Focus mk1 ST170- great value. Agree?

[daveofedinburgh]

So Im looking for a sub £2K winter car that'll still provide modest thrills.

I've done this every winter for several years now, and due to some rather shrewd buys, I normally end up keeping 'em for about 10 months on average.

Previous buys include 2 x mk1 MX5s (cheap in winter!), an E36 318is (still miss it- underrated gem) and 2 x Gen 7 Celicas (see 318is).

Drivability in snow/ ice not a concern- Im a confident driver and have the worlds shortest rat-run commute.

Anyway, to the point...

The ST170- is it me or are these just fantastic value? The original Focus drove very nicely anyway, these slightly warmed-up examples are available for £1.5-2K with low miles and history. Lots of them for sale, and they look rather spiffing with the facelifted lights, wheels etc.

I've used the search button, there are some old threads, but nothing with much detail.

So, any common bork to look out for? Any equivalent alternatives worth consideration? Any particular spec to go for?

Maybe Im over-rating them (having only driven a boggo 5 door mk1 Focus), but Im surprised at how little there is to read about them on here given how tempting they look on paper.

Depending on fellow PHers thoughts on the 170, I may be tempted by MX5 no.3...

Example @ £1695: http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2014...

[Baryonyx]

They get some stick for being coarse, and not all that fast (ST140 was a joke I read about them once!). I really like them though. Great handlers. I used to have Focus Zetex Ebony and I really liked it.

[psymonr]

I'm not convinced they are good value, my ex has had one for 10 years, it has had a lot of problems in that time and has been relatively expensive to run because of it, I don't think for the relatively uninspiring performance it possesses that it is worth the running costs. I think there are other options out there, aren't Civic Type-Rs around this price now for the same age? Which would be a much better proposition, however, the MX5 sounds even better for driving fun, I just didn't find the ST170 that fun

[Pebbles167]

Having driven one, I think they are better than most will say. Good handling and reasonably punchy. Miles better than the the mk4 golf gti.

That being said the Clio 172 is available for the same money and is a better car in most ways. Both have a nice interior.

Personally I'd keep my eye out for a decent Peugeot 306 gti6. I found them just as quick as either of the others and brilliant fun. Interior sucks though.

[daveofedinburgh]

psymonr said:

I'm not convinced they are good value, my ex has had one for 10 years, it has had a lot of problems in that time and has been relatively expensive to run because of it, I don't think for the relatively uninspiring performance it possesses that it is worth the running costs. I think there are other options out there, aren't Civic Type-Rs around this price now for the same age? Which would be a much better proposition, however, the MX5 sounds even better for driving fun, I just didn't find the ST170 that fun

Care to expand on what bits/ work needed doing? I don't mind spending a couple of quid on maintenance, and can't imagine there are many big, scary jobs need doing on a mk1 Focus (waits to be corrected).

EP3 Type-Rs start around £3.5K for decent examples. I'd much prefer the Civic, but Im staying as strict as I can on the £2K upper limit.

Clio has been on my radar for ages now. Being a 6'3" shaven-headed ogre, Im not sure I could get away with the Clio (says the MX5 driver!).

306 seems to be loved on here, but for whatever reason does very little for me. Same story with the 205 (sacrilege I know). Something about hot Peugeots just doesn't resonate with me, although I'd make an exception for a track focused 106 Rallye.

Im always drawn back to the mk1 MX5. Bought my first before I was a truly initiated petrol head, and at the time didnt know that 'the answer is always Miata'. The fact that I arrived at this conclusion independently says alot about the car...

[turboteeth]

We have had one since 2008 as the day to day family car - and it's great. Now on 140k miles it still handles superbly (but then all Focuses do).

It's cost about £500 per year to keep going - snapped springs and steering racks seem to be consumables for us. We have had 4 steering racks!!

its not that quick and the engine is a revver but doesn't really give a punch anywhere in the rev range...but that said it loves a good motorway cruise at 90 all day and is quite & comfortable.

My daily is an E55 AMG and I also have a Cayman S, but I still enjoy the ST170 - it would eat the Merc on a twisty road!

[danp]

I wanted a cheap 5 door warmish hatch, considered the ST170 but read about low power and chocolate gearboxes on here which put me off a bit ;-)

You mention the EP3 - I went for an EV1 Type S Civic (K20 2.0 160 bhp chain cam) and it's been brilliant (looks dull, but that's OK by me)

[stargazer30]

I have owned the ST170 (as well as the new ST, older 2L tuned zetec mk1 and an escort!) and I now run a Type R (new shape FN2).

The ST170 is a good handler, its power is not bad but you have to rev it. But its no way like the type R which takes off when you rev it, and is much quicker (I have driven the EP3 just before I bought the ST170 too).

