Focus ST
06 December 2007, 08:48 PM
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Focus ST
Are these any good? I have read a little about them and they seem OK.
But a mate of mine has one and thinks he will waste me in mine (UK Turbo 2000), granted, mine isn't an STI, however I am very confident I would have the edge!
Also got a mate with an Astra VXR, how do they shape up? I know they have a lot of power but only 2WD?
But a mate of mine has one and thinks he will waste me in mine (UK Turbo 2000), granted, mine isn't an STI, however I am very confident I would have the edge!
Also got a mate with an Astra VXR, how do they shape up? I know they have a lot of power but only 2WD?
07 December 2007, 08:49 AM
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I have driven several focus st's. Comfort level is way above what you would expect. Really surprised me. Straight line acceleration i would put in the same category as my 330d (remapped), not even close to the STI. Cornering was a bit iffy! you just dont realise how much grip you get from the scooby till you drive something else. The ST can easily be mapped up to about 265bhp but i would say it would be very difficult to use on the twistys.
sub 20mpg as well.
Go and hassle lyndsays for a test drive, id be interested to see what you think compared to a WRX.
Mark
sub 20mpg as well.
Go and hassle lyndsays for a test drive, id be interested to see what you think compared to a WRX.
Mark
Last edited by markymark34; 07 December 2007 at 03:26 PM. Reason: cant spel
07 December 2007, 10:03 AM
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Sub 20mpg? The trip computer in mine says the mpg hasn't dropped below 21.7 yet and that's after a good cross country blat, after a long motorway run it goes up to just under 30mpg, however take it on track and you're looking at sub 10mpg 
Have a look on Focus ST Owners Club for lots of info, they can easily be remapped to 265/285/330bhp, the majority of owners on the ST site have had some performance enhancing mods (me included) and the level of knowledge on there is immense.
I wouldn't be so sure that your mate would waste you in his Scoob as the ST is a very, very good car and handles beautifully, it all depends on who's driving it
Have a look on Focus ST Owners Club for lots of info, they can easily be remapped to 265/285/330bhp, the majority of owners on the ST site have had some performance enhancing mods (me included) and the level of knowledge on there is immense.
I wouldn't be so sure that your mate would waste you in his Scoob as the ST is a very, very good car and handles beautifully, it all depends on who's driving it
Last edited by Scoobychick; 07 December 2007 at 10:05 AM.
07 December 2007, 10:13 AM
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I have a 2003 wrx standard. I am currently saving for an astra vxr. Imo they look awesome and i've had a few run ins with them and have come off second best. I had a test drive of the vxr and st and the vxr seemed quicker than the st when flat out. It was damp as well in the vxr when i kept flooring it in third expecting it too wheel spin/torque steer all over the place and it was fine. I only had issued when flooring it with quite a bit of lock on. Just need to put the power down a bit smoother and later than I can in the scoob.
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07 December 2007, 03:26 PM
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Sub 20mpg? The trip computer in mine says the mpg hasn't dropped below 21.7 yet and that's after a good cross country blat, after a long motorway run it goes up to just under 30mpg, however take it on track and you're looking at sub 10mpg
Have a look on Focus ST Owners Club for lots of info, they can easily be remapped to 265/285/330bhp, the majority of owners on the ST site have had some performance enhancing mods (me included) and the level of knowledge on there is immense.
I wouldn't be so sure that your mate would waste you in his Scoob as the ST is a very, very good car and handles beautifully, it all depends on who's driving it
Have a look on Focus ST Owners Club for lots of info, they can easily be remapped to 265/285/330bhp, the majority of owners on the ST site have had some performance enhancing mods (me included) and the level of knowledge on there is immense.
I wouldn't be so sure that your mate would waste you in his Scoob as the ST is a very, very good car and handles beautifully, it all depends on who's driving it
An ST would be the only car from the current crop of hot hatches that i would concider trading in the STI for but had been put of by the 16mpg (same as the STI) claims.
07 December 2007, 05:04 PM
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You will have significantly more traction in the first two gears though. Sts are limited in their torque in 1st and second, you aren't. So, I would anticipate you having the edge.
Ns04
Last edited by New_scooby_04; 08 December 2007 at 02:02 PM.
08 December 2007, 02:01 PM
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Last edited by New_scooby_04; 08 December 2007 at 02:04 PM.
10 December 2007, 10:50 AM
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I have an ST and average 22mpg. Yes, it is pants, but few owners get below 20mpg, then again, few get above 25mpg. The average average does seem to be about 22-23mpg.
