Ford Focus vs Altis

HtwoO SG

Hi,

I am new in this forum and would like to ask if anyone of you have any comments on the Ford Focus (2004)? I am considering between Focus or Altis. I feel Ford Focus looks and feels good but worried about resale value.

According to the SE, Focus is made in Germany and has 5 years' warranty while Altis is assembled in Thailand. FC for Ford is about 11km/l. Somehow Singaporeans are all Toyota siao and resale value for continental cars are not too favourable. Confused

Price for Ford is $71988 and for Altis is $69388. Difference is $2600. OMV for Ford is about $17800, not too sure about Altis. Wink

sigh... anyone got any comments? thanks for your help.

pixy SG

Forget about our 'National Car' the Altis, and buy the Focus, Current or Upcoming one, read this:

http://www.sgforums.com/?action=thread_display&thread_id=96279

Btw, the Focus is assembled in Spain, not Germany, those SEs...

Circuit SG

focus its the best or one of the best sweet handling car on its class...

and its sweet looking...

dun worry abt its resale value.. it has quite good resale price...
and export value...

best if u can find a manual Ghia model... but rite now.. in singapore
only like less than 10 pcs on road!!!
hard to find one... all auto .. sian

HtwoO SG

Very Happy very reassuring to see your replies! Thank you very much.

I am not sure if the specs of Ford is indeed better than Altis. Can any expert out there advise?

COROLLA ALTIS

Model grade 1.6E (3ZZ-FE)
Transmission type 4-speed A/T ECT

DIMENSIONS & WEIGHT
Overall length (mm) 4530
Overall width (mm) 1705
Overall height (mm) 1480
Wheelbase (mm) 2600
Tread Front/Rear (mm) 1480 / 1460
Ground Clearance (mm) 160
Kerb Weight (kg) 1115-1175
Gross vehicle weight (kg) 1600

CHASSIS
Suspension Front MacPherson Strut with Torsion Bar MacPherson Strut with Torsion Bar
Brakes Front/Rear Ventilated Disc/Solid Disc
Min. Turning Radius (m) 5.2
Fuel Tank capacity (litres) 55
Tyres 185/70 R14

ENGINE @ @
Engine Type Inline 4-cylinder DOHC 16-valve VVT-i (Variable Valve Timing with Intelligence)
Piston Displacement (cc) 1598
Max. Output SAE net (kW/rpm) 81/6000
Max. Torque SAE net (Nm/rpm) 150/3800
Fuel Supply System EFI (Electronic Fuel Injection)

fordfocus

ENGINE
Type ZETEC 1.6L 16-valve in-line 4-cylinder DOHC
Fuel System Electronic Fuel Injection (SEFI)
Capacity (cc) 1596
Max Power 100PS/[email protected] rpm
Max Torque [email protected] rpm

TRANSMISSION
Transmission Type 4-speed automatic, one reverse

STEERING
Power steering Power-assisted rack and pinion
Turning circle - wall to wall (m) 10.9

BRAKE
Front Ventilated Disc
Rear Drums

TYRES & WHEELS
Tyre size 195/60 R15
Wheel size 6.5 JJ x 15

SUSPENSION
Front Independent with MacPherson struts, angled coil/spring dampers units and lower A-arms, anti-roll bar
Rear Independent Control Blade multi-link system, anti-roll bar

DIMENSION
Overall Length (mm) 4362
Overall Width (mm) 1998
Overall Height (mm) 1430
Wheelbase (mm) 2615
Track (front/rear) (mm)1484/1477
Ground clearance (mm)136

WEIGHT
Kerb weight 1137
Gross vehicle weight 1620

PERFORMANCES
Maximum speed in kph (on circuit) 184
Acceleration (sec) -from 0 to 100 kph 11.0

COMSUMPTION
EEC Standard (litres/100km) Urban 7
Fuel tank capacity 55

ev960 SG

You are getting the sedan or hatchback ?
Elegance or comfort ?

No need to think, Focus is surely the much better choice. German vs Jap car, wat do you say ?

Altis is sooooo boring, no wonder they use it as taxi in Thailand

pixy SG

Originally posted by HtwoO:
very reassuring to see your replies! Thank you very much.

I am not sure if the specs of Ford is indeed better than Altis. Can any expert out there advise?

