Mk3 Focus ST - what am I missing?
Discussion
HazzaT said:
It is quite bad for the performance. I struggled to crack 30mpg average in mine unless I was on the motorway a lot
Yep I was surprised my 6 cylinder replacement has more performance and is also more economical. I’d attributed it to the automatic gearbox, but who knows!Chris
keo said:
andy118run said:
Around town it certainly struggles to crack 30mpg.
Driven sensibly on dual carriageway/ motorway probably 35mpg to tickling 40mpg.
Does anyone know what the diesels get? Driven sensibly on dual carriageway/ motorway probably 35mpg to tickling 40mpg.
On a long motorway run 50mpg
And the road tax on the diesel is only £20.00!
I love mine (2018 ST3 petrol), had it 5 years now and taken it from 10k to 55k miles. It's mainly used for my 50 mile B road commute, where I average around 33mpg. It has pushed around 37-38mpg taking it steady on a long motorway run. Don't think it's ever dropped under 30mpg but then I don't do much driving around town.
Decent tyres are a must, I've usually gone with PS4's but as others have said, you notice it when they start to wear down below around 3mm as it starts to tramline a bit more. Never really had an issue with the turning circle, perhaps that's because mine is on 18" snowflakes rather than 19's? Touch wood the only issue was a faulty headlamp washer but that was a simple fix under warranty, and also the door seals tend to come away which is quite common, but an easy diy fix with some 3m tape.
Love the seats, although I imagine they can be a bit snug if you are on the larger side. It's just me and Mrs ZS (plus 2 dogs), so the rear seats don't get used much, but rear legroom isn't too bad (unless you've got someone particularly tall in the front). Boot is big enough for a hatch. Up until last year we used it as our main car and it coped well with long journeys, but will admit that after my wife got her (2023) Countryman last year I would always choose that over the Focus for a long journey as it's noticeably more refined and comfortable.
Driving it is a pleasure, engine is punchy enough and (on decent tyres) it grips well in the corners. Mine's completely standard but I have toyed with getting a limited slip diff fitted, and a light retune from a reputable company, but to be honest I think it's more a nice to have rather than a necessity.
If you do facebook then the main group is good, no tolerance for toxic behaviour and while there is a lot of posts about people sticking on some random bits of tat they bought off aliexpress, there is also a wealth of technical knowledge on there which can be handy.
I'm pretty sure I'll keep mine for a few more years. There might be "better" hot hatches out there but I don't think the difference would be enough to tempt me away, and an M3 estate or RS4 is out of budget. Maybe as I get closer to 50 I'll want something with slightly more forgiving suspension
Decent tyres are a must, I've usually gone with PS4's but as others have said, you notice it when they start to wear down below around 3mm as it starts to tramline a bit more. Never really had an issue with the turning circle, perhaps that's because mine is on 18" snowflakes rather than 19's? Touch wood the only issue was a faulty headlamp washer but that was a simple fix under warranty, and also the door seals tend to come away which is quite common, but an easy diy fix with some 3m tape.
Love the seats, although I imagine they can be a bit snug if you are on the larger side. It's just me and Mrs ZS (plus 2 dogs), so the rear seats don't get used much, but rear legroom isn't too bad (unless you've got someone particularly tall in the front). Boot is big enough for a hatch. Up until last year we used it as our main car and it coped well with long journeys, but will admit that after my wife got her (2023) Countryman last year I would always choose that over the Focus for a long journey as it's noticeably more refined and comfortable.
Driving it is a pleasure, engine is punchy enough and (on decent tyres) it grips well in the corners. Mine's completely standard but I have toyed with getting a limited slip diff fitted, and a light retune from a reputable company, but to be honest I think it's more a nice to have rather than a necessity.
If you do facebook then the main group is good, no tolerance for toxic behaviour and while there is a lot of posts about people sticking on some random bits of tat they bought off aliexpress, there is also a wealth of technical knowledge on there which can be handy.
I'm pretty sure I'll keep mine for a few more years. There might be "better" hot hatches out there but I don't think the difference would be enough to tempt me away, and an M3 estate or RS4 is out of budget. Maybe as I get closer to 50 I'll want something with slightly more forgiving suspension
keo said:
Does anyone know what the diesels get?
