Slight wind noise from the side windscreen of the Focus at speeds of 100km/h. Wind noise becomes louder at around 130 to 140km/h. 90km/h no wind noise. Anybody experienced the same?

The wind noise of the Focus is worse than my previous Nissan Sylphy which is quiet up to 140km/h. Not really a major issue as average traveling speeds is usually 90km/h to 120km/h on the highways. I am just wondering if anybody had managed to have this wind issue improved at the service centre. When I owned the Nissan Sylphy, the guys managed to reduce the wind noise by adjusting the rubber around the perimeter of the door frame and sticking small pieces of rubber at certain areas.

As for the RM1k price increase of the Focus, personally I feel the Focus is still great value at this price. It's quite negligible after the loan amount is spread out to monthly basis. The moment your loan is approved and the car is yours, you have already lost RM20k on the spot already. In this sense, RM1k is nothing.

Yes, that is correct in theory, but in real-life practice, it is not as simple as that. Since all windscreens do not come in VLT100%, some VLT90%, some VLT80% etc., even if the tint itself is VLT70%, after installation the windscreen may register a VLT of 60% or lower. Similarly, for a tint that is VLT50%, after installation the windscreen may end up with VLT35%.

In summary, most tints that comply to JPJ requirements, after these tints are installed to your vehicle's windscreen, if it goes through Puspakom inspection, chances are likely that it will fail the test. The normal practice is to choose a tint that does not look to dark (in real life) so as the police or JPJ guys will not stop you when you ard driving on the roads. The risk will be lower with tints that have lighter shades, higher with tints that have darker shades.

More important is to check with tint installer whether they provide JPJ warranty in the event you get stopped by the police or JPJ. Some tint dealers/installers provide up to 5-years JPJ warranty(Smart Window/Huper Optik provides this). In the event you get into trouble with the police or JPJ within 5 years, they will settle for you. Only for select tints above VLT42%. Those below 40% that are deemed as too dark for side windscreens, JPJ warranty coverage is not provided.

You want to play safe just choose within VLT50% for sides and 70% for fronts even though they will still fail the test at Puspakom. With lower VLT figures, usually you will gain better heat rejection with higher TSER figures, generally. That is why most people choose darker tints (higher TSER) to have better heat rejection.

Thanks for the response. Really unfortunate for this wind noise. Otherwise quite perfect. Engine sound is quiet. Only wind noise and road noise which is due to the tyres. Not familiar with 3m products but I suppose it is more to the rubber quality than anything else. When I owned the Nissan Sylphy, the technicians troubleshooting these quality issues are very helpful. They replaced the whole strip of rubber on one door when it is confirmed that the wind noise on that particular door is uncommon. Not too sure about Sime Darby's level of service though.

Okay, a short update. Although I haven't spent much time with the Focus (still low mileage), I am beginning to get familiar with the suspension of the system vs. my previous cars. I find the suspension of the Focus to be unique, and after doing some research in reading the online brochure and visiting Ford UK website, I presume it is mainly due to the "Control Blade Independent Rear Suspension" of the Focus.

I am not sure if the rear suspension of our Focus model is the same as the the UK model, as the UK model mentioned "Control Blade Multi-Link Rear Suspension"

When going over imperfections on our roads or minor unevennes and bumps at speeds of say 50km/h to 100km/h, some vehicles will bounce up and down for a while before the vehicle stabilises. In other words, the vehicle will show a slightly bouncy character. It all depends on the type and set up of the suspension used on the vehicle.

For instance, the Nissan Sylphy has a comfort-tuned suspension that is soft and bouncy. It is comfortable in the sense the bumps and unnevenness on the roads are soaked up by the soft-tuned suspension. However, the ride is bouncy, and the ride gets bouncier if the speed of the vehicle is increased. The Proton Preve Turbo has a stiffer suspension, harder but still comfortable and able to soak up the bumps and imperfections on the roads, though one will still feel the bumpiness when going over a badly constructed road with "mini hills" or undulations (instead of a perfectly leveled road). You can feel the vehicle bouncing up and down slightly.

