Ford Focus vs Honda Civic
Some front wheel drive fun with teammate bashing corner exit Understeer as standard -
As approved by five time Canadian Grand Prix winner Lewis Hamilton.
Honda Civic Type R (EP) 2004
7th Generation
Paint Chip Selection... hope you like Championship White.
23.310cr - 414pp
1998cc - 212bhp/20.6 torques
Front wheel drive/Naturally Aspirated
4135x1695x1430mm
1190kg - 61:39 - comfort soft
From Anglo-Saxon hill fort of
Swindon in Engerlandshire
Ford Focus ST 2013
3rd Generation
6 chips (Oxford White)(White... Oxford - I always thought Navy Blue was Oxford...)
24,500cr - 429pp
1999cc - 252bhp/34.2 torques
Front wheel drive/Turbo
4361x1824x1483mm
1462kg - 54:46 comfort soft
From the French built fortress of
Saarlouis ... in Germany.
- This Focus celebrates the towns 333rd anniversary (It didn't, but it should have.)
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On paper the Ford has a big 15pp advantage - It should see off the Japanese hot hatch, shouldn't it?
*** Round 1 *** Price ***
23,310 Kazulas - Honda
24,500 Kazulas - Ford
The Ford is destroyed by the Honda in terms of price... with that 1,190 kazula though I can't even afford to get some green paint.
Honda - 10
Ford - 9
*** Round 2 *** Power ***
Honda - 212bhp
Ford - 252bhp
40 Horses is quite a margin. That's like 160 extra horse legs!
Honda - 9 (19)
Ford -10 (19)
*** Round 3 *** Weight ***
Honda - 1190kg
Ford - 1462kg
372kg = ... wow That is almost as much as I can bench press... almost. But the Ford is much more evenly balanced at 54:46 compared to the 61:39 of the Honda.
Honda - 10 (29)
Ford - 7 (26)
*** Round 4 *** Is it one of those horrible wonky front wheel drive cars? ***
Honda - Yes
Ford - Yes
Devastating double knock down. Both cars are rocked hard and on all fours trying to get up from the canvas like a dodgy Rocky Film.
Honda - 6 (35)
Ford - 6 (32)
*** Round 5 *** Displacement matters ***
Honda - 1998cc
Ford - 1999cc
So close, I don't really think a judge could split them if you poured the capacity out.
Honda - 10 (45)
Ford - 10 (42)
*** Round 6 *** Parking in the old city of ... Baku ***
So which car is the most practical for tight city streets?
The Honda is a sleek slim short car - and can slide into any parking spot with minimal hassle.
The Ford is a longer and a much fatter car that would struggle to fit in a supermarket space that the R-Type can flash into. (Too much local chocolate eh?)
Honda - 10 (55)
Ford - 8 (50)
*** Round 7 *** Stunning Range of Colours ***
The Honda has one to the Fords six.
If you like white, then all is even, but the Ford has five extra colours in a good range.
Honda - 7 (62)
Ford - 10 (60)
*** Round 8 *** Meaningful name? ***
This round tripped me up so badly last week, I didn't post the review.
(You can thank me later!) -
But which name is best? Most historical, least cringeworth cars.
These are lucky bag words with a Latin origin. BUT these are cars that need to appeal to the masses
(nerve stapled drones) -
But what do these words evoke in your head...
(1982 Honda Saavik, yesterday)
Civic - Some Vulcan officer in a Star Trek Movie?(Saavik) A Stinky wild cat from Africa? (Civet) - Nope it belongs to the City...(Boring)
Focus - 70's Dutch Prog Rock Band... Famous for such songs as...Sylvia, House of the King and Hocus Pocus.
I have to say the Dutch Prog Rock angle wins this, Classical Flutes and Electric guitars - cool as flared trousers and a kipper tie! - Though classy Kirstie Alley with pointy ears is nice - Almost a win/win.
(Don't mention Kobyashi Maru to the Lieutenant, she gets all prissy.)