[b]COROLLA ALTIS

Model grade 1.6E (3ZZ-FE)
Transmission type 4-speed A/T ECT

DIMENSIONS & WEIGHT
Overall length (mm) 4530
Overall width (mm) 1705
Overall height (mm) 1480
Wheelbase (mm) 2600
Tread Front/Rear (mm) 1480 / 1460
Ground Clearance (mm) 160
Kerb Weight (kg) 1115-1175
Gross vehicle weight (kg) 1600

CHASSIS
Suspension Front MacPherson Strut with Torsion Bar MacPherson Strut with Torsion Bar
Brakes Front/Rear Ventilated Disc/Solid Disc
Min. Turning Radius (m) 5.2
Fuel Tank capacity (litres) 55
Tyres 185/70 R14

ENGINE �@ �@
Engine Type Inline 4-cylinder DOHC 16-valve VVT-i (Variable Valve Timing with Intelligence)
Piston Displacement (cc) 1598
Max. Output SAE net (kW/rpm) 81/6000
Max. Torque SAE net (Nm/rpm) 150/3800
Fuel Supply System EFI (Electronic Fuel Injection)

fordfocus

ENGINE
Type ZETEC 1.6L 16-valve in-line 4-cylinder DOHC
Fuel System Electronic Fuel Injection (SEFI)
Capacity (cc) 1596
Max Power 100PS/[email protected] rpm
Max Torque [email protected] rpm

TRANSMISSION
Transmission Type 4-speed automatic, one reverse

STEERING
Power steering Power-assisted rack and pinion
Turning circle - wall to wall (m) 10.9

BRAKE
Front Ventilated Disc
Rear Drums

TYRES & WHEELS
Tyre size 195/60 R15
Wheel size 6.5 JJ x 15

SUSPENSION
Front Independent with MacPherson struts, angled coil/spring dampers units and lower A-arms, anti-roll bar
Rear Independent Control Blade multi-link system, anti-roll bar

DIMENSION
Overall Length (mm) 4362
Overall Width (mm) 1998
Overall Height (mm) 1430
Wheelbase (mm) 2615
Track (front/rear) (mm)1484/1477
Ground clearance (mm)136

WEIGHT
Kerb weight 1137
Gross vehicle weight 1620

PERFORMANCES
Maximum speed in kph (on circuit) 184
Acceleration (sec) -from 0 to 100 kph 11.0

COMSUMPTION
EEC Standard (litres/100km) Urban 7
Fuel tank capacity 55
[/b]

Read this article about the Cerato 1.6 GS...

"There's a fair bit of noise of all kinds - Kia made the mistake of benchmarking against the Toyota Corolla, which is a pretty loud car itself"

Click link below:

http://www.topgear.com/jsp/individualRoadTest.jsp?&carType=new&mCode=C0&rCode=XX&mDesc=Kia&rDesc=Cerato&roadTestNumber=02.html

The Full Review by Topgear

The Cerato is the size of a Golf, a lot cheaper, and by no means hopeless. I say this right now because people don't always read new Kia stories right to the end. But, whether it's desperately uncool or not, this one does deserve your attention, because it shows just how far Kia has come lately. If it keeps going at this rate then by, ooh, a week next Tuesday, it'll probably be capable of building a Porsche 911 rival.

But, for now, the Cerato woos you with its size and spec list. It's a 1.6-litre, with aircon, an in-dash CD that also plays your MP3 compilations, six airbags and brake-assist. Same-size rivals at this price are mostly poverty-spec 1.4s.

It gets along pretty well, and has more than adequate grip for the power. The steering's pleasant and body control fine. There's a fair bit of noise of all kinds - Kia made the mistake of benchmarking against the Toyota Corolla, which is a pretty loud car itself. Cabin design and quality are a big step up for the Koreans, but the exterior styling tries a bit too hard, with lines and bumps all over the place.

Kia is part of Hyundai (the Cerato is an Accent underneath) and between them, by 2010, they want to sell more cars globally than Renault and Nissan combined. To do that the cars will have to be better than this. But at this rate of progress, don't bet against it.

pixy SG

PaulQ SG

Ford Focus should be a good buy now as the new Focus will be launched soon. Before a new model is launched, the old model is normally at rock bottom price. One thing for sure, you must bargain for more freebies. If not, workshop will charge you according to continental car rate if you wish to install something in future.

If you get to see the new Focus, some parts eg. lights do not looks as nice as the old model.

Altis should be ok , looking at the sales figures for Toyota. But i have heard some negative comments on the quality. Unless you are looking at the Japan version of Corolla, there is no clear comparison. Just like Ford Laser from Philippines.

HtwoO SG

Thank you all for your input. Was studying the specs and would like to ask if anyone of you have any opinion.

Max. Output SAE net (kW/rpm)
Altis - [email protected]
Focus - [email protected]

Max. Torque SAE net (Nm/rpm)
Altis - [email protected]
Focus - [email protected]

Looking at just the output and torque, can we conclude that Altis is better in terms of higher output? Everything else being the same, can we plainly say that the fact that Altis reaches max torque at a lower rpm also makes it a better car? Rolling Eyes

Aulf SG

Hi there ..
am driving the Focus now and muz say its a joy to drive ... cornering and driving around tight corners is a breeze ... Mr. Green
the cars abit heavy though and pick-up not terrific, but its nothing that some minor mods (s.a. e68, k&n) can't solve ...
Looks wise, can't complain 2, looks fierce and chio with 17" rims

U were saying $72k for the Focus ? Really ... ? can't believe price dropd so much .. bot mine for 78k Rolling Eyes Auto wld probabl y cost 2k more

Aulf SG

Originally posted by HtwoO:
Thank you all for your input. Was studying the specs and would like to ask if anyone of you have any opinion.

