New Fiesta ST or old Focus RS/ Type R

[DoreenWong]

Hello everybody.

The reviews are in for the new Fiesta ST today and they look very positive! I am thinking with the way car prices are going that the new one with all the mod cons will be over £20k - £22k so is it better to get that for that money or something for similar price that is 2 or 3 years old - example Focus RS or Civic Type R.

Advantages of a new car -

- Warranty
- more mod cons - the new ST has cruise control, automated parking, lane assist, better sat nav, blind spot protection etc. And according to reviews in today performs very well
- Newer plate
- worry free motoring
- Fun of a totally brand new car

Advantages of an older car -

- Better performance
- more road presence
- probably lower depreciation on example 2 year old focus RS over next 3 years than guaranteed loss on Fiesta ST.

So what would you do if you were in the £20k-£25k price bracket? I like something hot fun but also has some practicality so no point looking at a 2 seater. This new ST has pretty amazing spec in terms of the mod cons but not quite the performance!

[jonnM]

Get a MK2 Focus RS, a green one!

[DoreenWong]

jonnM said:

Get a MK2 Focus RS, a green one!

So that would be going even older, less reliability, more chance of problems, even fewer mod cons? Lol must be a hell of a performance to bridge that gap.

[steve-5snwi]

The RS is likely to appreciate, the ST won't

[TameRacingDriver]

DoreenWong said:

jonnM said:

Get a MK2 Focus RS, a green one!

So that would be going even older, less reliability, more chance of problems, even fewer mod cons? Lol must be a hell of a performance to bridge that gap.

I’m pretty sure it’ll still have plenty of mod cons, and the Volvo engine is not known for unreliability. And yes, it will be considerably faster than a Fiesta ST.

[tonyb1968]

Hyundai's new i30N falls into the £25k bracket (though its the performance model you want, they may not be discounting them much yet), you should be able to get a new Peugeot 308 GTi 270 for around the £25k mark with a bit of haggling, the new Megane RS is coming in at £27k, you can also look at the 208 GTI by PS which will be around 22k new (before haggling) or the new ST will be a good buy, it just depends what you want as the options are there for you depending on what your requirements are size wise

[ZX10R NIN]

If you can find a Mountune 2.5T RS not only will you have a great car but also one that will depreciate much more slowly than any of the more mainstream alternatives.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...

[designforlife]

FD2 type R, if you want to make some money in the long run. A minter is about £15-17k at the moment.

[TameRacingDriver]

designforlife said:

FD2 type R, if you want to make some money in the long run. A minter is about £15-17k at the moment.

I could be wrong but I'm not sure they'll go up much more. Prices of dc2s and dc5s haven't really gone up massively for a long time and I'm not sure anyone would really be willing to pay much more than that for a civic saloon even if it is a very good car.

It would be a good depreciation free car but I wouldn't be expecting to make a profit especially if you actually remember use the thing.

[JS2808]

DoreenWong said:

So that would be going even older, less reliability, more chance of problems, even fewer mod cons? Lol must be a hell of a performance to bridge that gap.

do your research, MK2 RS known for excellent reliability.

MK3 RS.... well, need I say anything?

[designforlife]

TameRacingDriver said:

designforlife said:

FD2 type R, if you want to make some money in the long run. A minter is about £15-17k at the moment.

I could be wrong but I'm not sure they'll go up much more. Prices of dc2s and dc5s haven't really gone up massively for a long time and I'm not sure anyone would really be willing to pay much more than that for a civic saloon even if it is a very good car.

It would be a good depreciation free car but I wouldn't be expecting to make a profit especially if you actually remember use the thing.

My dc5 has gone up about £1500 in 2 years, they are absolutely still climbing. FD2s are doing the same, you can't find a tatty one for less than £12k. S2000s experiencing much the same gradual climb too.

5 years ago you could get an immaculate DC5 for £7k, you are looking at £9-10k now for the same standard of car.

[Jag_NE]

steve-5snwi said:

The RS is likely to appreciate, the ST won't

yes, but only if you can afford to stick it in a garage and use it sparingly or ideally not at all. If he is doing an average mileage the car will quickly become worn out and worth a lot less. add to that the additional running costs of keeping the older car on the road, net spend may not be very much different.

[nickfrog]

DoreenWong said:

Hi Humandoing, how is it going ?