dance.

Ford Focus is not a bad car. The gas mileage is decent. It is always good to have competition to keep the car companies honest. In my opinion Focus is still a lame duck when compared to Prius. Much smaller and significantly lower mileage. Maybe a potential commute car for someone who can't afford the Prius.

 

That doesn't qualify as a good argument. It's just a statement that means nothing but is intended to imply Focus will save you more overall than Prius, which is bogus except in unusual circumstances.

This is the sort of pseudo-argument that DOES impact and influence those who don't have the math skills or interest in comparing total costs of ownership. Yes, IMO, some will accept this "argument" and feel happy about saving money on a Focus. Many will never add up all the costs five years from now to see if they were right.

IMO, Prius is clearly the king of fuel efficiency AND TCO (in most circumstances) for a family car.

Everybody else wants to dethrone the king with their "Prius killers" or at least "contenders" like the Focus.


BTW, I've heard it said, and have at least partial belief, that advertising is less for getting new sales and more for convincing existing owners they made the right choice. How many of us feel "smug" and "smart" about our purchases and enjoy Prius ads more for it ? When owners feel they made a smart decision, they will let others know and thus "virally market" their cars.

Perhaps this ad is at least partly for all the Focus owners who may regret not getting a Prius or other more fuel efficient car, now that gas prices have exploded ?


....

 

Even that article got it partially wrong regarding the Prius.

"The Prius lagged a bit behind the Jetta in highway and back road driving. In those situations, the Prius's battery-boosted hybrid drive system didn't help much, forcing its small gasoline engine to do most of the work."

That's like saying, "the second place cross country runner's arms didn't help much, forcing his legs to do most of the work." Cut off the battery-boost or the runner's arms, and I highly doubt either would have finished second.

 

Hi All,

This all being said, Ford is working on a hybrid midsize car using the work they did on the Escape as a basis. They are a little late with that one, but it should give the Camry Hybrid and Altima Hybrid some competition. Why they do not have that car, and a mini-van out by now, is a great mystery. Maybe it will even force Nissan to go into really large production with the Altima Hybrid, and sell it 50 state wide. One can hope!

 

For me it's not even so much about the dollars and cents. It's the quality and safety of my car, and the smile factor. Happens every time I get behind the wheel.
Not everyone can afford to buy a Prius during this difficult financial time we live in, and I am glad to see other car companies are making the move to less pollution and greater fuel savings.
I will gladly share the road with a Ford Focus.
G

 

If they put as much effort into designing a car that's efficient as they do with their advertising campaigns..... (don't need to say much more).

I reminded of the info-ads where they say tobacco companies spent millions of dollars advertising the fact they gave a few hundred thousand to charities.

 

My belief is that the purchase of a prius is a vote for real hybrid vehicles, lower emissions and useage of technology...I hope that my purchase/vote will someday lead to viable electric car technology. This is one among many reasons that i purchased mine...i could not make this statment by purchasing any other vehicle right at the moment.

I understand that not all can afford a prius and do a purchase with as high a mileage capability that they can which as previously mentioned is a step in the right direction.

This voting with our dollars is the only thing ignorant CEO's understand...the prius is more than a car it is a statement of where we the consumer wish to go that the focus does not make.

Froley

 

Let's not forget that Ford still builds CRAP vehicles. I actually considered buying a new Focus last summer for the gas mileage. When I went to a dealer I saw three brand new Focus with mis-aligned hoods trunks and fenders. Not one car, but three! The salesman tried to say that it probably happened in transport, but there were zero marks on the paint. I will never consider purchasing a Ford again. You can negate that 7K savings because you will need to do major repairs to your Focus more often. I highly doubt that the Sync system in new Focus has made the Quality Assurance people any better.

 

I agree. Even in good times, not everyone can afford any car, period.

Total Cost of Ownership studies may not take into account that some people are unable to finance at all, or unable to finance at lower than 30+% effective interest rates.

If you are forced into using credit card debt to make Prius payments, then yes, you should consider no car or a cheaper to buy car; your actual TCO may be lower.

 

He makes the comparasion at $4.00 a gallon and calculates the savings from that. Does ANYONE on this board believe that the price of gas is going to remain static at $4.00 for the next 18 years??? LMAO; get a Prius and forget about all the commercials for other cars. They are going to lie or at best stretch the truth to the unimaginable. It is funny sometimes, some of the wild things they say to get you into the dealership.

 

There is one thing I think other makers are missing about the Prius, as they market their current cars and plan for new hybrids - the hatchback.

Once I had gotten a wagon years ago I said I would never buy another sedan again. In the same length of the sedan version, I get much more utility. Even if the Prius and Civic hybrid had the exact same hybrid system, I would still buy the Prius for the hatchback.

So adding a hybrid system to existing cars - no thanks. How about adding it to smaller vehicles like the Ford Edge or Rav4 - well OK but the aerodynamics will prevent it from ever matching the MPG of Prius like cars. There will have to be a total ground up design change because it is possible to get a small crossover/SUV utility function into a super aerodynamic shape.

