| Pros | Cons | What's New |
|---|---|---|
Excellent fuel economy | Complex infotainment system | Completely redesigned |
Agile handling | Rear seats lack legroom | |
Sporty engine | Fussy automatic transmission | |
Great interior design with robust build | ||
Handsome list of features |
$16,500
price160 hp @ 6500 rpm
horsepower146 lb.-ft. @ 4450 rpm
torque5-Speed Manual
transmission2.0L 4cyl FWD 5M
engine-
basic warrantyFord has been in business for quite a long time and has given the world some iconic vehicles such as the Mustang and the GT40 along with some excellent utility vehicles such as the F-150 and the Bronco. Back in 1998, Ford decided to replace the aging and long-standing Escort and launched the Ford Focus. After its launch, the Focus went on to become one of the most preferred vehicles in the segment and evolved gracefully.
We would recommend the SE trim for a decent experience with the car. You can save some money and go for the top-end Titanium trim since it offers some handsome features at a lucrative price tag.
For the 2012 model year, the Ford Focus enters its third-generation model with a complete redesign. The car gets a new platform along with a new design language and comes with an updated and more powerful motor as well. The price of the sedan starts at $16,500, making it quite affordable in the segment. The main rivals of the sedan are the Chevrolet Cruze, the Hyundai Elantra, and the Honda Civic.
The 2012 Ford Focus sedan is offered in four trim levels and a single powertrain option. The trim levels are S, SE, SEL, and Titanium. The price for the base S starts at $16,500 and it gets an excellent set of features considering its affordable price tag. Some of the features include a tilt-and-telescopic steering wheel, power front windows, and a keyless entry system among others. The upper SE trim gets automatic headlamps, all four power windows, and Ford’s MyKey parental control among other features.
There is an optional Sport package available with the SE trim which further adds 16-inch alloy wheels, a rear spoiler, disc brakes on all four wheels, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, and sport front seats. While the SEL trim gets ambient multicolor interior lighting as standard the top-end Titanium trim gets some sportier settings such as a sport-tuned suspension setup and bigger 17-inch alloy wheels along with keyless entry and ignition and a premium 10-speaker Sony audio system among others.
|
Trim |
S |
SE |
SEL |
Titanium |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
MSRP (Manual) |
$16,500 |
$17,500 |
$20,500 |
$22,200 |
|
Key Features |
15-inch steel wheels |
Adds all of the S features plus: |
Adds all the SE features plus: |
Adds all the SEL features plus: |
|
|
Power-operated front windows |
16-inch steel wheels |
Interior ambient lighting with different color options |
A stiffer sport-tuned suspension setup |
|
|
Rake-and-reach adjustable steering wheel |
Automatic headlamps |
One-touch up and down function for power windows |
17-inch alloy wheels |
|
|
Power door locks and mirrors |
Rear power windows |
|
Keyless ignition and entry |
|
|
Keyless entry system |
Foglights |
|
8-inch infotainment display with MyFord Touch interface |
|
|
Four-speaker audio system with a CD Player |
MyKey parental control from Ford |
|
Sony audio system with 10-speakers |
We recommend
We would recommend the SE trim for a decent experience with the car. You can save some money and go for the top-end Titanium trim since it offers some handsome features at a lucrative price tag.
The 2012 Ford Focus engine is a 2.0-liter direct-injection four-pot motor dishing out a maximum of 168 horsepower and 146lb-ft of maximum torque. The power and torque output from the engine is quite strong in comparison to the segment rivals powered by naturally aspirated engines of similar capacity. Driving the Focus is quite fun given how it provides perfectly balanced driving dynamics.
Around the corners, the body roll is negligible, a surprising frat for an entry-level sedan. Going over bad patches of roads and bumps are smooth and the car maintains its composure quite well. Moreover, the standard 5-speed manual transmission is an absolute joy to live with as well. The motor is quite refined and doesn’t feel stressed when pushed hard, propelling the sedan from 0 to 60mph within 8.3 seconds.
