Thinking about a Focus ST MK3
Discussion
As per the title. Looking at get a new car soon and been drawn to the new focus st as i recently bought the new fiesta for my wife with all the toys on it and think ford have really upped their game. I used to own a mk2 RS but it sometimes annoyed me as it struggled to put the power down but i have read a lot of people complaining about the new st saying it is worse and really bad torque steer.
Just looking for some input from poeple that have owned one or test driven etc, i will book a test drive nearer the time. I was looking at the megane rs250 too but i'm not a fan of french cars and the interior is not to my taste.
Open to other car suggestions in similar price range (18k) but the car will be used for a 40 miles daily commute so would like it to be not too bad on the fuel, newish and have a few toys but also be fun to drive.
Just looking for some input from poeple that have owned one or test driven etc, i will book a test drive nearer the time. I was looking at the megane rs250 too but i'm not a fan of french cars and the interior is not to my taste.
Open to other car suggestions in similar price range (18k) but the car will be used for a 40 miles daily commute so would like it to be not too bad on the fuel, newish and have a few toys but also be fun to drive.
I own a MK3 ST and love it. Torque steer is noticeable when you really plant your foot but the car has a 3 mode ESP and in 'sport mode' torque steer is reduced as the ECU eases off the traction control. It can be difficult to put the power down at this time of year, but I should probably invest in some winter tyres..
Great car to live with and despite those bemoaning the loss of a cylinder it still sounds great.
I went for ST-2 spec with style pack and privacy glass and paid just under £20k. That has everything you need unless you're fussy about Xenons and leather interior.
Great car to live with and despite those bemoaning the loss of a cylinder it still sounds great.
I went for ST-2 spec with style pack and privacy glass and paid just under £20k. That has everything you need unless you're fussy about Xenons and leather interior.
+1 OP!
I have a similar commute and a shortlist of a few cars ranging from this through to a 125i/125d or an older golf GTI.
previously owned a mk2 ST modded to 290bhp and did a 50mile commute in that. Also had a mk3 diesel focus for a bit as a co car - all the toys you'd need.
there are a few used ones at £17-18k now which makes them tempting on an HP rather than PCP deal. With a facelift due soon too I'd be looking to get some more money off too.
there is a white ST2 3 miles from me which I may go for a test drive in ...
I have a similar commute and a shortlist of a few cars ranging from this through to a 125i/125d or an older golf GTI.
previously owned a mk2 ST modded to 290bhp and did a 50mile commute in that. Also had a mk3 diesel focus for a bit as a co car - all the toys you'd need.
there are a few used ones at £17-18k now which makes them tempting on an HP rather than PCP deal. With a facelift due soon too I'd be looking to get some more money off too.
there is a white ST2 3 miles from me which I may go for a test drive in ...
I own both a mk2 Focus RS and mk3 Focus ST 
Why were you struggling to get the power down on your RS?
Anywho, the new ST is a nice place to be. Very comfortable, all the toys (have a ST3) and is no slouch. But..... it does struggle as said to put the power down. A rolling road session saw my ST (standard) make 260bhp and 270lb/ft. The 'torque vectoring' system is no replacement of a diff. I have seen some folks putting a Quaife ATB in the new ST, which i think, would help a lot.
As for the sound, well thats fake and can be a wee bit annoying at times.
Why were you struggling to get the power down on your RS?
Anywho, the new ST is a nice place to be. Very comfortable, all the toys (have a ST3) and is no slouch. But..... it does struggle as said to put the power down. A rolling road session saw my ST (standard) make 260bhp and 270lb/ft. The 'torque vectoring' system is no replacement of a diff. I have seen some folks putting a Quaife ATB in the new ST, which i think, would help a lot.
As for the sound, well thats fake and can be a wee bit annoying at times.
Russ Sims said:
Out of interest what sort if fuel economy does the new st deliver? as my mk2 st was worse than the 3.2 v6 TT i bought after.
I'm getting about 30mpg average from mine. That's a combination of motorway cruising and back road blasts. The worst I've seen after a 200 mile cross country drive was 23 mpg.Owned my MK3 ST3 Estate for nearly a year and its the best all round car i have owned.
Others have mentioned the torque steer. With the car in standard mode the sensation you feel as torque steer is actually the electrocnic braking system getting it self in a tizz and brakes the wheels which gives the sensation of torque steer.
When you switch the sports mode the traction control is slackend off and only some very heavy right foot and uneven roads do you get squeaky bum torque steer.
