- Jun 6, 2002
- 7,791
- 114
- 106
*** 3 month update post #87 ***
I've had the new/new-to-me car bug for the last few months though my 15 year old Accord runs pretty well (once I get the new ignition switch in, anyway).
I'd been looking for a well cared-for, low-mileage Infiniti G37 but they're almost impossible to find in Sport (read: manual) configuration, at least at a decent price. I'd found one but it had been wrecked and I wasn't going to spend that kind of money on a wrecked car. Plus the gas mileage is poor enough to give me pause.
I've always liked sporty hatches, since my '91 Eclipse Turbo which I absolutely loved, so I started looking at MS3's. But all the comparisons with the Focus ST showed it a generation or so behind, and that the Focus was the clear winner. I've not had time to test drive either yet so everything has been based on reviewers' opinions - plus the Focus gets pretty good mileage for a 250hp car (23/32).
A friend of ours is the sales manager at the local Ford dealer, and they happen to have one in my preferred color, "Performance Blue". I really just want the ST2 package but this one is absolutely loaded - ST3 with moonroof - literally the only option it doesn't have is engine block heater. He's going to give it to us at just a shade over invoice ($26.7+ttl), which seems very generous considering it's a new model. It lists at almost $30K.
My wife will be home with the car shortly so I can take her (the car) for a spin. I'm not sure if we have the car to test for the weekend or just the afternoon.
So, ATG, any compelling reason I should quell my excitement over my first new car in 20+ years and do the sensible thing - hold onto my old car for another couple of years then slide into another used car? Over the years, I've driven my Eclipse to 175K, my '00 Maxima to 220K, and my current Accord to 250K, so I'm not exactly the type to jump from car to car. I keep them.
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UPDATE: 5/28/13
The ST has been purchased!
I decided to test the WRX as a comparison. I actually drove by the Ford dealer first thing this morning and my friend let me take the ST down to the Subaru dealer
He said he wasn't worried, he said he knew I would end up buying it and hadn't let anyone drive it since I returned it Saturday morning. I wanted to have the freshest memories to compare and he accommodated me.
The closest Subaru dealer had zero WRX's on the lot so I went to one slightly further (though actually closer to Ford). This dealer had a base hatchback in stock, though in silver - not my preference since my wife's van is silver. Both blue colors that Subaru offers are better (IMO) than the Focus' but they were not available. They weren't willing to haggle much, so the base WRX was going to cost essentially the same as the fully loaded Focus ST. I didn't care for the interior on the WRX. There wasn't necessarily anything wrong with it, but it reminded me of the Nissan Sentra I had test driven a couple of years ago. It also had a couple of rattles in the door and just didn't feel as solid. The stereo was a notch below the Focus as well. The WRX was roomier, especially from the driver's seat, but I find the tight leather Recaros of the ST very comfortable and comforting.
Performance-wise, the WRX was great. I didn't hard-launch it (and will never hard-launch the ST either), but it had good power and lack of torque steer was noticeable in the corners. However, it didn't feel as tight as the Focus - just not as intuitive I guess. In the end, I'm coming from a 15yo car with virtually no power and the performance of the WRX didn't blow me away relative to the ST.
In the end, I couldn't justify trading the creature comforts of the fully loaded ST for *slightly* better performance of the WRX at the same price - especially since my wife was a strong advocate for leather. My wishlist was really for an economical daily driver that was fun to drive and the Focus fit that bill better than the WRX (or the MS3 for that matter).
I called my friend at Ford and he had the paperwork ready for me, so I stroked a check and was out of there in less than an hour. I've not had a car payment in 9 years, and I've been putting $400/mo away since then for this purpose.
The only thing so far that I really dislike about the ST is the voice recognition - it's just god-awful. SIRI on the iPhone is annoying and clueless sometimes, but she's a freaking genius compared to this system. Plus, when the system doesn't understand a command, it gives you a 30 second diatribe about how to use it, the 1-800 support number, etc. Sooooo annoying. Supposedly the system will get better over time as it is trained, but I don't think I have the patience to train her, I'll just use the manual controls (which work well enough).