 

You are absolutely right. I think sometimes people on these boards forget that. I fell in love with the Prius over 4 years ago after a friend let me drive his for a few miles. (Of course he was in the passenger seat. ) Just this past April was I in a position that I could afford to buy one.

Bob

 

I drove a Focus rental two months ago and just didn't like the car. Its suspension is too soft, it's seat too cushy, too wide, made for large American asses. The dashboard has a clutter of buttons on the center console that confuse the driver, not very well designed. The trim materials are typical of a cheap Ford, which means they are cheap and flimsy. Not to mention the outer bodywork. What the hell is Ford thinking? This is one ugly car! Those chrome gills on the side... why? The trunk has a huge expanse of flat metal between the tail lights, like something is missing there, looks like kit car design! The front end is a little better, but it is still ugly. The back end is so ugly that Ford just doesn't show it on TV commercials and literature. The first US Focus was the same as the European Focus, that was a beautiful car and I almost bought one, I really like the design of the first Focus, but for the second Focus US Ford went with a unique (ugly) American design, while Europe gets a good looking car, you decide:

European:


American:


European:


American (look at the clutter of buttons on the center console):


European rear (this is the rear of the cool convertible we don't get in the US, but the sedan has a similar rear end):


American rear (looks like something is missing here):


I think Ford completely missed the mark with the US Focus. The Europeans get more engine choices, including a 1.6 engine that would be excellent on gas in the US, plus diesel versions too. They get hatchbacks, sedans, wagons and convertibles. We get an ugly sedan.

Seems to me that Ford is focusing more on selling trucks, not cars (not pun intended). How many large truck, vans and SUVs they have for sale? Explorer, Expedition, Edge, Flex, Freestyle, Freestar, Taurus X, E-Series Vans, F-Series trucks...

There's no way to compare the Prius and the Focus, I'd take the Toyota over the Ford anytime. If I did not have the money to buy the Prius I'd go for a Yaris, Corolla, Fit or Elantra. Much better (and better looking) cars than the Focus.

 

Renato, Ever hear the word succinctly ? You lose credabilty when you say the Yaris is better looking. Better looking than what a warthog? Renato, less drivel please . Now repeat after me succinctly, try again succinctly

 

I actually like the Yaris design, specially the hatchback version, but even the Yaris sedan is better looking than the Focus. But yes, I do have a tendency to write too much on forums. Being succinct is not one of my virtues!

 

As I read through this thread so far everyone is on a huge power trip. Ford, Chevy, Dodge, And ect... makes excellent vehicles. My friend has a 1994 Ranger with 275,000 miles on it. He's had to rebuild the front end a bit as far as suspension components but thats it. I drive an S10 with 300,450 miles on it and It's only had uper and lower ball joints, Fuel pump, And an intake gasket.

All companys will make great safe vehicles. Every once and awhile a bug comes along in a car or truck and thats just how it is with ALL manufacturers.

Oh, Here is my ride BTW.

 

I traded in a Focus when I bought my Prius.

Focus Pros: Nice, tight suspension and excellent handling. A really fun car to drive.

Focus Cons: at 87k miles I had replaced 3 sets of brakes and rotors, pcv valve, alternator, water pump, thermostat, starter, and transmission. I spent several months fighting an oil leak in the engine compartment (took awhile to track it down). At the time of trade in, I had a coolant leak, a CV joint going out on the front drivers side, and some kind of weird knocking sound. I seriously prayed that it would not break down on the way to the Toyota dealership. I got $1500 trade in which did not cover the price of the (rebuilt) tranny that we put in less than a year before, but we took it anyway because it was an albatross hanging around my neck at that point.
The peace of mind that I have now with this Prius is unbelievable. I am so relaxed and no longer worrying omg what is that smell? What is that sound? Oh crap, I have to idle here. I can't idle or the car will overheat, etc.

 

Ford doesn't have a point.

Focus's MPG
Refer to http://www.fordvehicles.com/cars/focus/features/specs/
EPA est mpg: 24 City/35 Highway

Ford Vehicles: Features and Options
EPA estimated mpg based on manual transmission.

Prius's MPG
Mileage estimates (mpg city/highway/combined) 48/45/46
Prius: 1, Focus: 0

Ford Focus doesn’t have a consistent MPG for both city and highway.

Does Ford’s Focus offer smooth CVT?
Prius: 1, Focus:0


Prius 2.x; Luggage capacity (cu. ft.) 14.4
Focus(USA); Trunk Volume (cu. ft.) 13.8
Prius 1:, Focus:0

Prius's Passenger volume (cu. ft.) 96.2
Focus's Passenger Volume (cu. ft.) 93.4
Prius 1:, Focus:0

Prius's Interior Dimensions front/rear (in.)
Head room 39.1/37.3
Shoulder room 55.0/52.9
Hip room 51.0/51.6
Leg room 41.9/38.6

Focus's Interior Dimensions
Head room - front/rear (in.) 39.2/38.3
Shoulder room - front/rear (in.) 53.5/53.7
Hip room - front/rear (in.) 50.4/50.9
Leg room - front/rear (in.) 41.7/36.1

Try again Ford.

 

I prefer the Euro version.