Focus ST or Mondeo ST220?
Discussion
Hmm, difficult one. I suspect you could pick up an equivalent ST220 for less money and get one that's further down its depreciation curve. The Mondeo is a nice place to sit (for what it is) and, as others have said, handles extremely well for a big FWD car.
I'd say the Focus is more fun when driven hard and has a more overtly sporting feel to it, along with more tuning options. There's less space than in the Mondeo, but it's hardly tiny. Both have better than average soundtracks.
My sensible side says get an older example of the ST220 and save a load of cash. My less sensible side says get a Focus ST and send it to Mountune.
I'd certainly look at things like the Golf GTI and Octavia vRS before committing to either, though.
I'd say the Focus is more fun when driven hard and has a more overtly sporting feel to it, along with more tuning options. There's less space than in the Mondeo, but it's hardly tiny. Both have better than average soundtracks.
My sensible side says get an older example of the ST220 and save a load of cash. My less sensible side says get a Focus ST and send it to Mountune.
I'd certainly look at things like the Golf GTI and Octavia vRS before committing to either, though.
Not driven a Mondeo ST220 but used to have a cooking variant 2 litre unit and am now running an '07 5dr Focus ST in which i've done nearly 30k in 18 months and had faultless performance. It is run as a 2nd car however so the S-Max takes the strain when we need (a lot) more space or more seats. The 5drs do make it a more pleasant experience getting kids/adults out of the back - I prefer the 3dr shape however.
Handling is good, car is chuckable and has grip that I can't believe the Mondeo would ever have given size / weight. The performance is sharp not thrilling - mine hasn't been tuned but a friend had his mapped by DreamScience and got more power and better MPG.
It can be, as another has pointed out, a docile 5dr hatchback which swallows 2 adults and 2 kids and assorted gubbins without issue but also be a m-way & backlane blaster when opportunity arises. It makes my 70 mile round trip commute enjoyable. Manages 30mpg on a long, comfy motorway cruises too. The noise is guttral and pleasant when pushing on.
Downsides - average low 20s mpg, NVH can be a bit intrusive and front tyres last about 10k in my experience and I really don't push it 'that' hard - my mate got his replaced every 7k.
If you need one car for all purposes then i'd probably take the Mondeo otherwise i'd recommend the ST.
I'd like to upgrade to an RS but the lack of rear doors is a no-go for me
edit - grammar
Handling is good, car is chuckable and has grip that I can't believe the Mondeo would ever have given size / weight. The performance is sharp not thrilling - mine hasn't been tuned but a friend had his mapped by DreamScience and got more power and better MPG.
It can be, as another has pointed out, a docile 5dr hatchback which swallows 2 adults and 2 kids and assorted gubbins without issue but also be a m-way & backlane blaster when opportunity arises. It makes my 70 mile round trip commute enjoyable. Manages 30mpg on a long, comfy motorway cruises too. The noise is guttral and pleasant when pushing on.
Downsides - average low 20s mpg, NVH can be a bit intrusive and front tyres last about 10k in my experience and I really don't push it 'that' hard - my mate got his replaced every 7k.
If you need one car for all purposes then i'd probably take the Mondeo otherwise i'd recommend the ST.
I'd like to upgrade to an RS but the lack of rear doors is a no-go for me
edit - grammar
Edited by arfur sleep on Tuesday 3rd April 10:38
The Focus has more torque, is lighter and more tuneable.
The Mondeo has a bit more room, feels a bigger car, but will certainly surprise a few people.
5-pot warble versus V6 howl...hmm, tough call.
With the Mondeo, I'd suggest going for a revised, 6-speed car - it's a much nicer place to be.
In terms of running costs, I've not updated my garage section for a while, but the bills for last year totalled £960. £500 of which was bodywork - the joys of leaving your car in a station car park during the day for numpties to hit.
The Mondeo has a bit more room, feels a bigger car, but will certainly surprise a few people.
5-pot warble versus V6 howl...hmm, tough call.
With the Mondeo, I'd suggest going for a revised, 6-speed car - it's a much nicer place to be.
