Which is better astra n or ff 2. Opel Astra vs Ford Focus: the level is close - the “sores” are different. Exterior of Ford Focus and Opel Astra

Hello friends!

Today we will continue the series of comparisons of classmates. Next in line are the products of the European automobile industry: Opel Astra J series and Ford Focus third generation.

So which is better, Ford Focus and Opel Astra? Let's figure it out together!

Exterior of Ford Focus and Opel Astra

The third generation Ford Focus is the embodiment of the manufacturer’s ideas aimed at improving aerodynamic performance, which is reflected in appearance auto. Soft, streamlined shapes improve the aesthetics of the model. A slight hint of aggressiveness gives the car solidity. The headlights have acquired a “predatory look”, and in combination with trapezoidal foglights and an updated radiator grille a la Aston Martin, it can rightfully be called a “predator” of the roads. Model offered Russian buyers with three body types: 4-door sedan, 5-door hatchback and station wagon:

Ford Focus 3 sedan

Ford Focus 3 station wagon and hatchback

Does the Opel Astra J have more classic lines, signs of German stability and reliability? A new design radiator grille, elongated headlights and modern stylish foglights – all this together gives the car a dynamic image, elegance and recognition on the road. Before leaving the market, the model was offered to Russian buyers in four body types: 4-door sedan, 5-door hatchback and station wagon, 3-door coupe hatchback:

Interior: "Opel Astra" or "Ford Focus 3"

The interior of the Opel Astra J is made in classic dark colors. The seat material is wear-resistant, leatherette is available upon request. Color, as standard, is gray.

The front console is made of plastics of different textures; in terms of the quality of materials and ergonomics in general, it is objectively inferior to the Focus. The dashboard with chrome digital instrument surrounds looks stylish and rich. Thanks to the soft backlight, all indicators are perfectly visible.

Screen on-board computer located between the tachometer and speedometer. And in top versions, at the top of the center console there is a large multimedia system and navigation display.

Expensive versions have a control console for climate control, telephone calls, and audio system on the steering wheel. The rear seats of the Astra are more spacious than those of the Focus.

In the Ford Focus 3, attention is drawn to the quality and at the same time practicality of materials. The seats are covered with water-repellent fabric, and in the top versions it is possible to order combined upholstery with inserts made of high-quality leatherette. The buyer can choose the color of the interior trim at his discretion: from cream to dark gray.

Modern and stylish dashboard convenient for monitoring instrument readings without being distracted from driving.

The steering wheel in expensive versions is equipped with a control panel for on-board systems, starting with control of the multimedia system and ending with the settings of the on-board computer, which are responsible for the comfortable use of the car. It is possible to voice control a number of multimedia system functions. The Focus has more comfortable front seats than the Astra.

The Ford Focus trunk volume is: for a sedan - 372 liters (one of the smallest trunks in the class), for a hatchback - from 277 liters (with the rear seats folded down) to 1062 liters in a transformed form (with the rear seats folded), for a station wagon - from 476 to 1502 l.

The trunk volume of the Opel Astra is larger in all cases: for a sedan - quite a decent 460 liters, for a 5-door hatchback - from 370 liters (with the rear seats folded down) to 1235 liters in a transformed form (with the rear seats folded), for a station wagon - from 500 up to 1550 l.

Technical characteristics of Ford Focus

The engine type on most Ford Focus models is naturally aspirated, with a volume of 1.6 liters, which by the way are now produced in Russia, at the new Ford Sollers engine plant in Yelabuga, with a large share of parts and raw materials of Russian origin. we wrote about this. Depending on the boost level, it develops 85 hp. (this engine is installed only on the hatchback in the basic version, exclusively with a 5-speed manual transmission, from 834 thousand rubles), as well as 105 and 125 hp, these two power units can be combined with either a 5-speed manual transmission (from 971 and 1 million 006 thousand rubles, respectively), and with a 6-speed “robotic” gearbox (from 1 million 011 thousand rubles and 1 million 046 thousand rubles, respectively). And at the top of the range is the 150-horsepower EcoBoost turbo engine, which is combined exclusively with a 6-speed classic automatic transmission (from 1 million 196 thousand rubles).