With the Focus, you don't feel the bumpiness so much. Even when going over undulations or unneven roads, somehow the suspension is doing something so as the bounciness does not transmit to the passengers in the vehicle. It's like the suspension/tyres are soaking up the undulations and the vehicle does not bounce together with the suspension. The description of the "Control Blade Independent Rear Suspension" of the Focus further supports my belief. It was mentioned that:-

For a smoother ride and more precise handling, this rear suspension system allows each wheel to independently move upwards and backwards over bumps on the road
Link : http://www.ford.net.my/all_new_focus/all_new_focus.pdf

In summary or layman terms, the ride of the Focus with the Control Blade Independent Rear Suspension feels light and stable. Light as it doesn't transmit the unnevenness or imperfections on the roads(particularly undulations or minor bumps) as much as other vehicles with soft-tuned suspension. As a result, the driver and passengers don't feel the bumpiness or bounciness too much.

That's all for now one of the strength of the Focus that I just discovered, apart from the precise steering feel. If just the wind noise at higher speeds could be reduced further(the car is too quiet so wind noise is audible)... that another time.

Yes, really great suspension. Noise insulation at the undercarriage isn't particularly great, and yes the sound when going over yellow stripes or bad unneven roads can be heard in the cabin, though still acceptable and not too loud. In comparison to the Nissan Sylphy which is a quiet car in its class, it is a close call. Undercarriage/road noise is perhaps slightly lower with the Nissan Sylphy. In summary, the soundproofing in the Focus is good but not great. I was expecting NVH of the Focus, in areas of quietness, to be better than the Nissan Sylphy but it looks like it is almost on same level or maybe slightly worse in undercarriage and wind noise. Engine noise, the Focus is on par or better than the Nissan Sylphy.

The suspension of the Focus is surely marvellous. Perhaps this is the first time I have experienced the quality of the Ford Focus as my previous vehicles are local and Japanese. Just a stable ride with minimal bounciness on less than perfect roads.

I mentioned earlier that the soft suspension will produce a bouncy ride. I forgot to mention that a stiff or hard suspension may also produce a bouncy ride that is even less comfortable. The imperfections in the roads will also be transmitted to the vehicle whether the suspension is soft or hard. I guess the stable ride of the Focus is more to the unique setup of the suspension in that it minimises the imperfections or undulations of the roads from being transmitted to the vehicle, resulting in a less bouncy ride.

This post has been edited by SportyHandling: Oct 3 2013, 10:22 AM

Any thoughts on the suitable period we can test the power of the Focus? WHen do you guys start to drive past 140km/h on the highways? Above 1,000km mileage should be safe I presume, or we need to wait until 2,000km or so? I just want to see how "noisy" is the Focus at higher speeds.

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Regardless of the technicalities especially on your suggestion that the independent suspension of the Focus is the same as the Preve, the handling and feel of the suspension is different between the two, less bouncy ride and lighter feel with the Focus vs. bouncier ride with the Preve Turbo. The Preve's suspension is stiffer and feel more solid, but does not absorb the bumps and irregularities on the road as well as the Focus which results in a bouncier ride.

Yes, the whole design, setup and tuning of the suspension itself. Sometimes powerful marketing words do work on some consumers but I don't buy it before I experience the real benefits itself. The suspension setup, handling and precise steering are the strengths of the Focus. If the vehicle could have improved NVH in having better insulation in blocking out wind and road noise it would be perfect.

So the Fiesta has better suspension setup than the Saga or Vios. It does not come as a surprise, since it's a Ford. If the Vios or City has comparable or better suspension and handling than the Fiesta, Ford would close shop already.

This post has been edited by SportyHandling: Oct 3 2013, 02:38 PM

Okay thanks. Reason I asked is I read the manual in that not to "labour" the engine when it is still new. The manual recommends driving the car at various speeds to let it run-in. However, there is no mention when we can start to "labour" the engine, ie. getting the rpms high.

