Need my own car now - Corolla or focus?

nellocon

Hi,
Ive been driving my mother's daewoo matiz for 2 years now. It is easily the worst car ever created. Anyway its time i went and got my own.

I have a budget of around 7,000 maybe. I am thinking along the lines of a corolla hatchback or a ford focus. The 1.4 liter engine will do in both cars.

Basically i need something reliable. We had enough trouble from the matiz and i would like to have some trouble free driving for once.

Can anyone give some advice as im sure these cars have been advised against before.

Cheers

colm_mcm

1.4 in Corolla WAY nippier than 1.4 in the Focus. Focus has better handling, both very well built, Corolla having an edge. More choice out there in Focus, Corolla generally more expensive, especially in hatch.

.Longshanks.

The focus is a better looking car IMO , but otherwise colm summed it up perfectly.
Post links if you want for any cars your looking at

Alanstrainor

I'd be looking at the 1.6 focus if you're thinking of going the Focus route, the 1.4 is underpowered, and from experience it tends to guzzle fuel as a result. But as said, they're both sound cars, i'd still go for the focus, even if it was the 1.4.

JHMEG

1.4 Focus is very slow only putting out 70bhp. It's a nice drive tho.

Focus has some problems and wouldn't be as hassle-free as the Corolla.

nellocon

Thanks for the replies,
Would be thinking along the lines of this:
http://www.driving.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=200929194644930

Or this in corolla
http://www.driving.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=200927194509857

Would be bargaining hard on both these cars obviously and try to knock a good couple of hundred off the asking price!

high horse

FULLY EQUIPPED WITH ALL THE EXTRAS INCLUDING ABS BRAKES /CENTRAL LOCKING /CD PLAYER /ELECTRIC WINDOWS

lol at the description of the corolla in the link above. Other than ABS, these "extras" sound like standard spec on a car like this
Given the choice between these two, I'd pick the Focus. Its looks nicer and handles better than the corolla.

Have you rules out any other choices (Astra/Golf/Civic/etc.) or is it just a Focus or a Corolla that you want?

bazz26

Forget about the Focus in 1.4 litre, they are very underpowered. Here is a nice 03 1.6 Focus for similar money to the ones you were looking at:

http://www.driving.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=200916192532606

dutchcat

focus any day,better looking,more options,nicer drive,nicer int, 1.6 would be better and wont cost any more to run long term 7k should get a new model one private,got one from a stealer last mth for 8k 1own,33klms,12mth war,new skids,full svc.....corollas had a lot of trouble with egr valves on vvti engines so a lot of them are drinking oil ,check them all before parting with your cash

Martron

you can check through my posts i will totally go with the focus i will agree with the other posters. 1.4 inder powered. get 1/6 diesel if you can.

i have 08. work on the m50. it has taken seroius abuse!!! i mean SERIOUS!!!!!

still going. 5 k past service interval and all.

( before people start its a company car and i have requested service 10k ago)

but you cant fault focus.

but i do have to say one thing.

there was a 00 corolla on site and i had a 04 focus 1.8tddi

the focus had the corrolla in a striaght line. but when it ame to the corners the slighlty lower corolla had the focus everytime.

corolla = bulletproof

focus diesel = bulletproof + runs on thimble of diesel if not rallied.

personally i would go with focus.

W.Shakes-Beer

high horse wrote: »

lol at the description of the corolla in the link above. Other than ABS, these "extras" sound like standard spec on a car like this
Given the choice between these two, I'd pick the Focus. Its looks nicer and handles better than the corolla.

Have you rules out any other choices (Astra/Golf/Civic/etc.) or is it just a Focus or a Corolla that you want?

I'd pick Focus over Corolla for looks but I'd have an Astra over both (which I do:pac:)

1.4 16v Astra has 90bhp, so enough poke and descent fuel economy(if not rallied)

Also handles extremely well!, chassis on the Mk4 (1998-2004) is tuned by lotus and takes turns and roundabouts in its stride.

As for reliability they are excellent and have good strong engines(bar the 2.2)

Also, Astra is a better looking car imo.

Hope this helps?

raffo_2005

corolla defo

Interceptor

Seven grand? Honda Civic ftw...