The turbo engine of the EcoBoost family appeared on Russian Ford Focus is quite new, it pleases with excellent traction coupled with low fuel consumption

Technical characteristics of Opel Astra J

The J-generation Opel Astra was also predominantly equipped with a 1.6-liter gasoline engine, but with only one boost level (115 hp). And in recent years, before leaving the brand Russian market(perhaps in solidarity with Western sanctions?), turbo versions with a volume of 1.4 liters (140 hp) or 1.6 liters (170 hp for the station wagon and 3-door hatchback, or 180 hp) were actively supplied. for a sedan and a 5-door hatchback), a 2-liter turbodiesel with a power of 130 hp was occasionally found. "Asters" were equipped with a choice of mechanical five-speed gearbox transmission or six-speed automatic.

All engines on the Opel Astra belonged to the EcoTec family

Test drive Ford Focus and Opel Astra

During a joint test drive, it turned out that both models feel confident on the road. The difference is only in nuances and not too big. In general, the Ford Focus is a little better in terms of handling, it rolls less on turns and during acceleration, and delivers more “driving pleasure” (we are leaving the 3-door Astra out of the picture). Ordinary Opel Astras behave a little more comfortably on our roads, compared to the Focus, and react less to various road trifles.

To sum it up: Ford Focus or Opel Astra

And by technical parameters, and in terms of behavior on the road both models are quite close. When choosing, the main issue may be personal preferences, some of the nuances of differences - which were described above. And most importantly, Ford Focus continues to be on the Russian market, which also means better availability service and availability of spare parts, a larger selection of models for secondary market. At the same time, Opel Astra has a considerable number of fans who appreciated interesting design car, and a fairly good overall balance of car qualities. It’s up to you to decide what is better to choose; perhaps some of my comments will be useful to you.

Regarding " Focus III", Russian sales of which started just the other day, Ford adheres to the same strategy that ensured the success of its predecessors. They still do not raise prices, offer buyers decent European quality and, importantly, huge selection. Yes, there will no longer be a three-door, but today a 5-door hatchback and a sedan are rolling off the assembly line of the plant in Vsevolozhsk, and at the beginning of next year they will also be joined by a station wagon. The list of options is completed by four trim levels, a quartet of engines and three types of gearboxes. Having become noticeably brighter and more aggressive in appearance, technically the car has not changed fundamentally. It is based on the C1 platform, on which the first Focus was built. That didn’t stop the engineers from stuffing the car with all sorts of innovative systems, such as navigation and active parking assistant. The latter, of course, cost a decent amount of money, but at the same time no one deprives zealous buyers of the opportunity to build a well-equipped copy for themselves for no more than 600 thousand.

The newest Astra, which debuted at the end of 2009, does not have a sedan body, but otherwise its representation in our market is just as numerous. And the Opel also has a Russian passport. Large-scale assembly of the Sports Tourer station wagon is established in Kaliningrad, and the more popular hatchback is completely produced - including welding and painting - at a plant in Shushary, not far from the birthplace of Ford.

True, even the Russified Astra in its basic configuration is noticeably more expensive than the Focus. But the quality of a car is not measured by price alone.

From simple to complex (interior)

The interior of the second generation Focus seemed gray and artless to many. The interior of the heir is much more expressive. The polyhedrons of the speedometer and tachometer displays, the block of the central console hanging over the climate control panel, the concave steering wheel, the sharp edges of the dashboard, the broken lines of the door handles are by no means trivial. It’s amazing that Ford’s designers managed to harmoniously fit all earthly controls into this cosmic architecture. Understanding the buttons for the audio system and climate control is not difficult. Even such an advanced function as automatic parking is extremely easy to use, especially since Focus writes all the prompts in the great mighty one. You can’t fault the ease of seating either. The range of adjustments for the seats and steering wheel is enough for a short driver and a big man with a height of 190 cm. The only small omission of the Ford finishers is the very impractical fabric upholstery of the seats, which attracts dust and dirt like a magnet.

