How Does The Ford Focus Compare?

Over the past couple of days I’ve been comparing the Ford Focus with its competition. The Focus is a best seller in the medium small sector in the UK along with the Vauxhall Astra. So far as I can see this is achieved by little things adding up to mean a lot.

Medium small cars are all about the same size, with about the same amount of space inside, with about the same boot capacity.  They all offer similar trim ranges and engine options. There are small differences in performance, emissions, economy and safety which seem to depend on the age of the model.

There are huge differences in price with entry models ranging from £11,000 to over £16,000. This seems to be determined by the cars standing in the market place. There are premium, popular and value brands. Although you’d find it hard to understand the differences when you see the figures side by side without knowing the make and model. 

I compared the Ford Focus with the A3, 1-Series, C4, Civic, i30, Cee’d, Qashqai, 308, Leon, Auris and Golf.

The Focus can hold its own with the premium brands because it offers such a wide range of models including both luxurious and high performance options.

The Focus struggles to compete with the value brands and will have real problems if Chevrolet ship in their new Cruze in any numbers. Chevrolet is not so much a value brand, they’re more honestly priced.

Where the Focus wins is by being just a bit better than its popular competitors. It might be slightly more spacious or have a bit bigger boot than some. The figures on paper for performance and economy can be a bit better than some.

The Focus has two real advantages:

1. It’s great to drive and
2. ESP is standard.

It’s funny how being the best is often decided by a photo-finish. You only need to be that little bit better to be a winner. The Focus wins by a nose but in the next race it will be up against the all-new Vauxhall Astra and Chevrolet Cruze and I’m betting it will lose.

Regards
Ralph
See the data for yourself at Ford Focus Comparisons

How Value Car Brands Will Become Most Valued Brands

We can all remember Skoda jokes, can’t we?

How is it old cheap sheds made of tin like Suzuki got cred’.

You’ll know a Seat is/was old VW technology in a new envelope.

Daewoos were old Vauxhall/Opels in designer bodies. That’s right. Giagiaro, designer of Alfas and Maseratis designed them.

Now we’ve got Hyundai and Kia.

All were/are old models shipped off to cheap labour locations to be repackeged and sold cheap. The ROI had been returned on the original R&D.

In the 18th century this was called ‘money for old rope’ when England shipped hemp and later cotton manufacturing to the East.

It’s different today. Young people may have perfect buying experiences. But it wasn’t so long ago everyone had bought a bad fridge, washing machine, radio, tape player or car. It’s not the case today but journalists keep the myth alive to keep employed. When did you last see a broken-down car? You’ve seen them repairing punctures but few if any are broken-down.

Journalists winding up buyers make them critical analysts. And they’ve discovered nothings wrong with a Skoda, Seat, Suzuki, Hyundai or Kia. It’s the price or value in the spec’ that makes us suspicious. But we’re learning there’s nothing to be worried about.

We are starting to value value brands for transparent no nonsense pricing and value. Which puts the old players in this market in jeopardy because over a century of achievement Ford, Renault, Fiat etc are thinking they should charge premium prices. Fair enough but Fiat founded Seat in Spain before selling it to VW who also have an interest in Skoda.

A point in history, when England exported – it’s called outsourcing today – hemp and cotton they stopped producing this no/low profit product in the UK. We did the same thing with cars in the 60s and 70s. Car plants closing- bothered! All we want is value.

Regards
Ralph

How ‘Ultimate’ is the BMW 1-Series Experience?

Today I completed some BMW 1-Series comparison chartsand to my surprise the BMW 1-Series comes out well. This is despite my thinking it’s over priced and front wheel drive is far more secure and safer than rear wheel drive .

The BMW 1-Series may not be the most spacious car in the medium/small sector but it is stylish, has very efficient engines for power, fuel economy and CO2 emissions. Plus it’s 5-star Euro NCAP rated with ESP as standard.

The 1-Series entry model costs about £3,000 more to buy than popular alternatives offers. However lower fuel and VED costs with relatively low depreciation might payback whilst the driver enjoys the power.

The Citroen C4, Ford Focus and Honda Civic seemed to compare well. When you step up the 1-Series model range it’s worth looking at the Ford Focus RS, Honda Civic Type-R, RenaultSport and Vauxhall VXR for the same if not more fun for a lot less money.

What is difficult to understand is how well the Hyundai i30 and Kia Cee’d compare on paper for £5,000 less plus longer warranty periods.

I suppose it all boils down to brand equity and if they’ve got the money they’ll spend it and want others to know it.

Regards
Ralph
BMW 1-Series Comparison Charts

How Does The Audi A3 Compare?

This week I finished loading data to compare medium small cars for sale in the UK. As they’re all the same size there seems to be little difference between them.

Today I completed some Audi A3 comparison charts. Along with the rear wheel drive  BMW 1-Series, the A3 has a high entry price for this sector. For even more money you can buy bigger more innovative engines and customise the A3 inside and out.

Popular medium/small cars like the Honda Civic have entry level prices some £2,000 less than the A3. These entry models appear to be able to match the A3 for performance and economy. The Citroen C4, Ford Focus, Peugeot 308, Toyota Auris and Volkswagen Golf also achieve Euro NCAP 5-star ratings with some having ESP as standard.

The Hyundai i30 and Kia Cee’d are near 30% cheaper than the Audi and give longer warranties.

What is interesting is the Seat Leon 1.6 seems to be the same car on paper but it’s thousands cheaper.

For about a thousand pounds less than the A3 you can buy an impressive Nissan Qashqai.

None of this takes away from the Audi A3 being a very smart car. It’ just good to know if you haven’t got £15,000 to £30,000 there are alternatives that are stylish, mostly more spacious, with equal performance and economy at the entry level. And maybe a bit safer.

Another thought is what do the popular and value brands offer for £15,000?

You should be able to have great fun negotiating one make off against other alternatives.

Regards
Ralph
See the data for yourself at Audi A3 Comparison Charts

Car Buyers Best Negotiation Approach

When you buy a car the salesperson will tell you how different their car is from its competitors. It’s called product differentation. So they can charge a different price.

What I’ve learnt from car comparison charts is once you decide on a type of car there is little difference between them. This may not be so much the case with SUVs but it certainly is with hatchbacks and estates, even their coupe/cabriolet derivatives.

For example if you want a small car and you decide on a super-sized one at 4m there’s little difference between a Corsa, Clio, Fiesta, Punto or 207.

The same goes for medium small cars like the Focus, Megane, 308, Golf or Astra.

I just been doing comparison charts for estate cars. I can’t tell the difference between a Mondeo, Mazda6, Accord, Passat etc.

This is good news when you are negotiating the price of a car because you always have a next best negotiable alternative. In other words you can always make a comparison with other makes and the salesperson can’t really claim any difference so the only difference they can make is in the price.

Regards
Ralph