View Full Version : Ford Focus ST170
dirtydog
28-07-09, 09:01 PM
Anyone on here got one or had one? Are they anygood?
Any other hatchbacks I should consider? Preferably 5 door around about £3500 ish
Err...???
Look where your other Ford got you !!!
Ford ftw, never owned one, want one though, best thing i like about fords is their smoooooooooooooth gear boxes, slip right in, go like stink too i bet.
Another sort of car round that sort of money i suppose may be a golf, 2 ltr gti? remap = 200bhp of pure fun :D
Meant to be a really nice car, have a look on parkers.co.uk good website for all things car, there is a section for each car called owners reviews where literally anyone can share how the car has served them. May shed some light into pitfalls etc.
DD. a neighbour had/has (I dont live there anymore) the st170 and loved it. The focus handles brilliantly and its not short of a few BHP. Cheap to run/service etc so no worries there. But like most things, you might get a dog, so get it checked over by the likes of AA or RAC car inspections. All this said, id throw a Golf TDi into the mix. If you can find a half decent Mk4 TDI, although the heavyiest of the golfs, id get one of them. failing that sell the kids and get a sports car ;)
dirtydog
29-07-09, 08:16 AM
failing that sell the kids and get a sports car ;)
Is this you making an offer for them?
dirtydog
29-07-09, 08:17 AM
Err...???
Look where your other Ford got you !!!
It's got me all over the place, Scotland, Brighton, Flitwick Esher etc etc
fizzwheel
29-07-09, 08:19 AM
Not the same model but we have a TDCi 53 Plate Focus.
Watch the suspension bushes, they are known for being heavy on them and I had to have some of the rear suspension bushes replaced for the car to pass its last MOT. Its done 70K ish and they were knackered, its a common fault. So I wander if it would effect the ST170 as well..
Its a decent car, I really like driving ours.
Watch the suspension bushes, they are known for being heavy on them and I had to have some of the rear suspension bushes replaced for the car to pass its last MOT. Its done 70K ish and they were knackered,
I wouldnt say that was too bad, i had to replace my front bushes on my astra for MOT and the car had done 98,500 miles or so and its 8 years old, but then again maybe in comparision
dirtydog
29-07-09, 08:31 AM
Watch the suspension bushes, they are known for being heavy on them and I had to have some of the rear suspension bushes replaced for the car to pass its last MOT. Its done 70K ish and they were knackered, its a common fault. So I wander if it would effect the ST170 as well..
Its a decent car, I really like driving ours.
Hmmm food for thought there. This is the situation... as most of you probably know I'm selling the Tornado but I have been offered a swap of either a 2003 Focus ST170 with 113k on it, FSH, 11month MOT, 6speed box, stainlees steel exhaust, TSW alloys, dvd player, lowered, built in sub etc etc i'm not overly keen as it sounds abit of a chav mobile but he also has a 2002 2.0 Golf GTi which i'm waiting on more detials for.
Have also been offered a Fiat Coupe 20v Turbo :smt108
fizzwheel
29-07-09, 08:42 AM
but he also has a 2002 2.0 Golf GTi which i'm waiting on more detials for.
I'd be more inclined to hang fire and wait for details on that, mind you if its the 2 litre 8v it puts out 115bhp ish, and it is flat as a pancake, if its the 1.8 Turbo that pushes out 150bhp and is a whole heap of fun more to drive.
Saying that I dont know if I would buy a petrol again, something like the GT TDi as Viney says will have the same performance but far better MPG.
Other stuff to look at is the Seats, Leon / Ibiza and the baby Skoda ( the Fabia ) Both are basically cheaper rebadged VW's and worth a look at IMHO.
fizzwheel
29-07-09, 08:43 AM
I wouldnt say that was too bad, i had to replace my front bushes on my astra for MOT and the car had done 98,500 miles or so and its 8 years old, but then again maybe in comparision
You didnt have to pay the bill and it still needs another set done ;)
Cost more to do the bushes on the Focus than it did to do the bushes on my Golf GTI, both were done at main dealers and the Golf was half the price to put right.
