Newbie! To replace my 2014 SE w/ another Focus or not to replace??

[boomboomshakeshake]

Greetings all!

My Focus found me like a knight in shining armor in 2016. My old car broke finally to the point of no repair. Fortunately I was working at a car dealership at the time and had no idea what I was going to do. I was not making a lot of money and just coming out of a very difficult period, lots of major life change that left me financially wiped out. I ended up with a pre-owned 2014 Focus SE with only 30K miles and one owner (a co-worker's sister in law). It seemed like a REALLY long road ahead of me and I had NO idea if I was going to be able to make every single loan payment on that car from then until the end. It did end one day, last May 2021, I realized I had finished paying off my car at a time when my mother was dying from cancer in the hospital. I had not even realized because I was so preoccupied!!

Fast forward to pretty much the 1year mark of when she became mine after 6 years of payments... the unimaginable and unforeseeable occurred and we were in a really bad head on collision. My car, suffice to say, gave her life to save mine that night. She did exactly what she was designed to do and did it well. I walked away with only burns on my arms from the air bags. After 6 years 106844k miles and countless hours together...bonding at the car wash, life transitions, change, etc our relationship had to end- FAR too soon, far sooner than I ever planned. I loved Constance. She was an amazing car despite the occasional frustrating head ache of the clutch and reprogramming and a couple other minor repairs over that time. Only one flat tire. I took really good care of my car and even though I love scenty things I NEVER EVER used ANY kind of air freshener, shampoo or otherwise to clean my interior. I never wanted her to start smelling like an old or used car and I know once you start adding that crap, away it goes. To the end, she smelled, looked and drove like brand new. My heart is absolutely broken and I know some people don't really get attached to cars as I and those in my family always have but I have honestly been grieving over this massive lost. My car was so reliable and is great shape and trying to replace her now (I got very lucky with this car) is a very stressful and seemingly hopeless task! She was maybe halfway through her life as a car, such a sad pathetic waste.

I am sitting here with a fairly surprising settlement cheque in hand and have been consumed with my next car buying options. I go back and forth about what I want, what I should do, what I realistically can afford, etc.

My boyfriend thinks I am nuts when I talk about getting another 2014 Focus. My options are limited. I am being very picky and honestly on my to-do list forever has been eventually upgrading Constance's stock radio with the 4" Sync screen and have been casually researching and shopping around for what I want for the last several months. When I started looking online I found some models with the premium sound system and test drove a 2014 Focus Titanium in the same Ruby Red I had, chrome fog lights, spoiler, sunroof and this one has the upgraded system already. It drove pretty well and was very well maintained although as expected, smelled like an older and used car compared to mine. Oh well. I assume it will be impossible to find one as pristine as mine was. Such a bummer. My only set back is that is has 84k miles. Yes, it's about 22k less than my car had... but was this car taken care of as well as mine? Is the engine in as good as shape or will it break down 3 months from now? Sigh. There's obviously no guarantee that the same thing might not have happened to my car sooner or later.

I feel like if I am having to start over I want some of the stuff I would have preferred...ike Race Red. Don't get me wrong, she was beautiful! Her Ruby Red was very bright, especially when she was all clean and shiny. But I love the boldness of the race red. I saw a Titanium with everything I want and 70miles, but it is far away in another state and blue. Obviously changing the color is not really an option that makes sense financially or on a car with a perfect factory finish, still.

So... I keep going back and forth looking at Carvana listings, not loving the idea of buying a car sight unseen before even driving it. One has 30k miles but it has the stock radio I had (boo). Another has 88k miles (yuck) though cheaper and also stock stereo. I can find one without a sunroof and consider having added with an after market one but my boyfriend has poopoo'd that idea, too. Besides I have yet to find one with everything I want and just not a sunroof.

I wish I could have someone with a license to do so buy my car when she goes up for auto auction and use her for her remaining parts. I would totally have someone take out her OEM sunroof and use that. I would use my own pristine interior parts. Whatever. Maybe I am crazy but... and I realize even if someone could make my car drive again, it wouldn't be the same car. I did find a 2017 with everything but the same front end styling, a rather above average price tag and no leather heated seats which i don't really car about anyway. It is about 4.5 hour drive from me and unfortunately still a little high mileage-wise with 70k but still way lower than where I was. But how were those miles put onto that engine? Was it driven hard? I need to talk to the dealer, they are closed today.

I like the idea of fresh start with my very first brand new car where I am the only owner (Constance was my very first car, btw, a car that I bought and paid for and was in MY name, the previous car was given to my parents and I just took over using it). I cannot tell you how great it felt, such the feeling of accomplishment to finally hold that title in my own hands last year. She very much symbolized a period of regrowth and progress for me, from at that time the time I had had and worrying about driving too far and breaking down, overheating, etc and where I am now in my life.

