Red pill me on the 2012-2018 Ford Focus please. Is the automatic DCT really as bad as everyone says? I’ve been reading mixed reviews with some that last 200k+ miles while others crap out as early as 50k miles.

Currently looking at a 2010 Honda fit, a 2018 Focus Hatch, and a 2012 Fiesta Hatch, all automatic and all with 70k-110k miles. The Fiesta being the lowest mileage and the Fit being the highest

This would just be a daily beater car for me, also have a 2016 Mustang GT. It’d be great to stay with Ford but the DCT horror stories scare me

the horror stories are real. one of my family members has the dct focus and the transmission failed at 57k miles.

Mk3 Focus is a good car, 2nd gen Honda Fit is a great car.
Ford really dropped the ball with that DCT and when, not if, the mechatronics or clutches fail its a giant pain in the dick. Anecdotal, but a buddy of mine has 3 DCT focuses in his family. 2 have had their transmissions out at least once and he has been stockpiling known good mechatronic units for years.
If you cant find a manual mk3, just get the fit. Or picrel.

>>28462661
What about 2008-2012 Ford Edges? Been looking at those too but hear water pumps are a pain in the ass

I actually own a 2014 Focus with the dct. 71k miles, but you need the latest TCM. Handles much better and shift points are moved to actually shift correctly. Seems like the dps6 with the latest TCM doesn't mechanically fail until after 100k or some shit. It's a real wild card. Dude I watched do a swap to the manual MTX-75 had his dct last to the 190k miles. For a little 2.0l NA it's nimble and moves. If you want to do the manual swap, it is actually straight bolt ons with a different cv axle. But the 2.0 Duratech engine + MTX-75 transmission is flat out the most reliable econobox you can get. Give it some years at people will elevate it to 300 memery. Ford tech I watch has seen one of these come in with 950k miles.

>>28462926
Not op but really no ecu changes? Do you know if people have used bellhousing adapters to use a zetec mtx75/mt285?

op if you're looking at a ford edge why not go all the way and get a transit connect passenger van.

Just get a manual one, my parents have a nu-Puma with the "fixed" powershit gearbox and it's still fucking awful. Lurches and crunches at low speed like an early 2000s single clutch auto and slurs changes once it's on the move. Hateful thing. Weirdly the car itself isn't awful to drive because the Fiesta underpinnings (which are great for a small car) save it, but the gearbox is absolute dogshit

>>28463023
Sorry, yes you will need to flash the ecu with a ford scan tool. I'm not sure about using the zetech.

>>28462640 (OP)
>2012-2018 Ford Focus
I have one, but it's the ST, so manual.
Overall a fun car and reasonably practical.
Can't speak about the DCT but here's some expectable issues
>door seals
If you take a course on joining technology in uni you learn that the way the rubber is meeting on the underside of the doors will lead to it peeling off and BEHOLD it fucking does on every single one of them. Easy enough to glue back on though.
>plastic
Ford can't seem to be able to get plastic right. I randomly found the lid for the interior filter in the passenger footwell, snapped. The cap for the wiper reservoir also broke.
>infotainment system crashes about onece a year
>Starter batteries are a bitch to get to and of course they last a few years tops.
Other than that, I've had a seized brake caliper once, that's it.

Generally, it's got enough intereor space for most needs but honestly could be roomier given its size.
Relatively large turning circle.
AC/heating lowers the airflow a bit too much for my taste, but works well.
Electrically heated windscreen is awesome in winter, you don't want to have to scrape that enormous windscreen (it's a bitch to clean from the inside too)
Headlight bulbs are fairly simple to fix, you just take out the whole headlight after loosening two bolts. LED retrofit available (EU legal even).
View out back is 404 but the reverse camera is pretty good. Those little C-pillar windows help a lot too.
I'd assume the standard models have a softer suspension and will eat less gas.