2008 Ford Focus: Fuel Economy Update

What the hell did you guys do to it to get the worst tank? I don't see a snow plow on the front of that thing.

I hinted a bit of trolling on this thread was on the way so I thought to mitigate. Here are IL's own numbers from the closest competitors in size and class. No folks, the Fit does not compete with the Focus but I though to throw it in along with the Versa. Lets also remind ourselves this Focus has a 4 speed auto.

LT 08 Ford Focus SES
Best tank: 37.4 mpg
Worst tank: 16.6 mpg
Average over 16,000 miles: 26.3 mpg

LT 08 Mitsu Lancer GTS
Best Fuel Economy: 30.5 mpg
Worst Fuel Economy: 17.7 mpg
Average Fuel Economy: 24.1 mpg

LT 07 Versa 1.8SL
Best Fuel Economy: 38.0 mpg
Worst Fuel Economy: 17.1 mpg
Average Fuel Economy: 26.7 mpg

LT 07 Honda Fit
Best Fuel Economy: 42 mpg
Worst Fuel Economy: 23.4 mpg
Average Fuel Economy: 31.4 mpg

And I'll throw in that 05.5 Jetta as well, you know, since it was a gasoline engine.

LT 05.5 VW Jetta
Best Fuel Economy: 27.7 mpg
Worst Fuel Economy: 15 mpg
Average Fuel Economy: 23.5 mpg

Wow. 16.6 MPG. I could barely get that full throttle city driving in my old GMC Envoy.

It looks so ugly from that angle. My gawd, Ford thinks they can compete with the Civics & Corollas & Elantras with this 'Thing'??

Bring the Euro Focus already!!

Until the Fiesta shows up, this is Ford's most "economic" vehicle, I would argue it competes with everything in its class, and the one below it. Its transmission shouldn't be an excuse either. Even still, this is perfectly acceptable for the type of vehicle it is.

Focus might compete with vehicles in it's class, but does it fare well? It's design, both exterior & interior, screams late 90s.

The problem with Focus & GM's Cobalt is that they both look considerably dated than their 'foreign' competition.

Mechanically Focus might be fine. But these days, even the econo cars are expected to look good & have a good fit & finish. Remember, most of the cars in this class are the first new cars for many young people. If the first impression they get of your brand is 'looks cheap' and 'ugly', it would be very hard for that brand to change perceptions in later years.

Ford might be on track to get better designs from Europe into US market. But current Focus is a vestige of old Ford. The sooner this 'thing' is off their portfolio, the better.

Wobbly, I was simply saying don't qualify the Fit's mileage by saying the Focus does not compete with it or the Versa. I argue that they do compete. It is what it is, and its mileage is "acceptable". The rest of the package leaves me wanting (bring on the new designs), but I would not be disappointed with the mileage being returned.

@ Wobbly: Are you looking at the same competition that I am?

Corolla - Horrible design complete with a boring and cheap interior
Sentra - An also ran, I think everyone has all but forgotten about it
Elentra - Nothing remarkable both inside and out

The only two vehicles in this class worth merit is the Mazda 3 and Honda Civic.

"No folks, the Fit does not compete with the Focus but I though to throw it in along with the Versa. "

Why not?

Elentra - Nothing remarkable both inside and out

Damn Hyundai has another compact out? The Elantra is pretty nice inside, especially in SE trim and in Touring.

My Mazdaspeed 3 has averaged 23 mpg over 32,000 miles, and I'm certain that the safety nazis would label my driving style as "aggressive". I hope that the 540i doesn't do much worse...

Said it before, say it again, you guys must be the most aggressive drivers ever!

@firstwagon - because the honda fit is a SUBCOMPACT... so it competes with the yaris/ aveo/ fiesta/ versa/ mini/ and so on. the focus competes with other COMPACTS like corolla/ mazda3/ cobalt/ civic/ sentra/ and so on. if you compare mpg of a fit to a focus you might as well compare mpg of a mini to a F350...

i have a 2009 ford focus sedan and my lowest MPG has been 27.6 and the highest its ever gone is 43mpg at 65mph on a 3 hour road trip. and thats not going by the mpg computer either... i figure my gas mileage the old skool way with a calculator! i also have a 5 speed manual transmission and i think it helps a lot because all the auto tranny focus owners are reporting like 24-25mpg in city driving where i get 27-31 in the city.

Yeah there's no way you can only squeeze 16mpg out of an automatic Focus even. My dad had a ZX3, and it averaged anywhere from 23-30, even when my heavy foot had it for a time.

@foxtrot-I see what you are saying, they aren't in the same class. But ford does not have a subcompact right now, so for them, the focus does compete for sales with all the models you mention. I don't know what the interior dimensions are, but with the Fit being larger, and the Versa being fairly roomy, I wouldn't be surprised if they have as much interior space as the Focus. The lines are certainly blurred, and it is much closer than the Mini to F350 comparison. For me, I lump all these cars together into the "fuel miser" category. Where can I get the most space, fuel economy, and value in one package? I am sure some will disagree.

