GT-A 2013 / Focus 2012 Sport+ / Impreza 2012

[Det7]

Created a new thread because I want to include Impreza in the list.

Just some background:
Early this year I was eyeing for the Impreza 2012. I waited until June for it's launching but got disappointed because they only have the sedan. Apparently, they want the hatchback market to shift to Subaru XV. I didn't like how the Impreza looked especially in the rear, it seemed common and not stylish enough.

So GT-A was my next top choice. But I was suddenly deployed outside the country originally scheduled for 6 months. Hence, I decided to postpone buying the GT-A because new models might come out. But after almost couple of months, I got deployed back here in Manila.

Focus 2012 then created a lot of buzz so I wanted to check it out. GT-A was still my top choice. I went to Ford Greenhills branch and since I was in the area, also decided to check out Subaru. The same Impreza 2012 I looked at back in June, seemed very nice to me this time around. Hence, I'm posting this thread


1. Lancer EX GT-A 2013 - I'm very much inclined towards this car primarily because of it's looks. Maangas and malakas ang dating. It's also the cheapest one, around 50-150k difference compared to the other two. I've heard good reviews about it's handling and performance. It also seems faster than Impreza (no comments so far about Focus' GDI). It's very spacious inside and can somehow fit 4 people at the backseat :p Of course it has downsides and the most relevant to me are the interior finish and electronics (no touchscreen, bluetooth). It's also concerning na 2008 pa yung model so maybe in a year or two may new model na.

2. Subaru Impreza 2012 - If money is not a factor, then I'll definitely buy this one. I don't have an idea why this time around biglang sobrang lakas ng dating ng Impreza. I sure was disappointed on how it looked back in June but this time, for me it's the best. Classy, elegant, formal. speechless. I don't know much about it's handling and performance. But Subaru is known to excel in those areas right? AWD, traction control and safety. The interior looked very good and has premium finish. The only downside I can think of is the maintenance cost and some sabi sabi na mabagal and under-powered actually ang Impreza because of the AWD.

3. Ford Focus 2012 - My friends and colleagues are very high on this car. I was also impressed the first time I saw it in Eastwood, white hatchback passed by good looking front view and grille, damn what was that.. then I saw it's the new Focus. Immediately scheduled to view this car and the interior looked very techie and has a lots of buttons all over it. I actually felt that the "cockpit" was so close and felt very cramped up inside, not too much space. But when I again looked at it the following day, it kinda grew on me and felt more comfortable - but still admittedly felt more cramped inside compare to the other 2. The downside I'm seeing are the high tech features and performance/review of the GDI engine. 4-5 years down the line, are all those electronic features still going to work, how much to have them fixed etc.


Would love to get another round of inputs from you guys once and for all

[pcuerpo]

Focus for me lalo na if its a hatchback na diesel, though worry ko is longterm since mahirap daw sa parts? not sure if its still the case up to now ng Ford... and mahal ang parts, again, not sure if thats still the case now

Impreza is next though im not feeling the latest model, medyo naging plain ang dating niya... i'd still prefer the older model

Lancer, old model already so expect it to be changed anytime soon... gwapo kung sa gwapo but if an Evo X is beside you, nagmumukha kang "feeling" Evo

[SiRbossR]

^There's no more New Focus TDCi btw.

The Impreza i guess is the more aggressive looking car of the bunch. that new front end is a far cry from the old Impreza. I don't know if it's sporting a new engine though. The old one had the thirsty EJ20 and paired with that heavy symmetrical AWD, fuel economy and power suffers a lot. Build quality on the Impreza is grand.

The Lance is very nice. Lalo na kung blue or white it's definitely a looker. Very fun to drive and the ride is comfortable though a bit on the firm side. Fuel economy is acceptable for a two liter engine. And the good thing is, you won't miss that AWD traction from te subie

The Focus is a very pogi. Haven't driven it though. The front end is superb. You'll have features that you can only find on the Focus in this price range. Safety is great, having 5 start Euro ncap ratings, it's a pretty well built car. American and European reviews equally say the Focus is a very sublime car.


I guess you should really test drive these three. And then make a comparison yourself.

[Michael Bamboo]

oy baket gumawa ka pa ulit ng bagong thread? spamming ka ah, hehe....wag ka na lang bumili, baka sumama pa loob mo, hehe. My vote goes to Focus becoz of the toys!

[ghosthunter]

2. Subaru Impreza 2012 - If money is not a factor, then I'll definitely buy this one. I don't have an idea why this time around biglang sobrang lakas ng dating ng Impreza. I sure was disappointed on how it looked back in June but this time, for me it's the best. Classy, elegant, formal. speechless. I don't know much about it's handling and performance. But Subaru is known to excel in those areas right? AWD, traction control and safety. The interior looked very good and has premium finish. The only downside I can think of is the maintenance cost and some sabi sabi na mabagal and under-powered actually ang Impreza because of the AWD.

Just had a test drive with the Subaru Impreza non-turbo models the other day and I was very underwhelmed with the performance aspect of the car. The older car felt to have more "zip" when driven hard. The current model simply felt underpowered and disappointing.

[Det7]

Just had a test drive with the Subaru Impreza non-turbo models the other day and I was very underwhelmed with the performance aspect of the car. The older car felt to have more "zip" when driven hard. The current model simply felt underpowered and disappointing.

This is correct. Their new engine is roughly ~30+% more fuel efficient compared to the previous one. But it lost ~10-20 HP although they mentioned that it should be negligible since the total body weight of the car was also decreased.


As per my continuous research, online articles and reviews, these are some of the notable stuff I've found out:
1) Mitsubishi Lancer EX GT-A 2.0 - few reviews where chassis is too bulky, thus a bit under-powered?
2) Ford Focus 2012 Sport+ - good professional reviews, fast, responsive, practical, fuel efficient but there were some concerning user reviews saying that they encountered a lot of Transmission problems i.e. accelerating from a stop was laggy, not downshifting on time, etc that they had to bring their units back to Ford for re-calibration or some re-flashing of the ROM, or some sort of electronic thing
3) Subaru Impreza 2012 AT - most of the reviews I learned that it's under-powered and slow, only buy it if you live on a country side where AWD will be of great use,.. not so good reviews actually

I really want to buy the GT-A but I have to address the interior issues to compensate the risk of it being replaced by a new model in the next couple of years.
- Bluetooth, hands-free calling integrated with the car
- store mp3 files to some kind of hard disk integrated with the sound system, noticed kasi na CD-player centric pa den.. eh di na uso yun.
- touchscreen/dvd player of some sort
- leather seats
- signal light dun sa side mirror hehe
- rear camera for reversing

Else, I might have to go for the Ford Focus as a safer pick, because it has all the new features and is a new model.

I would only opt for the Impreza if I'm really into that "iba kapag naka Subaru ka", "of course, it's a Suabru", "mayabang ka pag naka Subaru ka" mindset or because the car has the most "classy/executive look "

Any comments?

[Tj_abs]

2) Ford Focus 2012 Sport+ - good professional reviews, fast, responsive, practical, fuel efficient but there were some concerning user reviews saying that they encountered a lot of Transmission problems i.e. accelerating from a stop was laggy, not downshifting on time, etc that they had to bring their units back to Ford for re-calibration or some re-flashing of the ROM, or some sort of electronic thing

Sir, you mean same as ford fiesta powerShift transmission problems? when you start crawling which is when the transmission engages first gear and fully engages the clutch, the speed is sometimes a bit to fast for the traffic and what you do is step on the brakes to slow it down. Sayang kung same sa fiesta. I think it will affect gas consumption of the car especially in traffic.

[niky]

Actually, the hesitation and lag only affects driveability. The economy of the Powershift in traffic is terrific compared to traditional automatics.

Plus, if we're talking buying a car as a status symbol, given the subdued looks of the new Impreza, the Focus is the more head-turning, eye-catching, panty-dropping car.

Or you could buy the old Focus... at deep, deep, deep discounts. I think some of the dealerships still have stock.

[ghosthunter]

As per my continuous research, online articles and reviews, these are some of the notable stuff I've found out:
1) Mitsubishi Lancer EX GT-A 2.0 - few reviews where chassis is too bulky, thus a bit under-powered?

I test drove the GTA and GT back in 2008 and they did not feel anywhere close to being underpowered. The body might look bulky not its not any heavier than the comparative Civic or Corolla. Although the 2.0 GLS is a hundred kilos lighter, the GTA has a good power to weight ratio.

[Det7]

This was my post sa ford forums last night. I really liked how it looked last night.. kakaiba pala yung pagka hatch niya.. parang mejo bulky yung dating dunno..

"Just saw a blue Focus Sport 2012 a while ago sa may RFM.. it looked great!

I was already leaning towards the Lancer EX GT-A 2012 because I really like it's looks pero nung nakita ko outside yung Focus kanina, damn it was really really nice.

Seeing it, mukhang mas pipiliin ko na talaga Focus. But, one thing that bothers me is yung posts na nakikita ko sa net about the "jerky" transmission problems.

I want to hear straight from the Focus 2012 sport owners if this is a valid problem or not. And pwede bang paexplain in more detail?"

