Just picked up the sGT hatch in Meteor Gray Mica today! Traded in a 2012 Ford Focus SEL hatchback. I'm slightly biased, but the difference so far is night and day.
Got it with 6 miles, and after driving back to work and then to an appointment, ended the day with 56 miles. Fuel economy over those 50 miles was 33.8mpg. About 50% city driving, 25% driving in rush hour traffic on the interstate, and 25% smooth sailing on the interstate. 33.8mpg might not stick, but I'll update once I've had more time with the car.
I really wanted the Deep Crystal Blue initially and think it is a great color, but after seeing the Blue and Gray side-by-side at the dealer, I got stuck on the Meteor Gray Mica. It's a very cool, shimmering gray color.
Price for car (includes destination fee, excludes TT&L, doc fee, rebates/incentives): $26,041
First Impressions:
- The transmission and engine on the 2.5L is PHENOMENAL. Very silky smooth compared to the Focus. There's instant "get up and go" if needed, which the Focus DCT definitely lacked.
- Initially, I was disappointed with the sound system playing HD Radio. Got home, paired my phone, and streamed music from Google Music and my opinion was changed. Treble and Bass were initially at +6 (highest setting) when I picked it up, but I moved those down to +1 bass and +3 treble for a cleaner sound. Not sure if I'll miss the 10" sub from the Focus yet, but I'm happy with the Bose system. Thankfully, doesn't seem to hold up to the "No highs, no lows, must be Bose" standard. Not audiophile quality, but definitely more than acceptable for those wanting some great quality on the daily drive or weekend excursions.
- Road noise is more prevalent than it was on my Focus with 17" wheels. The Focus had pretty great sound deadening. I imagine the 18" wheels and lower profile tires aren't helping. It's not jarringly loud, but was the first thing I noticed compared to my old Focus.
- Navigation, for me, is quick and snappy. It didn't route me through the most efficient path, and the maps are already slightly outdated. To be fair, a major interstate construction project was completed 3ish months ago. It was only a minor difference and definitely not the old layout of the interstate - may just be a small inaccuracy. 3D buildings look great. System didn't seem laggy.
- Infotainment system, as a whole, seemed quick and easy to use. I prefer it over the MyFord Touch system found in the Focus (hated that system). The customization settings (walk away auto lock time, interior lights dim timing, various beep sounds level, etc.) were nice to have. For the first few minutes, the Commander knob was sort of awkward. Now that I have the hang of it, I really enjoy using it. I didn't like having to tinker with touching the screen while driving the Focus - so this feels much better to me. There are some things (tuning the radio) that seem to require a click or two more than would be optimal, but it still works.
- I wanted the HUD/Active Driving Display in a bad, bad way. Extremely glad to have it. With the height adjustable, it's easy to get it at the right level. The text is half on the windshield/half on the edge of my hood and I have zero issues reading it. I find it VERY easy to see what speed I'm going without losing concentration on the road. Sure - the momentary look down to the Speedo in a traditional format isn't so bad, but using the HUD is VERY seamless (for me). Having Navi directions pop up on it is really cool.
- You lose what feels like considerable front passenger headroom with the moonroof. I'm 6'2", and it feels marginally like the sky is falling. I haven't dialed in my seat position yet, but am still comfortable with a few inches of clearance. It's definitely not a terrible feeling, but it's noticeable. I want the moonroof more than I want the headroom.
I'm done growing!
- The rear doors are SMALL. Getting in isn't hard, but getting out seemed a little clunky. I only got in and out once, but oofta - poor backseat passengers (or poor car if they aren't careful).
- The perforated black leather with red stitching looks awesome.
Overall, this feels like a very tight, well-designed package. Coming from the Focus, I'd trade it in for the Mazda 3 again and again.
Happy to answer questions or take pictures for people! Can't wait to get in and drive some more.
Got it with 6 miles, and after driving back to work and then to an appointment, ended the day with 56 miles. Fuel economy over those 50 miles was 33.8mpg. About 50% city driving, 25% driving in rush hour traffic on the interstate, and 25% smooth sailing on the interstate. 33.8mpg might not stick, but I'll update once I've had more time with the car.
I really wanted the Deep Crystal Blue initially and think it is a great color, but after seeing the Blue and Gray side-by-side at the dealer, I got stuck on the Meteor Gray Mica. It's a very cool, shimmering gray color.
Price for car (includes destination fee, excludes TT&L, doc fee, rebates/incentives): $26,041
First Impressions:
- The transmission and engine on the 2.5L is PHENOMENAL. Very silky smooth compared to the Focus. There's instant "get up and go" if needed, which the Focus DCT definitely lacked.
- Initially, I was disappointed with the sound system playing HD Radio. Got home, paired my phone, and streamed music from Google Music and my opinion was changed. Treble and Bass were initially at +6 (highest setting) when I picked it up, but I moved those down to +1 bass and +3 treble for a cleaner sound. Not sure if I'll miss the 10" sub from the Focus yet, but I'm happy with the Bose system. Thankfully, doesn't seem to hold up to the "No highs, no lows, must be Bose" standard. Not audiophile quality, but definitely more than acceptable for those wanting some great quality on the daily drive or weekend excursions.
- Road noise is more prevalent than it was on my Focus with 17" wheels. The Focus had pretty great sound deadening. I imagine the 18" wheels and lower profile tires aren't helping. It's not jarringly loud, but was the first thing I noticed compared to my old Focus.
- Navigation, for me, is quick and snappy. It didn't route me through the most efficient path, and the maps are already slightly outdated. To be fair, a major interstate construction project was completed 3ish months ago. It was only a minor difference and definitely not the old layout of the interstate - may just be a small inaccuracy. 3D buildings look great. System didn't seem laggy.
- Infotainment system, as a whole, seemed quick and easy to use. I prefer it over the MyFord Touch system found in the Focus (hated that system). The customization settings (walk away auto lock time, interior lights dim timing, various beep sounds level, etc.) were nice to have. For the first few minutes, the Commander knob was sort of awkward. Now that I have the hang of it, I really enjoy using it. I didn't like having to tinker with touching the screen while driving the Focus - so this feels much better to me. There are some things (tuning the radio) that seem to require a click or two more than would be optimal, but it still works.
- I wanted the HUD/Active Driving Display in a bad, bad way. Extremely glad to have it. With the height adjustable, it's easy to get it at the right level. The text is half on the windshield/half on the edge of my hood and I have zero issues reading it. I find it VERY easy to see what speed I'm going without losing concentration on the road. Sure - the momentary look down to the Speedo in a traditional format isn't so bad, but using the HUD is VERY seamless (for me). Having Navi directions pop up on it is really cool.
- You lose what feels like considerable front passenger headroom with the moonroof. I'm 6'2", and it feels marginally like the sky is falling. I haven't dialed in my seat position yet, but am still comfortable with a few inches of clearance. It's definitely not a terrible feeling, but it's noticeable. I want the moonroof more than I want the headroom.
I'm done growing!- The rear doors are SMALL. Getting in isn't hard, but getting out seemed a little clunky. I only got in and out once, but oofta - poor backseat passengers (or poor car if they aren't careful).
- The perforated black leather with red stitching looks awesome.
Overall, this feels like a very tight, well-designed package. Coming from the Focus, I'd trade it in for the Mazda 3 again and again.
Happy to answer questions or take pictures for people! Can't wait to get in and drive some more.
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