£14000 Focus ST or Golf R
Discussion
So I've finally narrowed my choice of a daily to these two.
£14000 tops, do I go for a 2015/16 Focus or try and get into an early R?
Daily driver on mainly damp greasy bumpy b roads, doesn't have to set the world alight excitement wise but needs 5 doors.
Be great to hear from you if you have owned either.
£14000 tops, do I go for a 2015/16 Focus or try and get into an early R?
Daily driver on mainly damp greasy bumpy b roads, doesn't have to set the world alight excitement wise but needs 5 doors.
Be great to hear from you if you have owned either.
I'd a 2013 Focus ST-2 2.0T for some months there.
Great all rounder, i think it could cope fine with a remap to maybe 280BHP if you wanted but 250BHP seemed fine to me. People talk about torque steer with them but i never experienced it.
Interior trim and finish will be a step down from the Golf, as will the performance.
I know of a few people who thought their Golf R was quite dull and anodyne - a Golf GTI seems to have a bit more personality built in. Might be worth a look?
Also, one you might not have considered - Astra VXR. I had a test drive in a 2014 one on Tuesday and i was very impressed. Much better put together than the Focus and benefited from an LSD as standard. Cheap as chips too - the one i looked at was 2014, 28K miles, was from a Vauxhall main dealer and was just £11,295 before negotiating.
But maybe you need a 5 door?
Great all rounder, i think it could cope fine with a remap to maybe 280BHP if you wanted but 250BHP seemed fine to me. People talk about torque steer with them but i never experienced it.
Interior trim and finish will be a step down from the Golf, as will the performance.
I know of a few people who thought their Golf R was quite dull and anodyne - a Golf GTI seems to have a bit more personality built in. Might be worth a look?
Also, one you might not have considered - Astra VXR. I had a test drive in a 2014 one on Tuesday and i was very impressed. Much better put together than the Focus and benefited from an LSD as standard. Cheap as chips too - the one i looked at was 2014, 28K miles, was from a Vauxhall main dealer and was just £11,295 before negotiating.
But maybe you need a 5 door?
Edited by Deep Thought on Friday 24th January 10:35
I owned a Focus ST with the full Mountune performance pack upgrades on and whilst it was a very good car and very competent I would say it's a level below a Golf R in terms of performance, a fair comparison would be Golf R to Focus RS but you won't get an RS in your budget.
'd be going for the Golf R is you can find a good one in your budget.
'd be going for the Golf R is you can find a good one in your budget.
Your budget is at the bottom end for a Mk7 R, so it would be a high miler, insurance write off or perhaps not in the best condition and lacking options. Unless you mean an older Mk6 R? (which are quite a bit rarer).
The Golf GTI is probably more comparable to the Focus ST, more achievable for the budget, and still a great car!
I've had a Focus ST (estate) for getting on for five years and it has been a good car. Had a mk5 GTI before that. The Focus has a more characterful engine, more muscle, but doesn't get the power down so well in the damp. In the dry in a straight line it is quick (obviously a Golf R with more power and 4wd will be a step beyond off the mark though).
The Golf GTI is probably more comparable to the Focus ST, more achievable for the budget, and still a great car!
I've had a Focus ST (estate) for getting on for five years and it has been a good car. Had a mk5 GTI before that. The Focus has a more characterful engine, more muscle, but doesn't get the power down so well in the damp. In the dry in a straight line it is quick (obviously a Golf R with more power and 4wd will be a step beyond off the mark though).
I was trying to make the same decision about 9 months ago, albeit looking at estate versions and a bit newer.
A mate of mine has the Golf R so have a little experience there, and almost all of my previous cars have been Fords (with the exception of one Vauxhall, never to be repeated).
The R is a competitor for the RS, where as the GTI is the ST equivalent. On paper at least the fords trump the VW's in terms of performance, but when you compare the R against the ST then the R will win hands down.
The R is bloody quick, but handles almost a little too well thanks to the 4wd, I can see why some may say the ride is a little boring.
For me the ST is plenty quick enough, sometimes I think I would like a bit more but isn't that the case with any car you own once it becomes familiar?
In the end I went with the ST. An R was going to be a bit more of a stretch financially and I was able to get a newer lower mileage ST for the same money which was important to me with it being a family car. Styling wise I prefer the ST, I don't dislike the R, but it seemed a bit dull in the looks department. I fully appreciate that not standing out is a preference for some.
And the final point that made my decision was service and maintenance costs, I (rightly or wrongly) saw the 4wd system as something else to go wrong and more expensive to fix should anything go wrong.
A mate of mine has the Golf R so have a little experience there, and almost all of my previous cars have been Fords (with the exception of one Vauxhall, never to be repeated).
The R is a competitor for the RS, where as the GTI is the ST equivalent. On paper at least the fords trump the VW's in terms of performance, but when you compare the R against the ST then the R will win hands down.
