Who wants to help me decide on a car?

[Deleted]

Generally, I'd prefer a Honda over a Ford. But considering the price, the miles and your situation, I think I'd go with the Ford.

Just make sure it's in good condition mechanically.

[poppyseed]

I think I would go with the Honda, despite the mileage, because of the reliability. Either is a good choice though, imo.

[Tacocat]

In your situation I would go with the Ford.

[Jalapeñomel]

I would go with the Honda, because I think that it will last longer. And really, you get what you pay for.

[jaylea]

I have an '05 Ford Focus. We bought it new. It has 43K miles on it.

I have had to replace the breaks (we were living in the city with stop and go traffic when it was new) and the tires. That's it, in its entire lifetime.

Gas mileage is awesome. The car rides comfortably, and it is roomier than the Civic.

I have nothing but good things to say about my car, so I think you'd do well to buy it. What model is it? Mine is an ST, which is the highest model (5 speed, sport version, which makes the tires more pricey than other models but it has a nicer interior and better engine, I think), the others are SES and SE.

It was a Consumer Affairs top pick for that model year - we did a TON of research before buying and it had all good reviews. There are people who hate Fords, period. But we also have an Explorer (gifted to us by ILs several years ago) and it's got 150K miles and is still going strong.

[Kristinmo]

I'm very pro Ford. My sister had a 03(?) focus that was totalled in a pretty horrific accident- sje was t-boned and rolled 1.5 times into a light pole and she walked away with just bruises from the seatbelt.

I drive an Escape and with about 80K miles on it and have had no major maintenance issues.

[motzie]

I would go with the Honda. Unless it is super tricked out, that price on the Focus is WAY over KBB. Hondas are known for going 100's of thousands of miles, a much better bet, IMHO.

[macmars45]

I will never buy Fords. We had two while I was growing up. My parents threw so much money down the black holes of Ford cars. It was so frustrating for them. Three of my four sisters had to drive them. I lucked out and didn't have to. They always had weird issues that no mechanic could fix like dying at stop lights, having to twist the key out a weird way or it would remain struck in the ignition.

So Honda is my vote even if it costs more up front.

[adhdfashion]

Honda. My sister has a Ford focus it has horrible visibility when it comes to backing up. The trunk is high and the back window is a little small causing limited vision directly out the back. The side bar between the front and back door is directly in your line of vision. We are 5' 4'' and 5' 6'' tall. We both run into this problem when driving the car.

[jaylea]

Aug 15, 2012 10:35:47 GMT -5 motzie said:

Unless it is super tricked out, that price on the Focus is WAY over KBB.

No it's not. Slightly (as in a few hundred dollars) but you negotiate that down.

[emoflamingo]

I have a Focus that's a year newer that I've put 90k miles on and I have just replaced the brakes on it. I bought mine brand new and other than 2 new windshields (I attract rocks), I haven't done anything else to it. I hit a deer in the damn thing and I'm finally getting around to doing some of those repairs and even that is under $600. (Under my deductible at the time, so I didn't bother with insurance.)

Mine is also the SE model. I can fit a lot of stuff in the trunk, I have a huge carseat in the center of the backseat and can still fit 2 smaller adults in there (myself and my sister, usually, because we're petite) and my brother (almost 6') has plenty of leg room.

[Deleted]

Honda. They're just so much more reliable, and the Ford will be more expensive in the long run. You can trade either car in a few months/years if you want something different - but the Honda will hold it's value much more than the Ford.

[Deleted]

Aug 15, 2012 10:51:14 GMT -5 kessieblue said:

We calculated the Bluebook on both of them, and they are both priced below bluebook considering their mileage and options. The Ford is priced about $600 below, the Honda about $2000 below.

Then this is obvious. Get the Honda. Get the best deal you can within your cost and need parameters. If you later want to sell the car, you'll be happy to have the $2K in equity in the Honda.

[drrn04]

Ford used to suck. They have vastly improved.

I'd go with the Ford, as long as I took it to my own mechanic and had it looked over (well, I'd do that for the Honda too). Ask him what needs to be replaced now, and what will need to be done in the not too distant future.

And with the higher mileage on the honda, you're getting into needing to do more in terms of regular maintenance. I mean, sure, its a honda, but that doesn't mean things don't need to be kept up to keep it running. Brakes, belts, alternator, spark plugs, etc don't last forever, even if the engine and transmission will.

[drrn04]

it is only a better value if it isn't due for a ton of regular maintenance. You can easily rack up $2k if a car needs a lot of immediate upgrades/fixes. Hell, I just dropped around $700 in June (at the absolute worst possible time for us, financially, this year) on my Nissan because the ball joints were worn, and I was getting ready to drive cross country. That was ONE repair. It had nothing to do with the quality of the car, and everything to do with the mileage (about 72,000).

Think about other things too that add up, and may be in need of being replaced soon, like tires.

Don't buy anything without taking it to an independent mechanic that you trust (like, not the guys at Jiffy Lube, or taking the seller's word for it)

[bab]

I'd get the Ford.

[Jalapeñomel]

The resale value on the honda is amazing. We sold ours last year for only like $3000 less then what we had purchased it for 5 years prior. And despite having almost 100k miles on it, we never had to do any repairs other then regular maintenance.