St220 or focus st?
Discussion
Looking for a new car for the Mrs and looking at the mondeo st220 or a mk2 focus st
The mondy is around £1500-£2500
The focus is around £3500-£5000
I am finding the mondy is a rare beast to find, then when you do find one it has zero to little service history (I'm not expecting massive amounts for a 2000k but some proof of some tlc is always nice)
This can too be said for the focus, but it's somewhat less rare so there is more to choose from
So does anyone have any experience of these two cars and offer advise on which one, and should I just wait out for the right mondy
The mondy is around £1500-£2500
The focus is around £3500-£5000
I am finding the mondy is a rare beast to find, then when you do find one it has zero to little service history (I'm not expecting massive amounts for a 2000k but some proof of some tlc is always nice)
This can too be said for the focus, but it's somewhat less rare so there is more to choose from
So does anyone have any experience of these two cars and offer advise on which one, and should I just wait out for the right mondy
t but there are more hatchback versions about.Had both. Loved the st220 although it was a low mile absolute minter in perf blue and black leather. Lovely car and handled very well on a set of eibach springs. I don't get overly attached to cars and only keep for 12/24 months max but I was very sad to see the mondy go. That was replaced by an st2 focus. Great engine, ok ish handling, lots of tuning potential. But I never really gelled with it. It just felt like a random parts bin car. At 50k it needed bushes everywhere. Engine mounts. Driveshafts (v common and v expensive). Was heavy on tyres and the clutch was struggling. Although that could be down to previous abuse. It also loved to pay visits to the petrol pumps too.
If both were put in front of me now I wouldn't hesitate to get in the mondeo. Although the wife loved the focus and wasn't impressed when I flogged it.
If both were put in front of me now I wouldn't hesitate to get in the mondeo. Although the wife loved the focus and wasn't impressed when I flogged it.
sdh2903 said:
Had both. Loved the st220 although it was a low mile absolute minter in perf blue and black leather. Lovely car and handled very well on a set of eibach springs. I don't get overly attached to cars and only keep for 12/24 months max but I was very sad to see the mondy go. That was replaced by an st2 focus. Great engine, ok ish handling, lots of tuning potential. But I never really gelled with it. It just felt like a random parts bin car. At 50k it needed bushes everywhere. Engine mounts. Driveshafts (v common and v expensive). Was heavy on tyres and the clutch was struggling. Although that could be down to previous abuse. It also loved to pay visits to the petrol pumps too.
If both were put in front of me now I wouldn't hesitate to get in the mondeo. Although the wife loved the focus and wasn't impressed when I flogged it.
Managed over 200k without a clutch change, never had any issues with the driveshafts or engine mounts, tyres lasted 12-15k/double that for tears and averaged north of 25mpg, so none of these are an absolute given in the Focus. I'd agree about the suspension having a bit of a sense of flakiness about it though & I'd be wary of the oil diaphragm as much as anything.If both were put in front of me now I wouldn't hesitate to get in the mondeo. Although the wife loved the focus and wasn't impressed when I flogged it.
I can't say anything about the Mondeo, but overall, the Focus did OK for me and I do miss the sound.
DukeDickson said:
I can't say anything about the Mondeo, but overall, the Focus did OK for me and I do miss the sound.
Very true the 5 pot did have an irresistible growl. But then again the v6 in the mondy wasn't shabby either.Neither car was economical but id get 30ish out of the mondeo but low 20s in the focus.
We have had an ST220 estate for just over 6 years now and it has been fantastic.
I bought it as we wanted something big when we were expecting our first child but something that was also safe, refined, fun to drive (for me) and with some toys. Ours is performance blue with the light leather heated interior with touch screen sat nav. It does not have parking sensors which is a bit of a pain!
We bought it for £5000 with 37k on the clock and it is now fast approaching 110k and has been faultless. I service it every 10,000 miles and/or annually and, outside routine servicing and consumables, it has need a rear brake calliper, hand brake cables and a breather pipe (£15).