I currently have a 13 mile commute with lots of stop starts and some good country roads an im getting just under 28 mpg. Easily get 35 on a longer journey.
I'm also running the Mountune MP275 which has made a big difference to the car, the map lower down is less jumpy / spikey which also allows you to pull away easier without spinning the wheels.
I note from above the suggestion that installing a diff will make a diference. Someone on one of the main ST forums installed one for around £800 (think) and was gutted when it made little or no difference.
The price of the MK3 ST's are still strong. The facelift model has been muted for a while, if it was going to be soon they would have shown it at the last motor show. I expect it to be around the end of the year as that would tie in with a 3 year facelift.
Others have mentioned the torque steer. With the car in standard mode the sensation you feel as torque steer is actually the electrocnic braking system getting it self in a tizz and brakes the wheels which gives the sensation of torque steer.
When you switch the sports mode the traction control is slackend off and only some very heavy right foot and uneven roads do you get squeaky bum torque steer.
I currently have a 13 mile commute with lots of stop starts and some good country roads an im getting just under 28 mpg. Easily get 35 on a longer journey.
I'm also running the Mountune MP275 which has made a big difference to the car, the map lower down is less jumpy / spikey which also allows you to pull away easier without spinning the wheels.
I note from above the suggestion that installing a diff will make a diference. Someone on one of the main ST forums installed one for around £800 (think) and was gutted when it made little or no difference.
The price of the MK3 ST's are still strong. The facelift model has been muted for a while, if it was going to be soon they would have shown it at the last motor show. I expect it to be around the end of the year as that would tie in with a 3 year facelift.
neiljohnson said:
I'm paying 21k through drive the deal (private buyer) for an st3 in blue with all options except nav
That's good. Mine is an ST-2 but I bought it in November 2012 and discounts were rare. I paid £22300 for mine with quite a few options. I think full retail was near to £25k.WestyCarl said:
Without too much trouble managed to get a dealer down to £22250 on an ST3 with syle pack. Reckon there was maybe another £1k discount to be had.
Ended up buying a 6 month old 4k mile fully loaded ST3 for £20k instead.
Happy days (for the wife
)
That's good tbh when we looked there were very few available 2nd hand & those that were cost more than the new one!!Ended up buying a 6 month old 4k mile fully loaded ST3 for £20k instead.
Happy days (for the wife
)Roll on 1st march
WestyCarl said:
Without too much trouble managed to get a dealer down to £22250 on an ST3 with syle pack. Reckon there was maybe another £1k discount to be had.
Ended up buying a 6 month old 4k mile fully loaded ST3 for £20k instead.
Happy days (for the wife)
That's good tbh when we looked there were very few available 2nd hand & those that were cost more than the new one!!Ended up buying a 6 month old 4k mile fully loaded ST3 for £20k instead.
Happy days (for the wife
)Roll on 1st march
WestyCarl said:
Without too much trouble managed to get a dealer down to £22250 on an ST3 with syle pack. Reckon there was maybe another £1k discount to be had.
Ended up buying a 6 month old 4k mile fully loaded ST3 for £20k instead.
Happy days (for the wife)
Collected it yesterday.Ended up buying a 6 month old 4k mile fully loaded ST3 for £20k instead.
Happy days (for the wife
)1st impressions are that it's actually a very comfortable civilised place to be, but deceptively fast.
Center consoul controls (radio, phone, etc) don't seem very intuative.
neiljohnson said:
Picked mine up Sunday got to know it quite well on the 5 hr drive home from wales!!
First impressions are very good it drives really well & the torque steer really isn't the issue that the press lead you too believe (the same with my mk1 Rs focus
)
+1 on the torque steer.
First impressions are very good it drives really well & the torque steer really isn't the issue that the press lead you too believe (the same with my mk1 Rs focus
) Also remember to keep it in sports mode as it switches off the nannying braking to stop the wheels spinning - actually induces what people believe to be torque steer as it brakes the wheels and pulls the steering wheel.
I'm a year in to my estate ownership - can't fault it. Also have the MP275 which gives it a new lease of life.
TomQ2711 said:
Ok cheers. So you would say it is better to get the new one for £24k (Will do finance) than an old model for £10k if I was definitely going to spend out?
I paid 21k for a decently specced st3 through drive the deal I picked it up 2nd march was ordered @ oct With the deal through the broker & the finance package ford do it really was a no brainier to buy new
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