This has become a cliche. People that are obsessed with fuel economy in cars that are already fuel efficient!

I'm not impressed. These are suppossed to be frugal little cars. MPG averaging mid to upper 20's does not impress me. Sadly, it is not entirely the cars' fault. Any of these are as big or bigger and, most importantly, heavier than an early models of the Accord and Camry! Blame on us always wanting bigger, more comfortable cars. Blame it on all of the standard equipment and safety devices. The Civic (non-Si) is the only compact that really gets decent gas mileage anymore.

"LT 08 Ford Focus SES
Best tank: 37.4 mpg
Worst tank: 16.6 mpg
Average over 16,000 miles: 26.3 mpg"

Its nice to see it can reach higher mpgs on (presumably) all highway runs.

"The problem with Focus & GM's Cobalt is that they both look considerably dated than their 'foreign' competition. "

Really? The focus looks more dated than the Corolla or Elantra or Sentra? I think the Focus' interior is pretty nice. The Cobalt came out in 2004 and is the oldest compact in the class. Older cars tend to look dated last time I checked.

The worst tank is not surprising at all. I know someone with a four cylinder car rated at 22mpg city who routinely gets 16-17mpg in city driving. I get 14 and my car is rated at 17mpg city.

anyone comparing the Fit to the Focus needs to remember the first fit had 109hp. Considering the focus has 140 and a larger engine it should be no surprise that the Fit is more efficient. With an auto 0-60 on the Fit is likely between 9.5-10secs which is surely slower than this auto Focus.

I think my Ms3 got 13 mpg at it's last track outing.Not bad, but my Club Sport gets 16.5 when thrashed on a road course.

"@firstwagon - because the honda fit is a SUBCOMPACT."

Then why is it bigger inside then the Focus?

The Fit is Hondas smallest cheapest car.
The Focus is Fords smallest cheapest car.

They are priced about the same.

People will cross shop them. Thus you can compare them no matter how you want to label them.

"if you compare mpg of a fit to a focus you might as well compare mpg of a mini to a F350..."

I'm not even sure how to respond to a comment that dumb.

Fit is a wagon. Wagons always have more space than sedans. The focus is unlikely to be cross shopped with the Fit simply because the two vehicles have different body styles. Smaller engines make less power and get better mileage. That is the case with the Fit. You give up acceleration to get 31mpg- that doesnt mean there is something inefficient about the Focus.

One more thing; my Club Sport is fitted with a Turner Motorsport/Conforti chip, so it's making 150 hp from 1.8 liters.

The Fit and Focus are definitely in different classes, but they are also very likely to be cross shopped. Unless someone really has a preconceived notion about sedan vs hatch, in this price range I would imagine that hatches are quite regularly cross shopped with sedans. At this price, its the versatility and mpg that buys are going after.

I agree, they would get cross-shopped. More powerful, worse MPG, Sync, gaudy chrome gills vs. No power, better MPG, usable interior, shark-fin profile. I envy no person making such a choice.

How come no one has asked this:
What the hell is a 4 speed auto doing on a car made in 2008? Personally, I wouldn't buy that car just because of the transmission. Maybe it's even the same one they used in the 80's (probably not, but still...)

Toyota uses 4 speeds as does chevy, chrysler, Hyundai and Suburu. They are still being made.

The MY2009 Focus looks so much better without the crap on the front fenders.

@firstwagon - i see your point although hatches are usually bigger than sedans. thinking about it... subcompacts are starting to blur the lines between them and the next car in the lineup. they used to be entry level with low starting msrp's and some still have that mission (the aveo and versa come to mind) but some are pricey (the fit is a bit expensive for some shift paddles and trick seats; the mini is a premium subcompact so its no wonder why it starts so high) but at the same time they offer big car features. so i was livin' in the past thinking that subcompacts were so entry level when they arent anymore. Im sorry you think my statement was dumb, i figured as adults we could move past using words like dumb and simply say "i dissagree" but i digress...

4 speed autos are still competitive. even some editors like 4 speeds over 5 and 6 speeds because theres less gear hunting on non-manual shift units. i do wonder how a 5 or 6 speed auto would improve mpg on this engine. I'm not sure it would be significant on the fuel economy side but it would probably help acceleration?

To be fair, since the car has the automatic, shouldn't you post the 24/33 of that transmission rather than of the manual?

From what others have posted, the Focus' fuel economy looks pretty typical of other high-mileage compacts, even with the 4-speed auto. Here's my '07 Focus (2.0L MT) stats:

Best tank: 40.8
Worst tank: 29.7
Average over 34,013 miles: 34.6
EPA rating: 24/27/33

It might be a mpg or so higher if I would have bought a Cobalt, Civic, or Corolla, but I wasn't about to spend 1-5 grand more to save a paltry 27 gallons over two years. Besides, I have no complaints about my Focus so far.