Honda - 9 (71)
Ford - 10 (70)
*** Round 9 *** But what about that extra name? ***
Of course, these two cars are the upper echelon of front wheel drive tomfoolery.
Type-R vs ST
Type-R conjures up another Japanese Icon. R-Type - which was a sweet sideways scrolling shoot 'em up back in the 80's (Not the 1880's!) (Gradius/Nemesis/Salamander - you youngsters!)
Of course the ST has the problem of that pesky Diesel engine option...the STD... you should go to the doctors with that!
Type-R wins... quickly onto the next round!
Honda - 10 (81)
Ford - 8 (78)
*** Round 10 *** Home town History ***
Fighting for Ford the town of Saarlouis
Home town of Marshal Ney, Marshall of France who lost at Waterloo with his pal Napoleon, to the Duke of Wellington...
(The Iron Duke saved the English Pint from the tyranny of the Napoleonic Metric System, huzzar!)
(As a result of the 1815 Treaty of Paris, Saarlouis became the property of Prussia.)
Fighting for Honda the town of Swindon
Mentioned in the doomsday book
Home of the "Magic Roundabout"
Built in not just the same town but the very same factory as... the Supermarine Spitfire!
It would amaze me if they didn't put a little Union Jack on the car some place...
A Win for the Swindon!!
Honda - 10 (91)
Ford - 8 (86)
*** Round 11 *** Track Test - Event 1 - Handling/Fun rating ***
Seasonal Track Day Midfield Raceway
The Focus felt odd to drive. The gearbox felt sweet as a nut until 4th passed the baton to 5th... and then we were in the low rev zone! - Speeds under 110mph were great fun but over that and it felt like the car was turned into a dribbling zombie. The Handling was much better than I expected from the layout (Comfort tyres, nearly 1500 Kilo-napoleons in weight and a turbocharged engine. but understeer was not in your face.
I had a dash in a PD scaled 6 speed gearbox... a bit more rowing the car about but not having a 5th gear that bashed its forehead on over door lintel was a refreshing change.
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Honda. I just looked at the stats as I turned off the training wheels (ABS, TCS, Active Suspension) - And the huge weight over the front axel gives me a reason to be scared...
...But on the track it was fine. The Engine felt great, high revving, consistent torque. The Lack of a comedy gearbox really added to the driving fun in comparison to the Focus.
Actually had a good deal of fun in these two cars, but the stand out things were the better (Noise and revs) engine in the Honda and the Worse gearbox in the Ford.
Honda - 10 (101)
Ford - 9 (95)
*** Round 12 *** Track Test - Event 2 - Lap dancing skills.***
1m28.1 (7m48.0) (Focus at historic Midfield) -
1m27.3 (7m46.6) (6 speed gearbox)
1m27.7 (7m47.6) (Civic at historic Midfield)
I judge my races bone stock, so the trick gearbox time from the Ford has to go. Very close between the pair in my ham fisted hands. I probably left more on the table with the Focus, but it did understeer hard if you pushed it hard into the brake zone, I felt the Honda was a bit more forgiving easier to place, less all or nothing in comparison to the Focus - and that is due to the low weight and the more refined engine. (And a dominant 5th gear ratio!)
Honda - 10 (111)
Ford - 9 (104)
*** Round 13 *** Dashing good looks ***
Tough to compare as one is much younger.
The Hocus Pocus has an evil vacant eyed ghostly front end, sunroof, four doors, I quite like the rear lamp cluster shape and the single centreline exhaust - Like a short fat tubby offspring of a Murceilargo?
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Civic. (Odd having a car named after "belonging to a City" that is, in fact, made in a Town.) The car is much less fussy to look at than the morose looking Focus.
Neither are stunners. the Civic is a boxy econobox and the Focus is an even more bulky econobox. But I think the time difference has gifted the Ford a few more styling good things than the rather simple looking Civic.
Honda - 8 (119)
Ford - 10 (114)
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Final score ::: Honda 119 - Ford 114
Ryk recommends the
Honda Saavik Type R from 2004.