Small isn't always beautiful

The news came out recently that the Ford Focus was the #1 choice for buyers receiving money for Cash for Clunkers trade-ins. This is most depressing. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against the Focus, really. As they say, don't judge a book by its cover. I'm about to do just that. You see, the Focus is, to my eyes, a not particularly good looking car. My reaction, upon seeing the current generation for the first time back in 2007, was "what were they thinking?" Ford has improved things, mind. The faux side vents are gone, thankfully. The divisive front fascia, however, remains. The old Focus looked better than the one on the market now. The international Focus, which is the one available in Europe, often recognized as being on e of the best looking cars in its class. A look through the reader posts on various car blogs reveals that most online gearheads are less than impressed the Focus marketed to Americans. They berate the exterior looks, the interior quality, the price, the driving feel, and the overall engineering of the car. I've never driven the new Focus, so I'm not about to pass judgment. What I am about to do is take a look at what else the C4C buyers could've opted to buy.

The base MSRP of a 2009 Focus sits a little to the north of $15,000. That makes the Focus a rather good deal, which no doubt explains some of its C4C success. A similarly equipped Honda Civic (in DX trim fitted with an automatic gearbox), retails for nearly $10,000 more. Due to this, and despite its good reputation and history of being a strong seller, the Civic cannot be truly considered a Focus alternative. The Toyota Corolla, which sells for about $16,000 (in GS trim with an automatic gearbox) is a perennial favorite of small car buyers and is actually more of a fuel-sipper than the Ford. Compared to the Ford, Honda, and Toyota, the Mitsubishi Lancer is thirsty, averaging 22 mpg in the city and 28 mpg on the highway. To its credit, however, the Lancer is also (narrowly) the cheapest of the four and is equipped with a CVT, which should make it an appealing choice for many economy car buyers.

Of course, there are more than just four small cars on the market. On paper, at least the Kia Spectra LX is a very appealing choice. It undercuts the price of the Focus by more than $1,000, and is classified by many sources as a midsized car. It comes with a generous warranty. Beyond this, it is important to note that Kia is also beginning to shed its undesirable image as a maker of bargain basement economy cars. Personally, however, I wouldn't buy the Spectra. It's gas mileage is worse than that of the Focus, and I'm not caught up on its looks (I'd rather have the Ford.) The Consumer Guide, however, gave the Spectra a 60/110, which is better than the Focus and many other small cars. If you're on a budget, want a solid small car, and don't care too much about looks or cache, the Spectra just might be for you.

The Chevrolet Cobalt has been much maligned since it was first introduced in 2005. Despite this, I see Cobalts everywhere. They're a big hit in my part of the world, and are definitely bigger sellers around here than the Civic or Corolla. The Cobalt LS is almost identical in price to the Focus and the Lancer, but comes with a manual transmission -- not that I mind that, of course. The Cobalt is well equipped, and is one of the most efficient cars I've written about today. It may not be a Maserati Quattroporte, but it's not exactly bad looking, especially if ordered with a nice pair of alloy wheels and a tasteful spoiler. The Cobalt, with its so-so running gear and questionable interior isn't for me, but it's still worth looking at, especially if you want to buy a domestic small car.

The Subaru Impreza 2.5i sedan is the cheaper cousin of the WRX STi, a long-running boy racer favorite. It just came off of a fresh re-design in 2008, and, in my opinion, is one of the best looking small cars. It's not cheap -- a basic sedan with an automatic gearbox will set you back more than $18,000 -- but it comes with AWD, Subaru's reputation for quality and solidity, and the promise of acceptance amongst the petrol-head in-crowd. Where the Subaru does fall short, however, is in the efficiency department. It's average city and highway EPA rating of 23 mpg is worse than that of the Lancer. Of course, this thirstiness can also be seen as but the price paid for safety: the Subaru may not be a fuel sipper, but it's also the only car mentioned here that comes with standard all-wheel drive.

Another car worth considering is the Hyundai Elantra. I'll be honest, I'm not a fan of the Elantra's bulbous looks, but the current incarnation of the car is generally regarded as being a high-quality product. It's cheap in price (about the same as the Kia for a mid-range model), but is recongized as being well built and well engineered. Like the re-designed 2010 Mazda3, the Elantra is a solid small car worth taking a look at. I'm not really saying the Focus is bad. It's certainly competitive in its class, as the C4C results demonstrate. I'm just saying that it's important to know a little about all the cars you might consider buying. Personally, I would buy the Subaru. My second choice would be the Mitsubishi. That's just me though. I'm a spirited car lover. I would want something fun to drive, stylish, and a little wild. If you're more sensible and restrained, you might be more interested in one of the other cars mentioned here. If you have a generous budget, I would without hesitation recommend the Civic. Buying a car is a deeply personal choice. Find what's right for you. If the Focus "feels right", carpe diem.