colorguardrifleman

ok before you guys get mad at me I just want to say you are not making this decision for me I just need to know the pros and cons of each car ford is starting to look up i can get the svt with the european package net cost 22000 but i can get it for 19000 plus 3000 cash back and I am giving 3000 cash down too I cant seem to find a black sand pearl with mats 5speed and springs thats it but my dealer just have fully loaded autos for like 20000 and thats all they are gona sell you know to make money and I like the 6speed focus

Emo

unless you live in Europe, ford over here is good for um... nothing...

The european ford is good but not the ones in teh US.... I dont care if its' SVT or someting else... it's still a damn Ford

think about it... Toyota vs Ford... hmmmmmmm very hard choice I know

-Emo

cypher50

Very objective....

In this case, I would actually go with the Ford as long as you can get a good extended warranty. The SVT Focus has a great engine for its price and better handling then the tC.

TCMaster

Well to tell you the truth, I think that the TC is way better. A close friend of mine has one and I got to drive it. It has no low end at all. I don't understand the reason for the 6th gear. They should have left it at 5 and given it a higher rev. The only thing the Focus has over the TC is the interior(AS in leather). But Engine wise, the SVT doesn't leave much room for upgrading as where the TC has endless possibilities.

I am a die hard Ford fan, but I don't think the SVT stacks up completely against the TC.

Slide

Okay for the last two years I had my eye on a SVT Focus, but since Ford is dropping the SVT Focus and offering us nothing for a long while.....I now own a Silver TC Manual...and this is what I notice

Inside:

-The SVT seats are nice in the leather, very heavy bolstering, but not very adjustable. I think the TC seats are comperable in quality but slightly more adjustable. Yes they are not leather.
-Outside temp gauge on the TC. SVt none. This is handy in Wisconsin when you dont know if the roads are freezing yet.
-Interior quality of fitment is alot nicer and tighter in the Tc
-Ergonomically I think because the cupholders in the Tc are behind the shifter it sits better for reach. The AC controls are a toss up in location.
-Auto Up and Down on both sides. The SVT lacks that.
-More cargo room in length. The focus is taller inside but in my Focus Hatch I still had to take off the front wheel of a bike to get it in. The Tc I can put it in with both wheels on..no prob and that is a road bike.
-There is more leg room in the rear seats of the Tc than the Svt, plus the seats recline and are slightly bucketed.
-The shifting in the SVT was easier for some reason. Possibly due to the Getrag tranny. Im hoping the TRD Short throw shifter will cure this.
-More headroom in the SVT. Not much...but the dual moonroof in the Tc does lower things a bit.
-Gauges are about equal in reading quality.
-Knee airbags. Svt none.
-SVt comes standard with Side-Impact Airbags, the Tc its a upgrade.
-Adjustable headrest in the Tc(not just up and down)
-If you leave the headrests in the rear seats of the SVT they obstruct your view. The Tc stay in and I dont even notice them.
-Stereos both have their pros and cons...kinda toss up there.

Outside:

-The fitment of the panels is tighter on the Tc...less gap than the SVT
-I think the SVT Sonic Blue is a great color. Color choice of the Tc can be lacking if you like flash.
-Headlights. The SVT Euro Package comes with HID headlights. I had these in my Focus(mod) and they are nice..but for some reason the halogens in the TC light the road better...more sidesplash..I drive alot in the country.
-The wheels on the Euro SVT are hot...but so are the Tcs. Equal there.
-The Continental tires on the SVT are good..but so are the Potenzas for all around driving.
-Since the antennae on the SVt is longer...radio reception is better than the Tc.

Performance:

-The SVT does boast the 170Hp..but it does seem to need to climb to 7K Rpms before you feel it.
-Braking has less nose dive in the TC
-Cornering felt a bit firmer in the SVT. I will add the TRD springs to match this up.
-Power of the Tc is right on par with the Svt-it is 10 less ponies BUT because of the engine design I think you will see more easy adjustments to the engine to supercede the SVT
-More aftermarket support is likely for the Tc.
-The traction control on the SVT does rob the engine of power, even when its turned "off" it still takes power.


Overall:

Since the SVT is dead after this year I wasnt too thrilled on owning the last year. With recall after recall, Ford isnt worth my time. time in the shop.
Also the SVT has been out for the last 3 years...and the lack of modifications available is not that great.
I really wanted a SVT Euro badly...but when the Tc came..dollar for dollar it didnt make sense to buy the SVT...but you SHOULD DRIVE BOTH. If you wont mod one thing on the car, the SVT is still a fun car to drive.
-one more thing...Ford always dicked me around on financing...Toyota did offer a better rate and it wasnt such a mystery game on what I would qualify for.

I hope this helps.

Smoke20Scion

My girlfriend owns a focus ZX3 right now until her TC comes in, and we have nothing but problems out of her focus, there is always something going wrong with it. We have maintained the car, so we don't know why stuff keeps happening to it. Also in our apartment complex there is another girl that drives a black SVT, that we have seen being towed out 2 times since we moved here in May.
So just make sure that you know what you are getting yourself into with a focus, because everything that has happend so far, they considered normal wear and tear and the extended warranty did not cover anything.

TCMaster

I wouldn't say the focus is a bad car. I have owned one for the last year and a half and haven't had any major problems. The only things I have needed replaced were the Gas tank cover (Wouldn't stay closed), and my trunk was having problems closing. But I got that all fixed and have had no problems with the engine at all. In fact, I love the focus but mine has no power anything(Windows, or doors). I am graduating college in a year and I want a nice car.

dj4monie

Alot of problesm were solved in the '03 model year and the car has continued to be improved.