Age catching up so I am not sure if I will want to test the Focus near to its limits. Back in the good old days about 14 years ago I did 196km/h top speed in a Proton Waja. Later through the years I clocked 185km/h in the more powerful Nissan Sylphy. One thing is for sure, I don't think I'll ever hit 200km/h in my lifetime unless the drive is in a real race track with a clear road.

This post has been edited by SportyHandling: Oct 3 2013, 03:15 PM

According to my sales advisor the engine oil has been changed before I took delivery of the car. As a matter of fact, on the same day when I was waiting for the car they are changing the engine oil in the morning. Hence the next service at 10,000km and not 1,000km. Yes, it is new to me too as I have sent all my other cars for the 1st service at 1,000km.

Hah, yeah. Not advisable to test for top speed these days when the roads are full of vehicles although there will always be some speed demons around on the public roads. Haven't really tested the acceleration yet but will do it soon sometime. Still want to "baby" the car for a while yet.

Haven't tried S mode yet as I am not sure what it actually does, even after I have read the manual. I suspect it is for some fun driving or some manual override or sporty drive. Not too sure how useful is this especially for a car that is naturally powerful like this 2.0-litre Focus. The Preve Turbo has this manual override too and the paddle shifters are at the steering wheel, unlike the Focus whereby the upshift+ and downshift- controls are located at the gear knob. A bit inconvenient to change gears using the gear knob.

Does the S mode automatically change the gear for the driver as if in normal Auto drive? Actually what is the difference between the S mode and normal D mode? More power on tap? The Nissan Sylphy also has the Sports mode but it doesn't have upshift and downshift manual gear override and is just a button by itself. Upon activation the rpms will shoot up high which is useful for overtaking or instant power delivery. But fuel consumption will be bad.

This post has been edited by SportyHandling: Oct 3 2013, 04:52 PM

I am curious about this Sport mode in the Focus so I posted this one on one of the Focus UK forum. Just thought that some might be interested to know. Here is my post, and the subsequent reply from a forummer that follows after.

The Focus comes with Sport(S) mode with manual shifting on the gear lever. The manual does not suggest on the appropriate use of the S mode, and I am not sure on the usefulness of it in everyday driving.

In the manual, it was mentioned as follows :-

In Sport mode the transmission operates as in the drive position but gears are selected more quickly and at higher engine speeds

I would appreciate if someone can explain what exactly does "gears are selected more quickly and at higher engine speeds" mean.

I am also not sure on the usefulness of the manual shifting feature which enables the driver to upshift or downshift manually by pressing on the + and - buttons on the gear lever.

In summary, I would like to know how does this Sport mode differ from the normal Drive. When do we actually use Drive, and when do we use the S mode.

Any advice would be most appreciated.
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Bifta
Registered Users
970 posts
Location Staffordshire
Shifting at higher engine speeds just means that the car will wait until you're at a higher rpm before it changes up. This will improve acceleration but use more fuel.

Gears being selected more quickly might mean that the gear change time itself is less. Again this will improve acceleration but may be a bit more jolty.

Sport mode will be for when you want to drive faster than normal mode.

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I just tried using Sports mode very briefly yesterday during traffic jams situation and the vehicle seems to exhibit better acceleration. I guess in Sport mode, the vehicle is holding onto the gear longer(at higher rpm) before it upshifts to a higher gear. Just as what the post above implied. No wonder there is a sense of urgency in the power delivery and acceleration of the vehicle when Sport (S) mode is engaged, in comparison to normal Drive (D).

This post has been edited by SportyHandling: Oct 6 2013, 07:56 PM

I've got another input on the Sports mode, this time from the Focus UK thread moderator supported by 3 other forum members.

