Mileage Challenge 3.3: Driving Impressions

This week, we reported the results of our latest mileage challenge, a 300-mile highway trip in four high-mileage commuter cars. Our convoy averaged a respectable 33.8 mpg. The Toyota Corolla and Honda Civic achieved the highest numbers, with the Pontiac G5 and Ford Focus coming in a few ticks worse. Three editors and an editor in chief logged considerable time in each, and we cobbled together some impressions and off-the-cuff rankings for the group.

Read on for our thoughts.

Cars.com Mileage Challenge 3.1

Gas prices are dropping — precious good news in otherwise dismal economic times — but automakers clearly think we’re still in for a long-haul increase. To wit: The MPG war remains afoot, and the higher the gas mileage numbers you can put up, the better. General Motors markets XFE trims, for Extra Fuel Economy, of certain cars and trucks that have been tweaked to get better mileage. Ford has the makings of a similar lineup in its SFE, or Superior Fuel Economy, badging. Even Hyundai and Kia tout drivetrain revisions that yield incremental upticks in several of their ’09 models.

The ratings are sometimes impressive, especially among commuter cars, so for this fall’s mileage challenge we put four of them to the test. GM’s Chevy Cobalt and Pontiac G5 twins now get an estimated 25/37 mpg city/highway in high-efficiency XFE trim, which only comes with a manual transmission. The redesigned Toyota Corolla gets a close 27/35 mpg city/highway rating with an automatic; that’s a slight increase over the prior-gen automatic. A number of other contenders post impressive highway figures, too.

Balk all you want about how your kid brother’s ’87 Tercel got 35 mpg going uphill, but we’ll remind you that today’s commuters can reach 60 mph in less than 10 seconds – with side curtain airbags and habitable backseats to boot.

Ford Smart Key Watches Over Teen Drivers

Ford has created a new type of car key that will allow parents of teens to add all types of nanny-like features to a new car. Each key can get its own program to limit top speed, add extra seat belt warnings and limit the volume of the car stereo. 

Called MyKey, the system will be standard on the 2010 Ford Focus and will later be available on many Ford, Lincoln and Mercury models. We’re guessing the Focus is first because it’s the most affordable car in Ford’s lineup and thus probably the most likely one to be given to teens. 

Check out a full list of features offered on MyKey below. 

Economy Cars Costly in Minor Collisions

The people at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety who calculate all things collision-oriented just studied 20 small cars in simulations of real-world, low-speed collisions that people encounter in parking lots all over the country. They found that some of the cheapest cars you can buy will cost a lot to repair, even if they get just a love tap at 6 mph.

The organization used a barrier to replicate the full bumper of another car in full frontal and rear collisions, as well as frontal and rear corner collisions at 6 mph and 3 mph, respectively.

Ford’s Focus came out on top as the least expensive car to repair, totaling $3,031 in damage after all four tests. The Volkswagen Rabbit was the worst overall performer, with $9,511 in damage.

These tests highlight just how complex small cars have gotten over the years, and how parts like headlights and taillights can be expensive to repair and replace.

A full list of the results is below.

What Ford Will Look Like in 2010

This morning Ford announced a rather large loss in the second quarter of 2008 — $8.7 billion. Because the company needs to reassure stockholders and Wall Street of its future, Ford has detailed its product plans for the next two years in rather explicit detail. It seems dire economic times have broken through the secretive process Detroit automakers have had in place for decades. Check out our in-depth look at what products Ford will field in the next two years from Europe and North America, and if they’ll be worth the wait. We detail future Lincoln and Mercury products in a separate post.

Ford Will Bring European Focus to U.S. in 2010

Today Ford announced one other nugget besides the fact that it would delay the 2009 F-150 pickup. The well-received European Focus will finally come to the U.S., with the next generation being produced and sold in North America. This is part of Ford’s new goal of shrinking its lineup to more fuel-efficient vehicles. The company already announced it will sell the subcompact Fiesta in 2010.