And mine is mapped via Bluefin to 275 bhp and it's a good fun car. mpg did not change when I increased hp and torque via Bluefin. While the Scooby beats it is some areas the Focus is a better built, higher quality car, with far nicer seats (Recaro's), great lights (xenons), a decent stereo, good options and while the values are coming down it is nowhere near as bad as my 54 plate WRX that I had, I paid less as well, and all in all will be a better purchase than my WRX.
I enjoy driving it. It may not go round corners as well but this is more down to any driver than the car, yet it excels in other areas. A good fun car.
Plus it is nice to change every now and then.
And mine is mapped via Bluefin to 275 bhp and it's a good fun car. mpg did not change when I increased hp and torque via Bluefin. While the Scooby beats it is some areas the Focus is a better built, higher quality car, with far nicer seats (Recaro's), great lights (xenons), a decent stereo, good options and while the values are coming down it is nowhere near as bad as my 54 plate WRX that I had, I paid less as well, and all in all will be a better purchase than my WRX.
I enjoy driving it. It may not go round corners as well but this is more down to any driver than the car, yet it excels in other areas. A good fun car.
Plus it is nice to change every now and then.
10 December 2007, 09:32 PM
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I have an ST and average 22mpg. Yes, it is pants, but few owners get below 20mpg, then again, few get above 25mpg. The average average does seem to be about 22-23mpg.
And mine is mapped via Bluefin to 275 bhp and it's a good fun car. mpg did not change when I increased hp and torque via Bluefin. While the Scooby beats it is some areas the Focus is a better built, higher quality car, with far nicer seats (Recaro's), great lights (xenons), a decent stereo, good options and while the values are coming down it is nowhere near as bad as my 54 plate WRX that I had, I paid less as well, and all in all will be a better purchase than my WRX.
I enjoy driving it. It may not go round corners as well but this is more down to any driver than the car, yet it excels in other areas. A good fun car.
Plus it is nice to change every now and then.
And mine is mapped via Bluefin to 275 bhp and it's a good fun car. mpg did not change when I increased hp and torque via Bluefin. While the Scooby beats it is some areas the Focus is a better built, higher quality car, with far nicer seats (Recaro's), great lights (xenons), a decent stereo, good options and while the values are coming down it is nowhere near as bad as my 54 plate WRX that I had, I paid less as well, and all in all will be a better purchase than my WRX.
I enjoy driving it. It may not go round corners as well but this is more down to any driver than the car, yet it excels in other areas. A good fun car.
Plus it is nice to change every now and then.
I've got a bluefin'd golf gti and it manages 30mpg average driven like an idiot on a mixture of 2mile and motorway journeys.
Not a lot between them in performance or economy, arguably the golf is better put together so looks like Ford dropped one
Plus of course the Focus looks like a Halfords special
11 December 2007, 08:47 AM
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I've got a bluefin'd golf gti and it manages 30mpg average driven like an idiot on a mixture of 2mile and motorway journeys.
Not a lot between them in performance or economy, arguably the golf is better put together so looks like Ford dropped one Plus of course the Focus looks like a Halfords special
Not a lot between them in performance or economy, arguably the golf is better put together so looks like Ford dropped one
Plus of course the Focus looks like a Halfords special I drove both before settling on my bugeye. I thought the 2 gtis i drove werent even close in performance compared to my 330d wereas the focus seemed much quicker and nicer to drive.
Im happy to be proven wrong if anyone can take me out in remapped GTI.
Mark
11 December 2007, 12:21 PM
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Arguably the golf is better put together - possibly, but then given the Focus has things like xenons and Recaro's as standard, a better stereo, a nicer soundtrack in general, you could say it swings the other way.
Then, I think the Golf looks boring in comparison to the ST, and think the ST is a far better looking car.
And maybe it's the fact that there are loads more people buying the ST than the Golf since the ST came out two years ago - perhaps the Golf has had it's day of expensive prices when other cars can offer the same or better thrills.
Then, I think the Golf looks boring in comparison to the ST, and think the ST is a far better looking car.
And maybe it's the fact that there are loads more people buying the ST than the Golf since the ST came out two years ago - perhaps the Golf has had it's day of expensive prices when other cars can offer the same or better thrills.
12 December 2007, 12:45 AM
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the golf is soooo boring by comparison to the focus (believe me im not biased i wouldnt buy either!)
I drove both before settling on my bugeye. I thought the 2 gtis i drove werent even close in performance compared to my 330d wereas the focus seemed much quicker and nicer to drive.
Im happy to be proven wrong if anyone can take me out in remapped GTI.
Mark
I drove both before settling on my bugeye. I thought the 2 gtis i drove werent even close in performance compared to my 330d wereas the focus seemed much quicker and nicer to drive.
Im happy to be proven wrong if anyone can take me out in remapped GTI.