Sports mode should be on all the times , and you switch it to normal mode when you want to go slow

I wonder what is the reason. I'll post back when I got the responses. I am guessing the Focus is meant for spirited drives at all times. :-)

More responses after which I made some inquiries as follows.

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Care to elaborate on the reason why the Sports mode should be enabled at all times? In heavy traffic, do you recommend Sport or Normal mode? I presume Sport mode is preferred for most driving conditions due to its spirited drive characteristic, and in slow crawing traffic the Normal mode is recommended for better fuel economy?

Also, does anyone ever use the manual + and - shifting on the gear lever? I am not sure on the usefulness of this feature as the normal Drive and Sports mode would have covered all the appropriate gear ratios based on the desired driving pattern.

Mike11
Full Membership 6107 posts
Location Live~Manchester Work~Portsmouth
The shifting feature would be good again in sporty condition, where you decide to change gear, for example, on a country lane, keeps you in a lower gear round a corner so power is available straight away on exit,

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That is a pertinent point. Thanks. I presume the vehicle will automatically downshift when the brakes are applied round a corner, though it may not downshift to the next gear low enough for a more powerful acceleration on the exit. That is where the advantage of the manual gear shifting comes by. Having said that, I am guessing the performance in Sports mode will not be too shabby after all even if it's left on automatic.

Will need to try the Sports mode and fiddle with the manual shifting soon.

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Russ77
Full Membership 11372 posts
LocationEssex - Loving the DARKSIDE!!!!
I think the point to remember here is that with auto shifting an element of car control is being removed from the driver.

If you drive "enthusiastically" and near the limits you want as much control as you can get.

"Normal" mode will be designed to give you the best comfort & economy. Some auto cars also have a winter mode where gear changes are performed at lower revs to try and avoid wheel spin in icy/snowy conditions.

Where sports mode is concerned, economy is thrown out of the window and each gear will be held for as long as possible to extract as much power from the engine as possible.

The only real reason I can see for the semi-manual intervention would be what Mike11 said or as you said for down shifting to maximise emgine braking when you're really pushing it.

The gearbox is being controlled by a computer using logic, the computer doesn't know what the road you're driving on is like, if the bend is long & sweeping, if you intend to brake very late & hard and then want to accelerate away hard (which are all things you would instinctively take into account for gear changes in a manual car)

Other than that the semi-auto shifting might just make the driving experience more engaging as opposed to just having a stop & go pedal. I suppose if you just fancied changing gears yourself you could put it in sports mode and use the shifter to change gears before the pre-selected change point thus still maintaining an economic drive?

This post has been edited by SportyHandling: Oct 7 2013, 09:33 PM

I think I now have a rough idea on the usefulness of the Sports mode and the manual shifting option on the gear lever. Will need to put the theory into practice soon and see if the Sports mode and manual shifting on the Focus are as useful as they have been suggested to be.

This post has been edited by SportyHandling: Oct 7 2013, 09:25 PM

Hi there,

Just see which vehicle ticks more of the boxes for you. There are many aspects that will influence the decision of the buyer when it comes to the selection of a vehicle. For me, the criterias that are important to me, in chronological order, are as follows:-

1) Exterior looks
2) Handling and driving dynamics
3) Comfort
4) NVH, especially noise levels
5) Back space
6) After-sales service

Resale value used to be a factor but nowadays I don't rate it as highly as before. I have acknowledged that the RV of vehicles that are more than 5 years old will not differ much although the colder brands may command a lower price than the common Japanese.

Before I considered the Focus I have looked around for suitable candidates but couldn't really pick one that ticks all the boxes for me. To me, exterior looks is very important, and I understand that it's all subjective as beauty lies in the eye of the beholder. I will not consider a vehicle that looks ugly to me even though it may be excellent in other areas. I apologise beforehand but to be frank, I did not test-drive the Peugeot 408 because of this reason.

After-sales service, it's a gamble that I have gone with the Focus as many people don't put too much faith in Sime Darby. Similarly I have read horror stories with Nasim's level of service.

