Wondering between ford focus and Toyota Prius

MPG: Focus 31.1 Prius 48.3 (Source: Fuelly.com)
The difference: About $4500 bucks at 100,000 miles with gas @ $4.

MSRP: (Base versus Base): Focus- $18,300 Prius-$23,015
Several things about MSRP: If you're willing to go with a sedan versus a hatchback, you can shave about $1,500 bucks off of a Focus. Good luck finding and buying a Prius at MSRP!!! You're probably looking at a real world difference that is greater than the $4,700 in an MSRP-MSRP, base hatch to base hatch comparison, since it is possible (read: probable) that you can find a Focus at <MSRP. No....I mean less than the real MSRP...not less than the pre-printed with options stickers that they're putting on cars these days.
Oh yeah, and you may lose the "midsize" designation with a sedan...I do not know.
Both cars are 5-seat, entry level, FWD, gas sippers. The Prius is 0.8 Cubic Feet bigger hatchback to hatchback. (both exceed 110.0 cubic feet, and thus are considered to be a "midsize")
However (COMMA!) The Focus sedan is considered to be a "small" car (@103.1 CF), even though your stern is sitting in the exact same seats, in the exact same car (minus a fifth door) as you would if you were rolling a hatchback.
Take-away: They're both small cars....or they're both big cars, depending on your definition of "big", which if you're "the government", can vary wildly from (*ahem!*) reality.

Maintenance: About the same....out to 100,000 miles. Unless you're an idiot driver, it's going to be filters and fluids mostly until you get there. After that, a slight edge will probably go to Toyota, but by the time you get to 150K, you've mostly paid back the Hybrid Premium anyway, and you're starting to get payback based on the extra fuel thriftiness of the Prius.
If you're keeping the car past 100,000 miles, currently (and this is changing) Toyota has a better reputation for reliability.

Safety: The IIHS rate both as "Good". The NHTSA ratings aren't in for the Focus yet. The Prius gets 4's and 5's for an overall score of 4 stars, IIRC. I would expect that since they're the same size and layout, that they'll both be about the same, maybe with a slight advantage to Toyota since the batteries are in the back, and down low.


Overall....it's 6-5 and pickem’ up to about 150,000 miles. The Prius is a little bit cleaner, and it's either a lot more fun to own if you like quirky doo-dads, or a lot less fun to own if you enjoy the driving task. That’s subjective, and if it were me, I’d get some stick time in both before I flipped a coin.

Past 150K (YMMV) the Prius will be the better car hands down, in terms of TCO.

OK…so having said allllll of that, here are my two pennies (FWIW

If I were young, borrowing money to buy the car, and planned to put <150,000 miles on the clock before I got bored with it and traded up, I’d get the Focus.
It’s a ton more fun to drive, you have to borrow less (and thus pay less interest) to get into it, and unless you’re an old fart like me, you’re probably going to hear the siren song at the new car dealerships before you get to 100,000 miles. If you’re a hyper-commuter, you may wanna think about the Prius anyway, since you’re spending more time on the interstate (which is dull driving for both cars instead of just the Prius) and you’re going to depreciate both cars very rapidly, and the Prius will probably retain more of its street value at 100,000 miles!

That’s just me.
I have 26,000 miles in Priuses, but I try to be as objective as possible, since…….it a car.
And….they’re both pretty good ones.

Good Luck!

 

I was considering the Focus as well for my wife before buying the Prius. The Ford does handle better than the Prius and the steering feel is hands down much better in the Ford. It is my wife's car and she liked the styling and gas mileage of the Prius more. In the end we chose the Prius and we are happy about it. We are not into the being green thing that many people associate with the Prius. The better gas mileage and resale are the two deciding factors.

As far as safety, I think the Prius produced a five star rating in the crash tests.

 

To me?

Whenever anyone supposedly is comparing Prius to almost any other regular ICE vehicle, the only question to answer upfront is:

"How Much Do You Want A Hybrid?"

If 50 MPG and all the efficiency of a Hybrid is NOT a priority?

Then by all means get "anything" else.

If you're happy with an standard ICE, and happy with whatever baseline of MPG and emissions that it provides?

Then I think you can surely get as nice or nicer vehicles in all respects for equal or less money...

You have to WANT a hybrid.

If you want a hybrid...there's no comparison to a Focus.

