New Ford Focus - -Extra's

olearydc

Hi

Just some thoughts

My farther/mother is getting a new Ford focus maybe in Jan 2017
He has been looking to buy one of these for ages - -god bless him

Anyhow- he will be getting the Titanium 1.5 TDCi auto version.

Just looking at some of the options that are available.

Anyone have ideas like -- how easy to use, is it worth it

Adaptive Cruise Control
Advanced Active Park Assist
Blind Spot Information System
Bi-Xenon HID Headlamp

I know it depends on how one drives - -but anything that makes it easier for them would be handy. so just seeing if other people have used the blind spot sytem --etc

Cheers anyhow

Regards
Dan

GustavoFring

Had a blind spot system in a Mazda a few years ago and it was dead handy, especially if they're a bit older and can't check over the shoulder as easily as a younger person.

Bi-xenons are good but if most of their driving is urban it might not make any real difference.

NIMAN

Probably depends how much they are going to cost too?

olearydc

Hi GustavoFring

Thats true - -anything to make it easier for them

Hi NIMAN

Yes -- cost is not a massive issue (for me it would be!) for them - - its me trying to make sure that they get the best sort of gear for the price- - I cant help it

rocky

Are they willing to try an automatic? Much more comfortable to drive.

colm_mcm

They're getting an auto.

Price a mondeo too. Mightn't be far off in price. It is bulky though.

Self parking is grand but people I know that have it don't tend to use it.

Adaptive cruise is cool and it sometimes comes with auto emergency braking. It makes you a worse driver though.

Vote 4 Pedro

I don't have the Advanced Active Park Assist on mine but most people I know that have it don't ever use it, saying that it's too fussy to use and I don't think they would get the moneys worth out of it,

The Adaptive Cruise Control, Yes/ maybe
Advanced Active Park Assist, No.
Blind Spot Information System, Yes
Bi-Xenon HID Headlamp, that depends on if they do a lot of night time driving I suppose.

olearydc

Thanks all for your advice

Looking through this and also talking with folks - -will leave the Advanced Active Park Assist alone. Like you mentioned may be too complex for them to use/learn.

So it will be

The Adaptive Cruise Control, Yes
Advanced Active Park Assist, No.
Blind Spot Information System, Yes
Bi-Xenon HID Headlamp No -- Mostly City driving

Thanks again all, good to get views from others - -much appreciated

Regards
Dan

JoeA3

I'd highly recommend the Xenons above all else. The halogen headlights on modern cars are absolutely pants... dangerously bad on many cars for whatever reasons. The xenons also lift the looks of the car significantly imo and you'll get LED DRL's. With the auto-box I'd also recommend the adaptive cruise. It comes into it's own on motorway runs but it's also pretty useful on N roads and usually comes with collision detection, etc too... a very nice useful feature.

The park assist and blind spot thingy are more nice to haves than essentials imo... Anyone I know who has park assist has used it a couple of times at most.

heroics

I'm with JoeA3 on the Xenon's especially if they are getting older/eyesight not as great as it was.
Had them on an A4 then changed to an A6 without them. They were the 1 thing I always missed. Glad I got them on the new car.

Blind Spot Information System would probably be handy others I would see as nice to haves.

bazz26

It really depends on how tech savy the OP's parents are. If they are like my parents then using Bluetooth in the car can even be a struggle. They might struggle using the likes of self parking and adaptive cruise control depending on the system and how easy or hard it is. Anything that involves having to push more than 1 or 2 buttons at a time with the older generation can become taxing and they just end up not using it. You would really want them to test drive a car with these features and see how comfortable they are with them otherwise it could just end up being a waste of money.

molby

Parking kit which I think is around 350ish. Front and back parking sensors, foldable wing mirrors when car is locked and reverse camera. This should be standard in any car especially one costing 28,000 but there you go.

olearydc

Hi all

Thanks again for all the replies

This is what we

The Adaptive Cruise Control, (Did not get, like bazz26 mentioned, some people may find it hard to use normal CC --my folks being of that ilk-- so we skipped this)

Advanced Active Park Assist, (Yes - BUT used the City Pack option -it came with sensors front and back --came with Active City Stop and Powerfold mirrors with the advanced Park assist) same sort of price getting this option then getting park assist on its own
.
Blind Spot Information System, (My Parents did not want it -- so No)

Bi-Xenon HID Headlamp, (Yes, it was most expensive option but my folks travel a lot in the countryside so that swayed us - -would be safer and easier for them)

Thanks again for all your input -- much appreciated

Regards

bazz26

Sounds like they went with what they would get value from the most. Good luck with it.