The shapes and colors of the Astra interior have much more warmth and elegance. The smoothly curved dashboard seems to want to embrace you. The instrument panel with classic round dials is pleasing to the eye. Seats with extendable cushions, rubberized radio and climate control knobs with clearly fixed positions deserve exceptional praise. But why was it necessary to populate the center console with a huge number of buttons? We counted exactly forty pieces! A good part of them can easily be sent to the tunnel. But what upset us most about the Astra was the visibility. You can really see little through the small triangular windows between the wide windshield pillar and its support.

Amazing transformation

The Focus' wheelbase has increased by 8 mm. However, having measured the distance for the legs of the sofa passengers, we not only did not find any increase, but even missed one centimeter. Moreover, the massive armrests located in the doors narrowed the width of the rear seat. Fortunately, there was something to cut. Yes, of course, after a little downsizing, the Focus sofa is quite comfortable for two people up to 186 cm tall. But when traveling with three of you, you will have to squeeze in a little more than before.

The “Asters” sofa is 1 cm wider. But this is not his main gain. The Opel has noticeably more headroom, which allows tall passengers to sit upright rather than hunch over or slide forward, resting their knees on the backs of the front seats. And it’s more convenient to get into a car with a higher roof.

With and without suitcases

The Focus's trunk has remained virtually unchanged in size. The distances to the back of the sofa and the front seats remain the same. We measured the same 40 cm from floor to shelf. In general, it’s not an example of spaciousness - there’s enough space for one large travel suitcase, but if you need to transport anything else bulky or long, you’ll have to fold out the backs of the sofa.

All our attempts to fit two large suitcases into the trunk of the Opel were also unsuccessful. But if we use generally accepted measurement methods, then its hold is noticeably more spacious. Thanks to the small spare tire, it is 13 cm deeper. In addition, the distance to the backrest rear seat it is 7.5 cm larger. As for the loading height and the possibilities of transforming the sofa, in these disciplines the Astra is not inferior to its rival.

Green Party

The 1.8-liter, 125-horsepower engine was extremely popular among Focus II buyers. gasoline engine. Unpretentious, high-torque from low speeds, it moved the pistons very cheerfully, giving the car decent dynamics. Alas, its 1.6-liter replacement is not a fighter. Despite the same power and the presence of a variable valve timing system up to 2000 rpm, the engine simply sleeps. To just drive normally, it is advisable not to lower the tachometer needle below the 4000 mark at all. But even then, you cannot expect a quick response to the gas, which completely excludes active actions in the city and requires greater caution when overtaking on the highway.

But this unit meets Euro-5 environmental requirements, and if you try to save fuel by moving at a constant speed or changing to the next gear as early as possible, it will reward you with a green flower that appears on the on-board computer display. It seems to us that even with the new 150-horsepower engine, the Focus will perform little better. When accelerating from 50 to 100 km/h, the more powerful unit is faster by just one tenth of a second. Thus, lovers of dynamic driving have only one choice - a 2-liter 140-horsepower diesel engine. However, you can only buy it with an automatic transmission, and such a car costs more than all the others.

Astra engines are also calibrated for Euro-5. Both the base 100-horsepower model and its more powerful relative, developing 115 hp, can boast minimal carbon dioxide emissions. The car accelerates with them very sadly, forcing the driver to either slowly swim in the flow or literally stomp on the gas pedal. Still, for active drivers, Opel has a more attractive offer than Ford. The 140-horsepower turbocharged engine may not be explosive, but it carries a lot of heart. It is ready to support active urban movements and is able to quickly accelerate from a speed of 150 km/h. And it costs only 44,100 rubles more than the 115-horsepower one.

