Ford Focus ST - talk me out of it, ATG! UPDATE - car is mine!

SearchMaster

Diamond Member
Jun 6, 2002
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*** 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 :D 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).
 
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SearchMaster

Diamond Member
Jun 6, 2002
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Yeah I can afford it no problem. I'm a cheap-ass by nature but this car fits me in a lot of ways.

It's here, we have it until tomorrow. Though I suspect it won't be changing hands again :).

Here are my initial impressions:
Power delivery is very smooth for a small turbo. My old Eclipse would putter along until ~3000 rpm then absolutely kick you in the butt. The Focus has a lot of torque down low so there's not a lot of turbo lag. Torque steer isn't horrible but it is there. It handles very well though I didn't push the limits too hard.

Stereo system is important to me, and this one isn't bad (the Sony 10 speaker system). It's not special but for OEM I can live with it. People have complained that it's both boomy down low and harsh up top, the boominess is noticeable but I didn't find the highs harsh. It didn't have the Nav SD so I couldn't test that. The MSFT/Sync system is clunky but I'd expected that based on reading I'd done.

I love the seats (Recaro leather). They are the most comfortable I've had since my Eclipse - I just like highly bolstered seats better than the sedans I've had. My sons like the back seat as well and of course that's important. The all-black is going to get dirty with all their sports activities though, I'll have to get them to de-shoe.

Hatch space is limited. I won't be able to keep much in there to have room for baseball bags and football equipment.

My wife is all for it, she drove it home and had a blast (a chick who can drive manual - nice eh?) She's been wanting me to upgrade cars for a while but I've held out because I just couldn't justify spending the cash for something so (IMO) trivial. But it's nice to smile while driving again. The price looks to be excellent (beats the employee purchase price) so I just can't see a good reason not to go through with it. Update to follow :)
 

Fritzo

Lifer
Jan 3, 2001
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Sorry, I can't talk you out of it. The Focus ST is a hot car, especially in black or orange. the blue isn't bad with the black trim either, but looks a bit too common for such a hot car.

My one piece of advice is to TRY the Recaro seats first. They are vary narrow and uncomfortable for a lot of people. These seats are cloth. They don't have Recaro leather seats...it's either Recaro OR leather. The power band in the ST starts aroud 3500 RPM's, so you have to rev it a bit to start feeling it pull. Little to no torque steer, and it sticks to the ground like the wheels have velcro on them :)

The back seats fold down to double the hatch space, so you're fine there. It's one of those cars where they got nearly everything right in it's price range (well- I still think it's about $4000 over priced, but eh...), and it's one of the cars I recommend to anyone looking for a hatch.
 

SearchMaster

Diamond Member
Jun 6, 2002
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Sorry, I can't talk you out of it. The Focus ST is a hot car, especially in black or orange. the blue isn't bad with the black trim either, but looks a bit too common for such a hot car.

My one piece of advice is to TRY the Recaro seats first. They are vary narrow and uncomfortable for a lot of people. These seats are cloth. They don't have Recaro leather seats...it's either Recaro OR leather. The power band in the ST starts aroud 3500 RPM's, so you have to rev it a bit to start feeling it pull. Little to no torque steer, and it sticks to the ground like the wheels have velcro on them :)

The back seats fold down to double the hatch space, so you're fine there. It's one of those cars where they got nearly everything right in it's price range (well- I still think it's about $4000 over priced, but eh...), and it's one of the cars I recommend to anyone looking for a hatch.

The highest package, ST3, *is* leather Recaro. And I find them very comfortable but they are narrow. I'm not small but not that wide either (32" waist). Of course I know the seats fold down but I generally have 2-3 of my kids with me plus sports gear so folding will not often apply - I'll make do though. Not sure why you think it's overpriced...the base model at <$24K is very well equipped. I can see where you'd think the fully loaded ST3 is too much at almost $30K but most cars cost too much when fully optioned. My '91 Eclipse stickered at just over $18K, so comparing what you got at $18K 20 years ago versus what you get for $24K today makes the Focus seem a bargain.

One funny thing about the seats though - the leg bolsters are prominent also...my 9 year old son has racked himself on it twice, both getting in and out of the car. He still wants the car bad.
 

Pocatello

Diamond Member
Oct 11, 1999
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It's a Ford! Get a Honda Civic, you will be happier in the long run. Even if you don't like a Civic, you can sell it in a few years for very little loss.
 

jlee

Lifer
Sep 12, 2001
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It's a Ford! Get a Honda Civic, you will be happier in the long run. Even if you don't like a Civic, you can sell it in a few years for very little loss.
If you don't like a car, why the fuck would you buy it?
 
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SearchMaster

Diamond Member
Jun 6, 2002
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It's a Ford! Get a Honda Civic, you will be happier in the long run. Even if you don't like a Civic, you can sell it in a few years for very little loss.

If I want a Civic, I'll just keep the Accord. The only interesting Civic is the Si but I don't like the newest generation. Thanks for trying though :)
 

xSkyDrAx

Diamond Member
Sep 14, 2003
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It's a Ford! Get a Honda Civic, you will be happier in the long run. Even if you don't like a Civic, you can sell it in a few years for very little loss.