It has been employed on intercontinental trips as well as the usual "family" duties of school runs, tip runs, massive loads from IKEA etc.
The whole package is more than a sum of its parts. The engine is great but feels like it lacks low down torque (a by product of power). Peak torque is at 4900 rpm but you do actually get a fair wedge lower down. Comparing it to the various petrol 3 litre BMWs I have the ST220 actually performs similarly in terms of acceleration; it simply delivers it in a different way. Handling is great for a big car even on the standard set up. It eats through front tyres which is as much weight as it is being reasonably powerful and FWD.
The big point is that it is simply huge inside. Its rectangular dimensions make load carrying easy and, although not as wide as our R Class Merc, the boot space is actually better (seats up).
It is a simple naturally aspirated, manual gearbox, conventional suspension car that has been really reliable, fun and useful. We are in a rather enviable position that we could get (almost) any car but I would struggle to find something that does the same as the ST to justify a bigger price tag. They are also rare so just get one!
I bought it as we wanted something big when we were expecting our first child but something that was also safe, refined, fun to drive (for me) and with some toys. Ours is performance blue with the light leather heated interior with touch screen sat nav. It does not have parking sensors which is a bit of a pain!
We bought it for £5000 with 37k on the clock and it is now fast approaching 110k and has been faultless. I service it every 10,000 miles and/or annually and, outside routine servicing and consumables, it has need a rear brake calliper, hand brake cables and a breather pipe (£15).
It has been employed on intercontinental trips as well as the usual "family" duties of school runs, tip runs, massive loads from IKEA etc.
The whole package is more than a sum of its parts. The engine is great but feels like it lacks low down torque (a by product of power). Peak torque is at 4900 rpm but you do actually get a fair wedge lower down. Comparing it to the various petrol 3 litre BMWs I have the ST220 actually performs similarly in terms of acceleration; it simply delivers it in a different way. Handling is great for a big car even on the standard set up. It eats through front tyres which is as much weight as it is being reasonably powerful and FWD.
The big point is that it is simply huge inside. Its rectangular dimensions make load carrying easy and, although not as wide as our R Class Merc, the boot space is actually better (seats up).
It is a simple naturally aspirated, manual gearbox, conventional suspension car that has been really reliable, fun and useful. We are in a rather enviable position that we could get (almost) any car but I would struggle to find something that does the same as the ST to justify a bigger price tag. They are also rare so just get one!
DukeDickson said:
Managed over 200k without a clutch change, never had any issues with the driveshafts or engine mounts, tyres lasted 12-15k/double that for tears and averaged north of 25mpg, so none of these are an absolute given in the Focus. I'd agree about the suspension having a bit of a sense of flakiness about it though & I'd be wary of the oil diaphragm as much as anything.
I can't say anything about the Mondeo, but overall, the Focus did OK for me and I do miss the sound.
I've not had engine mount, clutch or suspension issues (110k miles ish), but I have had a driveshaft go. Don't remember it being more than a few hundred even though it was done at a dealer. It's been dirt cheap really.I can't say anything about the Mondeo, but overall, the Focus did OK for me and I do miss the sound.
It's fairly greedy with fuel and tyres but I can live with that as I'm not doing much mileage now.
768 said:
DukeDickson said:
Managed over 200k without a clutch change, never had any issues with the driveshafts or engine mounts, tyres lasted 12-15k/double that for tears and averaged north of 25mpg, so none of these are an absolute given in the Focus. I'd agree about the suspension having a bit of a sense of flakiness about it though & I'd be wary of the oil diaphragm as much as anything.
I can't say anything about the Mondeo, but overall, the Focus did OK for me and I do miss the sound.
I've not had engine mount, clutch or suspension issues (110k miles ish), but I have had a driveshaft go. Don't remember it being more than a few hundred even though it was done at a dealer. It's been dirt cheap really.I can't say anything about the Mondeo, but overall, the Focus did OK for me and I do miss the sound.
It's fairly greedy with fuel and tyres but I can live with that as I'm not doing much mileage now.
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