Anyway, I like the idea of a new car or slightly new but anytime I *think* I found something different other than a Focus, that I might actually feel excited about owning and driving it is either too far out of my price range, can't find one anywhere, is missing a key feature for me, or no longer under warranty and sold by some random car lot or too high mileage, or anything I really like scores pretty low on Consumer Reports. Than there is the practical consideration of that I have a year of school left and am just starting a new part time job which may or may not last given my school schedule, so do I *really* want or need to get into another car loan right now especially after having just finished paying one off a year ago??

I keep going back and forth and thinking I should just stick with what I had and liked. Question is, while I *was* driving an 8 year old car with 107k miles on it, to go out buy an 8 year old used car even with less miles, seems like a huge step down, because while my own was that old and stuff... she was like new when I got her and was well maintained. I could get lucky again and replace her with what I already had in a car and have another car to carry me a number more years until I am working fulltime and ready for a brand new car. OR---- I could miss the target big time and end up shopping for another car to replace a complete lemon in a couple years, months, weeks?? I would absolutely buy an extended warranty plan, whichever I get.

What would you do?? Other than the known trans/clutch issues with Focuses, which is the primary reason why my boyfriend thinks I am insane to deliberately buy another Focus, particularly a used one, I think it is a great car and fits my aesthetic.

 

[Handy Andy]

In light of your experiences, I'll save my story for later...

But to help you in this moment - if your Focus did its job in protecting you.

We now have a plethora of vehicles that can do many things in light of saving lives - just short of intentional ignorance on others for driving into other cars - side or head on or any direction...so if someone wants to commit suicide using another ones for impact - think about this...

What is it costing you to replace your Focus?
What would a NEW car cost in not just ownership, technology upgrades and such aside - but in Gas oil and maintenance?
What would a Focus cost in this same scenario?

You may not be able to upgrade the vehicle - nor find one with as low of miles, but the construction and survivability in your previous vehicle versus attempting to find, instill, or believe - the trustworthiness of a new vehicle of another brands claims?

I owned a scion from Toyota - liked it a lot, it had its good and bads, but the thing wound up being traded in for another Nissan - did I like Nissan? Their Previous Sentra (Circa 1999) was a great car - but it too got combined and traded in for their CVT one.

Do I like this newer Nissan? Well, it's had it's share of recalls - and many of them are behind the scenes you never hear of - in the news - almost as if it's intentional in hiding it's failures. So, No - to me in short, not really - haven't had the luck of having a head-on nor any thing close to such, so to me - it works - but it doesn't mean I love it.

Currently I have a 2019 Fiesta like it a lot, has several shortcomings that make the Scion a vehicle I long* to have back - but the world progressed beyond and so did Toyota - it has dropped the line and only supports in limited fashion the Scion line - meaning paint, interior trim and many other factors are plain outdated and gone.

• When I mention "Long" - as in Longing for, the car or any older car you've driven and used, you are aware of its quirks and the blind spots, the brakes and handling - it's acceleration and many little things you can't mention because of the ability that you had to adapt your traits of operation to the vehicles'. In simpler terms - you became one with it.
• Same can be said in my situations, the loss of one meant I had to find another and in many cases the older units weren't produced, I had to accept the new - so since they kept most cars or vehicles simple for many years the "adaptation" was simply adjust the seat, learn the blind spots and get a feel for the accelerator and brakes and you're pretty much left to figure out the stereo on your own terms.
• The push for new technology has influenced in a bad way I feel, the ability of drivers to remain focused on their jobs to getting to their destinations without distractions - technology is changing this approach - and also leaves us vulnerable for abuse of such to hurt and impact other people's lives, up to and including their deaths.

That would be a determining factor is the AGE of the vehicle and the support you have from Ford.

To be honest, FORD has moved on to other things but seems to have far more support of their brand than Toyota has shown - for in the (since 2005) the years of Scion, it came, reigned in it's own way - and now is in sunset - the same could be said about Fords own support lines but the parts are still around and support is still here in construction and frame - more is known about Ford's vehicles than Toyotas' which says a lot about their openness or how they are willing to show you what it is or needs or like; to own one.

So if you feel SAFER in a Focus than many others that claim safer - to me the handling of known operations like vehicles you have experience in driving make a more logical choice than to relearn behaviors of vehicles with technology changes you are not prepared for.

 

[boomboomshakeshake]

Thank you so much for your thoughtful reply! I really appreciate your feedback. I would be happy to hear your story.

It is true, the engineering in the Focus was outstanding.