LOL um wut... even if you suggested an SI it would be on the lower end of what he's looking at.

As for the OP, not much experience with the ST but you should definitely take the MS3 out for a spin since you're in the market anyhow. The two are heavily compared though most reviews will favor the 'newer' car. MS3 hasn't really been updated since '10 though it's really no slouch.

Depending on what you want, the MS3 can fit the bill nicely and you can usually get them for under 25k OTD.
 

Zivic

Diamond Member
Nov 25, 2002
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I would love to drive one before I make a final judgement, but being FWD would be HUGE hurdle for me to overcome to own one.

for mid to upper twenties, I would want AWD or RWD. You could get a nice WRX/STI/Evo... those are likely would I would opt for. I would really have to drive one, but a FWD platform just isn't very appealing to me any more.
 
Feb 10, 2000
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I can't talk you out of this. You are clearly careful with a buck and any sane person would say you've been amply conservative by driving a 15-year-old car. I really like the Focus ST and would cheerfully drive one. The closest thing I could do to talking you out of this would be to encourage you to buy a less practical car (speaking as a person who went from driving a 7-year-old Maxima to owning first one, then two BMWs).
 

vi edit

Elite Member
Super Moderator
Oct 28, 1999
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You owe it to yourself to at least test drive a Mazdaspeed3 and a GTI. I'm personally very interested in the MKVII GTI's when they come out. Should be as fast, if not faster than an ST, all reports of the track pack have been glowing, and it just looks like an incredible car for around $25k-$26k.
 

olds

Elite Member
Mar 3, 2000
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You owe it to yourself to at least test drive a Mazdaspeed3 and a GTI. I'm personally very interested in the MKVII GTI's when they come out. Should be as fast, if not faster than an ST, all reports of the track pack have been glowing, and it just looks like an incredible car for around $25k-$26k.
Hmmm, I guess I am getting old. What changed with VW?
IMO the following are complete junk and if you buy them, you are wasting your money:
VW
Fiat
Dodge
Jeep
Mini
Jaguar
Land Rover

But it's just my opinion and anyone is free to spend their money on anything they like. That's what's great about this country.
 

Fritzo

Lifer
Jan 3, 2001
41,910
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Hmmm, I guess I am getting old. What changed with VW?
IMO the following are complete junk and if you buy them, you are wasting your money:
VW
Fiat
Dodge
Jeep
Mini
Jaguar
Land Rover

But it's just my opinion and anyone is free to spend their money on anything they like. That's what's great about this country.

VW is better than it used to be. FIAT is excellent now. Dodge/Jeep---meh. Mini is decent after 2004. Jaguar after 2002 is not bad at all. Land Rover is great after 2005 or so.
 

olds

Elite Member
Mar 3, 2000
50,071
744
126
VW is better than it used to be. FIAT is excellent now. Dodge/Jeep---meh. Mini is decent after 2004. Jaguar after 2002 is not bad at all. Land Rover is great after 2005 or so.
Confirmed, I am old...
 
May 13, 2009
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Only downfall I see is the gas mileage which is still okay and the payments will suck (all car payments suck). Look like awesome cars from the reviews I've seen. I bought a much cheaper more economical car myself but obviously this car isn't about being fiscally responsible which is okay time to time.
 

Viper GTS

Lifer
Oct 13, 1999
38,107
433
136
I can't talk you out of this. You are clearly careful with a buck and any sane person would say you've been amply conservative by driving a 15-year-old car. I really like the Focus ST and would cheerfully drive one. The closest thing I could do to talking you out of this would be to encourage you to buy a less practical car (speaking as a person who went from driving a 7-year-old Maxima to owning first one, then two BMWs).

I think this is what always ends up killing my enthusiasm for cars like this. Yes they are great fun for the money, great for their class, etc. But if you've already got a car you can live with daily then the same money buys you something FAR more entertaining on the used market.

If you absolutely cannot or won't deal with two cars instead of one then I guess these cars are perfect. But if you have the option, split the money and have one car you can lug your kids around in without worrying about them dirtying it and another that will run circles around the Focus ST (and probably thrill your wife/kids even more, albeit one at a time).

There is something to be said for the new factor, and if you legitimately would rather drive that vs something like a used pony/sports car then who are we to argue?

Viper GTS
 

exar333

Diamond Member
Feb 7, 2004
8,518
8
91
You owe it to yourself to at least test drive a Mazdaspeed3 and a GTI. I'm personally very interested in the MKVII GTI's when they come out. Should be as fast, if not faster than an ST, all reports of the track pack have been glowing, and it just looks like an incredible car for around $25k-$26k.

GTIs are just slow, not that fun to drive. MS3 is nice, but it's a Mazda. Don't expect to keep it that long before rust issues start cropping up (if you live in an area with cold/snow).
 

Atty

Golden Member
Aug 19, 2006
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GTIs are just slow, not that fun to drive. MS3 is nice, but it's a Mazda. Don't expect to keep it that long before rust issues start cropping up (if you live in an area with cold/snow).
Even stock I wouldn't call the GTI slow.

Source: I own a GTI that I have driven stock. I've driven an ST and a MS3. And a Ferrari 458 Italia, which in comparison does make my car slow. :p