Hi All, so I've finally narrowed it down to 2013 fit sport, A/T with Nav and 2013 Focus hatch titanium with Nav. After Ford cash rebates, focus is around $1100 more. Most probably will pull the trigger this Saturday. I've test driven both of them last week and like both . Below are the pluses of each car.

Honda Fit:
1) Looks good
2) Very flexible back seat configuration
3) Resale value

Ford Focus:
1) Better engine(horsepower, torque and EPA).
2) Better interiors.

I'm very confused about which one to buy. What's your opinion about focus and why do you think fit is better. I would really appreciate your comments....Thanks again guys....

 

Not that this will help your decision much, but the Focus is a car you keep a few years, maybe even as many as 6. But eventually you see something you like more and swap it in. The Fit is a car you want to keep for at least 8 years.

I think this stems from two things: 1) The Honda is more reliable and won't have many nagging issues and 2) The Focus, the more stylish car, will eventually seem plain as new models appear and replace old ones. Therefore, the car you bought because it was stylish, is no longer a standout and you have to get something else. The Honda, meanwhile, was never meant to be so flashy, so it won't bug you as much in a few years.

 

If it helps at all in Consumer Reports they have pros and cons listed. One of the cons is reliability for the Focus. For me that would make up my mind and they haven't steered me wrong over the years, not to say that they are the end all tell all, but they have a good track record for accuracy.

On the other hand the rating of the Fit in Consumers is as high as it can get along with the Fit being a Consumer Reports "Recommended" vehicle. I liked the Fords initially, my neighbor bought a Fiesta and it has allot of features for the money but the latest reporting I've seen has been really poor on number of repairs/complaints even for her year (2012).

 

Neither one is a bad car. You won't go too far wrong with either choice.

The Fit does have rather more cargo space with the back seats folded down. The back seats may also be a bit more spacious (or perhaps I should say less cramped) than those in the Focus; the numbers would seem to indicate that, but it's close and would probably be more instructive to try sitting in them to see for sure. Maybe those are not important considerations for you.

Enjoy your new car, whatever it ends up being!

 

A was trying to buy a Focus, then I tried to fold down the rear seats. It would not haul what I wanted to haul.

 

Someone from the boards had a focus but couldn't stand the manualmatic transmission. But if you've test drove both, then that's not a big deal I guess.

The navigation on the Fit is a bit crap at times assuming the current navi works like the old ones. Finding the nearest McDonalds, for example, is way harder than it should be. On the flip side, I know opinions are divided on the MyFordTouch interface as well. I'd be sure you'll be happy with either.

Beyond that, its hard to make an obvious call. How many people in the car normally, how much hauling stuff, etc all can make small differences. I would expect the Ford to need a few more repairs down the line, but I also wouldn't expect it to be a giant lemon or constantly in the shop.

 

I always prepare for a car with more power equals more maintenance. I really like the Focus too, but I've had my Fit for 6 years now and I still love the car. You'll get a biased review on this site. Just look up reviews "Honda Fit vs Ford Focus" to get a more accurate review. Either car will be a good choice. Good luck!

 

Judging by the looks, I like the Focus more, especially the interior.

 

I can't get myself to like the front of the focus. The rear looks ok.

 

If you are a highway cruiser, the focus is more comfortable for the long haul. we had a one-way rental from Washington DC to VT and it was pretty comfortable. Not somethin I would have done the same way in the fit. Steering was decent as well but I just like the tossability of the FIT. Back seat on the Focus was fine for a College-Age Adult and it could handle all of our luggage with no issues. It is a bigger car than the fit more along the size-line of the Civic. The only issue we had was either that the motor Mounts or transmission was shot. It lunged and almost stalled numerous times when we were in a "construction crawl" off the highway. that said, the car had 35K miles on it and for a Rental to have 35K miles is like 3x-4x that of a normal car so I wouldn't go by that.

It really depends on what you want.

!SB

 

I find the focus to be too tight overall. Not as much interior space for passengers or cargo. I also think the visibility isn't nearly as good as the fit. When I test drove the focus I felt a little claustrophobic. That being said it's a bit more of a refined engine and drive. I'd say the "fun factor" of both cars is at the same level but for different reasons. the fit feels a little more go-cart like. the focus feels a little more powerful but still reasonably nimble. I'd avoid nav in either - built in nav just doesn't seem worth it to me but if you really need it I'd check out people's reviews of both nav systems to see which is better.

 

I still find it funny that the fit is always being compaired to cars in the next class up from it. Keep that in mind with the focus.

Anyway, both cars will be very good, the honda will probably be a little more rleiable, the ford shouldn't be bad either though. There is almost no such thing as an unreliable new car. Just about all of them will make 80 to 100k miles without major problems.

 

I love the new Ford Focus, but with that said I will tell you my mother in law has a 2009 Ford Fusion which now has 65k miles on it. The drivers door handle has broken twice (a small plastic clip inside the door fails over time), the HVAC has played out (runs for a while then the display blanks out and the blower quits working), and one of the main sensors on the engine (MAF i think) failed. All of these happened after the warranty was up.

In comparison, my 2009 Fit with 60k miles has had nothing but oil changes. Sure there is a recall for the LMA, but I have chosen not to take the risk of having the repair made based on threads I have read here.

I really like were Ford is headed, I love their new design language. But I do not think they are there yet on long term reliability...
If you need more proof, look up the issues with the new Escape on Autoblog. Three possible fire recalls already.

 

From what I've heard, that's just the way the transmission is. Ford hasn't gotten the DSG to be smooth when slowly starting off. My understanding is that's just the way the car is.

 

Personally, I'd go with the Focus. It is more refined and worth the extra $1,100 IMHO.

At the time I was shopping, the Focus Titanium wasn't available with a proper manual transmission and I wasn't going to settle for an 'SE' model. I've been a Honda fanboy since 2007 and chose my Fit. It is reliable, gets okay mileage, and does everything I ask it to do. But what irks me more than anything is the lack of quality in the interior. At 17k, I didn't use to expect much, but with the econobox segment being more cutthroat, I think having some better quality materials (floor, seating material to name a couple) would be excellent and is not much to ask for.

But do keep in mind that comparing the Fit to Focus is like comparing apples to oranges - they are two different segments.

 

yep, i think civic and focus are in the same league? fit should be compared to the festiva or fiesta or watever they call the smaller hatch.

 

Agreed, I'm comparing wrong cars. But I feel I will be getting more car in focus for just 1.1k extra. But again there is always a question about reliability of fords. If it was a choice between Fit and Fiesta, I would always go for Fit, even in my sleep. Personally don't like Fiesta.

I've have read very bad reviews about MyFord Touch/Sync and DSG. The car I test drove had a very smooth A/T(didn't feel anything rough). Only reason I want Nav in Fit is for hands free bluetooth. It's pretty lame that we have to get Nav for that. And any aftermarket handsfree bluetooth are not as good as OEM.

Also I would be driving on average 8 to 10 miles per day with occasional long/freeway trip. I've a quote of $19,538 OTD for fit sport without nav from Huntington Honda in LI.

 

why do you think that? the honda nav is like outdated imho. i'd consider getting a kenwood nav unit (garmin inside) installed if i needed nav all the time. and it has bt..

for me, i just use my droid for nav, traffic, maps, weather, etc. etc.

 

Just from my experience with after market hands free install on 06 330i. I hardly use Nav. Not needed at all.

 

yah, it's 2012 and things are different now.