Who likes what?

And the controllability of the Focus has diminished in sparkle and enthusiasm. Yes, the car is more than confident on the high-speed straight line, not nervous about joints and small holes, and rolls minimally in corners. However, its steering is a little lacking in clarity and responsiveness. This gives the impression that it is somehow not a joy for Ford to go through a series of turns at the limit of traction. But in general, I don’t want to force him to do anything.

“Astra” has a completely different character. It is not as well-trained and accurate - in the same turns and on the same tires, it begins to slide outward a little earlier than the Focus and can jump off the line, hitting bumps. But these generally insignificant gaps in upbringing are more than compensated for by excitement. It is not necessary to go to the limit. You already get a lot of pleasure from how willingly and easily the Opel dives into turns, how frank it is with you. In addition, sophisticated drivers can order the Flex-Ride suspension - its shock absorbers with electronically controlled V sport mode make the Astra's handling even more fun.

New level

What the Focus has unconditionally improved is comfort. The ability to drive solidly, without fuss, without straining its owner in any way, is perhaps the main achievement of the new Ford. It may be without enthusiasm, but the car rolls very smoothly along our patched and patched roads. At the same time, the suspension has enough elasticity to prevent breakdown of the shock absorbers even on fairly large bumps. The engineers also did a great job on sound insulation. The whine of tires, which was quite annoying on previous Focuses, is now practically inaudible. The engine also received a good dose of sedative: silently, as the speed increases, it no longer raises its voice.

The same cannot be said about Opel engines. From 4000 rpm, the growl of any of them is clearly heard in the cabin. In terms of sound insulation of the underbody and wheel arches, the Astra is also slightly inferior to its rival, and besides, it behaves a little more nervously on potholes and joints. By and large, all this does not go beyond the bounds of decency and is not very annoying, but in general, traveling in an Astra is definitely less comfortable than in a Focus.

Everything, but not right away

Both cars have already performed well in European crash tests. Equipped with the maximum number of airbags, Ford and Opel proved to be very skillful bodyguards in both frontal and side impacts. The dynamic stabilization system installed in the cars also contributed to the achievement of a five-star rating. However, in Russia, the Astra is closer to ideal, since the base is already equipped with ABS, ESP and a quartet of airbags. Safety “inflatable curtains” for any of its modifications cost 9,500 rubles.

The most affordable Focus has only two airbags and an anti-lock braking system. Side airbags and ESP are standard on the more expensive Trend-Sport and Titanium. However, a full set of pillows, including window ones, and a stabilization system can be obtained in the database - for 19,500 rubles.

In almost all respects

The price list of the new Ford leaves virtually no doubt about the success of the car. In any of the popular options - be it a 5-door hatchback with optimal equipment, the same sedan or a version with automatic transmission, Focus is cheaper than any of its competitors. For example, a five-door with a 105-horsepower engine, ABS, two airbags, air conditioning and an MP3 radio can be bought for 538,000 rubles, and a sedan with more powerful engine and a new 6-speed automatic transmission“Power Shift” costs 674,000 rubles. And as before, Focus is inexpensive to maintain. Planned costs for its maintenance, including replacement brake fluid, over 60,000 km is 32,000 rubles.

For Astra, a similar service is 12 thousand more expensive. And the prices for the car itself are higher - by 15,900 rubles when purchasing the version with automatic transmission. If we compare the basic options with air conditioning, the difference increases to 75,900 rubles. “Astra” is more profitable only when dynamics come to the fore when buying a car. Today, only the diesel version can compete with the Opel, equipped with a 1.4 “Turbo” engine, in the Ford team, but it is 85,500 rubles more expensive.

When it's time to buy new car, each of us proceeds from the amount that he can spend. And the inevitable comparison of “classmates” begins. This is quite fair and understandable, because any person wants to buy “as much as possible.” more car for
this money." Let's consider two
"Odnoklassniki": what to buy - Ford Focus or Opel Astra?