If the Hybrid benefit to you is personally marginal? There are PLENTY of options I'd compare....

 

When I think of the Prius I think mid-sized family vehicle, but when I think of the Ford Focus I think of econobox for the single guy/gal. But I think I've been in this game way too long for my opinion to count.

Speaking of "econobox," anyone seen Thai?...

 

Keep in mind, that Focus does not get 31 mpg in the city, but the Prius gets 50, highway or city.

 

So?
And that would influence your decision why?

I have an opinion on that "report"...within that thread.

But in a comparison betwen Prius and Focus..why would a 35% reported loyalty figure...even be something you would factor?

Again...it's not whether 35% of Hybrid owners want to buy another Hybrid...

It's whether YOU want to buy a hybrid today?

I have separate opinions as to the legitimacy or how seriously anyone should take that report, or attached Anti-Hybrid articles using that as a bashing springboard.

But that topic can remain in that thread.

 

There are 'reports' that claim a Hummer is more ecological that a Prius. The real question is "Who was paid to lie about hybrids?"

I would not have considered a Focus, so I will stay out of that fight, I was comparing the Prius to small SUVs.

 

You're welcome a lot.
In the end.....you're going to be spending hundreds of hours in whichever car you buy, so you might as well buy what you want, not what I WANT you to want.
That's why I used Fuelly.com values for MPG. Both are based on the average of hundreds of real-world values. Me? I always get EPA Hwy +, which will yield radically different deltas for fuel costs than what the average driver gets. If you live and drive in the city, those values will change yet again....by a lot.

Much of an automotive "stare and compare" is going to be subjective....actually most of it, and this isn't JUST what YOUR perception might be. The Toyota probably holds more of its resale value past 100,000 miles, since there is the perception (which in the past has been backed up by some hard data) that Toyotas are better cars out past the 100,000 mile mark than a Ford might be.
However (comma!) if you're the typical "drive three years and trade" driver, then you're giving much of this benefit up.

Perhaps my biggest peeve is when people say "But the Prius is a midsize car!" I get this a lot, even though I drive a Prius, and as often as not when the situation warrants it, I'm the one that says "It's smarter to get and drive a G3 for 200,000 miles than it will be to get X."
I was in a TCO argument with somebody when this came up. I (we) went to the internet and sure enough.....the Prius is a "midsize" car and the car that we were comparing it with was a "compact" car. I don't remember the exact car....it might have been a Corolla.
Here's the thing....
The car that we were comparing the G3 with had more headroom, more leg room, more shoulder room, but since the Prius is a hatchback, they count the cargo bay as "interior" and on the notchback, they counted the cargo bay as a trunk, and thus "non-interior" space.
The "X" car was bigger in every meaningful dimension, and since the intended use for the car in this particular argument was a drive to work car, 99.999999999 percent of its life cycle will be spent with one butt in the seats.

This is another reason that when you're going to look for a car that you're going to be buying for your use....then you should spend at least as much time driving your intended car as you do reading the babblings of self-appointed "experts" (like me!) when YOU look for YOUR car.
I always advise P3's (Prospective Prius Purchasers) to go to Hertz and rent one for a weekend. They have them in their "Tree-hugger" (they don't call it that) series that you can rent for an up-charge.
THAT way, not only will you get to spend some quality time with the car without some sniveling, panting car sales associate in the co-pilot seat, BUT you'll get to drive a car that will have some miles on the clock, and thus discover whether or not the interior rattles, the radio sucks, the visors don't extend, the seats are comfortable after an hour's drive, there's a whopping big blind spot when you curb park (or collide), and all of the other little things that will not manifest themselves during a ten minute test flight, and which you will not get in a baseball inspired argument over "statistics."

Don't get me wrong, the Prius is a great car....and this is true for many more people than would consider owning one, BUT it's not the perfect car for anyone.
No car is.....and for some.....others are pretty good too.

YMMV!!!

 

Why is that? Source?

Take a look at how the Prius and Focus did on CR's mileage tests at The most fuel-efficient cars and Best & worst cars review, fuel-efficient vehicles.

The "study's" values seem bogus. It's already being discussed at http://priuschat.com/forums/prius-h...icle-owners-choose-purchase-hybrid-again.html.

Prius is mentioned at Best and worst in new car owner satisfaction: Car owner, auto shopping.

