2004 Ford Focus Automatic OR 2005 Corolla Automatic?

thehegdes

Looking for some advice please.

We are looking to replace the 1999 A140 Automatic that my wife is currently driving, not wanting to spent more that 4k after trading in the A140. After looking at several options (I must say the choice available was pretty poor), we finally found 2 cars that we quite liked:

1. 2004 Ford Focus Automatic, 1.6 l petrol with 80k miles on it
2. 2005 Toyota Corolla Terra Automatic 1.6 l petrol with 80k miles on it

The 2005 Corolla is about 1k more expensive than the 2004 Focus.

I have looked around on the web; read reviews at honestjohn; but cannot find any good reviews about these 2 _automatic_ models. Does anyone have any experience with either of these 2 models? Any suggestions about which of these 2 would be easier/cheaper to maintain and run?

Many thanks in advance for any suggestions and comments

- Kiran

bazz26

Neither offer great automatic options to be honest though the Toyota MMT does offer a manual mode. I would try and find something from VAG with the DSG box though.

thehegdes

bazz26 wrote: »

I would try and find something from VAG with the DSG box though.

Thanks for the response - but you would please elaborate on the "find something from VAG with the DSG box though" - as you might imagine, I did not not quite get what you said :-)

- TheHegdes

thehegdes

OK - I get what you meant. A quick google got me the answer re: VAG DSG gearboxes

Mr Benevolent

I wouldn't go for an '05 DSG box - they weren't too reliable. Today's DSG is a different design. Stick with the conventional auto. Personally I'd go for the Focus because it's a better car, but I'd suggest testing both.

bazz26

Yes, the DSG box is used by cars build under the Volkswagen, Audi Group. Skoda, VW, Audi and Seat would use this box in recent years.

Leonard Hofstadter

With the previous generation Corolla, not all were Multi-Mode.

I'm pretty sure that the 1.6s were traditional 4-speed automatics.

I think they sold the 1.4 D-4D with Multi-Mode alright, and certainly the current model Corolla/Auris is only available with MM as the 'automatic' option.

Multi-Mode is basically a manual gearbox with an electronically controlled clutch, and while I have no experience of it, it is reportedly nowhere near as smooth as a conventional auto(apparently it lurches a bit between gears if you don't ease off the throttle) and is still not quite as efficient as a proper manual either.

It is not meant to be the most reliable of transmissions either.

To be honest OP, non-premium hatchbacks don't make good automatics, simply because buyers in this category like to change gears themselves. Most of the autos in this segment are very old fashioned with only four gears for starters. Car makers only sell them to be seen to have an automatic option for those who must absolutely have a self shifter, so they don't bother making them any good, the sure if it changes gears for the driver sure won't it be grand kind of attitude.

Automatics work better in the premium make cars because most buyers want auto here so they make a concerted effort to make them no slower than their manual counterparts,have very smooth gearchanges, and the autos over the past eight to 10 years are very close in fuel economy to a manual, now we are at a stage where the auto is in fact better than the manual with many of the premium brands.

If you've your heart set on the two cars mentioned in the OP, then the Focus is a much better car than the Corolla, but the automatic is far from the best Focus.

VW's DSG is reportedly an excellent gearbox, but I'd be very surprised if you could get one for your budget.

Most likely it will be a 1.6 auto, which is a conventional auto. The Skoda Octavia or Golf would probably be the easiest cars in that category to find with the auto, in fact if you found a 1.9 TDI auto I think you'd be doing well, automatics work especially well with diesel engines.

kerten

In addition to Captainspeed's comment,

These four speed transmissions in Corolla and Focus will cause 15-25% more fuel consumption than a manual version. In general, controlling fuel consumption on a conventional auto box is harder than a manual box.

Plus, there will be performance hit in comparing to manual verison

Also, if do regular motorway driving you may suffer from lack of fifth gear.

DSG boxes doesn't have these disadvantages as it is a different design with 6-7 gears but they are pricey of course.

I don't say these disadvantages should stop you buy an auto box. I am an auto box lover but you may not like

- performance
- fuel consumption
- high speed comfort

in a 1.6lt engine + conventional autobox.

Bigger engines are better for these aspects with conventional autoboxes

For school runs and backroad driving, they will be good enough

colm_mcm

Just to clarify, that generation came with 2 automatic options.

The 1.6 VVT-i with 109 hp and with a a conventional 4+overdrive gearbox.
These drive very well, are lively and not bad on petrol.

