Chevy Cobalt/Ford Focus

Mush-Tastic

If you have either one of these cars, please tell me about it.

AND...

Curious if they have anti-lock brakes or not? Still looking for the best compact car for me (this is becoming more of a necessity with each passing day), and we've found some deals on these two types. 

Just curious about gas mileage, durability, any problems, how it drives in snow, etc. etc.

Thanks for enduring all my car questions over the past couple of months. You nesties are always a wealth of info!

AJplusKev

According to Ford's website, the 2011s have ABS (I've always been VERY impressed with Ford's ABS in the winter). Gas mileage is 24 city and 35 hwy. I'm sure older models are just as good.

Janell's Nest

My sister had a ford focus and it was probably the worst car she ever owned.  She always had problems with it and it was only a 2004.  She had to replace the Transmission on it when it was 2 years old.  Ford did some strange things with the focus with the lifetime filter or box or what ever they're calling it that isn't ever supposed to run out but does and when it does costs an arm and a leg to replace.  ( I also know it was a royal PITA because my DH did all the work on it and b*tched everytime he worked on it).

I have no experience with the colbalt.

ChelseaNelson

My husband has a Chevy Cobalt two door stick shift.  He loves it.  He is a gas mileage freak and likes to play weird little games while he is shifting to see how high he can get his millage.  His best (per tank of gas) is 39, and his average is 36 mpg.  He does most his driving in Minneapolis.   He didn?t know how to drive a stick shift very well when he bought it and he made it through the winter just fine.  We have a steep driveway, he needs to get a running start but it made it up the driveway every time.  He has anti-lock breaks.   His e brake acted funny this summer (wouldn?t stick), but it was covered under warranty.  He got his at the Chevy dealer in White Bear and they were great with the warranty, they fixed it the day after he called and gave him a nice car to drive around that day.   His car has fold down seats and we use it like a truck ? it can hold a lot actually. He doesn?t have power locks or windows.  We had a GM card and we hit them up during a sale so I think he only paid 8,000 for the car brand new.   I am not overly impressed with it?.I sat in the back a couple times.  I am a little person and it no easy to get back there (two door remember) I found the seats in the back pretty uncomfortable.  My mother keeps telling that if we still have it when I have children I will love it so they cant escape (she had a two door when I was little for that reason).    It has (had?I think) a funny rattle noise but when they were fixing the e brake they couldn?t find anything lose.  It reminds me of the car I had when I was sixteen (a pretty nice car for a 16 year old).  They had many more updated versions, but we could buy this car in cash and that was exciting.  It was a good deal for the money, my husband has never had a new car ?he was so excited.

MrsKizdoodle

I looked at a Cobalt (this was a couple years ago...not sure if they've changed) and I couldn't get over how TINY the opening to the trunk was.  I doubt I could have gotten a decent size suitcase or a laundry basket in the trunk.  The space in the trunk was decent but the opening was itty bitty.  It was enough of a turn off that I passed on it.

destination09

My sister also owned a focus and it was the worst car she ever owned.  Tons of problems.  She bought it brand new and it rusted in three years; ford would take no responsibility.  My bro is a mechanic so she got deals on labor when it broke, but it broke often and they both hated that car!

I just drove the 2010 cobalt as a loaner for two days while my car was getting some body work (FIL backed into my camry and I had to get a new bumper).  I thought it was very junky for being brand new.  Poor quality interior materials, rough ride, loud interior, overall not impressed.

Sorry, I'm sure this isn't what you wanted to hear, but it is my honest opinion.

When I was car shopping I read a ton of reviews on the Kelly blue book website, just google it.  They were very helpful in my decision making process.

Good luck

razamataz

DH has a 2005 Focus and while it has done the job (gotten him from point A to point , it hasn't been a smooth ride - literally!

First the engine seemed a bit loud and DH said it didn't feel like it was shifting soon enough (automatic transmission) - but that could be from him being used to a manual. It has gotten worse over the years and added to the awful suspension it is simply a rough  - and loud - ride.  You feel every bump in the road and hear it too as there is always a mysterious rattle and tinniness to the body and door latches.

Within the first year we had some strange electrical issue where ALL the lights (interior and exterior) suddenly stopped working. That was not very good considering we were driving back from Milwaukee in the early evening! Took it in to the dealership and they had it for a week trying to figure out what was going on - they ended up giving it back to us with a shrug saying "well, we don't know what is going on, but the lights work now". Next day, they stopped working again and back to the dealership it went.  Same story- rinse and repeat several times. Finally they "fixed" it but they fully admitted to not knowing what was causing the problem in the first place!

DH hates driving it in the winter - but a big part of that was the awful tires Ford puts on it. Once he got new tires on it, he said it handled 100x better. He still doesn't feel completely safe driving down 35 with the Semis blazing past him, but at least he isn't sliding all over the road!

The fuel economy hasn't been great either -but that could be related to the engine/shifting issues (which we've had looked at but Ford hasn't said it is anything they can fix). I think he averages 26-28 mpgs - and he does mostly highway driving.

DH does like the sound system and quick response of the Focus - and the hatchback w/ fold-down seats has been nice for him hauling his bike . . . but honestly, he cannot wait to get ride of it! 

It was a cheap starter car for him and we've kept it longer and used it more than we anticipated, so I guess the fact that it is still going is a good thing - even with all the issues it's had.

ChelseaNelson

MrsKizdoodle:

I looked at a Cobalt (this was a couple years ago...not sure if they've changed) and I couldn't get over how TINY the opening to the trunk was.  I doubt I could have gotten a decent size suitcase or a laundry basket in the trunk.  The space in the trunk was decent but the opening was itty bitty.  It was enough of a turn off that I passed on it.

