New Car: Clio 172 Vs Focus ST170

[chrisobrien54]

Right, I'm in the market for a new car.

My last was a VX220 Turbo, and I absolutely love driving.

I'm stuck between an ST170 (slower, but more refined?) and a Clio 172 (quicker, less refined?)

I've had a Focus 1.8 before, and loved it. Good gearbox, chassis, ok build.

Waddya reckon?

[300bhp/ton]

chrisobrien54 said:

Right, I'm in the market for a new car.

My last was a VX220 Turbo, and I absolutely love driving.

I'm stuck between an ST170 (slower, but more refined?) and a Clio 172 (quicker, less refined?)

I've had a Focus 1.8 before, and loved it. Good gearbox, chassis, ok build.

Waddya reckon?

What's wrong with the VX? And do you need more than 2 seats? If it's a cost thing then how about a MR2 MK3?

Never really thought greatly of the ST170, not sure why, just seemed a bit of a half arsed effort from Ford.

If you're not doing long miles I'd say a 172 is going to be more fun and would likely be my pick out of these. That said my fav hatch is still the Rover 200 BRM with it's close ratio box and LSD (and lovely interior). It manages a nice blend of stonking hot hatch performance and comfort rather well.

[Chrisw666]

How do you like to drive?

If you like to go flat out, want to feel like you're going fast and spend more time on A/B roads or in town the clio is probably better.

If you do lots of Mway/Dual carriageway driving but want something that is benign when pressed hard occasionally and makes you work hard to go fast then the focus us for you.

The focus also feels better quality and is bigger, the clio is cheaper to run and the easier car to extract mirth from.

Overall I prefer the focus, but at £2-3k the clio makes a much stronger case to me that it did 6 years ago when I bought an ST170 over a clio and a fabia VRS.

[Chris71]

I'd go for the 172.

It is rawer than the Focus, but to me the ST170 is too expensive to run as a sensible warm hatch and a bit underwhelming as a hot hatch.

[GregMac]

Chris71 said:

I'd go for the 172.

It is rawer than the Focus, but to me the ST170 is too expensive to run as a sensible warm hatch and a bit underwhelming as a hot hatch.

[chrisobrien54]

Oh, the VX was crashed and the insurance money will likely go towards a house.

Hence the need for something cheap and fun... Involving? To drive.

So, votes towards the Clio so far?

Cheers for the replies so far!

[Hoygo]

Cheap,fun and involving? That's how i describe my 172.

Can't comment on the Focus though,but sure is better bet if you have a family and need more space,also the interior is a bit better,quality the same sh!t IMO.

Or get a baby lion.