Exterior body design

Opel Astra

The design of the Opel Astra can be defined as smooth, with a claim to elegance, in a “unisex” style. There is a clear desire from the developers to please and please both sexes. The third generation Ford Focus, on the contrary, has a more dynamic, daring design with a hint of sportiness. The appearance of the car has become more aggressive. Naturally, design is a subjective matter, and everyone, based on their preferences, will decide for themselves which of them is more beautiful - the Opel Astra or the Ford Focus. And everyone will be right!

Ford Focus 3

Salon interior

Inside the cabin, the Opel Astra is also smoother and more elegant. The gracefully curved line of the dashboard, as if continuing to the front doors, seems to want to hug a person. The finishing material (plastic, seat upholstery) is impeccable in German. The interior of the Ford Focus consists of polyhedrons, broken and sharp lines. But the “cosmic” style is clearly maintained and looks organic.

Opel Astra H sedan

Comfort level

The Opel Astra's suspension is more sensitive, absorbs bumps on the road better, but is also noisier: impacts on serious bumps, as well as the hum of the engine, penetrate into the cabin. The third generation Focus has noticeably improved its level of comfort compared to its predecessor. In any case, to the question “whose sound insulation is better: Opel Astra or Ford Focus?”, the answer is unequivocal - Ford Focus.

Ford Focus sedan

Trunk size

Visually, by eye, it is almost impossible to determine whose trunk is more spacious. But careful detailed measurements revealed whose trunk is slightly larger. The leader in this indicator is the Opel Astra. But the Focus has a full-size spare wheel, while the Astra only has a spare wheel.

Engines, configurations and prices

The Opel Astra is available in our market with three engine options. This is a 1.4 liter turbocharged 140-horsepower unit; 1.6 liter with 115 l/s and 1.6 liter Turbo engine with 180 l/s. Ford Focus is offered with a 105-horsepower 1.6-liter; 125 hp 1.6 l. and 150-horsepower two-liter gasoline engines. There is also a two-liter 140-horsepower turbo diesel engine.

By price basic equipment Focus is much cheaper than the Opel base. When choosing a Ford, your eye immediately falls on the premium “Trend Sport” and “Titanium” trim levels. But prices for top configurations“Asters” are generally chosen outside the framework of equal competition. In general, the prices for the “stuffed” configurations of the Ford Focus are comparable to the prices of the basic Opel configurations - that is, in terms of prices, the Ford Focus rules.

The conclusion for all comparisons is still the same: when making the final choice, you need to trust, first of all, your personal preferences and your intuition. After all, you end up driving this car. But even for this, it is important to collect the maximum amount of information, and then the right decision will pop out on its own, like a slice of bread from a toaster.

As always on the pages of our website, we fight only. Today's review is no exception. Your attention will be presented to a comparison of Ford Focus and Opel Astra.

Ford Focus and Opel Astra are cars that often took leading positions in sales

Let's figure out who is better

The bi-xenon headlights of both rivals are not satisfactory. However, like the forms of light optics, ideally fit into the “faces” of cars, as if giving them some kind of meaningful expression. Reviving them.

Well, the first round of the fight against the Opel Astra ends in a draw. Let's see what the rivals will oppose to each other next.

Inner world, interior and volumes

Ford's shortened rear overhang undoubtedly made it more beautiful. But beauty, as we know, requires sacrifice. In this case, volume was brought to the altar of beauty luggage compartment. The Focus's small trunk of 370 liters brings a scoring point to the opponent, with its 460 liters of volume.

The Astra's interior is cozy and outperforms the Focus in terms of space - another point to its advantage. But that's where the advantage ends. The quality of Opel plastic is much lower than Ford's.

Focus wins the second point for ergonomics. Everything is at hand here. Most control buttons are easy to use. The instruments are conveniently located in front of the driver and are quite readable. The same cannot be said about Opel instruments; their scale is too small and makes it strain your eyesight. And you have to reach far to the mirror control unit.