I thought that too.  I opened the trunk and said ?we will never get a stroller in there.?  I have not run into anything that I thought should fit in there that did not.  The opening seems narrow, but it is really deep so it actually holds a good amount of stuff. When we built our deck we hauled sixteen foot rods, bags of cement, big power tools?.it was pretty funny that we were using this tiny little car as a trunk.  We have had four suitcases in there too.

sjb&apa

I have never driven either the Cobalt or Focus, but I was recently researching cars in this category for my recent car purchase.

Consumer Reports does not recommend either the Focus or the Cobalt.

Both are cheaper than comparably sized cars from other manufacturers (Honda Civic, Mazda 3, Toyota Corolla, etc.) but they also come with far fewer standard features. Lots of things that are upgrades on the Cobalt or Focus come standard on the Civic, Mazda 3 and Corolla. So, when you consider what you're getting for the money, the Cobalt and Focus aren't necessarily "best buys". They also don't hold their value like the Japanese cars.

Part of the reason I looked at the Focus is that my uncle works at a Ford dealership and could get me a good deal on a Ford. However, even he didn't recommend the Focus. The one my aunt drives has been nothing but trouble.

If you really want a Ford and you're willing to go a little bigger and spend a little more (I was not, but maybe you are), the Ford Fusion gets wonderful reviews. It won the Motor Trend Car of the Year award. The Fusion is such a good car, it's too bad Ford couldn't make a smaller car that's just as good.

MrsGo4Hockeychick

I was driving a 2006 focus when I got in our car accident last Nov. 

I LOVED my car. LOVED. Yes, it had anti-lock brakes (I don't know if those were standard or not). I averaged between 28 and 30 MPG. The best part of my focus was how quickly both the heat and the A/C were up to full force. I mean, literally on even the coldest days, within a couple of blocks the car would be warm.

I never had any problems with anything in my car ever. I still kind of miss it.  

MrsKizdoodle

For what it's worth I absolutely do not recommend a Saturn Ion.  I've regretted getting it almost since the day I bought it.     But it's paid for and still runs so I'm stuck with it for now...

C&H

I had a 2001 Ford Focus and it was the worst car I have ever had. I bought it brand new thinking I had a new car and wouldn't have to deal with repairs/problems for several years. Wrong. I had so many problems with it that once the warranty was up I got rid of it. For the price I thought it was a decent ride and handled well but it just wasn't a reliable car to own.

ercsa29

For that size of car the fuel economy seems pretty low. I have a Honda CR-V and get a minimum 30 MPG on the highway. 

sjb&apa

Have you looked at the Hyundai Elantra? That's similar in size to the Cobalt or Focus. It gets really good reviews and is close to the Cobalt/ Focus in price. The Elantra was listed as a "best buy" by Consumer Reports.

I know Hyundai has not had the best reputation in the past, but they have gotten much better in recent years. All the reviews/ratings in the past couple of years are very favorable. They also have a much more extensive warranty than most of their competitors. Most new cars have a 3-year/36,000 mile bumper-to-bumper warranty and a 5-year/60,000 mile drive train warranty. With Hyundai, it's 5/60,000 bumper-to-bumper and 10/100,000 drive train.

mrsdawnmarie

MrsKizdoodle:

For what it's worth I absolutely do not recommend a Saturn Ion.  I've regretted getting it almost since the day I bought it.     But it's paid for and still runs so I'm stuck with it for now...

I LOVE my ION. We got it instead of a Focus. I wish Saturn hadn't stopped building them before they went out of business.

luvtodanz

I looked at buying a Ford Focus when buying a car and it was the worst car I test drove. It couldn't believe how loud it was-sounded like the almost 15 yr old car I was replacing. My uncle who's a mechanic told me they had lots of problems and he called them a "throw away" car, meaning it would cost you more to fix a problem then just buying a new one!

ariel06

razamataz:

The fuel economy hasn't been great either -but that could be related to the engine/shifting issues (which we've had looked at but Ford hasn't said it is anything they can fix). I think he averages 26-28 mpgs - and he does mostly highway driving.

 

We just traded in DH's 2005 Focus because of it not getting the stated milage.  And it's kind of a rough ride. 

Mush-Tastic

Wow! I am glad I asked! I had been having the Focus as my #1 choice, but now not so much! If that many of you have either had problems, or had family with problems, I think it should be avoided for the time being.

We're looking for an '08 or '09 most likely. 

Thanks for the tidbits on the Cobalt too.

Perhaps I need to be steering in another direction. 

Yep...Hyundai Elantra is on my radar! 

And I'm trying to get rid of my current/3rd Saturn (unfortunately with them not making Saturns anymore, I don't think that'll make the list.) :-( They've been good cars to me, though!

Janell's Nest

mrsdawnmarie:

MrsKizdoodle:

For what it's worth I absolutely do not recommend a Saturn Ion.  I've regretted getting it almost since the day I bought it.     But it's paid for and still runs so I'm stuck with it for now...

I LOVE my ION. We got it instead of a Focus. I wish Saturn hadn't stopped building them before they went out of business.

FWIW, Saturn didn't go out of business, and quite frankly it was probably the worst business decision GM made to discontinue the Saturn line because it was one of the best selling car brands on the continent...but GM had to cut costs and so they got rid of them.  Last I heard is that Penzoil and some racing team had bought Saturn and had big plans for it...not sure where that's at or if the deal fell through, but they didn't go out of business.

jess60

A friend of mine has a Cobalt & after initially loving it she now hates with a fiery passion, to put it mildly.  She's had nothing but problem after problem with it.  If you want more info, I can ask her about specifics (although I'd almost rather not get her worked up over it again).