Schomp Honda

Safety

Using vehicle speed sensors and seat sensors, smart airbags in the Civic deploy with different levels of force or don't deploy at all to help better protect passengers of all sizes in different collisions. The Civic's side airbags will shut off if a child is leaning against the door. The Focus' side airbags don't have smart features and will always deploy full force.

 

The Civic has standard whiplash protection, which use a specially designed headrest to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the whiplash protection system moves the headrests forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The Focus doesn't offer a whiplash protection system.

 

The Honda Civic has Daytime Running Lights to help keep it more visible under all conditions. Canadian government studies show that driving with lights during the day reduces accidents by 11% by making vehicles more conspicuous. The Focus doesn't offer Daytime Running Lights.

 

Compared to metal, the Civic's plastic fuel tank can withstand harder, more intrusive impacts without leaking; this decreases the possibility of fire. The Ford Focus has a metal gas tank.

 

Both the Civic and the Focus have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front-wheel drive, four-wheel antilock brakes, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding and available electronic stability systems to prevent skidding.

 

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Honda Civic Sedan is safer than the Focus Sedan:

	Civic	Focus
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
Head Injury Index	290	634
Leg injuries (L/R)	548 / 63	1105 / 1098
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
Head Injury Index	298	609
Leg injuries (L/R)	372 / 433	1308 / 772

More stars indicate a better overall result. Lower numbers indicate better individual test results.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 38.5 MPH side impact tests on new cars. In this test, results indicate that the Civic is safer than the Focus:

	Civic	Focus
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
Thoracic Trauma	50	62
Pelvis Deceleration	53 G's	67 G's

More stars indicate a better chance of avoiding serious injuries. Lower numbers indicate better actual numeric test results.

In a 31 MPH side-impact test, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety crashes a 3300 pound sled into the side of new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Honda Civic Sedan is safer than the Focus Sedan:

	Civic	Focus
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Structure	ACCEPTABLE	MARGINAL
	Driver
Head Protection Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Head Injury Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Pelvis/Leg Injury Rating	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Shoulder Movement	46 mm	48 mm
	Rear Passenger
Head Protection Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Head Injury Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Torso Injury Rating	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Pelvis/Leg Injury Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Head Injury Criterion	294	524
Shoulder Movement	45 mm	57 mm

 

For its top level performance in frontal, side, rear impact and roof-crush tests, and its available Vehicle Stability Assist, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety rates the Civic Sedan as a 'Top Pick' for 2010, a rating only granted to 55 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Focus was not a 'Top Pick.'

 

Reliability

 

The engine in the Civic has a single overhead cam for simplicity. The engine in the Focus has dual overhead cams, which add to the number of moving parts and the complexity of the cylinder heads.

 

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without their vehicle while it's being repaired. Consumer Reports predicts that the Honda Civic Sedan's reliability will be 11% better than the Focus.

 

J.D. Power and Associates' surveys of the owners of three-year-old cars provide the long-term dependability statistics that show that Honda vehicles are more reliable than Ford vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Honda 7th in reliability, above the industry average. With 9 more problems per 100 vehicles, Ford is ranked 8th.

 

Engine

 

As tested in Car and Driver the Honda Civic is faster than the Ford Focus (manual transmissions tested):

	Civic	Focus
Zero to 30 MPH	2.5 sec	2.6 sec
Zero to 60 MPH	7.7 sec	8.1 sec
Zero to 100 MPH	22.5 sec	26.1 sec
Quarter Mile	16.1 sec	16.5 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	87 MPH	84 MPH
Top Speed	125 MPH	112 MPH

 

Fuel Economy and Range

 

On the EPA test cycle the Civic Auto gets better highway fuel mileage than the Focus Auto (25 city/36 hwy vs. 25 city/34 hwy).

 

Environmental Friendliness

 

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Honda Civic higher (6 to 9.5 out of 10) than the Ford Focus (5 to 9). This means the Civic produces up to 19.8 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Focus every 15,000 miles.

 

Transmission

 

A five-speed automatic is optional on the Honda Civic, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only a four-speed automatic is available for the Focus.

 

Brakes and Stopping

 

The Civic EX has standard antilock four-wheel disc brakes for better stopping power and improved directional control in poor weather. Only rear drums come on the Focus. Drums can heat up and make stops longer, especially with antilock brakes which work much harder than conventional brakes.

 

In an emergency stopping situation, many drivers don't press the brakes with enough force to stop the vehicle in the shortest distance. The Civic EX-L has a standard brake assist system to detect emergency braking situations (by how hard and how quickly the brake pedal is pressed) and then automatically apply maximum braking immediately in order to help prevent a collision. The Focus doesn't offer a brake assist feature.

 

The Civic stops much shorter than the Focus:

	Civic	Focus
70 to 0 MPH	191 feet	203 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	126 feet	136 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	136 feet	147 feet	Consumer Reports

 

Tires and Wheels

 

The Honda Civic's wheels have 5 lugs for longer wheel bearing life, less chance of rotor warping and greater strength. The Ford Focus only has 4 wheel lugs per wheel.

 

Suspension and Handling

 

The Civic has vehicle speed sensitive variable-assist power steering, for low-effort parking, better control at highway speeds and during hard cornering, and a better feel of the road. The Focus doesn't offer variable-assist power steering.