I will give you my impressions on the Focus. Handling and driving dynamics are definitely one of the strengths of the Focus. Just a light and precise steering with high driver's feedback. Transmission may have a slight jerk at low speeds though it will iron out with time. I have not test driven the Peugeot so I couldn't comment, though I am sure you would be able to find out for yourself.

Next comfort. As we all know comfort does not go hand in hand with driving dynamics. However, the Focus managed to remain relatively comfortable with the handling that comes with it. Comfortable in areas of ample space for the driver and front passenger, thick leather seats, a relatively quiet interior and a suspension setup that remains relatively unperturbed on bad roads.

However, the comfort levels of the Focus if compared to the Nissan Sylphy, I would say the Sylphy is more comfortable. Mainly in the softer and plusher leather seats (the leather seats of the Focus is slightly harder and thinner), the higher seating position and the overall layout of the dashboard. The suspension of the Sylphy is softer and more bouncy - it feels more comfortable as if the vehicle is on a big cushion when going over unneveness and undulations on the roads, though feels floaty at highs speeds and bad in cornering. Nevertheless, the handling and driving dynamics of the Sylphy is just not on the same level as the Focus. Steering feel is very light, again, comfortable in a good way, but does not have sufficient driver's feedback. It feels "loose" vs. the precise and perfectly weighted steering of the Focus.

NVH. Quietness is certainly important to me, and the Focus scores well here. The engine sound is quiet in all driving conditions. Road noise is decent though not particularly good, mainly due to the tyres used. Wind noise starts from 100km/h and is gets louder at around 130km/h. My benchmark is the Nissan Sylphy. The wind noise in the Focus lost to the Nissan(the Sylphy is quiet up to about 140km/h).

Finally, spaciousness. I'm not sure if you are referring to the available space at the front or the back. In my mind, for a sedan in this class, the rear legroom of the Focus is still decent if not great. It will depend on the positioning of the front seats. If the seats are pushed further back then I'm afraid the back space/rear legroom of the occupants sitting at the back will be compromised. It depends on how important is the rear legroom to you. I think it's still manageable.

I think the Peugeot 408 comes in black interior? See whatever floats your boat more. The interior of the 408 looks pretty classy too, from the pictures on the net.

Thanks. Personally I think it's about managing expectations. Any mid-range sedans can fit in 3 adults at the back seat, and it's just a matter of how much comfortable you want those adults to be. For long journeys usually 2 adults should not be a problem.

If you want to fit in 3 adults comfortably, then the Accord, Camry or Teana range will be more comfortable, or should I say ideal not only due to added rear legroom but width as well. Less potential to rub shoulders against each other. If 3 adults sit inside both 408 and Focus, then not much difference as there will be equal potential to rub shoulders due to decreased width. The 408 will only have the advantage in providing more rear legroom for 2 persons in comparison to the Focus. However, if 3 persons of similar size, I wager comfort levels between the 408 and Focus may not differ much. Just my opinion.

I guess other factors which add to "comfort" are in the interior fittings and tone of the trimmings(which add to the ambiance in the cabin) apart from quality of leather seats, whether it is softer, plusher or nicer to sit on. Other than that, the black interior vs. light beige interior may swing you to one side too.

Most of the time. I thought of bringing this up but didn't attempt to post it since I felt it is something that is inherent in the vehicle. The lights on the display LCD at the centre console and speedometer do lit up most of the time when the engine is already switched off, but sometimes the lights are off. Funny. I wonder what is the explanation for this?

No problems with restarting the vehicle though. My car is always left unlocked in the car porch, so that may be the reason why the lights are automatically on although the engine is already turned off?

And to top it off, the electric control of the driver's seat can be operated even though the engine is already off. I wonder why is that?

Very innovative technology. Useful for the Focus but not very useful for the vehicles that are parked on both sides of the Focus. Some nasty folks may leave some scratch marks on the Focus if they are having difficulty getting into their vehicles due to the tight space.