The other observation is MPG, on the ST170 is poor for the power, my Type R does slightly better with more BHP. Round the doors/start stop I used to get about 24mpg on the ST.

The gear box is long. You need to actually use first! Its generally a nice place to sit with the leather and trims. The box is no way chocolate, they can take a fair bit abuse from what I recall on FFOC.co.uk, even on boosted cars. Mine got hammered and never missed a beat.

Here have some eye candy...

[neiljohnson]

Good cars & underrated
Watch out for slipping
Clutches (dual mass not cheap) & engine lights that can be lambda sensors or the unit that controls the flaps in the inlet, steering racks that go notchy in the straight ahead position

[danp]

stargazer30 said:

The box is no way chocolate, they can take a fair bit abuse from what I recall on FFOC.co.uk, even on boosted cars. Mine got hammered and never missed a beat.

Ah OK, my bad, perhaps I'd read it wasn't a great box. OP there are a couple of long threads on the ST170 if you search - it was SOTW once.

[hwajones]

I had a nice Imperial Blue one for a year or two.
Well built but mine suffered from the lambda sensor issue, cant remember how i fixed it now... (or if it sorted itself out when I wrote it off?)
Try and get one with an option pack. Recaros/xenons with the upgraded sound system...
Have to driven very hard to get speed. the variable valve timing kicks in right up the range...

[sday12]

Not fast, thirsty.

[snotrag]

Get a Mondeo with the 2.5 V6 instead for about £1500.
Either a Zetec S with bodykit, big wheels, etc, or get a Ghia/Giha X and if your lucky get leather, heated seats, climate, decent hifi etc etc. Super comfy well built cars.

[Swanny87]

Pebbles167 said:

Having driven one, I think they are better than most will say. Good handling and reasonably punchy. Miles better than the the mk4 golf gti.

That being said the Clio 172 is available for the same money and is a better car in most ways. Both have a nice interior.

Personally I'd keep my eye out for a decent Peugeot 306 gti6. I found them just as quick as either of the others and brilliant fun. Interior sucks though.

Each to their own but I would say the mk1 Focus interior is the most rank I've ever seen in a car. Actually, most early 00's Ford interiors are pretty vile. It's the only thing that put me off getting a Focus as my first car, utterly disgusting piece of design.

[Swanny87]

Only now have the Focus interiors become decent. Having said that, the mark 2 facelift interior was not too bad.

[andy-xr]

I've been looking at these, seems the best way to get more out of them (and they need more from the two I've driven) is to change the valve timing and ditch the dmf for a lightened one. Not going to see any big power gains but improvements in driveability and pickup

TBH, the ST 150 and 170 seemed to be about 50hp lower than like for like cars from Renault and I never figured out why Ford would make them boggy, if you know you're down on power already against the Clio and Megane, why add more treacle to the car's engine and transmission

Edited by andy-xr on Wednesday 10th December 10:05

[BOBTEE]

Swanny87 said:

Each to their own but I would say the mk1 Focus interior is the most rank I've ever seen in a car.

Really?! I've never heard anyone else say that, ever, anywhere!

I've previously owned two mkI Foci and thought they were nice places to be, currently considering an ST170 for shed purposes too and won't be put off by the interior!

[T0MMY]

I'd definitely be looking at the 306 Gti-6 option over the Focus. If they don't resonate with you because of the looks you could go for a Xsara VTS which is much the same car but looks different. Worse, but different Better interior in my opinion though.

Personally though I'd be getting another MX5 or a mk3 MR2 for sub-£2k modest thrills.

[snotrag]

You will struggle to find a decent one, but if you can, I'd also highly recommend a GTi-6.

Faster than the Focus, brilliant sounding engine (high powered for an engine without any for of variable vavle timing).

While a Focus has very competent, composed handling (a good thing) the Gti-6 is exciting and a bit dangerous. great steering, lots of oversteer available, controllable, great ride, and great engine. Mine was very reliable in 2 years too.

[Swanny87]

BOBTEE said:

Swanny87 said:

Each to their own but I would say the mk1 Focus interior is the most rank I've ever seen in a car.

Really?! I've never heard anyone else say that, ever, anywhere!

I've previously owned two mkI Foci and thought they were nice places to be, currently considering an ST170 for shed purposes too and won't be put off by the interior!

That's why I said each to their own. I just don't like Focus mk1 interiors that much. Everything seems so oddly shaped and asymmetrical. They also used the same design language in some other cars. Again that is with the exception of the latest gen Ford models (focus mk3 facelift and the not yet new Mondeo), which I'm actually quite impressed with.