 

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Civic Sedan's wheelbase is 3.4 inches longer than on the Focus (106.3 inches vs. 102.9 inches).

 

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Civic is .4 inches wider in the front and 2.1 inches wider in the rear than the track on the Focus.

 

The Civic EX Sedan handles at .82 G's, while the Focus SE Sedan pulls only .78 G's of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

 

The Civic LX Sedan executes Motor Trend's 'Figure Eight' maneuver quicker than the Focus SE Sedan (28.4 seconds @ .57 average G's vs. 28.8 seconds @ .58 average G's).

 

Passenger Space

 

The Civic Sedan has .2 inches more front headroom, .5 inches more front legroom, 1.5 inches more front hip room, .3 inches more front shoulder room and .1 inches more rear hip room than the Focus Sedan.

 

Cargo Capacity

 

A low lift-over trunk design makes loading and unloading the Civic easier. The Civic's trunk lift-over height is 26 inches, while the Focus' liftover is 29.9 inches.

 

With its coupe or sedan body style, valet key, locking rear seatbacks and remote trunk release lockout, the Civic offers cargo security. The Focus' non-lockable folding seat defeats cargo security.

 

Towing

 

The Civic has a 1000 lbs. towing capacity. The Focus has no towing capacity.

 

Servicing Ease

 

A Maintenance Minder is standard on the Civic to save the owner time and money by calculating maintenance intervals for oil changes, spark plug replacement, air filter replacement, tire rotation, radiator flush and transmission fluid replacement based on actual driving conditions. This takes the guesswork out of keeping your vehicle in top condition and helps it last longer. Ford doesn't offer a maintenance reminder on the Focus.

 

Ergonomics

 

To help each driver find a more comfortable driving position, the Civic has a telescoping steering wheel. Much better than just a tilt steering wheel or adjustable seat, this allows a short driver to sit further from the steering wheel while maintaining contact with the pedals. The Focus doesn't offer a telescoping steering wheel.

 

The Civic's standard power windows allow the driver or passenger to lower and raise the windows without leaning over or being distracted. The Focus S doesn't offer power windows.

 

The Civic LX/EX's driver's power window opens or closes with one touch of the window control. The Focus's driver's power window switch has to be held the entire time to close it fully.

 

The Focus' power locks don't automatically lock the doors. The Civic LX/EX's standard power locks automatically lock the doors when a certain speed is reached. This is an important feature for occupant safety. Locked doors are proven to open less often in collisions, and they are also effective in preventing crime at traffic lights. (The power lock's automatic feature may have to be activated by your dealer.)

 

The Civic has a standard locking fuel door with a remote release located convenient to the driver. A locking fuel door helps prevent vandalism, such as sugar in the tank and fuel theft. The Focus doesn't offer a locking fuel door.

 

The Civic EX's standard wipers speed up when the vehicle does, so that the driver doesn't have to continually adjust the speed of the wipers. The Focus' manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

 

The Civic EX Sedan has a standard center folding armrest for the rear passengers. A center armrest helps make rear passengers more comfortable. The Focus doesn't offer a rear seat center armrest.

 

For greater rear passenger comfort, the Civic Sedan has standard rear heat vents to keep rear occupants more comfortable. The Focus doesn't offer rear vents.

 

An optional built-in pollen filter removes pollen, exhaust fumes and other pollutants from the Civic's passenger compartment. This helps prevent lung and/or sinus irritation, which can trigger allergies or asthma. The Focus doesn't offer a filtration system.

 

Model Availability

 

The Honda Civic comes in coupe and sedan bodystyles; the Ford Focus isn't available as a coupe.

 

Economic Advantages

 

Insurance will cost less for the Civic owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Civic will cost $4870 less than the Focus over a five-year period.

 

The Civic will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. Kiplinger's estimates that the Civic will retain a greater percentage of its original price after two and four years than the Focus.

	Civic	Focus
Four Year	38% to 42%	24% to 26%
Two Year	52% to 58%	37% to 42%

 

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Civic is less expensive to operate than the Focus because it costs $708 less to do the manufacturer's suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost less on the Civic than the Focus, including $92 less for an alternator and $60 less for front brake pads.

 

Recommendations

 

The Honda Civic has won recognition from these important consumer publications:

	Civic	Focus
Consumer Reports Recommends	TRUE	TRUE
Car Book 'Best Bet'	TRUE	FALSE
Kiplinger's Award	TRUE	FALSE
Intellichoice	A 'Best Value'	no award

 

Strategic Vision rated the Civic first among small cars in owner reported satisfaction. This includes how well the vehicle performs and satisfies its owner's expectations. The Focus was rated 11th in its category.

 

Motor Trend selected the Civic as their 2006 Car of the Year. The Focus has never been chosen.

 

A group of representative automotive journalists from North America selected the Civic as the 2006 North American Car of the Year. The Focus was Car of the Year in 2000.

 

The Honda Civic outsold the Ford Focus by 48% during the 2010 model year.

* [1]  Based on 2011 EPA mileage estimates. Use for comparison purposes only. Do not compare to models before 2008. Your actual mileage will vary depending on how you drive and maintain your vehicle.