'cptr

Saab Ed

Corollas are for Priests , teachers , civil servants and generally anybody who takes a job just because its got a good pension. As souless as the daughter of a high ranking public servant in the department of agriculture who builds a house on daadys land right next door to the parents so she can go home every weekend to mammy when shes not teaching primary school kids. Grey ,grey ,grey. Only if everything in life doesnt matter except reliability otherwise buy the Focus. A better car in every aspect bar none.;)

omerin

vw golf much better then focus 1.4

Sandraf

Deffo the Corolla. I'm still enjoying my 04 corolla and as they say its the best built car in the world ! Wouldn't even consider a ford - seen too many problems.

Saab Ed

omerin wrote: »

vw golf much better then focus 1.4

Why? Maybe Im just argumentitive but a Focus is better , better to drive , more space, better equiped euro for euro, cheaper year for year and far more reliable. The only a VW has over the Focus is a stronger diesel engine and a badge.

irish_bob

Saab Ed wrote: »

Corollas are for Priests , teachers , civil servants and generally anybody who takes a job just because its got a good pension. As souless as the daughter of a high ranking public servant in the department of agriculture who builds a house on daadys land right next door to the parents so she can go home every weekend to mammy when shes not teaching primary school kids. Grey ,grey ,grey. Only if everything in life doesnt matter except reliability otherwise buy the Focus. A better car in every aspect bar none.;)

you sir are a poet

The Pontiac

Saab Ed wrote: »

Corollas are for Priests , teachers , civil servants and generally anybody who takes a job just because its got a good pension. As souless as the daughter of a high ranking public servant in the department of agriculture who builds a house on daadys land right next door to the parents so she can go home every weekend to mammy when shes not teaching primary school kids. Grey ,grey ,grey. Only if everything in life doesnt matter except reliability otherwise buy the Focus. A better car in every aspect bar none.;)

Bang on.

BTW, everyone I know that owns a VW has had heaps of trouble with them. Crap cars!

omerin

Saab Ed wrote: »

Why? Maybe Im just argumentitive but a Focus is better , better to drive , more space, better equiped euro for euro, cheaper year for year and far more reliable. The only a VW has over the Focus is a stronger diesel engine and a badge.

i've had both 1.4 versions. focus (bought new in 2003) for 3 years (of misery) and the golf now for a year. the shear lack of power is so soul destroying in the focus, watching the rev counter drop when going up anything that resembles a hill. the golf on the other hand while not a Ferrari is miles better. imo the golf is a better built car, the only thing i didn't like was that the sound system has only 2 speakers. didn't have any mechanical problems with either car

Henry Ford III

omerin wrote: »

i've had both 1.4 versions. focus (bought new in 2003) for 3 years (of misery) and the golf now for a year. the shear lack of power is so soul destroying in the focus, watching the rev counter drop when going up anything that resembles a hill. the golf on the other hand while not a Ferrari is miles better. imo the golf is a better built car, the only thing i didn't like was that the sound system has only 2 speakers. didn't have any mechanical problems with either car

1.4 Golf is pretty slow also.

OP get a 1.6 Focus, ideally a Zetec model.

omerin

Henry Ford III wrote: »

1.4 Golf is pretty slow also.

/QUOTE]

its comfortable at 120kph and that's the speed limit

even if i was living in holland it would still be a golf

bazz26

omerin wrote: »

Henry Ford III wrote: »

1.4 Golf is pretty slow also.

/QUOTE]

its comfortable at 120kph and that's the speed limit

even if i was living in holland it would still be a golf

Most cars these days will do 120kph comfortably as you put it, so your reasoning in choosing an underpowered Golf over an equally underpowerd Focus doesn't hold much water. Golfs tend to be overrated especially the bread and butter models.

JHMEG

I think references to slow were in relation to acceleration, not top speed.

Golf 1.4 until recently had an 8v pushrod engine putting out 60bhp. The Focus has a 16v with dual camshafts but I really don't know what they did to only get 70bhp out of it.

The Corolla 1.4 engine otoh has been doing a decent 95bhp since it was introduced in 2000.

bazz26

JHMEG wrote: »

I think references to slow were in relation to acceleration, not top speed.

Golf 1.4 until recently had an 8v pushrod engine putting out 60bhp. The Focus has a 16v with dual camshafts but I really don't know what they did to only get 70bhp out of it.

The Corolla 1.4 engine otoh has been doing a decent 95bhp since it was introduced in 2000.

Golf 1.4 litre non fsi has been 16 valve since 1998 pumping out a wapping 75bhp, recently upped to a dizzy 80bhp.

JHMEG

bazz26 wrote: »

Golf 1.4 litre non fsi has been 16 valve since 1998 pumping out a wapping 75bhp, recently upped to a dizzy 80bhp.