There was also the option from 2004 onwards of the 1.4 D-4D with 89bhp with the 5 speed multimode gearbox. These aren't as easy to drive as the engine lacks grunt. CAn have issues if owners don't drive them properly. EXAmple: holding the car on a hill using accelerator will wear clutch.

Economy on diesel same as manual version.

PEtrol: simple and long lasting
Diesel: potential for engine and gearbox problems if not minded from the start.

Diesel not popular among disabled drivers who are the only people who buy automatic corollas. Petrol was much cheaper to buy without the vrt.

1.6 auto popular with rental companies as long term hire cars so treat D reg examples with suspicion and check bodywork thoroughly

thehegdes

@colm_mcm - thanks for pointing out the long term hire car bit; will be careful to check the body works and will have the car checked by an independent mechanic before I buy. If the gearbox / engine goes even after that, its just me and my luck :-)

@captainspeed - thanks for the explanations

@kerten - thanks for pointing out the fuel efficiency and performance bits

Just to elaborate on my original request for comments - this car is meant to be a second car, its main work being bringing my wife to work and back + bringing the kid(s) to creche and back + weekend shopping - especially during the week when I am away from home. I do almost 15-20k kms a year and use a manual car for all my motorway driving. So, we can live with the lack of power / acceleration / fuel efficiency.

It is the worry of major gearbox repairs coming up on the automatic car we buy that is bothering us. I understand repairs on automatic gearbox can be very expensive. So, any comments / experience on which of the automatic hatchbacks are known to be problematic and which ones are reliable?

Many thanks again.
thehegdes

Plug

The Ford focus 'automatic' is a manual gearbox but instead of a clutch pedal and gear lever its all electric so you don't have to shift gears or anything, it is an automatic basically. I have never seen a focus automatic fail yet.

kerten

thehegdes wrote: »

It is the worry of major gearbox repairs coming up on the automatic car we buy that is bothering us. I understand repairs on automatic gearbox can be very expensive. So, any comments / experience on which of the automatic hatchbacks are known to be problematic and which ones are reliable?

thehegdes

In fact, conventional autoboxes are reliable generally if they are maintained and not abused. IMO, they are less risky than MMT, CVT and DSG alternatives in a used car.

Only maintanence for these boxes are oil change with the correct amount/spec oil at manufacturer recommended mileage(60-100k km depends on box). I would look for dealer service history or a receipt to ensure it is done properly. Also you can check color of transmission oil on some cars like engine oil. If you hear it is changed 10 - 15 k miles ago and it is black, be careful.

It is not end of the world for these boxes to miss interval 10 -15 k but if you are looking at high mileage ones(90k +) then I would look for evidence of gearbox oil change.

Make sure you drive car when autobox oil is cold and test all gears for smoothness

I think Focus is a good choice with your needs.

Leonard Hofstadter

Plug wrote: »

The Ford focus 'automatic' is a manual gearbox but instead of a clutch pedal and gear lever its all electric so you don't have to shift gears or anything, it is an automatic basically. I have never seen a focus automatic fail yet.

As far as I know, it is only the Powershift models that are essentially automated manuals, the regular auto is a traditional torque converter design for the Focus.

Esel

kerten wrote: »

Only maintanence for these boxes are oil change with the correct amount/spec oil at manufacturer recommended mileage(60-100k km depends on box). I would look for dealer service history or a receipt to ensure it is done properly. Also you can check color of transmission oil on some cars like engine oil. If you hear it is changed 10 - 15 k miles ago and it is black, be careful.

Two points - as well as oil, filter should be changed too; oil should never be black (walk away time, imo) - it should be red, with no 'burnt' smell from it.

Leonard Hofstadter

A traditional auto in either the Focus or the Corolla won't cause any problems, neither has an engine powerful enough to be putting the 'box under any stress.

Just follow essl's advice on getting the gearbox oil changed, other than that an automatic Corolla or Focus won't cause any problems.

I would go for the Focus because it is fundamentally a much better car than the Corolla.

Also the Corolla auto was only available in poverty spec Terra trim for Ireland which didn't even have remote central locking at one stage and only two airbags. In saying that an entry level Focus LX was very basic as well but at least you could get the Zetec or Ghia models which were much more comprehensively equipped.

colm_mcm

THe focus didn't have remote locking and had only 2 airbags "at one stage" either!

An 05 will have remote locks and 4 airbags.