Our diesel ST is reading 46.7 mpg. It doesn’t do much stop-start stuff now since my wife retired 18 months ago. Equally I don’t do so many long distances on business as I’m winding down. I don’t think we’ve ever reset it from new, now on 62k miles.We bought one brand new in 2017. ST3 estate in Stealth Grey. Absolutely loved it, boot was plenty big enough, drove fantastically well, one of the best all round cars we've ever had. Stupidly chopped it in for a RR Velar which was an utter pile of s
t which meant many visits to a dealer network who couldn't give a st about their customers.
t which meant many visits to a dealer network who couldn't give a st about their customers.I bought my 2016 ST-3 in Stealth Grey, back in September, so just over 8 months owned now.
I'll echo other comments on here and firstly, decent tyres are an absolute must. Whilst the car I bought had FSH, whoever owned it, couldn't give a toss about handling or tyres. A brand I'd never heard of. First item on the list was to change them. Now, I was in a bit of a conundrum, as I had the 19" rims, which I would suggest against if you're concerned about driving around potholes. The road feedback is felt a lot more in the bigger rims. But, I'm with them for now and they need rim protection at all costs, so I opted for the Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric's. But, as others have said, the PS4/S's seem to be the unanimous choice. Or the Continental Contactsport 7's.
MPG is another factor. If you're going for the petrol and you do town driving, be prepared to fill up. A lot. I'm averaging around 22-23 and do mostly town driving, You'll push around 30-35mpg on the motorway. I don't use the car often and have only put around 2k miles since buying, so MPG isn't really a huge factor for me, but it still gives you stark reminders about how much fuel it drinks, even as a casual driver like myself.
Turning circle is another PITA. You will feel embarrassed in tight situations, where you need to swing your car around.
For convenience, if you can, opt for a '66 plate or later. You'll get the SYNC3 infotainment system included, which is leaps and bounds ahead of the SYNC2 system found in earlier models of the MK3.5. I retrofitted the SYNC3 system to my model, which isn't exactly cheap. All in all, it cost me around £450 to fit. Whilst easy enough to do on your own, it's the price that's the biggest sting. But the benefits are a cleaner UI, as well as Android Auto/Apple CarPlay, which in this day-and-age are almost a must.
I personally think the car is more than fine for convenient space. I have one seven year-old child, and there's a decent chunk of space in the rear. I wouldn't suggest three people across the rear though. Cabin feels roomy enough (I was coming from a 1-Series, which felt a lot more 'snug'). Boot is a decent size. Handles a weeks worth of shopping with ease, but you might struggle if you were camping for example.
It's a FWD car too, so whilst 250BHP sounds like a lot, remember that torque steer is waiting for you if you decide to be a bit lairy with the throttle. However, referring back to the point around tyres, spending well here will eliminate the worst of it, as long you don't drive like an ape.
Then, lastly. LSPI. You might see this term banded around or people calling them 'EcoBooms'. This is the most likely threat to these EcoBoost engines. Simply put, accelerating in too high a gear for the speed (or 'lugging' the engine), will kill these engines. Don't try WOT in 6th, for example, is the onus here. These cars love high revs and you have to be mindful to always change down a gear or too driving uphill, or if you fancy flooring it on the motorway, again, make sure you drop a gear or two. Never ever think of drawing on the turbo below 2k RPM.
These are all the 'be aware of' points. The niceties are, speed and handling. With the right tyres, and TC off, this car feels incredible around corners. The power is great too. I personally don't think you need much more from a FWD hot hatch and you get some piped in engine noise into the cabin when flooring it, which is Marmite to some. Personally, I wouldn't bother modifying. Aside from the SYNC upgrade, I haven't touched mine and see no reason to. Perhaps the only thing I would have considered, would be a resonator delete, to make the exhaust sound a little nicer, but in my head, anything 4 cylinders or less, doesn't need pissing about with. It gives off the wrong vibe.
Keep up regular servicing and change the oil every 5/6k miles and you should have no issues.