In terms of running costs, I've not updated my garage section for a while, but the bills for last year totalled £960. £500 of which was bodywork - the joys of leaving your car in a station car park during the day for numpties to hit.
I had a 2006 (56) Focus ST 3 door from new and really enjoyed it. I never saw more than 25mpg from it day to day (and that was driving like miss daisy) 30+ on a motorway. If you drive normally expect low 20's on a daily commute. Front tyres expect to replace between 8,000 and 12,000 miles depending on how aggressive you drive it. I would say up to 30k out of a set of rears unless you are track day racing it a lot.
Plus points:
Great to drive
Sound fantastic
Great cross country pace
Big boot
Good ride quality for the type of car - not cosseting but it doesn't shake your teeth out.
Negative points:
The rear space in the 3 door seemed limited
Heavy on juice and tyres
Orange paint can be a pain to repair
Evans Hallshaw are a pain to deal with on anything warranty related
Things that went wrong for me:
Seat cross member, it broke leaving the seat to move around under acceleration and braking - fixed under warranty for me.
Gearbox, make sure you do a through test drive mine had a habit of refusing to go into gear - fixed under warranty
Stuck waste gate actuator - fixed under warranty.
They are fun cars to drive; would I have another one, yes certainly it was a fun car and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Plus points:
Great to drive
Sound fantastic
Great cross country pace
Big boot
Good ride quality for the type of car - not cosseting but it doesn't shake your teeth out.
Negative points:
The rear space in the 3 door seemed limited
Heavy on juice and tyres
Orange paint can be a pain to repair
Evans Hallshaw are a pain to deal with on anything warranty related
Things that went wrong for me:
Seat cross member, it broke leaving the seat to move around under acceleration and braking - fixed under warranty for me.
Gearbox, make sure you do a through test drive mine had a habit of refusing to go into gear - fixed under warranty
Stuck waste gate actuator - fixed under warranty.
They are fun cars to drive; would I have another one, yes certainly it was a fun car and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Op have you ever considered something like this
http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/sales/3661915.htm
Practicality of the Mondeo
Engine from the Focus ST
And with the added bonus of 4 x 4
http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/sales/3661915.htm
Practicality of the Mondeo
Engine from the Focus ST
And with the added bonus of 4 x 4
Terzo123 said:
Op have you ever considered something like this
http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/sales/3661915.htm
Practicality of the Mondeo
Engine from the Focus ST
And with the added bonus of 4 x 4
Engine is a 2.3 4 cylinder - so it's not the Focus ST engine.http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/sales/3661915.htm
Practicality of the Mondeo
Engine from the Focus ST
And with the added bonus of 4 x 4
Good shout though, and worth of consideration.
Kidders said:
Podie said:
Engine is a 2.3 4 cylinder - so it's not the Focus ST engine.
Good shout though, and worth of consideration.
IMO the 2.3 feels stronger than the 2.5T in the Focus, torque is immense. Lack of hatch spoils it for me, otherwise its a very tempting proposition.Good shout though, and worth of consideration.
I used to have an impreza wrx, had a focus st for a few weeks and a mondeo st220 for just over a year.
The mondeo and focus are very different cars to drive it really depends which you prefer. The focus is most similar to the impreza though.
The mondeo threw me a couple of big bills, subframe, dmf etc. Was sometimes tricky to find people willing to take work on with the mondeo or to find parts because they are quite rare. The mondeo also had a big appetite for tyres though when I switched from contis to pilot sports they lasted a bit better.
The focus felt faster and was more fun. The mondeo more refined and made me feel like a proper grown up.
I would buy the focus.
The mondeo and focus are very different cars to drive it really depends which you prefer. The focus is most similar to the impreza though.
The mondeo threw me a couple of big bills, subframe, dmf etc. Was sometimes tricky to find people willing to take work on with the mondeo or to find parts because they are quite rare. The mondeo also had a big appetite for tyres though when I switched from contis to pilot sports they lasted a bit better.
The focus felt faster and was more fun. The mondeo more refined and made me feel like a proper grown up.
I would buy the focus.
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