|
Model |
Ford Focus S |
Chevrolet Cruze |
Hyundai Elantra |
Honda Civic |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
MSRP |
$16,500 |
$16,800 |
$15,345 |
$16,745 |
|
Engine |
2.0L naturally aspirated I-4 |
1.8L naturally aspirated I-4 |
1.8L naturally aspirated I-4 |
1.8L Naturally Aspirated Inline-4 |
|
Drivetrain |
Front-wheel-drive |
Front-wheel-drive |
Front-wheel-drive |
Front-wheel-drive |
|
Transmission |
5-speed Manual transmission |
6-speed manual Transmission |
6-speed automatic Transmission |
5-speed Manual transmission |
|
Power |
160 hp |
138hp |
148 hp |
140 hp @ 6,500 rpm |
|
Torque |
146 lb-ft |
125 lb-ft |
131 lb-ft |
128 lb-ft @ 4,300 rpm |
|
0-60 MPH (seconds) |
8.3 seconds |
9.2 seconds |
9.4 seconds |
8.5 seconds |
|
Quarter mile (mph) |
16.2 seconds |
17.2 seconds |
17.5 seconds |
16.8 seconds |
|
Top speed (mph) |
123 MPH |
114 MPH |
116 MPH |
127MPH |
The Chevrolet Cruze with its base motor is the least powerful option here and has an average 0-60 mph time of 9.2 seconds. Driving the Cruze is quite fun though with reasonably tight handling and refined ride quality. The Hyundai Elantra is a more laid-back sedan and lacks that wow factor present in the Focus. Its handling isn’t dull either and has enough grunt under its hood for daily driving needs.
The 2012 Ford Focus gas mileage figures are quite impressive and the car tasks full advantage of its light curb weight and the compact powertrain. The city mileage of the car is rated at 26mpg while the highway mileage stands at 36mpg. The combined mileage rating is at 30mpg. The car disappoints in terms of fuel capacity and driving range figures, however. It comes with a small 12.4-gallon fuel tank resulting in a meager 322 miles of city driving range and 446 miles of highway driving range.
|
Model |
Ford Focus S |
Chevrolet Cruze |
Hyundai Elantra |
Honda Civic |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
MPG (city) |
26 |
25 |
28 |
28 |
|
MPG (Highway) |
36 |
36 |
38 |
36 |
|
MPG (Combined) |
30 |
29 |
32 |
31 |
|
Fuel Capacity |
12.4 gallons |
15.6 gallons |
12.8 gallons |
13.2 gallons |
|
Range (City/highway) |
322.4/446.4 mi |
390.0/561.6 mi |
358/486.4 mi |
370 / 475 / 409 |
The Chevrolet Cruze has marginally lower city and combined mileage figures as compared to the Focus and equal highway mileage as the latter. It impresses in terms of fuel capacity by getting a commendable 15.6-gallon gasoline tank resulting in 390 miles of city driving range and an impressive 561 miles of highway driving range. The Hyundai Sonata offers one of the highest mileage ratings in the segment and offers an overwhelming 38mpg of highway driving range. Its city mileage stands at 28mpg while the combined mpg is rated at 32.
The 2012 Ford Focus interior will take you by surprise owing to its refined quality along with being quite tech-laden right from the base trim. The cabin also boasts an excellent quality of materials with top-notch fit and finish levels and a robust build quality, an uncommon trait among vehicles in this segment. At a glance, the dashboard design might look quite busy but after a brief moment, the layout becomes quite user-friendly and the controls are well within the reach of the driver while driving.
The vertical air-con vents look quite stylish and different from the mainstream horizontal design found in a majority of vehicles. The front seats offer decent comfort levels but the headroom might be a snug fit for quite tall drivers and front passengers as well as rear passengers. The rear seats are decently comfortable too but lack legroom.