Doesn't matter if the SVT is going to be phased out. I can take an Isuzu I-Mark to the local Iszuz dealer and have it worked on.. and they haven't made that car in over 10 years....

SVT has much more aftermarket at this point. Depending WHO buys the tC will seal its fate in the aftermarket. If the car draws in a bunch of "ricers" or old people in search of a good value (which all the Scicons are, just not intended for those over 30) then all the tC will get is couple of suspension parts and alot of body kits...

I have a feeling TRD and Toyota would NOT like to see that happen....

UCSDPinoy

Aren't the Ford Focus' made in Mexico?

hahaitzskippy

HEY!!! in the end, its really up to the driver. all the basic car shoppin stuf. tats if ur lookin for a car.

if ur goin for looks.. TC ALL THE WAY
if u have $$ to spend. TC woud b nice too. but with all tat $$ u coud probly buy a ford frum euro wich woud b WAY WAY SUPER KOOL. RHD (right hand drive) RWD focus. etc etc.

personally i woud choose a TC cuz its AZN. or japanese. and becuase its japanese, its aftermarket potential is greater.

and oo ya... i own a TC i like it very very much! :D :D :D

05_Flint_tC

first off, i wouldn't look at the svt. they are great cars but if you're looking at modding them, you're better off finding an 04 pzev zx3(NOT 05, they went to a 2.0 duratec). they have the 2.3L duratec engines in them like the mazda 3s now have. the aftermarket is better for the duratec than it is for the svt zetec. also, the 6spd getrag transmission is going to hurt you if you like to drag race. the svt isn't geared for the 1/4. you can still find the 04s for about 14. the money you save by getting that can be put to mods and now you're stomping on a lot of cars right and left. the duratec is an awesome engine and reacts very well to mods. don't listen to the haters. the focus is euro designed and very well built. they also protect you very very well in an accident. they focus is a really great car that turns a lot of heads at the track. i would get another one but i need a change. i've done the focus thing for 4 years now. you should take a look at www.focaljet.com and ask some questions over there. we've got a bunch of ppl who know their stuff.

oh yeah, here's a link to more information about the pzev(partial zero emissions vehicle). http://focaljet.com/allsite/content/pzev.html

05_Flint_tC

Another idiot with wrong information!!
First, the euro focus will not pass safety regulations because of their 2.5 mph crash bumpers. us standards require 5mph crash bumpers. secondly, the euro focus is NOT RWD. where the hell did you get that? the only RWD foci have either had a v8 put in em (ATI Motorsports and Ford Racing), had the engine moved to the back (Phase X), or have a cosworth AWD(WRC Focus).

Next time, do some research before you start talking out of your ___.

reppindaTC

personally i wouldnt buy a car thats being pulled after this year. granted the svt is a really nice car and iam not exact on all the specs on it but ive been in one. the inside of the svt is really nice the tc is also the seats are comfy. i know this doenst really sway anybodys mind but personally i would take toyotas reliability over fords

05_Flint_tC

what does that have to do with anything? assuming the tc has been around for a while and they were pulling it, would you not have bought it?

LAX182

Ford does offer a RWD focus in Euro. Just stating the facts from someone who knows people that live there and own one =p

JasonH

Kinda the same reason I didn't buy a Mazdaspeed Protege with the Mazda3 coming out. If nothing else, your resale value is going to take a strong hit because your car is an older model.

After driving my tC all this week, I realize it is much, much nicer than anything in this price class. Nothing is this comfortable, quiet or smooth, plus the interior is huge. It has plenty of power, and the torque makes it very easy to drive quickly without having to thrash it. You can compare on paper until your fingers cramp, but go drive a Focus and tC back to back and you'll feel a huge difference.

And finally, if you plan on keeping the car for a while, consider the fact that, in general, Toyotas are far more reliable and last much longer than Fords.

Whichever car you choose, I hope you get what you want and you are happy with it!

Technodigifreak

I work in an autocenter, so i see and drive cars across the entire spectrum, not just one brand like at a dealership.

you think just because is "euro designed" that its better........tell me then, have you ever driven a Renault? biggest piece of crap on the road, and british cars are designed to driven during the week and fixed on the weekends.....
did i mention that jaguar's quality has actually gone down since they were bought by ford.......................

In anycase, the only vehicle that is comparable in power, quality, handling to the tC is the acura rsx, which starts at 21grand........

the focus zx3 alone has had more recalls than the entire toyota AND honda lines combined for the last 5 years

not to mention the fact that one day your driving down the road and all of a sudden one of your rear wheel bearings locks up..........which was a recall that never seemed to quite get fixed.........

yeah, if it weren't for the f-150, ford would be out of business.......not that i'd be sad about that........

get yourself a scion, drive home happy, and ride for 200,000 miles without a single problem

haihengh

one of my roommate back in college time, he's working for ford now. even with the huge employee discount, he still end up getting an acura, not ford. sure the other ford workers will beat the crap out of his car (employee ethic? all imports in ford's parking lot will get "special treatment"), but he still want a honda rather than a ford.

jjp

I would personally go for the Focus with such a great deal...

The SVT model is pretty much undisputed as the best balanced pocket-rocket on the market- speed, handling, interior, etc. Sure, some do specifics better, but none offer the balance.

All that the tC does better than the focus, especially since you're getting th good looking Euro-trim package, is that the Scion has a nicer interior. Also, the SVT focus is rather "exclusive" in euro trim- the tC just gives the impression of Luxory car exclusivity (by "borrowing" the lines of Audi, BMW, Infinity to name a few)...

Either way you'll be happy I am sure.

mach5

great deals don't always mean great cars