2012 Ford Focus ST-3
Discussion
Hello
A few pictures and a wee bit of background to my new car, a 2012 Ford Focus ST-3 Hatchback in Colorado Red.
I've owned a Focus previously, a 57-plate Ghia 2.0 TDCI in blue which was a great car apart from a pretty major water leak into the cabin. Despite numerous trips to Ford main dealers and a couple of windscreen experts the fault could not be located.
The last person to look at the car reckoned there was a seam on the bulkhead between the engine and the dash that hadn't been welded properly & this would mean further expense to start getting the dash removed etc, by this time I was fed up with it and decided I wanted something new. So I traded it in for a Skoda Octavia VRS on a 10-plate.
After a while I decided I would look to have a wee change, and with my daughter now being 4 years old I reckoned I could start looking at 3-door cars again. The Ford Focus RS caught my eye (the Mk2) version) and in May this year I decided, even though I had trouble with a previous Focus, to trade the Octavia in for an 11-plate green Focus RS.
It became apparent fairly quickly that I had made a mistake, the whole getting daughter in and out the back seat proved to be a PITA and the car itself wasn't all I had hoped. 2 punctures within the first 48 hours of ownership didn't help (1 was a slow puncture on the sidewall that was there from purchase, dealer agreed to pay for a brand new tyre) then a problems with wheel balancing, tracking and a loose drivers side door mirror meant I got fed up with the car. Despite taking the car to a number of recognised specialised the problems with the wheel balancing, tracking & mirror were never totally resolved, merely just getting a bit better each time.
So - decided I needed to go back to a 4/5-door car again and an article online somewhere about the new ST caught my eye. After some further research online and seeing lots of interior and exterior pictures I decided to purchase my 3rd Focus, even though I had problems with the previous two! I think I might need my head looked at.
Ordered the car from Evans Halshaw in Motherwell on the 4th of August this year, car was built on 8th September and arrived at the dealers on Wednesday evening this week. Collected it mid-afternoon on Thursday.
I got some options on the car when it was being built: the power tilt/slide sunroof, cruise control, style pack (which consists of the darker wheels, painted calipers and the sill/kick plates are illuminated), privacy glass and the door protectors.
The week before I was due to trade the RS in I did a WeBuyAnyCar quote and ended up getting £508 more off of them than I would get by trading the car in. So the RS went off to WeBuyAnyCar a few days before my new ST arrived.
Anyway, some pics:
My car waiting to be loaded onto the train to come up to Scotland:
Red ST_3 19-09-2012 by oobster, on Flickr
My car being loaded onto the train down at the docks in England (Dagenham I think):
Red ST 19-09-2012 by oobster, on Flickr
The car sitting at the dealers awaiting PDI/cleaning:
Focus ST at Motherwell - 26-09-2012 by oobster, on Flickr
Inside the dealers waiting for me to drive it away:
Inside Showroom 27-09-2012_2 by oobster, on Flickr
Another one of it inside the showroom:
Inside Showroom 27-09-2012_3 by oobster, on Flickr
A few pictures and a wee bit of background to my new car, a 2012 Ford Focus ST-3 Hatchback in Colorado Red.
I've owned a Focus previously, a 57-plate Ghia 2.0 TDCI in blue which was a great car apart from a pretty major water leak into the cabin. Despite numerous trips to Ford main dealers and a couple of windscreen experts the fault could not be located.
The last person to look at the car reckoned there was a seam on the bulkhead between the engine and the dash that hadn't been welded properly & this would mean further expense to start getting the dash removed etc, by this time I was fed up with it and decided I wanted something new. So I traded it in for a Skoda Octavia VRS on a 10-plate.
After a while I decided I would look to have a wee change, and with my daughter now being 4 years old I reckoned I could start looking at 3-door cars again. The Ford Focus RS caught my eye (the Mk2) version) and in May this year I decided, even though I had trouble with a previous Focus, to trade the Octavia in for an 11-plate green Focus RS.
It became apparent fairly quickly that I had made a mistake, the whole getting daughter in and out the back seat proved to be a PITA and the car itself wasn't all I had hoped. 2 punctures within the first 48 hours of ownership didn't help (1 was a slow puncture on the sidewall that was there from purchase, dealer agreed to pay for a brand new tyre) then a problems with wheel balancing, tracking and a loose drivers side door mirror meant I got fed up with the car. Despite taking the car to a number of recognised specialised the problems with the wheel balancing, tracking & mirror were never totally resolved, merely just getting a bit better each time.
So - decided I needed to go back to a 4/5-door car again and an article online somewhere about the new ST caught my eye. After some further research online and seeing lots of interior and exterior pictures I decided to purchase my 3rd Focus, even though I had problems with the previous two! I think I might need my head looked at.