At Best and worst in new car owner satisfaction, best and worst models (you'll need a subscription to view the page). The Prius got 85% for the above question and was in the top 4 for fuel-efficient hatchbacks. There were only 9 vehicles in total that had higher scores than the Prius. In the past, the Prius had the highest owner satisfaction score for ALL cars for at least 4-5 years in a row.

 

I owned a focus once. I did not buy another. Cheap parts especially on the front end.

What do you think a study of former focus owners would show? I'll bet less than 35% would buy another.

If your goal is to buy the cheapest car or the cheapest car to own, operate, and sell, then I'm sure you can find a "better" car than the Prius. If you think the focus drives better....nnnno, IMHO as I've owned both.

If you want to reduce consumption of foreign oil, or reduce CO2 emissions, you should buy the Prius.

 

Excellent comparo. I own both cars and agree completely with your assessment.

 

I think you're basing ALL your asumptions on the OLD Focus. The 2012 and up Focuses are all based on the new Ford WORLD platform. They are absolutely excellent vehicles.

The Focus totally blows the Prius away in driveability ... it's kinda like a better Mazda 3. There is no comparison. If you want to have a little fun while driving, don't put a TON of miles on the car, and will be trading it within 4 years or less ... I'd get the Focus. I'm actually looking for a Focus myself now ... a base SE hatchback model with a six speed manual for fun. It should still get around 40 on the highway, and it's about $6K cheaper than the Prius with some decent rebates, discounts, and good financing.

The Prius is a great little car ... I absolutely love mine ... but it is what it is ....

PS I'd also take a look at the Elantras.

REV

 

does no one drive ANY city miles? What, are u just plunked down on highways, drive, then that's THE MPG number? I don't get the highway only number. wouldn't u want to know the whole picture of combined driving MPG? alot is subjective in car-buying. and YMMV. but to only care that this car or that gets X on the highway is incorrect to compare between vehicles. Sure, it sounds good and it MAY get that highway number once, but let's see what an overall average compare looks like. of course, if MPG is not the focus (pun intended), then don't even justify MPG in the decision. get the car that "drives" better. i love the features on my old "beater" 04 Prius. Perhaps the MPG is a bonus...

 

Is that good ?

How many are loyal to Focus ?

 

Nope.
I don't live in a city.
Occasionally, I have to do some in-town driving, but all of my vehicles (3 cars, 2 bikes) achieve EPA highway rating + except the V-ROD, which has been somewhat modified from OEM specs to be a little less fuel thrifty.

Basing your MPG estimate for a prospective car purchase on my numbers....EPA numbers....or whet they print in the brochures is equally stupid.
When I first heard of Fuelly, I rolled my eyes and thought "Wow...what the heck is wrong with simply tabulating, tank by tank with the calculator that's on your phone, or with pencil and paper?? These people are nuts!"
However (comma!) if you want to compare Prius to Elantra, or Elantra to Focus without getting into stupid and useless arguments, there is some useful data on that site that you can use to compare the averages of hundreds of real owner's, real data.
If you can't help yourself, and you have to tunnel down a specific year of sift through some of the data to derive your own conclusions, there are enough tools for you to do that with too.
It's far more useful to me than the EPA numbers, unless you're looking at the sticker itself and can see the value ranges for each average, both city and highway.
The EPA data aren't valueless, but I would also back check those numbers with "real world" data before I flipped a coin for a decision based purely on TCO for estimated fuel usage alone.

As always...that's just one pixel in a pretty big picture where car ownership is concerned.
If you're saving $5,000 bucks worth of fuel, in a car that costs $5,000 bucks more to buy, plus about $600 more in interest to finance....well, let's just say that I have a lot more respect for people who just drive Priuses because of the very worthwhile reason that they pollute less than brand "X", or that it's more important to save fuel than it is to save money. Those are arguments that I can agree without reservation, although I refuse to bash people who drive other makes and models. If somebody asks me what I think about _____, and why I think that way, that’s what you’re gonna get.

Trying to tell somebody that in the long run, a G3 will be cheaper to own than brand X is absolutely true....sometimes. It's also absolutely not true someothertimes.

The "fun to drive" factor???
Well....let's just say that if you have to ask the question.....

 

I suggest also including the public good of spending money in Japan rather than Iran, and taking into account that only a fraction of the capitalization delta is lost, since deprecation is less than 100%.