Both sedans are equipped with high-quality capacitive displays with good resolution. , and there are also heated and adjustable seats. Again, Ford seats are more comfortable, the load on the lower back is less, and the support from the sides is more noticeable.

Focus and Astra already have airbags. Opel has 4 airbags, ABS and ESP. Ford's Mini only has 2 front airbags and an anti-lock braking system. For two more side airbags and a stabilization system, you can pay about $600 extra.

Again the round ends with a draw. Opel gets two points for the trunk and interior space. Ford gets one point each for quality of materials and ergonomics, respectively. But the fight is not over; the rivals are eager to prove their superiority on the track.

Reliability, power, speed

With synchronous start Opel cars quickly begins to lead. This continues for several seconds, after which the cars level out. The reason here is the Powerlift robot installed on the Focus. During the first seconds of the start, the variator operates in an unjustifiably gentle mode. The second drawback of the robot is excessively slow downshifts.

The Astra's six-speed automatic transmission behaves differently - at low speeds the shifting works clearly. And when you climb above 130 km/h, it happens with noticeable thoughtfulness. When the Sport mode is turned on, this effect is not as noticeable, but it is still there.

Job power units both cars leave only positive impressions. With turbocharged Astra engine or Focus with its aspirated engine have good torque at medium and low revs. Acceleration in these zones occurs smoothly, without effort. For power, as well as dynamics, both competitors receive a score. Here they are at the same height.

When cornering, the Astra rolls more than the Focus. And during a long bend, the Ford’s front end doesn’t skid as much. At high speeds, the Opel is more sensitive to small imperfections in the road or small stones getting under the wheels, and more often requires a return to the straight line.

The Focus gets a well-deserved score for driving at high speeds. But driving along the city highway allows Astra to recoup. Where slow driving or stopping is required, the Opel unit is more friendly. The automatic transmission is not annoying, like the Ford CVT, which is more inclined to higher gears.

The Focus steering is more precisely tuned and more informative compared to Opel's. Therefore it brings an extra point to Ford. We will note Opel for lower fuel consumption when driving around the city.

This last round also ended with a draw, with three points each for the fighters. But who wins our tournament?

We see the same number of points scored, our match ended with a draw result of 6 vs 6. None of the opponents could win. But this only confirms the statistics of their equal popularity.

What can I say here, consumer requirements for a car are different. Some are more satisfied with one car, and some with another. Therefore, when choosing which car to buy - an Opel Astra or a Ford Focus, we need to start from what we want to get.

If spacious salon and more spacious trunk, as well as efficiency when driving around the city - this is embodied in the Astra.

If you cannot overcome the craving for high-speed driving, and ergonomics and the quality of interior trim are priorities, your path lies to the Ford dealership.

Additions to the article in the comments are welcome. Write about your priorities. Have a smooth ride everyone.

“I want to buy a 5-door hatchback from $6,000 to $7,000. I’m considering Opel Astra, Fiat Punto, Fiat Bravo, Ford Focus. Conditions: “mechanical”, engine volume - 1.6-1.8 l."

Let's cross out both Fiat models first! Nothing personal, it’s just that both Bravo and Punto of the generations in question are equipped gasoline engines volume up to 1.4 liters, which does not fit into the requirements of the author of the question (rare powerful versions Bravo does not count, especially since they are not visible on our secondary market). In addition, the Punto belongs to the European segment B and is noticeably inferior in size (and therefore in interior space), as well as in the level of comfort, to the other three models representing the golf class.

So we suggest focusing your search on two models - Opel Astra H and Ford Focus II. Note that both cars have repeatedly become the heroes of our publications, in which we examined them in detail technical features and disadvantages. So now let’s go over the main points and compare the models.

