Focus buying advice

[dawsman]

Hi all

I've jumped over here from my regular thread: "FPV Boss and S/C powered Falcons". I'm a lucky owner of a GT 335.

I have an old "daily banger" as described in my sig - 1982 BMW 528i - but I think it's finally had its days. Leaking oil and cuts out on the odd occasion. Time for a replacement, and thinking of going a new car rather that risking buying 2nd hand. My budget is ~$20K.

At the top of my list is a new 2012 Ford Focus Ambiente. I'm planning a test drive this week, but just wanted to get your opinions on the 5sp manual vs. 6sp Powershift auto, and sedan vs. hatch.

I'm leaning towards the auto sedan.

However, I like the idea of the fold down seats in the hatch extending the luggage capacity, and the hatch also has more head room in the back.

Regarding the gearbox, I've read about some negative experiences with the Powershift auto, particularly when mated to the 1.6L. This together with the auto being 2K more expensive has got me thinking about getting a manual.

I'm anticipating that people will strongly suggest the 2.0L over the 1.6L, but I think the 1.6 will be more than sufficient for my needs. It will be used primarily for trips to and from the train station during the working week, shopping etc. Long trips and Hwy driving will be reserved for the GT

Any news about a 2013 model and it is worth waiting for?

Thanks in advance for any advice.