2012 Honda Civic vs. 2012 Ford Focus: Which One Should I Buy?

One of the best ways to cope with pain at the gas pump is to look at downsizing your vehicle, and today’s compact cars are a great option that allow you to keep the space that you need to move around your family and friends while getting some truly great gas mileage. This class of vehicles is great for smaller families that haven’t grown into an SUV or van quite yet and are still very interested in a cost-effective option for their transportation.

ford focus 2012
2012 Ford Focus

Overall Ratings

The overall ratings for the Ford Focus exceed the Honda Civic by a fair margin, partially due to the ride and handling but also for the styling. The Civic is slightly more spacious and comfortable, but the bland design and poor handling don’t make it a favorite with reviewers and buyers alike. The Focus provides a higher level of interest with a more luxurious interior and some great interior equipage.

Negatives

The 2012 Honda Civic has a very bland exterior style; when paired with the Hybrid’s low-speed drivability, this is not the favorite pick in the compact car category. The 2012 Ford Focus, while slightly more appealing from the styling perspective, has seats that don’t fold neatly, excessive road noise and a cluttered interior layout that makes it more challenging to find what you’re looking for on the dashboard.

Interior

The hard plastic dash materials are akin to a child’s $0.99 toy, but the Ford Focus’s interior has soft-touch plastics that are grained to look like the finest leather instead of the rice-paper feel of the Civic’s interior. The seats of both vehicles are firm and supportive.

Fuel Economy

The identical highway fuel economy is only slightly different for the city, with the Civic getting 2 mpg less than the fuel-sipping Focus. Dimensions are similar, but the fuel tank capacity of the Honda Civic wins that battle with 13.2 gallons as opposed to the 12.4 gallons for the Ford Focus.

Safety Ratings

Both vehicles lose a few points on crash test ratings, but overall the Civic is the clear winner when it comes to safety – losing only a total of 3 stars to the Focus’s 6. The Focus suffers on rollover rating, several side barrier ratings and the combined side rating for both the front and the rear seats.


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Jermaine

25 years of experience
382 reviews
Jermaine
25 years of experience
Dodge Durango V6-3.6L - Pre-purchase Car Inspection - Silver Spring, Maryland
Awesome mechanic! Very reliable !! Awesome personality! Explained everything and now I feel less stressed.
Hyundai Ioniq - Pre-purchase Car Inspection - Chevy Chase, Maryland
Jermaine was very friendly, efficient and professional. He kindly explained to me those things that did not score well in the service report, so that it didn't come as a surprise, and I would know what to do about it.

Caz

18 years of experience
146 reviews
Caz
18 years of experience
Mercedes-Benz GLA250 L4-2.0L Turbo - Pre-purchase Car Inspection - Woodstock, Georgia
Caz was extremely knowledgeable, personable and provided excellent service. He was on time for the appointment and answered and explained everything I asked concerning my vehicle. I will definitely use the company again and I would love to have Caz as my mechanic! Excellent!
Mercedes-Benz S550 - Pre-purchase Car Inspection - Mableton, Georgia
Caz Arrived on time much earlier than scheduled. He was very professional in inspecting the car and made excellent recommendations.

Brian

19 years of experience
138 reviews
Brian
19 years of experience
Lexus RX350 V6-3.5L - Pre-purchase Car Inspection - McDonough, Georgia
Brian was very informational and knowledgeable about the Inspection. He throughly inform me what issues on vehicle. Great Mechanic !!!
Ford Transit-350 HD - Pre-purchase Car Inspection - McDonough, Georgia
Great service. Honest , respectful and truly cares about making sure you get the best options possible at an affordable price. Finding a mechanic you can trust is rare. I highly recommend Brain.

Jay

24 years of experience
262 reviews
Jay
24 years of experience
Honda CR-V L4-2.4L - Pre-purchase Car Inspection - Glendale Heights, Illinois
Jay did a great job! Excellent at taking time to explain things about your car. And provided sound recommendation on repair. Courteous and responsive. I would definitely recommend Jay!
BMW 535i xDrive - Pre-purchase Car Inspection - Des Plaines, Illinois
Excellent ! Jay is very detail oriented and forward thinking. I would highly recommend him to anyone.

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