You didnt have to pay the bill and it still needs another set done ;)
I did, but cost + 10% as my dad works for a autoparts company and free labour as he fitted them :D i also had to replace my rear coils as one had snapped, which then also found one of my shocks leaking :(
113k seems to be about the right mileage on these cars, although that would make me want to steer away from it.
dirtydog
29-07-09, 09:15 AM
I'd be more inclined to hang fire and wait for details on that, mind you if its the 2 litre 8v it puts out 115bhp ish, and it is flat as a pancake, if its the 1.8 Turbo that pushes out 150bhp and is a whole heap of fun more to drive.
Saying that I dont know if I would buy a petrol again, something like the GT TDi as Viney says will have the same performance but far better MPG.
Other stuff to look at is the Seats, Leon / Ibiza and the baby Skoda ( the Fabia ) Both are basically cheaper rebadged VW's and worth a look at IMHO.
It might be the 1.8 Turbo actually, as he said it was the GTi Turbo
When my escort got written off last year I got a 57plate VW passat estate as a courtesy car (you may remembar it form AR08) and the diesel engine was superb up untill that point the only diesels I had driven were Transits, Sprinters and 18t Ivecos!!!!
fizzwheel
29-07-09, 09:33 AM
It might be the 1.8 Turbo actually, as he said it was the GTi Turbo
Out of the two thats the one I'd get, not as quick and the handling wont be as good, but it is a much IMHO more refined car.
Test drove a 53 plate st170 before we got the subaru. Didn't have that many miles on it but the wheel bearings sounded sh***ed and the brakes worn out. Sure it went ok, pulled decently enough and handled well enough but I wasn't impressed by the flimsey looking bonnet flapping about in the wind like a flag. Another thing that I didn't like was the seat, it felt like you sat on it and not in it, which is preferable in a car of that ilk. The recaro chairs that were an option in them would be better but the one I tested didn't have them. My wife detested the car.
dirtydog
29-07-09, 08:02 PM
Well here's a pic of the ST
http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x241/dirtydog88/focusst170.jpg
2003 model, has 113k on it, 11 months MOT, 3 mths tax, full leather interior with Recaros, tsw alloys with new tyres, fsh, stainless steel exhaust with standard back box, DVD player, build in sub and has been lowered with Jamex springs. Lookimng at the pic it looks like it's also got non standard headlights.
Here's the Golf
http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x241/dirtydog88/golfgti.jpg
2002 model, 93k 10 mths MOT, 2 mths tax, fsh, recaros, RS8 alloys, alpine stereo with ipod connector
fizzwheel
29-07-09, 08:12 PM
Focus has non standard headlights as you spotted and those foglights arent standard either I think...
Golf looks alot less mucked about with, those alloys are IMHO a nice mod, looks better than the TSW's do on the Focus, Golfs a nicer colour as well.
Is the Golf a 1.8T or the 2 litre 8V lump
If its a Turbo and it were my money I'd be getting the Golf.
dirtydog
29-07-09, 08:21 PM
He siad it's the Turbo
The foglights on the ST are the standard ones, that's the thing that's putting me off the ST is some of the stuff on there i wouldn't want to leave on there. Don't want the sub or it lowered and would be looking for some standard wheels asthey look much nicer.
If the Tornado sells I'll have a lot more choice but these are what I've been offered as a swap
fizzwheel
29-07-09, 08:37 PM
Ditto on the ST, I'd rather take a standard car and then do what I want to it, rather than inheriting somebody else's idea of tasteful modifications...
Can you get another pic of the back of the Golf ? If its a turbo it the GTI badge on the back will have a red "i" instead of a silver one.
It could have been changed to make it look like its something its not, but its not the sort of thing most Golf owners do TBH.
jimmy4237
29-07-09, 09:13 PM
I had an ST170. Great going car, but if it's been modified (lowered, sub, amp, etc) then it shouts that's its been trashed and abused.
Always buy a bog stock ST170 with the leather recaro's... they're quick enough as standard, but they also drink fuel like nobody's business.. Mine did 24mpg, 30 at best on a long run. Don't even think about commuting stop start work in an ST170. You'll be lucky to get 17mpg... You have been warned. That's why I got rid of mine. It drank fuel......
They handle beautifully, quiet inside, the recaros are brilliant, and if buying, don't buy one that's been modded by a chav....
