Ford Focus 2013 Ambiente HB vs Honda Civic 2013 1.8s AT

[ricin]

Hi Tsikoters,

I need your advice. Which of the two is better when it comes to fuel consumption, riding comfort, space, looks and performance? I did not ask for the resale value because I'm going to keep the car for a couple of years. I hope you can help me reach a final decision. Thanks

[stavros]

Riding comfort and looks sa Focus ako. Terrible dyan ang Civic.

[Egan101]

Focus for me. The new design looks refreshing. If you think an additional 60k is justifiable to get alloy wheels and a dot matrix display, then go with the Trend model. However, 60k is more than enough to get you much better looking aftermarket alloy wheels and tires and a new head unit.

The Civic FB is a step back from the success of the Civic FD. Early this year, Honda released a revised Civic FB in the US to address the issues of the original FB chassis. Not sure though when will Honda PH bring here the revised Civic FB but if you can wait for it, maybe it will give you another option.

How about the Elantra 1.8L? It also fits within the same price range as the other two cars.

[Mikemike07]

Since its a base to base model comparison, id put my money on the civic. However if its the 2.0 focus vs the 2.0 civic, id pick the focus. According to a couple of reviews i read the 1.6 focus doesnt pull very well. Might be because of the weight. Fuel economy isnt impressive either. The only problem with the new civic is its looks. Its not as striking as its predecessor but give it some aftermarket bodykits and its going to be a looker.

[ricin]

Thanks for the input guys. Both are good cars but I will be getting the Focus next week.

[3ple4]

Thanks for the input guys. Both are good cars but I will be getting the Focus next week.

Di ba may problema ang daw ang automatic transmission ng Focus?

[coolhyperion]

The Focus is the better engineered car - wider track, shorter stiffer chassis, heavier - for a big car feel and more traction, better suspension and it has much more grip than the Civic and is much more stable and sharp even during high speed cornering. Remember - the Focus ST has exactly the same chassis and underpinnings. The steering feel is also better, and the brakes and accelerator control are more linear. The 1.6 version is a bit underpowered compared to the 2.0 BUT ... it doesnt make it underpowered compared to the competition all of which feel underpowered anyway. There is no problem with its dual clutch transmission - the problem is driving it like a traditional torque converter transmission. Yes it is designed to mimic traditional AT in operation and is actually pretty good at it but it is more like an automated MT than torque converter so it doesnt have torque multiplication or hydraulic coupling so it is slower to accelerate from standstill, its creep is slower and you need to step on the pedal a bit more to get it going. OK so it's not perfect but neither are the AT in similarly priced cars.

If you love driving (meaning you sometimes drive to far away places just for the sake of driving) - the Focus is your car. (oh and if you can drive stick - the MT Focus Ambiente is an even better car - and cheaper too). The Focus is a bonafide car of the year material.

The Civic is actually a pretty good car - and actually a better commuter car - has lighter steering, and the torque converter feel smoother and more refined, and require a lighter foot on the pedal. It is also more spacious inside. However that's it. It feels more Toyota than Honda.

If you just need a car to get from point A to B reliably and comfortably and you dont want any attention, can't go wrong with the Civic either. Looks hohum outside ... and atrocious inside though. The US version has been replaced ... that's how bad it is. But it seems to be selling well locally.

[sawsawmaster]

Sir coolhyperion, any tips how to drive the Focus 1.6 AT in stop and go traffic?

The reviews about the the Focus' AT shiftshock in city traffic in autoindustriya.com and topgear.com.ph are the ones holding me back in purchasing one. But I would really love to have a Focus blue hatch

[coolhyperion]

Sir coolhyperion, any tips how to drive the Focus 1.6 AT in stop and go traffic?

The reviews about the the Focus' AT shiftshock in city traffic in autoindustriya.com and topgear.com.ph are the ones holding me back in purchasing one. But I would really love to have a Focus blue hatch

Hmm I think shift shock is a poor choice of word since shift shock is caused by sudden torque interruption (or application) and I dont think that is what happens when the Powershift becomes allegedly jerky at slow speed, after all one of dual clutch advantages is the instantaneous shifting with no torque interruption. Having driven a few Fiestas, and 3 different variants of Focus all with powershift - I have not experienced any jerkiness at all although there is the occasional hesitation when I wanted sudden acceleration and this was least noticeable on the 2.0 Focus, and more noticeable on the early Fiesta.