|
Model |
Ford Focus S |
Chevrolet Cruze |
Hyundai Elantra |
Honda Civic |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Seating Capacity |
5 |
5 |
5 |
5 |
|
Front Row (Head/Shoulder/Leg) (in) |
38.3/55.6/43.7 |
39.3/54.8/42.3 |
40.0/55.9/43.6 |
39.0 / 56.6 / 42.0 |
|
Second Row (Head/Shoulder/Leg) (in) |
38.0/53.7/33.2 |
37.9/53.9/35.4 |
37.1/54.8/40.0 |
37.1 / 53.3 / 36.2 |
|
Cargo capacity (cu.-ft) |
13.2 |
15.4 |
14.9 |
12.5 |
The Chevrolet Cruze has better headroom and space for the driver and the front passenger but falls short when it comes to rear-seat headroom. Yet, it offers an impressive trunk space of 15.4 cu-ft beating the Figo and the Elantra. The Hyundai Elantra has one of the best front seats in terms of comfort, space, and headroom. Moreover, the Elantra’s dashboard looks quite unique owing to the design language it follows. Some interior features include:
The 2012 Ford Focus infotainment system is quite basic in the base S trim and it gets only a four-speaker sound system with a CD player along with an auxiliary audio jack. The Sport package available with the upper SE trim adds a six-speaker audio system that includes Ford's Sync cell phone and iPod interface. The top-end Titanium trim offers an 8-inch touchscreen display running on the MyFord Touch interface and bundles a 10-speaker Sony audio system, satellite radio, and HD radio.Some of the Infotainment features are:
The 2012 Ford Focus exterior design is quite nice to look at and blends well with the urban traffic. The front end gets a rather sleek grille with a chrome strip holding the Ford logo while the front bumper gets blacked out air-intakes and faux air-dams to accentuate the centrally placed intake grille. The headlamp units are sleek and gel in with the front fascia gracefully. The side profile is neat with black cladding while the rear end looks more aggressive than the front with wrap-around taillights.
|
Model |
Ford Focus S |
Chevrolet Cruze |
Hyundai Elantra |
Honda Civic |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Curb Weight (lbs) |
2,907 |
3,011 |
2,701 |
2,608 |
|
Length (in.) |
178.5 |
181.0 |
178.3 |
177.3 |
|
Width (in.) |
71.8 |
70.7 |
69.9 |
69.0 |
|
Height (in.) |
57.7 |
58.1 |
56.5 |
56.5 |
|
Ground Clearance (in.) |
4.7 |
5.7 |
5.5 |
5.5 |
|
Wheelbase (in.) |
104.3 |
110.2 |
106.3 |
105.1 |
The Chevrolet Cruze looks sportier and more aggressive than the Focus and also has a muscular build in comparison. It is also the heaviest weighing 3011 lbs and has more ground clearance than the Focus along with a longer wheelbase as well of 5.7 and 110.2 inches.
On the other hand, the Focus is the widest option at 71.8 inches but sports the lowest clearance from the ground of 4.7 inches. The Hyundai Elantra follows the brand’s new fluidic design language and looks sportier than it is. It is larger than the Focus and is also the lightest option with a curb weight of 2,701 lbs. Some exterior features are:
In terms of safety, the 2012 Ford Focus doesn’t disappoint too with a perfect 5-star rating from the NHTSA and an overall “Good” rating from the IIHS as well. The sedan also comes with almost all the basic safety features such as stability control, front side airbags, side curtain airbags, Ford Sync system, and Ford MyKey system(except the base S trim). Some Safety Features are:
In the segment, the 2012 Ford Focus with its all-new design and features make for an attractive offering when compared to the rivals. Its compact dimensions make it a great city car and it also offers great handling and rides quality for an entry-level sedan. Overall, if you’re looking for a true value for money sedan with a tech-rich cabin and excellent practicality within the urban limits, the Focus is the one to go for.
