2008 Mazda 3 vs. 2009 Ford Focus

[pongster]

Hi everyone. I need your help in deciding which would be the better buy. I understand they are "cousins" as they are built on the Volvo S40 platform.

I've narrowed my choices down to these 2.

2008 Mazda 3 1.6V or 2.0 Sedan
SRP:864,000 / 1,039,000

or

2009 Ford Focus Ghia 2.0 A/T Sedan
SRP:989,000

Primary Use: Family car, shuttling to and from the office
No. of Passengers: 4-5

Criteria I have in mind in making the decision are the following:
1. Fuel Consumption
2. Handling and Driving Dynamics
3. Suspension/Ride Quality
4. Maintenance Cost

TIA

[teeyoh]

Hi everyone. I need your help in deciding which would be the better buy. I understand they are "cousins" as they are built on the Volvo S40 platform.

I've narrowed my choices down to these 2.

2008 Mazda 3 1.6V or 2.0 Sedan
SRP:864,000 / 1,039,000

or

2009 Ford Focus Ghia 2.0 A/T Sedan
SRP:989,000

Primary Use: Family car, shuttling to and from the office
No. of Passengers: 4-5

Criteria I have in mind in making the decision are the following:
1. Fuel Consumption
2. Handling and Driving Dynamics
3. Suspension/Ride Quality
4. Maintenance Cost

TIA

You can follow the link: Reviews on the 2009 Ford Focus TDCi

http://bkkautos.com/

[tip_tipid]

I wouldn't worry much about maintenance cost for a brand new car. For regular maintenance you will only need to replace the air and oil filters at regular specified intervals.
It will be after 80K that you may have to replace more parts like timing belt, other belts which are generally available from auto supplies.
Of course it all depends on how you use your car and where you drive it through.

[redshift]

You can follow the link: Reviews on the 2009 Ford Focus TDCi

http://bkkautos.com/

If the budget allows...the Ford TDCi (w/ its DSG tranny) hatchback is a pretty good buy too...

[niky]

If you're picking amongst base versions, I'd get the Mazda just because it looks better... hmmm... even if its 2.0 sedan versus 2.0 sedan, I'd still go for the Mazda... more attractive looking... even if the Focus drives better.

If you can't ante up to the TDCi hatch, try for the 1.8 or 2.0 gasoline Focus hatch... it's a good car, and doesn't look as "old mooney" as the sedan version.

[pongster]

If you're picking amongst base versions, I'd get the Mazda just because it looks better... hmmm... even if its 2.0 sedan versus 2.0 sedan, I'd still go for the Mazda... more attractive looking... even if the Focus drives better.

If you can't ante up to the TDCi hatch, try for the 1.8 or 2.0 gasoline Focus hatch... it's a good car, and doesn't look as "old mooney" as the sedan version.

Thanks for all your inputs. My concern is the 1.6 base version of the mazda may be underpowered, given its weight. But I'm all for the looks of the Mazda 3. If budget allows, I may go with the Mazda 3 2.0, but if I break the bank, my backup unit will be the 1.6 Mazda 3.