I cannot tell you how many people come to the car lot looking specifically for a Honda Civic, and leave here the proud new owners of a Ford Focus. It's not because of my sweet sales skills, or fancy mojo that us slick sales persons possess -- it's because the Ford Focus is genuinely a smart purchase. They compare across the board with Honda and Toyota in the same class, they have similar gas mileage, handling, equipment, and depending on the model, can be just as sporty -- boasting 17 inch alloy wheels and spoiler. Read on to discover why your money will be better spent on a Ford Focus as opposed to the Honda Civic or Toyota Corolla that everyone thinks they need.

The Ford Focus has been around since 1998 when it replaced the Fiesta. We are now in the 3rd generation of Focus, and although there have been improvements with each generation, the gen 1 Focus is still a very popular choice with many still on the road today. Because of the longevity of this brand, there is a Focus for almost any budget. If you are looking for a commuter car for your new college student, the 1st generation Focus will be the perfect choice, and will not break you budget under $5,000. In fact, we just had a 2004 in our inventory with under 17k original miles! Although that was a rare majestic beast, it's not uncommon to find a 2005 Focus with under 100k miles with plenty of life left in it.

(Another happy Focus owner)

Fully loaded, the Focus SES comes with Bluetooth, sat nav, moon roof, and Ford Sync connectivity. 3rd generation Focus has a very smooth ride with little to no road noise, and a sleek body style that is sure to impress. Although the 1st and 2nd generation Focuses aren't as sleek or boast as smooth a ride as the newer ones, they too come with leather, spoilers, moon roofs, and such amenities that were very on trend for their time. The 2nd gen even comes with a 2 door option.  

(Stock image of 2015 Ford Focus hatchback)

Aside from the affordability, amenities and sporty looks, the Focus is a safe car. They boast 7 air bags in total, including a driver knee air bag on newer models. They also include electronic stability control and hill start assist. I have sold many Focuses over the years, to young people buying their very first car, and grandparents alike, and many come back to tell about what a comfortable ride their Focus is as well as how much gas they have saved!

Just this week, as I was delivering another Ford Focus, I was talking to my customer about the difference between her new car and a Honda Civic. To me it comes down to brand recognition and advertisement. For instance, Nike pays athletes millions of dollars a year to wear their shoe and feature in their ads. They have the same factory as a brand like Skechers, the same material, the same research analysts looking for the best new thing in shoe technology (Skechers Shape Ups, anyone?). What we consumers are paying for is that notoriety.  Michael Jordan and Lebron James have a little more sway with the kids Nike's ads are targeting than say Brooke Burke for Skechers. Skechers are just as comfortable, have just as much longevity if not more so than Nike shoes, but Lebron James is a whole lot cooler so he gets paid a lot more money, and that's what we are paying for. People somehow got it in their heads that Honda is a better, more reliable, sportier brand than Ford. It might have something to do with movies like The Fast and The Furious - we don't see Paul Walker street racing in a Ford Focus. We do see Nascar drivers though, racing in real life in Ford Fusions. Hollywood has a little more star power than Nascar, and we American consumers want to keep up with the latest trends.

My point is that your money is well spent with Ford Focus, and/or Ford products in general in comparison to other, more seemingly popular brands such as Honda and Toyota when it comes to these commuter cars. Why spend upwards of $12,000 for a Honda Civic with 115k miles, when you can purchase a Focus with 85k miles for under $10k? You'll have extra money in your pocket and a smile on your face as you pass by the gas station.