The R is bloody quick, but handles almost a little too well thanks to the 4wd, I can see why some may say the ride is a little boring.
For me the ST is plenty quick enough, sometimes I think I would like a bit more but isn't that the case with any car you own once it becomes familiar?
In the end I went with the ST. An R was going to be a bit more of a stretch financially and I was able to get a newer lower mileage ST for the same money which was important to me with it being a family car. Styling wise I prefer the ST, I don't dislike the R, but it seemed a bit dull in the looks department. I fully appreciate that not standing out is a preference for some.
And the final point that made my decision was service and maintenance costs, I (rightly or wrongly) saw the 4wd system as something else to go wrong and more expensive to fix should anything go wrong.
2018 ST owner here 
I daily mine, 50 miles a day mainly B roads. Good fun but doesn't compare to a Golf R when it comes to performance, especially in the wet. A few months back coming off a damp roundabout the difference was very apparent as the R behind me blasted past on the exit whereas I was unable to get the power down. Admittedly mine is still on the "ok-ish" mid-range tires it came with and I'm not exactly a driving god, but even accounting for this I don't think the ST would be able to touch the R. But saying that, a fairer comparison would be the RS as already mentioned.
Decent tires will be fitted shortly, and at some point I'll look at getting a LSD fitted as I think that will be more beneficial than power hikes. After that I'll probably look at a mild remap to ~275ish...
No regrets with my choice, the Golf doesn't do it for me. Not driven one, but having sat in one it didn't feel that special, plus the looks from the outside are a bit bland.
I daily mine, 50 miles a day mainly B roads. Good fun but doesn't compare to a Golf R when it comes to performance, especially in the wet. A few months back coming off a damp roundabout the difference was very apparent as the R behind me blasted past on the exit whereas I was unable to get the power down. Admittedly mine is still on the "ok-ish" mid-range tires it came with and I'm not exactly a driving god, but even accounting for this I don't think the ST would be able to touch the R. But saying that, a fairer comparison would be the RS as already mentioned.
Decent tires will be fitted shortly, and at some point I'll look at getting a LSD fitted as I think that will be more beneficial than power hikes. After that I'll probably look at a mild remap to ~275ish...
No regrets with my choice, the Golf doesn't do it for me. Not driven one, but having sat in one it didn't feel that special, plus the looks from the outside are a bit bland.
ChrisH72 said:
I'll throw a spanner in the works.
You mentioned that you mainly drive on wet, greasy b roads so surely AWD is a better bet for you?
How about an S3?
How does that throw a spanner in the works? OP's budget is barely enough for a decent Golf R, so how is an S3 achievable? Unless you get the previous version which is old and not as good as a Golf R....You mentioned that you mainly drive on wet, greasy b roads so surely AWD is a better bet for you?
How about an S3?
At your price point the ST-3 is the pick you should be fine traction wise & you can get some very nice ones at your price point:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/202...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/202...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
The car that I'd say sits between the Golf & Focus is the Peugeot Sport 308 GTI it's a good steer & as long as you like (I've found that there's a 50/50 split with people on this) the dash layout, it's at least worth a test drive
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/202...
A good AWD alternative to (with a better interior than both the Golf/Focus) Golf R is this:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
Down on power & not as sweet a steer (it's as good a steer as it's AMG Engineered cousin) but a very capable car & if you can live with it (210) being down on power then it's a very good pick, it'll also be the newest which means it just qualifies for an Nissan manufacturers warranty extension.
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/202...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/202...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
The car that I'd say sits between the Golf & Focus is the Peugeot Sport 308 GTI it's a good steer & as long as you like (I've found that there's a 50/50 split with people on this) the dash layout, it's at least worth a test drive
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/202...
A good AWD alternative to (with a better interior than both the Golf/Focus) Golf R is this:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201...
Down on power & not as sweet a steer (it's as good a steer as it's AMG Engineered cousin) but a very capable car & if you can live with it (210) being down on power then it's a very good pick, it'll also be the newest which means it just qualifies for an Nissan manufacturers warranty extension.
stargazer30 said:
I’ve had similar thoughts for my next car. I have a mk7 fez ST so the focus would be the natural choice, but I’d like a 4wd. Do golf r,s still get stolen at gun point or have the crims moved into other cars these days?
I think it gets blown out of proportion slightly but could be a risk depending on where in the country you live.ChrisH72 said:
I'll throw a spanner in the works.
You mentioned that you mainly drive on wet, greasy b roads so surely AWD is a better bet for you?
How about an S3?
I did look at the older S3 but I can’t help thinking the money is spent better elsewhere.You mentioned that you mainly drive on wet, greasy b roads so surely AWD is a better bet for you?
How about an S3?
I don’t drive like a t w a t so with decent tyres traction should be ok in a 2wd, you just have to learn to drive them properly.
Gassing Station | Car Buying | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff