Ford Focus 1.6 AT or Mazda3 1.6V?

**chase** · April 19th, 2007 06:41 PM

mazda 3...mas gwapo.

**kmo** · April 20th, 2007 02:55 AM

mazda 3 ! mas hindi "bare"

**kyoots** · April 22nd, 2007 09:45 AM

Originally Posted by orly_andico

Aha! the Ford guru speaks

I also have some concerns about the gas-guzzliness of the Mazda3/Focus AT due to the heavy body and weak engine. Hence I'm a bit inclined towards the MT Focus. Not to mention the MT Focus is cheaper and would probably be 1 km/L more economical on fuel which does add up.

Ford Global City's test unit had an unusually stiff gear shift, for some reason (along with the cheesy non-engraved gear numbers). At first I was thinking it was because the car was relatively new and the shift bushings were still hard. But the FD Civic and even City stick shifts I tried were much, much smoother.

Also, regarding the Ford rattling. How does it compare to Mazda rattling? my old 626 doesn't count (it's a veritable spawning pool of rattles, because it's ancient).

yes, the M/T's a better choice... the stiff gear shift is common to fords. the lynx also has a stiffer gear shift than the stiffest i've driven (e.g. a new sentra or corolla). well, our revo used to have the stiff shifter but now it's smooth...after about 4 years... hehe..and yes, honda shifters are the best.

i'd go for the focus. just don't know why they had to put a lock on the hood...? also wish the 1.6 focus had the rear bumper of the 1.8 ghia.

**kyoots** · April 22nd, 2007 09:49 AM

Originally Posted by chase

mazda 3...mas gwapo.

yup dati obsessed ako sa mazda3...pero now, i'd choose the focus. dami na kasi mazda3 sa daan... lalo na yung sedan. eto choices ko:

focus 1.6 m/t
mazda3 hb

pero kung may budget...

focus 2.0 sport (hb)
mazda3 2.0R

**the josh** · April 22nd, 2007 11:05 AM

Mazda 3

**niky** · April 22nd, 2007 05:06 PM

The Mazda3 and Ford Focus's 1.6 actually loosens up after a few tens of thousands of kilometers, and provides somewhat decent fuel economy... not spectacular, though... that's the realm of the Civic and Corolla.

Rattles... well, the Focus is more solid than the Lynx, which sounds like a tin can when it's new... which makes it surprising that some owners are complaining of rattles. I got the first trim rattles on my Lynx at 55,000 kms... but note... 80% of my driving is on the SLEX at 80-120 km/h, over craters so deep that all of my mags look like eggs, and I have had one relatively bad fender bender. Thus far, it's only two trim pieces that rattle.

The Mazda3 is also stiffer and a bit tinnier than the Focus, but I haven't heard of rattle complaints.

Sayang pa naman... the Focus has great things going for it... German suspension, German body stiffness... but... an American interior...

RE: the MT... I felt the gearshift was just fine... a bit notchy, but fine... but Ford/Mazda gearshifts tend to get clunky after a while because of worn bushings. Not really bad when you get used to it, but for first timers, it's a bit annoying.

**orly_andico** · April 22nd, 2007 06:42 PM

The discussion turned somewhat irrelevant (for me).

Mazda Makati gave me a quote which was only 500/month (!) more than Ford Global City's, and with a down payment only 20000 more. And this was for the Mazda3 1.6V (the midrange model) against the Focus 1.6 Manual. Making the choice a no-brainer.

Except, the Tucson 2.0 MT costs about the same as a Mazda3 1.6V! but, you lose all the safety features and it's a manual tranny. Anyway the CFO decided that she'd rather have a Tucson, even with the missing ABS etc. (the CRDi Tucson is too expensive). Back to the drawing board...

**mazdamazda** · April 23rd, 2007 09:03 AM

Originally Posted by orly_andico

The Ford Club thread on problems sounded like a laundry list of the problems I've had on my old Mazda, to wit --

- hard starting (battery and starter issues)
- rattling interior bits
- squeaking brakes
- busted sensors

but then my Mazda is 14 years old!!!

One would expect to not experience such problems for at least 3-4 years, right? it's one of the dubious value propositions of a new car, because if transportation is all one's after, a Suzuki Alto or one of those Norkis things would do.

I experienced those problems before in my 1 year old Rav4 then. That's nothing. :rofl:

**Biggs** · April 23rd, 2007 11:49 PM

Originally Posted by niky

Sayang pa naman... the Focus has great things going for it... German suspension, German body stiffness... but... an American interior...

Di ba "Euro" ang interior ng Focus (e.g. the placement of the switches)?

**niky** · April 24th, 2007 12:55 PM

"Euro-style", "American Plastic"...

It's not bad on the 1.8 and 2.0, as they have lots of soft-touch materials besides, but the 1.6 is nearly all-plastic, thus, it's easier to see that, despite the polished, pebbled look of the plastic, that it's kinda cheap.