Is a 2013 Focus SE hatch with 60k miles for $6,000 a good deal?

General
1

Hey folks, I’m looking at a 2013 Focus SE hatchback with a manual transmission. It’s got 60,000 miles and the dealership is asking $6,000. I know the automatic versions of this era are notorious, but how about the manuals? There are two open recalls (fuel tank and door latch) that I’ll need to get fixed, but I’m not sure if there would be a wait. Also, this car is FlexFuel—does that come with any headaches?

The other car I’m considering is a 2009 Honda Fit, also manual, with 130,000 miles for the same price. Would love to hear your thoughts!

2

The Focus will have more zip compared to the Fit, but the Fit does have a surprising amount of room for its size. If you care about rear legroom, the Fit might win there, but if you’re after power, the Focus is a better bet. Also, the mileage difference is huge. The Focus manual should last you a long time, assuming it’s been well taken care of.

3

Yeah, the Fit uses its interior space really well, but the Focus’s big dashboard doesn’t help with that. It’s a bit cramped up front.

4

Totally agree. The Fit feels more roomy, especially for taller drivers.

5

Is this car from the rust belt? If yes, run away. If not, go for it.

6

I own a manual Focus from 2013 and I love it! Mine’s at 100k miles and still going strong fingers crossed.

7

Same here, can’t complain!

8

A manual Focus with less than 100k miles? That’s a steal at $6k. You could easily push that thing to 200k miles if you keep up with maintenance.

9

Good car, fair price, especially since the automatic versions hurt the Focus’s reputation a bit. I’ve never driven a Fit, but the Focus does feel bigger, and I think it is—about 5 inches wider, according to Google. The recalls are no biggie. The fuel tank one is actually more about a gas vapor part, which is kinda normal maintenance by now. I’ve had mine replaced twice before hitting 150k miles. As for the engine, it’s the same as what’s in the Miata, so it’s happy to rev and has good torque. Nothing fancy like turbos, just solid and reliable.

FlexFuel? No worries there. You can run regular gas just fine. FlexFuel just means you also have the option to use E85, but you’re not required to. Modern cars are built to handle ethanol mixes anyway.

If it’s between this manual Focus and the Fit, I’d say the Focus is the better pick unless you really need that extra interior space or lower mileage isn’t a priority.

10

I really liked my Focus until my automatic transmission gave out.

If you don’t deal with a lot of stop-and-go traffic, I’d say go for it.

11

Even with stop-and-go driving, it’s still a good car.

I’m sitting at 192k miles on mine and it’s holding up fine. Just keep up with maintenance and it’ll keep going.

12

I used to drive a manual in LA, and honestly, the constant shifting in traffic was the worst part. Had to switch to an automatic after a year of that grind.

13

Solid car, I’d say go for it.

14

Manual Focuses are awesome. At $6k with only 60k miles, that’s a deal. You should jump on it!

15

Shouldn’t the dealership fix the recalls before selling it? Feels like that should be standard.

16

Where is this? I’ll buy it if you don’t!

17

I’ve got a 2013 SE manual with 110k miles, mostly city driving in DC. The biggest issue I had was replacing the catalytic converter, which wasn’t cheap. Also, if you don’t keep the sunroof drain clean, it’ll leak into the passenger side floor. Other than that, it’s been a great car. I originally planned on trading up, but here I am, still driving it 11 years later.

Definitely ask what maintenance has been done and get those recalls sorted. If you need backseat space or plan to haul kids, though, the Fit might be better.

18

I have a 2012 Focus SE 5-speed. Bought it in 2020 for $5k with 112k miles. I’ve added another 100k since then, and it’s still going strong. Had to spend about $1k on repairs over the years, but I’m aiming to get it to 300k. Definitely a good car!

19

Both are decent cars. The Fit is slower and doesn’t have the same punch. I personally think the Fit is kind of ugly, but I’m biased since I own a Focus. I’d bet the Honda is a little more reliable, but with double the miles, I’d go for the Focus in this case.