Edit: One thing I found out about the other day was a KAM reset. Which involves turning on the headlights, disconnecting the negative terminal on the battery and leaving for about 20 minutes. This seems to revitalise your car, as it resets the memory in the car, for adapting to how you drive. If you're on the more economical side and then wonder why your car feels a little sluggish, this procedure resets everything. People swear by doing it every few weeks, but certainly if you're buying used, it might be something to consider in the first few weeks to tailor it to your own driving style. I was told to do this after changing my spark plugs, to it resets timings etc. Really made a difference.
I'll echo other comments on here and firstly, decent tyres are an absolute must. Whilst the car I bought had FSH, whoever owned it, couldn't give a toss about handling or tyres. A brand I'd never heard of. First item on the list was to change them. Now, I was in a bit of a conundrum, as I had the 19" rims, which I would suggest against if you're concerned about driving around potholes. The road feedback is felt a lot more in the bigger rims. But, I'm with them for now and they need rim protection at all costs, so I opted for the Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric's. But, as others have said, the PS4/S's seem to be the unanimous choice. Or the Continental Contactsport 7's.
MPG is another factor. If you're going for the petrol and you do town driving, be prepared to fill up. A lot. I'm averaging around 22-23 and do mostly town driving, You'll push around 30-35mpg on the motorway. I don't use the car often and have only put around 2k miles since buying, so MPG isn't really a huge factor for me, but it still gives you stark reminders about how much fuel it drinks, even as a casual driver like myself.
Turning circle is another PITA. You will feel embarrassed in tight situations, where you need to swing your car around.
For convenience, if you can, opt for a '66 plate or later. You'll get the SYNC3 infotainment system included, which is leaps and bounds ahead of the SYNC2 system found in earlier models of the MK3.5. I retrofitted the SYNC3 system to my model, which isn't exactly cheap. All in all, it cost me around £450 to fit. Whilst easy enough to do on your own, it's the price that's the biggest sting. But the benefits are a cleaner UI, as well as Android Auto/Apple CarPlay, which in this day-and-age are almost a must.
I personally think the car is more than fine for convenient space. I have one seven year-old child, and there's a decent chunk of space in the rear. I wouldn't suggest three people across the rear though. Cabin feels roomy enough (I was coming from a 1-Series, which felt a lot more 'snug'). Boot is a decent size. Handles a weeks worth of shopping with ease, but you might struggle if you were camping for example.
It's a FWD car too, so whilst 250BHP sounds like a lot, remember that torque steer is waiting for you if you decide to be a bit lairy with the throttle. However, referring back to the point around tyres, spending well here will eliminate the worst of it, as long you don't drive like an ape.
Then, lastly. LSPI. You might see this term banded around or people calling them 'EcoBooms'. This is the most likely threat to these EcoBoost engines. Simply put, accelerating in too high a gear for the speed (or 'lugging' the engine), will kill these engines. Don't try WOT in 6th, for example, is the onus here. These cars love high revs and you have to be mindful to always change down a gear or too driving uphill, or if you fancy flooring it on the motorway, again, make sure you drop a gear or two. Never ever think of drawing on the turbo below 2k RPM.
These are all the 'be aware of' points. The niceties are, speed and handling. With the right tyres, and TC off, this car feels incredible around corners. The power is great too. I personally don't think you need much more from a FWD hot hatch and you get some piped in engine noise into the cabin when flooring it, which is Marmite to some. Personally, I wouldn't bother modifying. Aside from the SYNC upgrade, I haven't touched mine and see no reason to. Perhaps the only thing I would have considered, would be a resonator delete, to make the exhaust sound a little nicer, but in my head, anything 4 cylinders or less, doesn't need pissing about with. It gives off the wrong vibe.
Keep up regular servicing and change the oil every 5/6k miles and you should have no issues.
Edit: One thing I found out about the other day was a KAM reset. Which involves turning on the headlights, disconnecting the negative terminal on the battery and leaving for about 20 minutes. This seems to revitalise your car, as it resets the memory in the car, for adapting to how you drive. If you're on the more economical side and then wonder why your car feels a little sluggish, this procedure resets everything. People swear by doing it every few weeks, but certainly if you're buying used, it might be something to consider in the first few weeks to tailor it to your own driving style. I was told to do this after changing my spark plugs, to it resets timings etc. Really made a difference.