Mark
I'm genuinely surprised you found the Mk5 GTI boring - I wouldnt touch a mk3 or 4 with a bargepole as they were just that, but I find the mk5 an entertaining drive - the back is quite happy to come round and help proceedings
Belfast is a bit of a trek but if your ever around Bristol you're welcome to sample a remapped Golf
12 December 2007, 12:48 AM
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Arguably the golf is better put together - possibly, but then given the Focus has things like xenons and Recaro's as standard, a better stereo, a nicer soundtrack in general, you could say it swings the other way.
Then, I think the Golf looks boring in comparison to the ST, and think the ST is a far better looking car.
And maybe it's the fact that there are loads more people buying the ST than the Golf since the ST came out two years ago - perhaps the Golf has had it's day of expensive prices when other cars can offer the same or better thrills.
Then, I think the Golf looks boring in comparison to the ST, and think the ST is a far better looking car.
And maybe it's the fact that there are loads more people buying the ST than the Golf since the ST came out two years ago - perhaps the Golf has had it's day of expensive prices when other cars can offer the same or better thrills.
I think the ST looks like a 17yr old's wet dream - and therefore bloody awful, but looks are subjective and I prefer the understated look of the Golf.
I like my Golf and believe it's a better ownership proposition than the ST. Having said that if the ST didnt depreciate so much it would have been in my company car allowance bracket and I would probably have bought it.
12 December 2007, 09:13 AM
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Strange as the performance figures aren't "that" much different between Golf and Focus.
I'm genuinely surprised you found the Mk5 GTI boring - I wouldnt touch a mk3 or 4 with a bargepole as they were just that, but I find the mk5 an entertaining drive - the back is quite happy to come round and help proceedings
Belfast is a bit of a trek but if your ever around Bristol you're welcome to sample a remapped Golf
I'm genuinely surprised you found the Mk5 GTI boring - I wouldnt touch a mk3 or 4 with a bargepole as they were just that, but I find the mk5 an entertaining drive - the back is quite happy to come round and help proceedings
Belfast is a bit of a trek but if your ever around Bristol you're welcome to sample a remapped Golf
Focus STs seem to have finally come down in price in NI to match the rest of the uk (06 ST3 for 14k) and i am quite interested in one myself. Anyone on here got one (remapped) in Belfast?
12 December 2007, 09:22 AM
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I have an ST and average 22mpg. Yes, it is pants, but few owners get below 20mpg, then again, few get above 25mpg. The average average does seem to be about 22-23mpg.
And mine is mapped via Bluefin to 275 bhp and it's a good fun car. mpg did not change when I increased hp and torque via Bluefin. While the Scooby beats it is some areas the Focus is a better built, higher quality car, with far nicer seats (Recaro's), great lights (xenons), a decent stereo, good options and while the values are coming down it is nowhere near as bad as my 54 plate WRX that I had, I paid less as well, and all in all will be a better purchase than my WRX.
I enjoy driving it. It may not go round corners as well but this is more down to any driver than the car, yet it excels in other areas. A good fun car.
Plus it is nice to change every now and then.
And mine is mapped via Bluefin to 275 bhp and it's a good fun car. mpg did not change when I increased hp and torque via Bluefin. While the Scooby beats it is some areas the Focus is a better built, higher quality car, with far nicer seats (Recaro's), great lights (xenons), a decent stereo, good options and while the values are coming down it is nowhere near as bad as my 54 plate WRX that I had, I paid less as well, and all in all will be a better purchase than my WRX.
I enjoy driving it. It may not go round corners as well but this is more down to any driver than the car, yet it excels in other areas. A good fun car.
Plus it is nice to change every now and then.
13 December 2007, 01:14 AM
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I have just been looking at X5s today, what sort of fuel consumption do you get from yours? I was contemplating the 3L diesel as I am getting sick of getting less than 250 miles to a full tank in mine !!!
13 December 2007, 01:16 PM
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I can get 400 miles out of a full tank but.....
A full tank is £90
Iv heard the 3L diesel do about 30mpg what's not bad for such a big car
Get over to Bmwland.co.uk for loads of info
13 December 2007, 03:06 PM
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I think the Focus RS is going to be a future classic though, I would still love to have a focus RS at some point in the future, don't think the same will ever be said about the Focus ST although I do think it is a very good car, I don't see it ever being considered a classic
13 December 2007, 03:35 PM
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Without opening a can of worms, what are they like around a track compared to say a MK5 Golf Gti (which are meant to be quite good) and A VXR, aren't they meant to be a bit nose heavy?
Only what i've read and I know that journo's can be a fickle bunch at times!!!!
Only what i've read and I know that journo's can be a fickle bunch at times!!!!
13 December 2007, 07:53 PM
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