WALK AWAY FROM the Fiat Coupe 20v turbo. The turbo's break, and cost a grand to replace. Clutches don't last any time more than 6 months, cost £400 a pop each time, and you've to physically remove the engine from the car to change a clutch, the access to it is basically a joke....
I refuse to work on them now - too much hassle..
You didn't tell me the Focus was white.
Get the Golf & some money :)
That's a classy blue.
Dont know a lot about cars but have had my own bad share of luck so would stick with a reliable one with a good rep - I would go for the VW - they are very reliable and made well!!
Alpinestarhero
30-07-09, 07:21 AM
113,000 miles...thats alot of travelling. I think you can find a better example :)
dirtydog
30-07-09, 07:37 AM
WALK AWAY FROM the Fiat Coupe 20v turbo. The turbo's break, and cost a grand to replace. Clutches don't last any time more than 6 months, cost £400 a pop each time, and you've to physically remove the engine from the car to change a clutch, the access to it is basically a joke....
I refuse to work on them now - too much hassle..
Yeah I didn't even consider the Coupe, heard too many bad things about them.
You didn't tell me the Focus was white.
Get the Golf & some money :)
That's a classy blue.
The ST is is silver just the light makes it look white.
I'm not convinced by the blue of the Golf
Dont know a lot about cars but have had my own bad share of luck so would stick with a reliable one with a good rep - I would go for the VW - they are very reliable and made well!!
I'm now on my 6th Ford and have had no major reliability issues with any of them, well nonew that were the cars fault anyway.
113,000 miles...thats alot of travelling. I think you can find a better example :)
I know I can find a better one but that all depends on the Tornado selling
Don't want the sub
As far as im aware the sub is built in as standard from the factory, just turn bass down or unwire it if you were to choose that car and not want the sub.
Slightly off topic... Disks, pads, bushes will all wear out at some point in time on all cars (no smart alec comments please about vehicles with drum brakes) and it annoys me when people base their opinion of a vehicle on the basis of the condition of one they once saw.
Also just because a car has been modified doesn't mean that it's been badly treated. If it's been done well (which doesn't necessarily mean tastefully) then someone has gone to the time, effort and expense to modify the vehicle. It doesn't seem logical to me to assume that they will then maltreat it on the road. On the flip side - I wouldn't touch a badly modified car with a barge pole as that would tend indicate someone who hasn't taken care of the vehicle.
Back to the topic - I'd bring it all down to money. What realistically is your vehicle worth and what are the two vehicles being offered worth (or could be worth) then factor in a guess on depreciation (depending on how long you intend to keep it) and running costs. Then if the heart doesn't make a decision I'd go with the head.
dirtydog
30-07-09, 12:01 PM
Well my Tornado is worth about £4k and i've seen standard STs with similar mileage advertised for £3k and the golf is probably worth about £3.5k
muffles
30-07-09, 12:33 PM
Stay away from the Focus IMO! Mine (only a standard 1.8) is always breaking (though not terminally, it is just a shed). I think I have been spoiled by owning an old '87 E30 for 5 years. It makes me unable to understand why that can go through 5 MOTs with me needing barely anything, yet the Focus has now been through 3 MOTs and needed tons of work (most of which I have done myself luckily). And the E30 was 12-17 years old, whereas the Focus is 8-11 years old. Awful cars. Look OK though.
Slightly off topic... Disks, pads, bushes will all wear out at some point in time on all cars (no smart alec comments please about vehicles with drum brakes) and it annoys me when people base their opinion of a vehicle on the basis of the condition of one they once saw.
Also just because a car has been modified doesn't mean that it's been badly treated. If it's been done well (which doesn't necessarily mean tastefully) then someone has gone to the time, effort and expense to modify the vehicle. It doesn't seem logical to me to assume that they will then maltreat it on the road. On the flip side - I wouldn't touch a badly modified car with a barge pole as that would tend indicate someone who hasn't taken care of the vehicle.