Edited by McLarenLad on Monday 13th May 23:59
Edited by McLarenLad on Tuesday 14th May 00:06
Do you need the size of the Focus with just the 1 child? Might be a bit more cramped but I think a 5-dr MK7 Fiesta ST could be a good shout, if so. As long as you don't mind the harsh ride. I previously had an FN2 Type so, personally, I can't see it being worse than that. I rest drove a Fiesta ST a long time ago and it seemed absolutely fine to me but everyone is different. The ride on the Civic didn't bother me at first until a goof few months down the line, when I realised how rough it is. But, it handled brilliantly, so it did kinda make sense.
The Focus will be much more compliant but, for me, I just don't want one, and I'm a big fast Ford fan. I had one of the last of the line MK3.5 Seat Leon Cupra 290's and that thing was absolutely fantastic. Best car I've ever had by a long shot and did everything so well as a hot-hatch. Unsure on your opinion on DSG though, but it's my preference. The other thing with Ford's as they get older is they don't tend to wear the miles the best, in my experience. Generally reliable and cheap to repair, but can become a big "baggy".
The Focus will be much more compliant but, for me, I just don't want one, and I'm a big fast Ford fan. I had one of the last of the line MK3.5 Seat Leon Cupra 290's and that thing was absolutely fantastic. Best car I've ever had by a long shot and did everything so well as a hot-hatch. Unsure on your opinion on DSG though, but it's my preference. The other thing with Ford's as they get older is they don't tend to wear the miles the best, in my experience. Generally reliable and cheap to repair, but can become a big "baggy".
Zetec-S said:
culpz said:
Do you need the size of the Focus with just the 1 child? Might be a bit more cramped but I think a 5-dr MK7 Fiesta ST could be a good shout
5 door Mk7 Fiesta ST's will be as rare as rocking horse st, and finding a decent Mk8 for £10k will be tough.We have a non-facelift MK3 Focus hatch, albeit a 1.0 125.
The rear passenger space is surprisingly good.
I've never suffered anxiety about any panel gaps, bonnet or otherwise.
Even with only 125 German horses, it is responsive and goes quite well.
The boot is not very big. We would struggle to do a family camping trip with it (we have a Mondeo estate and a roofbox).
The Focus is much nicer to drive, more comfortable and more pleasant to ride in than a MK3 Octavia, but the boot is much smaller.
The rear passenger space is surprisingly good.
I've never suffered anxiety about any panel gaps, bonnet or otherwise.
Even with only 125 German horses, it is responsive and goes quite well.
The boot is not very big. We would struggle to do a family camping trip with it (we have a Mondeo estate and a roofbox).
The Focus is much nicer to drive, more comfortable and more pleasant to ride in than a MK3 Octavia, but the boot is much smaller.
r3g said:
MC Bodge said:
We have a non-facelift MK3 Focus hatch, albeit a 1.0 125.
I've never suffered anxiety about any panel gaps, bonnet or otherwise.
That's because it's a poverty spec model and has a completely different front end to the ST model which the OP is asking about. I've never suffered anxiety about any panel gaps, bonnet or otherwise.
My sister has had a MK3 petrol from new and it has done over 130k now (she drives a ridiculous amount)
After a couple of years she had the Mountune 280 package fitted and its been good as gold all bar needing a new Turbo which Ford did as a gesture of goodwill at about 80k!
Its a bit tight in the back as the front seats are pretty big and its obviously not the largest car.
After a couple of years she had the Mountune 280 package fitted and its been good as gold all bar needing a new Turbo which Ford did as a gesture of goodwill at about 80k!
Its a bit tight in the back as the front seats are pretty big and its obviously not the largest car.
Thanks for all the feedback and opinions there, particularly the detailed first-hand ones. I’ve had a look at a couple of STs since my original post, and there’s still something missing about them in my eyes. Maybe it’s the interior or the feeling they do get ‘baggier’ as the miles pile on. That’s something I can identify with after having my only Ford a while back.
Fiesta ST is a good shout, but I think on balance I’d still go for the Swift Sport, bearing in mind it’s going to be a few thousand cheaper and almost as sharp to drive.
Fiesta ST is a good shout, but I think on balance I’d still go for the Swift Sport, bearing in mind it’s going to be a few thousand cheaper and almost as sharp to drive.
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