[b]Max. Output SAE net (kW/rpm)
Altis - [email protected]
Focus - [email protected]

Max. Torque SAE net (Nm/rpm)
Altis - [email protected]
Focus - [email protected]

Looking at just the output and torque, can we conclude that Altis is better in terms of higher output? Everything else being the same, can we plainly say that the fact that Altis reaches max torque at a lower rpm also makes it a better car? Rolling Eyes [/b]

Yes, on paper Altis wld appear to have more avail torque at lower rpm ...
however for Focus, the rpm climbs pretty fast, so reaching 4K is a breeze, so I guess the 200 rpm difference isn't dat significant. Focus excels in the mid/high torque regions ... the rpm for my Focus reaches only 2.5k at 90kmh so high speeds can be reached w/o you knowing it Mr. Green

LittleTiger SG

There is no problem on the quality of altis, only maybe its few exception on QC compare to Made in Japan corolla.

Altis also sold in US but they just called it Corolla instead of Corolla Altis.

Nevertheless, tis good to try out the new Focus.

pixy SG

Specs means nothing, you gotta testdrive them to do comparison, better still, test-drive them on the same test route, listen for tell-tale signs.

I would say Focus is an all-rounded performer, and Altis is only good in terms of better acceleration and fuel efficiency, but neglects all other key areas, like handling, ride comfort, in-cabin insulation, and safety.

Read these reviews below, they might be old, but it tells you more about these both cars, the fact is that Altis is a further cost-down version of the Corolla, by assembling it in Thailand and given a alternative look, basically that's about it.

Toyota philosophy is simple: Make cheap cars and sell them at supermarket prices, that's why the mass production feel once you get into the cabin. On the other hand, Ford took three full years to do detailed survey what the masses actually wanted in a car, and built the perfect benchmark which other manufacturers still could not match, even six years later, after it was first lauched in 1998. Constant development and improvement were made to make it even better and competitive in the market.

Ford Focus
http://autozine.kyul.net/html/Ford_Europe2.htm#Focus

Toyota Corolla
http://autozine.kyul.net/html/Toyota2.htm#Corolla

HtwoO SG

Thank you all for the input. Very Happy Buying a car is so expensive, I will need to do lots of homework and hear from your valuable experiences before deciding

To answer Anulf's question on the price of the focus, it was at $72988 for the 1.6 AT (not the hatchback version). The hatchback will cost additional $2K. Not sure if the price has dropped a bit since the COE dipped yesterday. Now, the banks are offering some cash rebate to entice you to take up the loan with them (and stay for 2 or 3 years). 20% of the total interest payable will be paid back to buyer out front now. Taking that into consideration, the price is about $71K+.

I personally am more favorable towards the focus as its interior is much more stylish than the Altis. However the price of the Altis has now dropped to $68,688! If focus price remains at $72988 (or $71+ after loan interest rebate and stuff) then the disparity in price between the two may make me decide otherwise
Crying or Very sad

LittleTiger SG

Toyota Corolla
http://autozine.kyul.net/html/Toyota2.htm#Corolla

That corolla was a G9. Not the currently new model Altis

pixy SG

The so called new model Altis or G10 whatsoever, is worse, it is a further costdown project by 'Toyota Car SuperMart'

I know, my friend used to own the JDM G9 and now the TDM Altis, he's a 'Toyota Car SuperMart' royal customer Laughing

KLZW SG

in terms of handling, the ford focus is the unparalleled handler in its class.. it uses a traditional hrdraulic steering rack.. which gives much better feedback than an electric-power steering, used in the altis..handling wise.. the altis lags behind due to its more comfort-biased springs.. and due to the fact tht it has a torsion beam at the rear.. in contrast to the focus's multilink.. it doesnt' give as much variations in suspension geometry.. thus handling is not as good.. however, the altis's handling isnt as bad as most ppl think.. in fact, its turn-in response is quite good.. so lowering the car and fixing stiffer springs will help a bit..

performance-wise, the altis beats the focus.. as it has variable valve timing.. which means optimised torque and power..

the focus is going to be replaced soon... which explains the lower price.. but i still think its a better buy... since its built in europe.. so its quality is better than tht of the altis.. foci dont sell tht cheap usually.. so if u cant wait.. just go for it..