Back to the topic - I'd bring it all down to money. What realistically is your vehicle worth and what are the two vehicles being offered worth (or could be worth) then factor in a guess on depreciation (depending on how long you intend to keep it) and running costs. Then if the heart doesn't make a decision I'd go with the head.It might annoy you but then it wasn't you that askled the question, I was only giving an honest opinion of one that I had test driven, of course this may have been a friday afternoon car, or an accident repaired so may not be representative of all st's. I am aware that brake pads, discs etc need replacing but was more concerned about knackered bearings when the car had only covered 30 something thousand miles, and the cheap looking body panels (again may have been because of accident damage).
Dirtydog, as regards to other hot hatches, skoda fabia vRS or octavia vRS get my vote.
dirtydog
30-07-09, 07:32 PM
Dirtydog, as regards to other hot hatches, skoda fabia vRS or octavia vRS get my vote.
Yeah I was thinking of the Fabia, octavia is a bit bigger than I want really
Dirtydog, as regards to other hot hatches, skoda fabia vRS or octavia vRS get my vote.
Haven't read the whole thread...but a fabia vRS is far from hot in anyones book! Near enough 10seconds 0-60... ;)
Haven't read the whole thread...but a fabia vRS is far from hot in anyones book! Near enough 10seconds 0-60... ;)Not according to Autocar that ran one as a long termer a while back. I remember reading the write up that said, although Skoda claim 0-60 times in the mid to high 8 second mark the testers recorded regular 0-60 times of 7.2 seconds or their abouts and the editor also commented that he was suprised that it accelerated with near as much shove as an M5 BMW. Add to this the fact that it'll return nigh on 50 to the gallon makes for a very usable little hot hatch. The only downside to them apparently is a ride that is more soft than its sporting intentions, but given the state of this countrys road surfaces these days this might not be that disasterous.
Should be a fair few up for grabs around the £3500 mark now, in my opinion an underrated little car.
dirtydog
31-07-09, 03:26 PM
Well the bloke with the ST has upped his offer to the car and a brand new still in its box 37" lg lcd tv
svdemon
31-07-09, 03:29 PM
Not according to Autocar that ran one as a long termer a while back. I remember reading the write up that said, although Skoda claim 0-60 times in the mid to high 8 second mark the testers recorded regular 0-60 times of 7.2 seconds or their abouts and the editor also commented that he was suprised that it accelerated with near as much shove as an M5 BMW. Add to this the fact that it'll return nigh on 50 to the gallon makes for a very usable little hot hatch. The only downside to them apparently is a ride that is more soft than its sporting intentions, but given the state of this countrys road surfaces these days this might not be that disasterous.
Should be a fair few up for grabs around the £3500 mark now, in my opinion an underrated little car.
0-60 is almost irrelevant in a road car anyway, that thing has some serious in gear shove!
muffles
31-07-09, 06:35 PM
Well the bloke with the ST has upped his offer to the car and a brand new still in its box 37" lg lcd tv
Lol it all sounds very hush hush don't ask where it came from, guv'nor :lol:
kwak zzr
31-07-09, 07:56 PM
good cars focus's ive had one altho not the ST version, as far as cars go ive owned about 30ish of all different types and all the fords have impressed me.
speedplay
31-07-09, 08:00 PM
Not the same model but we have a TDCi 53 Plate Focus.
Watch the suspension bushes, they are known for being heavy on them and I had to have some of the rear suspension bushes replaced for the car to pass its last MOT. Its done 70K ish and they were knackered, its a common fault. So I wander if it would effect the ST170 as well..
+1
Went through bushes on my st220 really quick.
muffles
31-07-09, 08:01 PM
Everyone always says they're good, I must have got a Friday afternoon one. On every bit of it. Must have been the one they left in the corner and spent their Fridays building so it was as bad as a car could be!!
Well the bloke with the ST has upped his offer to the car and a brand new still in its box 37" lg lcd tv
Does he have any steak knives? :)
My advice. Dont get either. Sell your bike on ebay. And look about so you have more options to choose from.
dirtydog
31-07-09, 09:51 PM
Does he have any steak knives? :)
My advice. Dont get either. Sell your bike on ebay. And look about so you have more options to choose from.
That's exactly what I'm going to do, ideally I'd like the 5 door focus st in black anyway.
Hopefull ythe Tornado will sell soon :(
vBulletin® , Copyright ©2000-2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.