Ask anyone who has seen the car and me and they can tell you this. Not only did the car handle the accident perfectly as designed to (only the airbags relevant to the location(s) of impact deployed) you really can't tell by the condition of the whole rest of the car the shi$ton of impact that it took, even if the frame did bend/twist. Even the tire on the worst side of impact is not flat. It is very subtle. The sunroof cover can't be slid open now, the driver mirror cannot be folded in now and while the passenger front door was a little difficult to open, it still opens and closes. She took the impact like a lady. The car dialed 911 which was frustrating as I was trying to call my boyfriend up the road. The alarm system went off. Who knew? Anyway... despite the trans issue, I have had no problem. They tried something new and unfortunately dropped the ball and never got it right! I don't know why they didn't just abandon it and go back to normal. It is sad because other than that they hit a home run, I think, with the Focus I had. It is still a really sexy looking sporty car, I think. I see the everywhere and unlike so many of the newer cars with those ugly angry mean eyes (headlights) it has a very classy look, took. But that isn't everything. The interior was nice and even in looking at new or newer cars, some are ugly! Very plain if not downright outdated looking like cars from the 70s or early 80s.

Again, my BF takes me to Consumer Reports. That is his first step in car shopping. Nothing, literally nothing, that I end up liking and is a car I have never driven before, has great ratings. My Focus tanks in the transmission department but rates pretty well in most other things and others where not so much I didn't have a problem. And in fact, most seem to have some sort of trans problem.

As far as gas and maintenance, everything else I am looking at that is NOT a Focus rates pretty much the same (if not slightly worse) in terms of gas efficiency. I spent very very little every year in maintenance on my car. I can't speak for the others. I can't speak for their performance either, but the first car I test drove was a 2018 Nissan Sentra and it drove like crap, to me. It looked great and I could see driving it. But there was something about it that, to me, felt like it might end up being a car that will develop lots of annoying problems over time. It had absolutely no power and the brakes were horrible. Looked good but moving on I think. If I am getting into a new car loan, I am not downgrading to a car with poorer performance. I explained that I know the Focus and how it drives and how it shouldn't. I don't know anything about any of the others.

I liked the Subaru Legacy but couldn't really find what I wanted. And with any new car or almost new car, it will be twice my budget or cost twice as much what I got paid for my car which was not bad at all considering her age and mileage.

BUT.... I can get a 2014 Ford Focus with 20-40K miles LESS than what mine had and has the upgraded premium sound system and remote start, etc., for only 2-3k more than what I got for my car, what I would essentially have ended up spending when I finally upgraded my car's sound system.

I can get a 2017 Focus with everything I want, the miles are a little higher than desired, 70k, and looks a little different, but is now a 3 year younger car. By the time I would pay off the $7000 loan for it, I will back where I was until a couple weeks ago. An 8 year old car with about 106k miles. Hopefully, if everything goes fine with the car.

Lastly, if I have to get a loan and can get one and the 2017 does not work out and I decide to pass on a 2014, I am going to try for a 2019 Hyundai Elantra Sport for $1k more than the 2017 Focus.

 

[Handy Andy]

You sound like you have your ducks in a row and in most cases...

Color, Performance, Price

Pick any two...

There will be shortcomings in any used car - but owning a similar car - for some may sound boring, but to be honest, the relearn of a new vehicle versus just reusing the old one - as another vehicle - makes the transition and shock of the accident seem less complex and simpler to simply "continue on" using one you are already familiar with, far easier..

Why put it this way?

Well, if you've been in an accident, and are left with the burden of finding a Rental - remember that the Rental firm is only going to have specific vehicles, and you become responsible for them for the time you use them.

No matter what condition - you get what you pay for and if not disclosed upon YOUR inspection - you may wind up becoming the responsible party to have to repair the damages, to their stuff, caused by someone else.

For some this may turn out to be a disaster - for as said earlier about technology, you might wind up in an accident - trying to avoid one because the vehicle anticipated one way, you drove another - and you are left with a pretty big bill.

 

[djroff]

I'll chip in here with my 2 cents, because I just saw this post. I can say that my 2014 Focus SE has been, for the most part, a dream car. It's been a little workhorse for me, really, and it's done very well for the most part. I got mine in 2018 at 38,000 miles, and it now has 118,000. The ONLY real problem I've had with it is the transmission, which, if you do some more reading on this forum, you'll discover has been a real loser for Ford. I had a Toyota Camry for over 20 years and 240,000 miles, and never once had transmission problems. But my nice little Focus suddenly started popping out of gear, downshifting to the wrong gear, not going into Reverse... turns out there was a known issue with the Transmission Control Module which caused them to extend the warranty on that piece out to 150,000 miles. I had mine replaced and am still having other transmission problems. So I hope, for your sake, that you opted to get something different for your next car! You had yours for the "honeymoon" period.