Ordered the car from Evans Halshaw in Motherwell on the 4th of August this year, car was built on 8th September and arrived at the dealers on Wednesday evening this week. Collected it mid-afternoon on Thursday.
I got some options on the car when it was being built: the power tilt/slide sunroof, cruise control, style pack (which consists of the darker wheels, painted calipers and the sill/kick plates are illuminated), privacy glass and the door protectors.
The week before I was due to trade the RS in I did a WeBuyAnyCar quote and ended up getting £508 more off of them than I would get by trading the car in. So the RS went off to WeBuyAnyCar a few days before my new ST arrived.
Anyway, some pics:
My car waiting to be loaded onto the train to come up to Scotland:
Red ST_3 19-09-2012 by oobster, on Flickr
My car being loaded onto the train down at the docks in England (Dagenham I think):
Red ST 19-09-2012 by oobster, on Flickr
The car sitting at the dealers awaiting PDI/cleaning:
Focus ST at Motherwell - 26-09-2012 by oobster, on Flickr
Inside the dealers waiting for me to drive it away:
Inside Showroom 27-09-2012_2 by oobster, on Flickr
Another one of it inside the showroom:
Inside Showroom 27-09-2012_3 by oobster, on Flickr
I've only done 60 miles in the car so far so can't make too much comment on my experiences with it but so far all is good. Slightly annoyed with the large-ish gap between the bonnet and the front bumper but they are all like that. Annoying when you see the same car that has been built in America and the gap is MUCH smaller, but all the German-built ST's have a larger gap. However, a small point and I intend to get my bodyshop mate to have a look at the car in the next few weeks and see if there is any adjustment to be made.
The seats inside the ST-3 (full leather as opposed to part-leather in the ST-2 and full cloth in the ST-1) are superb. Very comfortable as well as heated + electrically adjustable. Although I haven't quite got the hand of it yet (instruction manuals are for girls!) the SYNC system seems to be great for connecting the phone via bluetooth and scrolling through the playlists in my iPhone. Apparently there is even a fuction with the new ios6 software for iPhones when connected to the Ford SYNC system that will get the car to read out any text messages the phone receives, although I haven't tried it yet.
The drop in performance between the RS and the ST is, of course, very noticeable. There is still a decent amount of poke in the ST though, the brakes are excellent and the handling has still to be really tested by me.
The seats inside the ST-3 (full leather as opposed to part-leather in the ST-2 and full cloth in the ST-1) are superb. Very comfortable as well as heated + electrically adjustable. Although I haven't quite got the hand of it yet (instruction manuals are for girls!) the SYNC system seems to be great for connecting the phone via bluetooth and scrolling through the playlists in my iPhone. Apparently there is even a fuction with the new ios6 software for iPhones when connected to the Ford SYNC system that will get the car to read out any text messages the phone receives, although I haven't tried it yet.
The drop in performance between the RS and the ST is, of course, very noticeable. There is still a decent amount of poke in the ST though, the brakes are excellent and the handling has still to be really tested by me.
Looks nice in red mate it's just the 5 door has never grown on me as well as missing the 5 pot engine.
Funny your mention your RS my tracking's out as well they seem common for that
The new ST is nice inside better than the RS but the biggest problem with the new ST i reckon might be residual value. The RS seems to be holding value very well
Funny your mention your RS my tracking's out as well they seem common for that
The new ST is nice inside better than the RS but the biggest problem with the new ST i reckon might be residual value. The RS seems to be holding value very well
The ford dealer down the road from me has a Black estate version in. It looks really nice and well proportioned. The black does hide some of the awkward detailing mind, and the big grill up front. This new car, is technically loverly... lots of power, decent economy, half decent stab at the old cars 5 pot warble and the same great handling. I think it was in the last TG mag they pitted the ST against its rivals and while they said the golf is better made and the Megane is the ultimate B road/track weapon... none are as fun to drive as the ST and that, for me is what its all about.
Today they had a blue one outside the showroom sitting face to face with a MKII facelift also in blue. The new blue looks terrific, absolutely brilliant, deep radiant blue.
I'm really sorry OP but I don't fancy the red... love the car, but even the last ST didn't suit red in my eyes. Each to his own though, we are all different and at least its not another re-sale silver/grey and is adding a bit of colour to our roads!
Lovely car, enjoy it! I am definitely a ford man... although not at the moment, my very first two cars were fords and they were just excellent machines for having fun in. Currently saving for a tango Mk2 ST and no doubt in a few years when my PhD is done and me the lady have proper jobs, it'll take an incredibly good deal to keep me away from another fast ford. Mates have all got VAG GTi level cars and while they are good cars... I just don't ever see myself driving them for any length of time.