Car Name | 0-60 MPH | Quarter Mile | Top Speed | Source | Compare | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2012 Ford Focus Ranked #2 | 8.1 sec | 16.4 sec | 130 mph | |||
2012 Suzuki SX4 Ranked #1 | 8 sec | - | - | |||
2012 Hyundai Accent Ranked #1 | 8 sec | - | - | |||
2012 Hyundai Elantra Ranked #2 | 8.1 sec | - | - | |||
2012 Kia Forte Ranked #2 | 8.1 sec | 16.2 sec | 120 mph | |||
2012 Buick Verano Ranked #3 | 8.2 sec | 16.3 sec | 118 mph |
Car Name | MPG City | MPG Highway | MPG Combined | Fuel Tank Capacity | Range (C/H) | Source | Compare | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2012 Ford Focus Ranked #4 | 28 mpg | 36 mpg | 30 mpg | 12.4 gal. | 322.4/446.4 mi. | |||
2012 Ford Fiesta Ranked #1 | 29 mpg | 38 mpg | 33 mpg | 12 gal. | 348/456 mi. | |||
2012 Hyundai Elantra Ranked #2 | 28 mpg | 38 mpg | 32 mpg | 12.8 gal. | 358.4/486.4 mi. | |||
2012 Hyundai Accent Ranked #2 | 28 mpg | 37 mpg | 32 mpg | 11.4 gal. | 319.2/421.8 mi. | |||
2012 Honda Civic Ranked #3 | 28 mpg | 36 mpg | 31 mpg | 13.2 gal. | 369.6/475.2 mi. | |||
2012 Nissan Versa Ranked #4 | 30 mpg | 36 mpg | 30 mpg | 10.8 gal. | 291.6/388.8 mi. |
Car Name | Length | Width | Height | Ground Clearance | Wheelbase | Source | Compare | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2012 Ford Focus Ranked #9 | 178.5 in. | 71.8 in. | 57.7 in. | 5 in. | 104.3 in. | |||
2012 Mitsubishi Galant Ranked #1 | 191.1 in. | 72.4 in. | 57.9 in. | 5.9 in. | 108.3 in. | |||
2012 Buick Verano Ranked #2 | 183.9 in. | 71.4 in. | 58.4 in. | 9 in. | 105.7 in. | |||
2012 Volkswagen Jetta Ranked #3 | 182.2 in. | 70 in. | 57.2 in. | 5.5 in. | 104.4 in. | |||
2012 Chevrolet Cruze Ranked #4 | 181 in. | 70.7 in. | 58.1 in. | 7 in. | 105.7 in. | |||
2012 Mazda 3 Ranked #5 | 180.9 in. | 69.1 in. | 57.9 in. | 4.7 in. | 103.9 in. |
Car Name | Trunk Capacity | Passenger Volume | Max Trunk Volume | Source | Compare | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2012 Ford Focus Ranked #5 | 13.2 cu.ft. | 90.7 cu.ft. | 277.7 cu.ft. | |||
2012 Kia Forte Ranked #1 | 14.7 cu.ft. | 96.8 cu.ft. | 217.3 cu.ft. | |||
2012 Nissan Sentra Ranked #2 | 13.1 cu.ft. | 97.4 cu.ft. | 167.9 cu.ft. | |||
2012 Hyundai Accent Ranked #3 | 13.7 cu.ft. | 89.7 cu.ft. | 95.2 cu.ft. | |||
2012 Chevrolet Cruze Ranked #4 | 15.4 cu.ft. | 94.6 cu.ft. | 85.1 cu.ft. | |||
2012 Ford Fiesta Ranked #5 | 12.8 cu.ft. | 85.1 cu.ft. | 96.8 cu.ft. |
Car Name | Cargo Volume | Cargo Volume w/ Seat Area | Max Cargo Volume | Bed Length | Source | Compare | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2012 Ford Focus Ranked #1 | 83.1 cu.ft. | 13.2 cu.ft. | 277.7 cu.ft. | - | |||
2012 Mitsubishi Lancer Ranked #2 | 50.2 cu.ft. | 12.3 cu.ft. | 12.3 cu.ft. | 55 ft. | |||
2012 Ford Fiesta Ranked #3 | 83.1 cu.ft. | 12.8 cu.ft. | 96.8 cu.ft. | - | |||
2012 Volkswagen Jetta Ranked #4 | 81 cu.ft. | 15.5 cu.ft. | 81 cu.ft. | - | |||
2012 Honda Civic Ranked #5 | 10.4 cu.ft. | 12.5 cu.ft. | 10.4 cu.ft. | - | |||
2012 Mazda 3 Ranked #6 | 59.5 cu.ft. | 11.8 cu.ft. | 59.5 cu.ft. | - |
Car Name | Towing Capacity | Payload Capacity | Weight | Source | Compare | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2012 Ford Focus Ranked #3 | - | 827 lbs. | 2857 lbs. | |||
2012 Toyota Corolla Ranked #1 | 1500 lbs. | - | 2734 lbs. | |||
2012 Buick Verano Ranked #2 | 1000 lbs. | - | 3300 lbs. | |||
2012 Chevrolet Cruze Ranked #2 | 1000 lbs. | 1219 lbs. | 3093 lbs. | |||
2012 Volkswagen Jetta Ranked #3 | - | 1166 lbs. | 2804 lbs. | |||
2012 Kia Forte Ranked #3 | - | 931 lbs. | 2729 lbs. |
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User Overall Rating
Posted On: July 27, 2024
If you want a great car I recommend getting the ford focus. You will have to clean it often but it is great on fuel and a nice looking car. Had the car for years and barely have any problems. It's a safe car with safe features.
