2.0S-L Civic vs 2.0 Focus Sports

[mazdamazda]

I'll go with the Focus Sport... in most aspects it will outclass the Civic (save for the quartermile run).

I am more concerned with power, fuel consumption and aftersale service (PMS on parts and labor).

I think that the Focus comes with a FREE PMS for three years.

[alwayz_yummy]

ewan ko lang, kung on parin pala promo nila, ung extended warranty nila, tsaka maganda sa kanila, di ko lang alam kung may nagavail na, it come w/ free ERA(emer. road asisstance) card, anywhere daw.


PS > kung power economy aftersales hanap mo get a getz, accent, matrix..kung di mo tiwala parin yung gumagandang korean options, just get a city(sedan)/jazz(hatch) na 1.5 vtec w/cvt...

[mazdamazda]

ah yes... permanent na yata yung extended warranty coverage (5 years).

[Isko143]

Yes - they still have the 5 year warranty but you have to pay extra premium for the 4th & 5th year.

PMS - not free anymore

[alwayz_yummy]

well, kung ok sayo why not avail the extended waranty.

sayang lang hyundai doesent offer here their 10-year waranty

[stormrider]

Peeps,
I am more concerned with power, fuel consumption and aftersale service (PMS on parts and labor). Both cars have their own appeal in the looks department.

Being the lighter among the two, the Civic would give you better power, torque and fuel economy.

Reviews of the Civic highlight on its technical advances, while the Focus is a solid Euro car.

Looks, its your call.

Aftersales service, I have no experience with Fords, so I have no opinion for now. But if you do go Honda, get it from Hondakal.

[Horsepower]

Quarter mile killer pala ang Civic? wala pang umaabot sa akin sa stoplight run eh (i drive a 2.2L diesel). nasa 5th gear na ko after a few seconds, parang nasa 2nd pa lang sila e. hehehe

Anyway sir Isko, with your nice budget, have you considered Tucson CRDi CUV instead? Try also the Sorento CRDi if you are open for other options. SUVs i think are better given our road conditions. On a head-on crash, i think you'll have higher chances of survival in an SUV than in a jap compact car.

[niky]

RE: Fuel Economy:

The old Honda Civic 2.0 had nearly identical fuel economy to the Focus 2.0. In other words, it's close enough to be mostly dependent on the driver and conditions.

Fuel economy for all 2.0 automatics is the same... no advantage to the Civic, and if there is, it's a small one.


RE: Aftersales service:

Ford's service is topnotch so far as I've seen. There are grumbles from other owners on niggling defects (none major, so far), but the service itself is good. Honda? Some casas are notorious for bad service or inattentiveness on warranty claims... but the same can be said of some Ford casas (won't mention names... hehe).

As to the cars themselves, Honda has the longer service interval, I believe, which might save a bit... but I'm wary of using long intervals given our local traffic and heat conditions. Ford has some good points, itself, like the lifetime sealed coolant system...

RE: Performance

The old Honda Civic 2.0 was definitely much much faster than the Focus 2.0 from a standstill, but still not in the Lynx's league. My uncle has owned both generations, and he says the current 2.0 Civic isn't as quick off-the-line because of the electronic throttle... so it might still be faster than the Focus 2.0, but the difference is not as big as it once was.

The old Civic 2.0 wasn't really a car that was built to handle... not like the older SiR, and not in the Focus's league. The new one has very sharp electric steering and a firmed up suspension and better suspension geometry. It's a good handler, but still behind the Focus. (The Mazda3 still betters the Civic in terms of handling, too).

If you're looking at sporty 2.0s, the Mazda3 is actually a more involving and exciting car than the Focus or the Civic. The Civic may be a stoplight rocket... of sorts, but it can't match the near-BMW feel of the Focus (after one rally and two track-days, I'm finally convinced...) or the frenetic Mazda-ness of the Mazda3 (it's the only thing on the market today that feels as involving as the Lynx RS).

But... if you want a real stoplight rocket? Get a Hyundai Accent. around 300k less. Spend the extra money on better shocks, lowering springs, wheels and tires, a small intercooler and a full-exhaust upgrade, and you'll have an SiR killer on your hands... ...and it's fuel efficient, too... owners are reporting over 20 km/l...

Okay, I've finally had a chance to cane the new Civic instead of just driving it around the block.

I take back what I said about handling. The electric steering is absolute cow-patties when it comes to hard driving. Not just a lack of steering feel... there's absolutely no steering feel in certain situations... very uncomfortable when you're pushing hard, as it doesn't tell you diddly-squat about what the front wheels are doing.

I'd say the suspension is too soft and floaty, bouncy even, over potholes, but it was the 1.8 I was driving... I'll reserve judgement on the 2.0 until this weekend.

Again, while the Civic is a good stoplight racer (even in 1.8 MT form... nice and quick!), the driving experience is too disconnected and numb to even begin to compare to the Ford Foucs or the Mazda3. It's more like a super-Corolla. Quiet, refined, fast, but not as exciting as the great looks and terrific driving environment lead you to believe.

[bartleby]

Sir niky,
Electric power steering na ba ang 1.8 na Civic? Ang pagkakaalam ko yung 2.0 lang. TIA.

[niky]

Sir niky,
Electric power steering na ba ang 1.8 na Civic? Ang pagkakaalam ko yung 2.0 lang. TIA.

Thank you... just looked it up. My mistake. It's still regular power steering, but it's not very good. I've been reading reports on inconsistent electric steering... my drive of the 2.0 didn't push through yet, though. I'm posting a full review of the range when I've driven the 2.0.