MPG Comparison: Ford Focus, Dodge Caliber, Chevy Cobalt

Story by Sam Haymart

Mustang stays at home, while people look for a gas sipping daily driver.

06-30-08: It’s all about gas mileage these days. If you have been out looking for new cars lately, chances are you are searching high and low for something that gets high MPG, but doesn’t completely make you feel like you have been penalized. To wit, we have put together a little comparison of the economy model offerings of the Detroit Three.

Sure there are other brands out there like Toyota, Honda, and such. But this is a Mustang and Ford website. If you want to hear about how great import cars are, there are plenty of other car magazine sites to go to. So we took a good look at the three basic comparable models from Ford, Chevrolet and Dodge.

The Ford Focus, Dodge Caliber and Chevrolet Cobalt are comparable in price and relative size. But they vary greatly in execution, power, utility and in performance. They offer a variety of engine choices, configurations, and models and of course styling is far from cookie cutter with any of them.

Advertisement

2008 Ford Focus

The Ford entry in the econo-car class entered 2008 with a restyled interior and exterior that significantly updated its look. While it is still based on the old Focus mechanicals and chassis that has been around for a while, the quality, fit and finish is night and day. It now comes in both a 4-door sedan or a popular new 2-door coupe.

The focus starts out at $14,395 and comes with only one engine, a 2.0 liter DOHC inline four. That engine produces either 132hp or 140hp depending on your state. You guessed it, California gets shafted out of 8hp so the car can be green enough for the state. It is a bit of a gaffe however since the Focus is already the least powerful of our group, and the other manufacturers don't penalize California for emissions reasons.

The powertrain however does earn Focus top marks for efficiency with a 24 city / 35 highway MPG rating. A 5-speed manual transmission is standard, but the autobox option is only a 4-speed. The front wheel drive Focus comes standard with 15” wheels, with larger 16” aluminum rollers on top line SES models. ABS brakes and traction control are optional on all models.

Of course, the Focus is available with Ford’s new SYNC system which is often cited as important. If you are not a gadget nut, it wont mean much to you however. While the new Focus is greatly improved the styling is still a bit dowdy, with the same "grandma car" stance and character as the previous model.

2008 Dodge Caliber

Dodge took a different road with the Caliber when it replaced the long sold Neon entry level car. The tall and boxy Caliber is almost more of an SUV in character with a tall roofline and seating position. The 5-door hatch has great utility. It is a bit heavier than the Ford or the Chevy though which shows up in its MPG numbers which can only reach 24 city / 29 hwy with the base 1.8 liter engine. Upgrade to the more powerful 2.4 and all bets are off with 21/25 MPG.

The base Caliber SE starts out at $14,900 is available with a 5-speed manual or CVT transmission. The base engine is a 1.8 liter 148hp four. A more powerful 172hp 2.4 liter engine powers the top-line R/T. The manual transmission is your best bet, skip the moaning and groaning weed-eater driving experience of the CVT.

The Dodge does offer a high performance model that really smokes the tires. The SRT-4 comes with a spooling turbocharged 2.4 liter engine that cranks out 285hp. Although it is front wheel drive, with its 6-speed manual it can deliver excellent straight line acceleration. It sucks enough gas however to make a Mustang GT comparable.

The Dodge Caliber offers an All-Wheel-Drive option and has standard ABS on mid to upper level models. ABS is optional on base SE models.

2008 Chevrolet Cobalt

The first of GM’s new small-car architecture brought over from Europe, the Cobalt has been in our market now since 2005. It is built in Ohio using GM’s global “Delta” platform which has its roots in Opel, Saab and Vauxhall models. The Cobalt has been popular and has become well known for its tight handling and good build quality.

The Chevy offers up a number of engines. The base model priced at $15,070 is available in both a 2-door coupe and a 4-door sedan. Base engine is a powerful 2.2 liter four with 148hp. This engine is the champion of our group here with 25 city / 36 highway MPG. Step up the model ladder and you get a robust 2.4 liter four which cranks out 171hp and still achieves a respectable 22 / 32 MPG. ABS brakes are optional only on base cars, and standard on mid level and top models.

For high performance wonks, Chevy offers the SS Cobalt with the same turbocharged 2.0 liter engine that is found across the pond, with 260hp. You get a great set of sport seats, a wicked suspension, and boy racer looks too. All this and you still come home with 22 city / 30 hwy MPG. The Cobalt SS can go 0 to 60 in 5.7 seconds and is over 160 mph fast, covering the quarter mile in 14.1 seconds.

Conclusions

We want to say Ford offers the best choice in our group here. The Focus is the newest design of the three, sort of. The Caliber is the largest and has the newest chassis. The Chevy Cobalt is arguably the most athletic with its tight European platform and has the best selection of engines.

Both the Dodge and the Chevrolet offer more power with similar efficiency as the Focus, and they both offer a high performance version that Ford does not. The Focus really needs a turbo option or high hp version akin to the old SVT to keep up with the competition.

All the cars offer something different. If you are a brand loyalist, the Focus is your car. One thing the Ford has going for it is that a well optioned Focus offers the best efficiency of the three. This is because top models with leather, wheels, and NAV in the Dodge and Chevy come packaged standard with the larger and less efficient engines whether you want them or not. They are all good choices, but it really comes down what you need and what level of compromise you can take.