North Georgia Ford Compares 2010 Ford Focus VS 2010 Chevrolet Cobalt Near Jasper, GA

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Ford Focus are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The Chevrolet Cobalt Coupe doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

The Focus has standard four-wheel antilock brakes for quicker stops and controlled steering ability, especially under poor traction conditions. Antilock brakes cost extra on the Cobalt.

The Focus has standard AdvanceTrac™, which uses the antilock brake hardware along with powerful software and additional sensors to detect the beginning of a skid. AdvanceTrac™ then intervenes by automatically applying the brake at one appropriate wheel, preventing a skid. The Cobalt doesn’t offer skid prevention. A National Highway Traffic Safety Administration study showed that skid control systems reduced single-vehicle car crashes by 30%.

Both the Focus and the Cobalt have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front-wheel drive and available traction control.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Ford Focus Coupe is safer than the Cobalt Coupe:

More stars indicate a better overall result. Lower numbers indicate better individual test results.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 38.5 MPH side impact tests on new cars. In this test, results indicate that the Focus is safer than the Cobalt:

More stars indicate a better chance of avoiding serious injuries. Lower numbers indicate better actual numeric test results.

The Focus’ bumpers sustained $3822 less damage than the Cobalt in four IIHS ( Insurance Institute for Highway Safety) bumper tests.

The Focus’ corrosion warranty is unlimited miles longer than the Cobalt’s (unlimited vs. 100,000 miles).

The Focus’ reliability is better than the Cobalt’s. In Consumer Reports, the Focus’ reliability is 31% better.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2009 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Ford vehicles are better in initial quality than Chevrolet vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Ford 8th in initial quality. With 1 more problems per 100 vehicles, Chevrolet is ranked 9th.

J.D. Power and Associates’ surveys of the owners of three-year-old cars provide the long-term dependability statistics that show that Ford vehicles are more reliable than Chevrolet vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Ford 10th in reliability, above the industry average. With 26 more problems per 100 vehicles, Chevrolet is ranked 18th.

On the EPA test cycle the Focus with its standard engine gets better fuel mileage than the Cobalt Auto (24 city/34 hwy vs. 24 city/33 hwy).

For better stopping power the Focus’ standard brake rotors and drums are larger than those on the Cobalt:

The Focus with its standard antilock brakes stops shorter than the Cobalt with antilock brakes:

For better traction, the Focus SES’ tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Cobalt (215/45R17 vs. 205/55R16).

The Focus’ standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 60 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Cobalt’s standard 65 series tires. The Focus SES’ tires have a lower 45 series profile than the Cobalt LT’s optional 50 series tires.

For superior ride and handling, the Ford Focus has fully independent front and rear suspensions. An independent suspension allows the wheels to follow the road at the best angle for gripping the pavement, without compromising ride comfort. The Chevrolet Cobalt has a rear torsion beam axle, with a semi-independent rear suspension.

The Focus has standard front and rear gas-charged shocks for better control over choppy roads. The Cobalt’s suspension doesn’t offer gas-charged shocks.

The Focus SE Sedan handles at .79 G’s, while the Cobalt LS Sedan pulls only .77 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

For better maneuverability, the Focus’ turning circle is 3.2 feet tighter than the Cobalt’s (34.2 feet vs. 37.4 feet). The Focus SES’ turning circle is .9 feet tighter than the Cobalt’s (36.5 feet vs. 37.4 feet).

The Focus is shorter than the Cobalt, making the Focus easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces:

Because it has more passenger and cargo room, the Focus Coupe is rated a Compact car by the EPA, while the Cobalt Coupe is rated a Subcompact.

The Focus Coupe has 10.3 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Cobalt Coupe (93.3 vs. 83). The Focus Sedan has 6.3 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Cobalt Sedan (93.4 vs. 87.1).

The Focus Coupe has .5 inches more front headroom, .9 inches more front hip room, .5 inches more front shoulder room, 2.6 inches more rear headroom, 3.9 inches more rear legroom, 2.2 inches more rear hip room and 4.5 inches more rear shoulder room than the Cobalt Coupe.

The Focus Sedan has .7 inches more front headroom, .9 inches more front hip room, .4 inches more front shoulder room, .6 inches more rear headroom, 2.4 inches more rear legroom, 1.3 inches more rear hip room and 2 inches more rear shoulder room than the Cobalt Sedan.

A low lift-over trunk design makes loading and unloading the Focus easier. The Focus’ trunk lift-over height is 29.9 inches, while the Cobalt’s liftover is 31.25 inches.

The Focus has standard power remote mirrors. The Cobalt Base/LS doesn’t offer either a remote driver side or passenger side mirror. The driver will have to roll down the windows and reach across the car to adjust the mirrors.

The Focus SEL/SES’ outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. The Cobalt doesn’t offer heated side mirrors.

With available SYNC, the Focus offers the driver hands free control of the radio and cell phone by simply speaking. The Cobalt doesn’t offer a voice control system.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Focus is less expensive to operate than the Cobalt because it costs $36 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost much less on the Focus than the Cobalt, including $333 less for a water pump, $321 less for an alternator, $138 less for a starter, $1 less for fuel injection, $57 less for a fuel pump, $109 less for front struts and $133 less for a timing belt/chain.