My theory is the transmission can become confused at slow speed when the accelerator pedal is not well modulated. light taps spaced apart on the accelerator as one would drive most AT cars in traffic is not the way to drive the Focus dual clutch - it requires a more steady continuous input like MT cars which can stall when you dont give enough - and while Powershift will not stall - it becomes less smooth when the driver input is not smooth - probably downshifting back to 1st gear often.

Test drive one and you might be surprised NOT to experience what the pro reviewers experience since you will be too busy dodging pedestrians, motorcycles, tricycles, jeepneys and buses instead of paying attention to what the tranny is doing anyway hehe ..

[sawsawmaster]

Hmm I think shift shock is a poor choice of word since shift shock is caused by sudden torque interruption (or application) and I dont think that is what happens when the Powershift becomes allegedly jerky at slow speed, after all one of dual clutch advantages is the instantaneous shifting with no torque interruption. Having driven a few Fiestas, and 3 different variants of Focus all with powershift - I have not experienced any jerkiness at all although there is the occasional hesitation when I wanted sudden acceleration and this was least noticeable on the 2.0 Focus, and more noticeable on the early Fiesta.

My theory is the transmission can become confused at slow speed when the accelerator pedal is not well modulated. light taps spaced apart on the accelerator as one would drive most AT cars in traffic is not the way to drive the Focus dual clutch - it requires a more steady continuous input like MT cars which can stall when you dont give enough - and while Powershift will not stall - it becomes less smooth when the driver input is not smooth - probably downshifting back to 1st gear often.

Test drive one and you might be surprised NOT to experience what the pro reviewers experience since you will be too busy dodging pedestrians, motorcycles, tricycles, jeepneys and buses instead of paying attention to what the tranny is doing anyway hehe ..

Thanks for the reply sir!

I will definitely test drive one this month! One more thing, do you happen to know if the headunit in the Ambiente model 1-din (I hope it does look OEM and not aftermarket)? I am more inclined to purchase the Ambiente than the Trend because I'm planning to change the rims anyway once I get the car.

Thanks again!

[randyps123]

Civic ako kasi un binili ko he he. Tiningnan ko din yan focus masyado sya maliit para sakin. Mas maganda sya sa picture keysa personal. Maganda naman civic especially yung front ung likod lagyan nalang ng mugen bodykit he he. As of sa ride nasa pagitan sya ng fd sa altis i know ived driven both. Na test drive ko din yang focus pero ung 1.6 lang mas malakas ung civic dahil .siguro 1.8. Ang inayawan ki lang talaga sa focus eh maliit sya parang lumaki lang konti sa jazz. Mas gusto ko ung malaki kahit na kadalasan eh aki lang ang sakay ng kotse dahil mas relax ako.

[coolhyperion]

The Ambiente and Trend interiors seem to be very similar, down to the nokia theme audio interface but the LCD screen might be smaller - I am not sure since I wasnt able to see/drive both cars at the same time. Another difference is that the Trend has the two tone steering wheel with audio controls while the Ambiente has a monochrome tiller with no button whatsoever. I think the Trend also has 2more speakers, and microsoft sync which is not on the Ambiente. The Trend also has fog lamps and the Ambiente doesnt. For a base model - the Ambiente interior is 95% that of the Trend, meaning it doesnt look cheap at all - and miles better than even the Fiesta S interior. It's really glaring shortcoming is the steel wheels which are thankfully easily replaced.

[Bitulo]

I have a civic and i find it very satisfying to drive. Light, comfortable, powerful engine, strong acceleration, powerful brakes, very stable at high speeds such that at 190 and 200kph you can afford to relax and whistle a tune (if there is no speed detecting radar on the expressway hehehe!). I suggest that you test drive the models you are considering and see if they suit your driving style. After all, everything is subjective. By the way, mixed city and highway driving gives me 10 to 13 km/liter in the civic.

[coolhyperion]

For more details about driving dual clutch (and other info) - read this nice review blog by a Focus owner in Thailand:

Ford Focus 2.0 GDi Sport+ Thailand Made ? 12.000km Review | LeoViotti's Corner