Today they had a blue one outside the showroom sitting face to face with a MKII facelift also in blue. The new blue looks terrific, absolutely brilliant, deep radiant blue.
I'm really sorry OP but I don't fancy the red... love the car, but even the last ST didn't suit red in my eyes. Each to his own though, we are all different and at least its not another re-sale silver/grey and is adding a bit of colour to our roads!
Lovely car, enjoy it! I am definitely a ford man... although not at the moment, my very first two cars were fords and they were just excellent machines for having fun in. Currently saving for a tango Mk2 ST and no doubt in a few years when my PhD is done and me the lady have proper jobs, it'll take an incredibly good deal to keep me away from another fast ford. Mates have all got VAG GTi level cars and while they are good cars... I just don't ever see myself driving them for any length of time.
Edited by Otispunkmeyer on Saturday 29th September 17:51
t. Looks good in red.
I work for Ford, and picked up my ST3 wagon last week (white, grey wheels) - so far enjoying it. Had an mk1 and a mk2 previously. Illuminating kick plates are a bit cheap looking, and the noise of the door edge protectors took me a while to work out. Seats are superb. Just missing the engine note from the 5-pots. Doesn't sound as characterful as the mk1 and mk2 , which is a real disappointment.
I work for Ford, and picked up my ST3 wagon last week (white, grey wheels) - so far enjoying it. Had an mk1 and a mk2 previously. Illuminating kick plates are a bit cheap looking, and the noise of the door edge protectors took me a while to work out. Seats are superb. Just missing the engine note from the 5-pots. Doesn't sound as characterful as the mk1 and mk2 , which is a real disappointment.
Going to view one of these this week, my mrs and I have both wanted one for a while now. I like the idea of the red, but at the moment the spirit blue is winning us over.
Any more feedback on what it's like to live with? A boring question I know, but what is the economy like on it? I'm under the impression that they can be fairly sensible, yet a hoot when provoked?
Hope you're having better luck with this one.
Any more feedback on what it's like to live with? A boring question I know, but what is the economy like on it? I'm under the impression that they can be fairly sensible, yet a hoot when provoked?
Hope you're having better luck with this one.
ST150HB said:
Any more feedback on what it's like to live with? A boring question I know, but what is the economy like on it? I'm under the impression that they can be fairly sensible, yet a hoot when provoked?
According to the dash I am getting 26.8mpg, i've done just a shade over 400 miles in it since purchase. Mmm, feedback - difficult still as I don't feel I've done sufficient mileage to warrant a full-on review but initial feelings are mostly positive. It doesn't help that I came to the ST from an RS, the RS felt (and sounded)like a big snarly beast whereas the ST feels quite tame - there is certainly a good amount of poke when pressing on but the whole 'theatre' of the RS is completely missing. The sound the ST makes is quite dull actually.
I'll try to write a bit more when I have time and once i've done a few hundred more miles but I am off on holiday abroad (without the car) for a week soon so it'll be the end of the month before I can update properly.
oobster said:
According to the dash I am getting 26.8mpg, i've done just a shade over 400 miles in it since purchase.
Mmm, feedback - difficult still as I don't feel I've done sufficient mileage to warrant a full-on review but initial feelings are mostly positive. It doesn't help that I came to the ST from an RS, the RS felt (and sounded)like a big snarly beast whereas the ST feels quite tame - there is certainly a good amount of poke when pressing on but the whole 'theatre' of the RS is completely missing. The sound the ST makes is quite dull actually.
I'll try to write a bit more when I have time and once i've done a few hundred more miles but I am off on holiday abroad (without the car) for a week soon so it'll be the end of the month before I can update properly.
You don't sound all that excited by it from the tone!Mmm, feedback - difficult still as I don't feel I've done sufficient mileage to warrant a full-on review but initial feelings are mostly positive. It doesn't help that I came to the ST from an RS, the RS felt (and sounded)like a big snarly beast whereas the ST feels quite tame - there is certainly a good amount of poke when pressing on but the whole 'theatre' of the RS is completely missing. The sound the ST makes is quite dull actually.
I'll try to write a bit more when I have time and once i've done a few hundred more miles but I am off on holiday abroad (without the car) for a week soon so it'll be the end of the month before I can update properly.
I'm assuming its because you haven't drove it enough yet? I saw the new ST at this years Ford Fair, I really like the interior, the exhaust and the general 'toned down' feel but I don't think I could trade in my RS for it but your not the only person trading in the RS for this option.
Here is a picture of mine at the moment:
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