WHAT THE ____ !
20K ? Can I borrow some $ ?

 

Honda CR-Z is also very nice.

 

Just thinking out loud, but wouldn't be cheaper to just keep your car? If saving money is the plan that is.

 

We picked up a 5 dr. 2012 Focus SE Sport, 5 speed manual, 17 " wheels and so far we are very impressed.
The car seems very solid, very quiet. Happy with MyFord and Sync.
Nice sound system.
We live in Metro Detroit with the worst roads I have ever come across and I am impressed with the way the Focus handles them.
Ride is firm but not harsh at all over pot holed roads. Steering is nicely weighted.
We also own an 07 Mustang GT and have owned a number of small cars including Honda Civics and an Acura Integra so we have some small car experience to draw from.
So far and we only have a little over a 1,000 miles on the Focus it's been great.
Plus there is lots of storage room in the 5dr, especially when the back seats are folded.

 

How about a Civic SI sedan? I've seen them lightly used (~30K miles) for under 20K. Never driven one personally but I believe they have 0-60 times of around 6.5 seconds. Not too shabby.

 

The problem with Civic Si is the very low torque, especially if driven at lower RPMs. Unless you shift gears at 9,000 RPMs (at which you will be averaging 15 mpg), Si is not any different than base Civic.

 

Since I own a civic Si, I'm calling B-S on this. I haven't had any issue with my Civic. No it doesn't have the low end like a 5 cylinder or a turbo 4 but I don't have any issue with it. You do have to drive it a little more aggressively but the gearing is where it makes up a bit for the lost torque. Power band is pretty good over 3.6k and is really good over 5.7k. Vtec at about 6.5 to 6.7k. Good handling. Feels much lighter than the GTI. Very comfortable seats but really needs a better shifter and ****. Don't underestimate the Si. It's not a power house but it's a great little car with a lot of room, spunk and can be quirky on some days. Not many NA 4 cylinders are as smooth and can wail up top like this anymore. Its not an Inegra R, but still a good car.

My complaints are first gear kind of sucks and takes some getting used to having not driven a manual in a long time. Unless you are used to 3.73 gears or higher (numericaly). Downshifting aggressively into 2nd or first is a waste of time, stay in third unless you are in traffic continually slowing down. Torque is nice but Hp takes finesse when it's all you've got. Double clutching is easy and heel toe is a real pain. Pedals are a little far and not spaced fwd and aft well. Show it love and it will love you back, otherwise, it shows no love at all.

At 57 more Hp than the Base Civic, I'd say there is a lot more character. I get around 30-33 mpg in mine, A/c or not, driven hard or light.

 

For the $22,000, I just expected more. Why exactly does Civic Si Coupe cost almost as much as the Mustang V6?

I never drove a new 2.0L Civic Si, but I did drove an older 1.6L 160 hp model. At lower RPMs it felt slower than my Golf diesel.

 

Yeah I was reading about those first gens the other day as a throwback review on car and driver. They really weren't all they were cracked up to be. Pretty mild actually. So your interpretation is pretty accurate in that regard.

I don't agree with the price either. Too high. Much better seats and doors than the base Mustang. Nicer steering wheel to boot. My guess is the extra amount for a bigger twin cam engine spec'd for high rpm, the 6 speed gear box and torsen differential. Gearing is more aggressive and steering is electronic. It's still fairly light at under 3000 lbs. Bigger brakes and tighter suspension over the base model with larger sway bars. Sunroof is not an option anymore, it's standard. Better stereo than the base. I'm just throwing thing out there. I bought mine used with 26k on the clock for $14k. Even had a sweet trunk mat! Haha, a couple of fun facts: my 08 upped the ante with a genuine leather shift boot! Opposed to the vinyl in the 06,07. Also the 96 integra R had 201 Hp and a lot less weight, that sounds like a package.

I still wanted to look for an RSX type S though. Or a GTI so I could get a golf ball shifter.

 

I would be more than happy with a Focus ST ... although there is no way it's gonna cost under $20,000.

 

Totally agree! Can't wait to see one.





Drive by because I can't buy one at the time!

 

Another car that I would love to drive is the upcoming Chevrolet Cruze SS (2.0L turbo 260 hp).

 

It looks like a Mazda 3, but its actually got ***** (as in powaa)

My 0.02$ is not free. Pay up.

 

I never came across an si that got that poor of mpg, I own a 1991 si race car and it gets 25-27 when boosting heavily, and it's not your ordinary civic, with more then 500 hp at the wheels