I've had the new/new-to-me car bug for the last few months though my 15 year old Accord runs pretty well (once I get the new ignition switch in, anyway).
I'd been looking for a well cared-for, low-mileage Infiniti G37 but they're almost impossible to find in Sport (read: manual) configuration, at least at a decent price. I'd found one but it had been wrecked and I wasn't going to spend that kind of money on a wrecked car. Plus the gas mileage is poor enough to give me pause.
I've always liked sporty hatches, since my '91 Eclipse Turbo which I absolutely loved, so I started looking at MS3's. But all the comparisons with the Focus ST showed it a generation or so behind, and that the Focus was the clear winner. I've not had time to test drive either yet so everything has been based on reviewers' opinions - plus the Focus gets pretty good mileage for a 250hp car (23/32).
A friend of ours is the sales manager at the local Ford dealer, and they happen to have one in my preferred color, "Performance Blue". I really just want the ST2 package but this one is absolutely loaded - ST3 with moonroof - literally the only option it doesn't have is engine block heater. He's going to give it to us at just a shade over invoice ($26.7+ttl), which seems very generous considering it's a new model. It lists at almost $30K.
My wife will be home with the car shortly so I can take her (the car) for a spin. I'm not sure if we have the car to test for the weekend or just the afternoon.
So, ATG, any compelling reason I should quell my excitement over my first new car in 20+ years and do the sensible thing - hold onto my old car for another couple of years then slide into another used car? Over the years, I've driven my Eclipse to 175K, my '00 Maxima to 220K, and my current Accord to 250K, so I'm not exactly the type to jump from car to car. I keep them.
**************************************
UPDATE: 5/28/13
The ST has been purchased!
I decided to test the WRX as a comparison. I actually drove by the Ford dealer first thing this morning and my friend let me take the ST down to the Subaru dealer
The closest Subaru dealer had zero WRX's on the lot so I went to one slightly further (though actually closer to Ford). This dealer had a base hatchback in stock, though in silver - not my preference since my wife's van is silver. Both blue colors that Subaru offers are better (IMO) than the Focus' but they were not available. They weren't willing to haggle much, so the base WRX was going to cost essentially the same as the fully loaded Focus ST. I didn't care for the interior on the WRX. There wasn't necessarily anything wrong with it, but it reminded me of the Nissan Sentra I had test driven a couple of years ago. It also had a couple of rattles in the door and just didn't feel as solid. The stereo was a notch below the Focus as well. The WRX was roomier, especially from the driver's seat, but I find the tight leather Recaros of the ST very comfortable and comforting.
Performance-wise, the WRX was great. I didn't hard-launch it (and will never hard-launch the ST either), but it had good power and lack of torque steer was noticeable in the corners. However, it didn't feel as tight as the Focus - just not as intuitive I guess. In the end, I'm coming from a 15yo car with virtually no power and the performance of the WRX didn't blow me away relative to the ST.
In the end, I couldn't justify trading the creature comforts of the fully loaded ST for *slightly* better performance of the WRX at the same price - especially since my wife was a strong advocate for leather. My wishlist was really for an economical daily driver that was fun to drive and the Focus fit that bill better than the WRX (or the MS3 for that matter).
I called my friend at Ford and he had the paperwork ready for me, so I stroked a check and was out of there in less than an hour. I've not had a car payment in 9 years, and I've been putting $400/mo away since then for this purpose.
The only thing so far that I really dislike about the ST is the voice recognition - it's just god-awful. SIRI on the iPhone is annoying and clueless sometimes, but she's a freaking genius compared to this system. Plus, when the system doesn't understand a command, it gives you a 30 second diatribe about how to use it, the 1-800 support number, etc. Sooooo annoying. Supposedly the system will get better over time as it is trained, but I don't think I have the patience to train her, I'll just use the manual controls (which work well enough).
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