Many American car enthusiasts have pleaded for the European Focus for years. It seems to have taken a financial crisis to bring it stateside. Make no mistake, this is a money-saving move for Ford. Instead of investing in two different Focus designs for two different markets, it will save money on R&D by going with just one. By building the Focus domestically, the company also protects against a weak dollar versus importing cars built abroad. 

This is a good move for Ford. With the recently redesigned U.S. Focus selling extremely well because of high gas prices, the Focus name will be high in the minds of consumers by the time the next generation arrives in two years. We’d also guess that with the lower-cost option of the Fiesta on lots at the same time, the company can afford to bring a slightly more expensive, better-quality Focus to market. Let us know what you think of this move in the comments below.

Best Cash-Back Finds: 5.16.08

There aren’t a lot of big offers this month, despite slow sales in April. Automakers are slowing their production so rows of new cars don’t sit on lots, leading to rebates. However, we have found a trio of new 2008s that are easy to recommend and offer a sizeable amount of cash back.

Many of our past picks still have significant rebates as well, including the 2008 Nissan Sentra, 2008 Hyundai Elantra and 2008 Ford Edge. Check Cars.com's Incentives page for more deals.

2008 Ford Focus sedan
MSRP: $14,755
Cash back: $1,500-$2,000
Percent off MSRP: 10.2% – 13.6%
Expires: 6/2/08
5-Year Ownership Costs

The 2009 Focus coupe was recently unveiled, and we saw minor changes to the exterior of the car. There weren’t any substantial changes to important parts, like the engine, transmission or interior. The Focus was redesigned for 2008 though, so you’re still getting a new design, and we don’t expect Ford to change much about the sedan for ’09. One change to the 2009 coupe that will stick out is a 4.6% price bump. That’s another reason to pick up a 2008 with $1,500 to $2,000 cash back. That’s a significant savings for a reasonably priced car. Plus, you can get Ford’s Sync entertainment system, too.

2009 Ford Focus Gets Refocused Design

Ford is selling a lot of the 2008 Focus compact sedan and coupe. Sales have been up throughout 2008, thanks in part to the car’s high gas mileage — 35 mpg highway with a manual transmission — and low price, which starts at $14,395.

Ford has gotten knocks for the new Focus’ looks, though, especially in the coupe version. So tonight during “American Idol” it will debut a revised version of the two-door model for the 2009 model year. We hope it won’t be rolled out in a horrible Idol-ized commercial, but we suspect it will be. The 2009s will go on sale later this summer. The sedan will most likely remain unchanged.

In grand terms, not much has changed, but the alterations are all positive. Most notable is the deletion of the chrome side vent on the 2008 model, which is an omission we loudly applaud. A revised front end with a larger, rounder lower bumper and darkened chrome bars now make up the grille. Fog lights are now standard across the lineup. For more info and photos, keep reading.

Cars.com Faceoff: 2008 Ford Focus, 2008 Honda Civic, 2009 Toyota Corolla

In honor of graduation season, Cars.com took three of the most popular compact sedans on the market and decided which one should get a big bow put on top. Even if you’re a Hoops McCann and no one gets you a car for your hard work, these three are sensible first-car choices for the newly employed, too. But which one takes the cake? See if the Honda Civic can stand up to the redesigned Ford Focus and all-new Toyota Corolla.

Cars.comparison: Graduation Gifts

Frugal Compacts Add Up with Basic Options

The compact car segment is no new place to find low base prices and a good deal on a new car. After having three major players in our hands over the past few weeks, including the 2009 Toyota Corolla, 2008 Honda Civic and 2008 Ford Focus sedans, we were scraping together specs and options to evaluate the competition. When we started to compare the cars, something surprised us. Mostly optional features that we think are necessary for a comfortable and safe daily driver — automatic transmission, air conditioning, power windows, cruise control, keyless entry, power locks, antilock brakes, side airbags and a CD player — have a funny way of changing each car’s relative value.