Astonishing!

The 1.4 pushrod must have been one of the longest surviving pushrod engines. The only one I can think of in service (on this side of the planet) longer is the 1.3 endura in the Ka/Feshty.

colm_mcm

the engine in the Fiat Seicento has been around for a good while too I think?

dutchcat

the last vw pushrod engine was the beetle,from vw's first watercooled K70 they were all ohc

Solitaire

colm_mcm wrote:

the engine in the Fiat Seicento has been around for a good while too I think?

Can't remember; not so knowledgeable about scooter engines :pac:

And which Focus 1.4s have 75bhp instead of the 70bhp one? Not that it makes any difference...

Much more interesting: Anyone know exactly what trims and years can yield a 113bhp Focus as opposed to the usual 99bhp? Kinda sad there are more powerful non-turbo 1.4s than Ford's standard 1.6... even the Astra's 1.4 is close. But that strange random "Zetec-esque" 1.6 is a nice go-er

Random: How horrid is the (04/05 refresh) MG ZR/ZS? The newer body is actually seriously sweet-looking (well, in tasteful black or gunmetal anyway!) and the 1.4 engine is sweet in those (103bhp non-turbo!). I'm guessing everything else makes up for it by sucking (like the opposite of the Focus!) even before you add that most of them still on the road have probably had very hard lives under the "skillz" of your average boi-racer :rolleyes:

And why are the Golf and Pug sooo overrated? At least compared to Opel, which gets a [CENSORED] reputation for building great-driving, reasonably good-looking and reliable cars? Loved my old Mk3....

At least the new refresh of the Golf now has a frontend that doesn't make me run for the nearest bucket every time I see that fugly, fugly face... *shudder* those old Golfs were fuglier than your average Daewoo!

tipptop2008

I've had a 02 Corolla for 3 years now and have never had any hassle at all with it with the exception of having to keep an eye on the oil but I'm pretty happy with it. The only reason its been to the mechanics is for its yearly service and it passed the NCT first time. I'd defo go again for a Corolla when I upgrade.

Henry Ford III

Solitaire wrote: »

...Much more interesting: Anyone know exactly what trims and years can yield a 113bhp Focus as opposed to the usual 99bhp?...

In Ireland they were available in Ghia and Titanium specs. only.

In the UK that engine was available in all trim levels I think. It's a good engine too.

p.s. The "ordinary" 1.6 (99bhp) is also pretty good overall.

vincenzolorenzo

I have a 1.4 focus and won't be looking to change it any time soon. Lovely car to drive and great handling. Its a bit thirsty though. I only get 33 mpg on average which isn't wonderful. Granted i wouldn't be driving nice and handy all the time either so thats a big factor. My mother has a 1.6 saloon version and the extra bit of grunt under the bonnet is very nice to have. She gets better than mileage than me too. If you can manage the insurance i'd say go for the 1.6.

omerin

bazz26 wrote: »

omerin wrote: »

Most cars these days will do 120kph comfortably as you put it, so your reasoning in choosing an underpowered Golf over an equally underpowerd Focus doesn't hold much water. Golfs tend to be overrated especially the bread and butter models.

fair point. not really a car enthusiast, hence a lifetime of underpowered cars, more of a motorbike person

EPM

vincenzolorenzo wrote: »

I have a 1.4 focus and won't be looking to change it any time soon. Lovely car to drive and great handling. Its a bit thirsty though. I only get 33 mpg on average which isn't wonderful. Granted i wouldn't be driving nice and handy all the time either so thats a big factor. My mother has a 1.6 saloon version and the extra bit of grunt under the bonnet is very nice to have. She gets better than mileage than me too. If you can manage the insurance i'd say go for the 1.6.

+1 on that. Had a similar situation with my old Focus. My dad's 1.6 was wiping the floor with it economy wise and he doesn't hold back most of the time...

thirdmantackle

a few of my engineer and accountant friends have Golfs - they think they are the business. cannot understand why.

I had test drives in the Focus a year or two ago - wasn't impressed at all

The new Corollas are just ugly

SC024

Corolla - Absolutelly bulletbroof....

Will go forever, Im getting 60 mpg with a 2.0 litre D4D

Sqaull20

I'd be looking at this Fabia VRS:pac:

http://www.driving.ie/usedcars/index.cfm?fuseaction=car&carID=200927194462671

Would destroy all listed so far in a straight line and you can remap it to 165bhp+ if you feel the need and still get 45mpg