So, the only thing which keeps me from buying this Focus is the "jerky transmission".. so I researched and it made me have doubts again. compared to the cons of GT-A which is interior finish and old body.. isn't the transmission problem of the new Focus more degrading?

check this site:
Issues with new 2012 Ford Focus - Page 173 - Focus Fanatics

170+ pages of user posts about focus problems - more commonly is yung "jerky" transmission.. need your comments guys

[oliver1013]

Subaru mayabang?pag naka STI ka siguro pwde, pero pag back private non turbo subbie, dun na ko sa gta kung dating lang ang paguusapan

[Det7]

went to Ford Libis this afternoon.. wala pa daw reported na tranny problems.. they said madaming dineliver na units sa pinas and there will be available units for test drive starting this week :D

[beni23]

went to Ford Libis this afternoon.. wala pa daw reported na tranny problems.. they said madaming dineliver na units sa pinas and there will be available units for test drive starting this week :D

Uh-oh, kakabasa ko lang sa fcp na nagjejerk during downshift. Ikaw din ba yun? Hehe


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[renzo_d10]

Yup. Mga lima nang focus hatch nakikita ko umiikot w dealer plates on

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[Det7]

Uh-oh, kakabasa ko lang sa fcp na nagjejerk during downshift. Ikaw din ba yun? Hehe


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Yep, nagpost den ako dun.. (pati sa Mitsu-lancer and subaruclubph)

Oo nga, may isang nagconfirm sa FCP na nagjejerk nga daw yung tranny during downshift tsk tsk.. pero sa dealers yata parang they don't have any clues about it.. :-/

[oliver1013]

Di naman aamin yan..sasabihin kung meron man, isolated case

[coolhyperion]

Actually I didnt notice any jerkiness on the Fiesta and Focus (with powershift) that I have driven - and not everybody experience or complain about this so I am pretty sure this is a function of the driver's footwork on the accelerator - I think what maybe causing this is excessively light footed driving (which is how jap and korean cars with AT are driven), but I notice that either Fiesta and Focus actually require a heavier foot to drive smoother.

[jojo728]

Actually I didnt notice any jerkiness on the Fiesta and Focus (with powershift) that I have driven - and not everybody experience or complain about this so I am pretty sure this is a function of the driver's footwork on the accelerator - I think what maybe causing this is excessively light footed driving (which is how jap and korean cars with AT are driven), but I notice that either Fiesta and Focus actually require a heavier foot to drive smoother.

Good point but to make your footwork works smoothly with any car (esp light-footed), try installing sports pedal. I'm always installing sports pedal even in my VX200. Also, installing ample grounding wires can solve some of the lagging issues of any car since car makers only install the minimum required wire capacity.

[Flip]

Actually I didnt notice any jerkiness on the Fiesta and Focus (with powershift) that I have driven - and not everybody experience or complain about this so I am pretty sure this is a function of the driver's footwork on the accelerator - I think what maybe causing this is excessively light footed driving (which is how jap and korean cars with AT are driven), but I notice that either Fiesta and Focus actually require a heavier foot to drive smoother.

True eto based sa test drive ko ng new focus both 1.6 and 2.0. dapat nga di tipid sa apak lalo na from stop, di sila nag ccrawl easily pag shift to D from N or P. di ko lang alam baka safety feature ito related dun sa active city stop ba yun or ano man but i dont like it,inconvenient sa stop and go traffic at singitan.parang feeling ko din medyo di smooth ang acceleration while in 1st gear from 0kph pero after nyang phase na yan ay ok na very fun to drive yung 2.0 lalo na if you drive crazy with it in sports mode.

[coolhyperion]

True eto based sa test drive ko ng new focus both 1.6 and 2.0. dapat nga di tipid sa apak lalo na from stop, di sila nag ccrawl easily pag shift to D from N or P. di ko lang alam baka safety feature ito related dun sa active city stop ba yun or ano man but i dont like it,inconvenient sa stop and go traffic at singitan.parang feeling ko din medyo di smooth ang acceleration while in 1st gear from 0kph pero after nyang phase na yan ay ok na very fun to drive yung 2.0 lalo na if you drive crazy with it in sports mode.

What should be taken note of when driving Powershift is that even though it seems to be AT, and it is designed to mimic AT torque converters (a mistake since it will never ever behave like one) ... the reality is it isn't. Dual clutch tranny is more like manual transmission than auto, and its inherent behavior is therefore different and cannot be identical to torque converters regardless of ingenious software design. Torque converters have an inherent smoothness because the engine is not mechanically coupled to the wheels except in cases where there is a lockup clutch after a certain speed is achieved. Moreover torque convertesr have greater torque from dead stop which is why AT cars tend to be more responsive from dead stop, and therefore achieve faster crawl/creep rates. DCT is more like MT - has to be revved higher at low gears to achieve the torque to get the car moving. I suspect drivers who can drive both MT & AT (and understand the physics behind them) therefore have less trouble adjusting to Powershift - in fact in my case, the transition was pretty much seamless.

The creep function in Powershift is slower compared to traditional AT creep but it is a good thing in my opinion because the car is much easier to modulate and control with the accelerator than the brake pedal especially in near stationary traffic where the usual AT creep is faster than the traffic and require incessant braking and is nearly just as annoying as operating a clutch pedal. Same is true when reversing the car into tight spaces where the usual reverse creep usually require extra braking to achieve precision parking.