Ford Focus ST Estate: Spotted
This forgotten fast Ford is still quick, still rare and getting cheaper, too
But when did you last see a Focus ST Estate? It's likely to have been longer ago, given their scarcity. Of the 595 Focus ST Mk3s on PH currently, just 41 are Estates. Dig down further and you'll discover only 20 petrol models, outnumbered by the STD(iesel) variant. And with half a dozen misplaced ads or car already sold, that leaves just 14 petrol ST wagons available. From nearly 600!
The ST looks especially appealing, though, at half its official new price, this ST-3 on sale with just 38,000 miles recorded for £12,990. The colour may not be to all tastes - but, as mentioned, you aren't exactly spoilt for choice when it comes to picking a Focus ST Estate. Being the range-topper you'll get all the equipment you're likely to need (albeit still in a fiddly, slightly tacky interior), plus this particular car has a full service history and an MOT until November.
Nobody could deny that the facelift improved the ST, quelling a lot of those torque steer concerns as well as improving the looks both inside and out. At the moment you'll need another £5k on top of this one to get an updated model, but the ST's inherent appeal is there in both generations.
Furthermore (can you tell we're quite keen on this?) there are a range of aftermarket parts for the Focus to address the commonly raised problems. Mountune has a Symposer Delete for £20, Sport Springs for £180, and don't forget there's that MP275 upgrade, too.
So there you have it: tough, good value, fast, fun, practical and rare - the Focus ST Estate really does offer an awful lot. And don't worry, not every single one is orange - it's just somebody had already beaten you to the blue one!
SPECIFICATION - FORD FOCUS ST
Engine: 2,000cc, 4-cylinder turbocharged
Transmission: 6-speed manual, front-wheel drive
Power (hp): 250@5,500rpm
Torque (lb ft): 250@1,750rpm
MPG: 41.5 (NEDC combined)
CO2: 159g/km
First registered: 2013
Recorded mileage: 38,000
Price new: £26,595
Price now: £12,990
See the original advert here.
[Source: Mountune]
I do like fast estates but i'm not sure Ford quite have the same following for them as say the fast Audi's. However, they will be a much cheaper proposition. I do love a bit of Tangerine Scream.
This sounds like a great car that i had forgotten existed ! time to look at the classifieds
Having said that I've always thought the spec on the 'base' mk 3 vRS is pretty mean, given the kit you get on the supposedly inferior SE-L. No ACC, Nav, small screen, no front sensors... I bet the ST-3 has it licked on toys. That dash tho...
Good cars though, or the hatchback that I drove was; are they much different dynamically? I'm guessing not.
The 2.0 petrol a very flexible engine and a bit of a hoot to drive as it feels much smaller than it actually is. MPG is woeful, it truly is. My M3 does better
The drawbacks are that the Cabin is fairly cramped, but our kids are fairly tall and also some of the build quality is questionable. The rubbers seals are shocking, hate the panel gaps, the electronic interface is a farce and its a hassle getting your phone connected at times with all the SYNC ste.
Apart from build quality, reliability has been fantastic
Its definitely been built to a price. But I think they are holding their values fairly strong. We purchased ours two years ago with 32,000 miles on the clock with FSH history for £12k. It currently resides on nearly 50,000 now.
If the build quality is similar in the RS, I wont be buying an RS.
Have a number of customers who love these and have changed to the facelift model when they came out. Their old models always sell quickly as well, so the market definitely seems to be good for them, certainly from my experience.
Having had most of the rivals in vanilla-spec (not ST) as a rental at one point or another, the Focus does drive nicely, but I struggle with the centre console - it’s trying too hard. As a choice of this or the Octy at £12k, the Focus would win IMO.
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