From SUV to Hatchback

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More Americans are switching out of their SUV lifestyle and choosing alternative models with better MPG. Our SingleDad editor bought a 2013 Ford Focus and wrote about his recent road trip and transition into down sizing his transportation without compromising his ride…

From
SUV to Hatchback

More Americans are switching out of their SUV
lifestyle and choosing alternative models with better MPG. Our SingleDad editor
bought a 2013 Ford Focus and wrote about his recent road trip and transition
into “down-sizing” his transportation without compromising his ride…

Gas

The recent auto surveys are showing American car
owners are keeping their cars on the road for an average of 10 years or more. I
had 8 years with my SUV and over 216,000 miles on the same engine and
transmission. That’s a feat in itself, considering I was told countless times
that my SUV wouldn’t last more than 5 years.
Anyways, due to the fact that my weekly gasoline bill was running over $80
dollars per week and I was driving it with one passenger or less; I decided to
look for a new car.

SIZE Matters:
Why I chose a hatchback vs. Sedan

After taking a very careful review of my options, I
decided to look at the hatchback style of automobile. The hatchback serves my
needs and offers more versatility with my changing life. My kids are getting
older and I am a Single Parent; sometimes I have kids and I need all four sets,
while other times I just want to take off for the weekend and pack my Golf
Clubs and Mountain Bike.

Cars on My
Radar:

Mazda Speed -3 – Impressive Car. The Mazda
3 has the complete package of amenities and technology. The MPG’s were not as
good as I was expecting from a 4-Cylnder, but the car drove tight and nimble.
The cars look in 2013 is kind of dated and I wasn’t too impressed with the
color selections, (both interior/exterior combos).

Subaru Impreza –WRX This car was a lot of
fun to drive. There was plenty of horsepower and ample room for all of my
various activities. Did not like the costly charges to equip the car like the
others and the MPG’s were only a little better than my much larger SUV.

Ford Focus – A sleeper. This car
became my benchmark. The Titanium edition was by far the most well balanced kit
between all the cars that I sampled. The Focus had plenty of technology and
modern day conveniences, without all of the fuss of surcharges. One of the best
MPG ratings

VW GTI – I thought this was going to
be my easy pick. I have always loved the GTI for it’s styling and street cred,
then I took a deeper look on my test drive. I was disappointed with the lack of
room in the back seat and overall storage capacity. The car felt a little
“heavy” when driving and I was expecting better MPG’s.

In Summary, my choice was an easy. I picked the Ford
Focus, Titanium edition. After buying it, I decided to take it on a road trip..

My 2013 Ford
Focus Road Trip:

Focus 1

San Diego to
Scottsdale Arizona

Just in time for the holidays, I took a trip to
Phoenix to attend a Holiday Party at the beautiful, Fairmount, Desert Princess
Resort in Scottsdale, Arizona. The 6-hour, 365 Mile journey from San Diego was
packed with adventure. I had all the necessities to start an exciting journey;
My luggage, golf clubs and a beautiful woman to enjoy the ride with me.

Focus 6

The following pictures tell you a little bit about
how the weekend went. I experienced just about every climate condition with my
new Ford Focus and I can say with confidence that this car handles all the
variables very well. From the Snow in Sedona to the dry flat roads of
Interstate 8; I averaged 35 MPG during the 4-day adventure and loved every
minute driving the 2013 Ford Focus. This is a smart car and a wise choice.

Focus 2 focus 3

What I miss about my SUV

There are some things I miss about my old SUV. There
is the driving height, the roominess of the cabin that gives a driver that
extra feeling of security. However, things that I thought I would miss more are
not as important to me anymore. I thought I would need more storage; but I
don’t, I just pack smarter. I thought I was going to have more passengers in my
car; but I don’t. My oldest son is driving his own car and my oldest daughter
is off to college now and doesn’t require any transportation from me now. My
occasional family visits to see relatives out of town have already shown me
that I can fit everyone in the car without feeling compromised.

I am getting everywhere and doing everything I used
to do, without the weekly $85 fill-up. I now only fill-up every two weeks at a
total of $35 dollars. My recent road trip proved to me that the change over to
the hatchback from the SUV was both a wise and practical choice for my family
and my new car needs.

Note: SingleDad and its employees were not compensated for this car review. all information is based on my opinion and the reccomendation SingleDad is giving is the same information that would be shared with friends and family.

Richard JaramilloRichard “RJ” Jaramillo, is the Founder of SingleDad.com,
a website and social media resource dedicated to single parenting and specifically for the newly divorced, re-married, widowed and single Father with children.
RJ is self employed, entrepreneur living in San Diego and a father of three children. The mission of SingleDad is to help the community of Single Parents
“Make Life Happen…Again!”

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Richard “RJ” Jaramillo, is the Founder of SingleDad.com, a website and social media resource dedicated to single parenting and specifically for the newly divorced, re-married, widowed and single Father with children. RJ is self employed, entrepreneur living in San Diego and a father of three children. The mission of SingleDad is to help the community of Single Parents “Make Life Happen…Again!”