Body

Focus loses its presentation over time: the paint becomes cloudy, and in some places even peels off. In addition, there may be problems with rust, but in most cases this is the fault of the previous owners who did not take care of the body and did not promptly eliminate small pockets of corrosion in places where the paintwork and zinc were damaged.

The Astra paint coating is also not particularly resistant to mechanical stress, so over time, pinpoint corrosion may also appear in places most vulnerable to sandblasting and other damage. But openly rotting Astra Hs are an extremely rare occurrence.

Engines

In the case of the Focus, we wouldn't recommend chasing the 1.8-liter engine, even despite the greater power and timing chain drive. Firstly, there are enough problems with stability of operation, which is to blame either the ignition system or throttle valve, then the control unit. Secondly, often after 200 thousand km an opening is required due to obstructed oil scraper rings.

So it’s better to pay attention to the 1.6-liter version. Yes, 115 hp version of Ti-VCT until 2007. had questions with the reliability of the clutches of the variable valve timing system, and in general the “phases” are a no-no, and they remind of themselves, although perhaps it’s also a matter of quality maintenance and the oil used. But the old 100-horsepower engine is hardly worth considering for purchase, since it is rather weak with almost the same level of reliability.

At one time, the 1.6-liter Ecotec X16XEL (101 hp), the same one that was installed on the Astra G, considerably spoiled the reputation increased consumption motor oil due to premature wear of valve bushings. But the 115-horsepower Z16XER engine is free from this drawback, so there is no need to be afraid of this option; the choice between it and the 140-horsepower 1.8 Z18XER engine (both engines in these modifications appeared on the Astra H in 2006) from a reliability point of view is not fundamental .

Also, both engines with distributed fuel injection can be considered quite attractive from the point of view of maintainability and the cost of repair costs. A weak points What they have in common is the ignition module, sensors that fail, and wiring that is far from the most reliable. In addition, engines are sensitive to the quality of engine oil and the timing of its replacement. In general, the selection criterion can be either the technical condition of a particular instance, or differences in characteristics: the 1.8-liter engine is more powerful, but also a little more voracious.

Transmissions

The IB5 manual transmission on the Focus was not very reliable. And this is another argument in favor of the 1.6-liter version, although repairs may also be required over time, although most likely the matter will be limited to replacing synchronizers.

The F17 manual gearbox, used on the Astra with the engines in question, is also far from ideal: cases of its premature failure are not that uncommon with mileages of up to 200 thousand km and on cars less than 10 years old. Therefore, before purchasing, be sure to check whether the operation of the transmission is accompanied by increased noise or extraneous sounds. Moreover, on a more powerful 1.8-liter engine, it is much easier to provoke the “death” of the differential and shaft bearings - in this sense, the 1.6-liter version is also a little “safer”.

Suspension

In the Focus chassis, the front ones are relatively short-lived wheel bearings, and with mileages over 100 thousand km, it may be necessary to rebuild the rear multi-link, and this operation due to the abundance of parts it may seem unexpectedly expensive.

Unlike the Focus, the Astra uses a simpler semi-independent beam at the rear. The front is also a McPherson, if not eternal, then simply inexpensive to repair. So keeping the suspension in working order is not at all burdensome. But here, too, the exception is the insufficiently durable and rather expensive wheel bearings, which are replaced along with the hub. But in any case, Opel should have fewer questions regarding the suspension.

Price Pulse

As the analysis shows, with a budget of $6000-7000 one can consider buying Opel Astra H and Ford Focus II 2008-2009, although there are also more recent examples. At the same time, the price level for Focus is slightly lower, which allows you to either save money or choose a later year of manufacture, all other things being equal.

Our verdict

Both models are close not only in their technical specifications, but also in terms of reliability, as well as maintenance costs. In both cases, we recommend that you consider purchasing 1.6-liter versions - they initially have fewer questions regarding both the engines themselves and the gearboxes. Otherwise, everything depends on the technical condition of the specimens in question.

Ivan KRISHKEVICH
website

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