Been to look at a Focus ST

Fr0dders · 8 Nov 2010 at 12:37

TimBrad said:
Ah fair enough, thanks, tbh the leather in the ST3 didn't look that great, not sure why it doesn't seem to suit hatchbacks as much!

Thanks MrLOL for the rundown on that, very helpful, certainly looks like it'd be a lot more of a bulletproof engine and car in general than the RX8, albeit a tad more generic in some ways, but maybe more unassuming in some ways, heck stop the waffle Tim, I just want one I know I've spent a lot of time messing around looking, but this is a very good compromise of everything I would like, so why not eh? Golfs carry too much of a premium, my girlfriend doesn't like the R26 and the Astra VXR isn't as appealing to me, also as she loves the Focus itself, that really helps, although tempted to hold out for one in performance blue!

I've got a similar engine - ive got the 2.4 5 Cylinder turbo in my Volvo S60 and it produces 260bhp with the a higher pressure turbo.

Currently on 125k and going strong.

Gixer · 8 Nov 2010 at 12:43

Shame your g/f doesnt like the R26. I'd like one of those as my next car

What doesnt she like about the Renault? I'm assuming its looks. Performance wise I prefer the stats of the R26, I havent driven either though so cannot really comment.

Makhaira · 8 Nov 2010 at 12:51

merlin said:
Buy the ST but change the locks ASAP.

Ahh, I do enjoy sly thread references

.

Joe T · 8 Nov 2010 at 12:52

PHDM = powered, heated door mirrors?

Matt82 · 8 Nov 2010 at 13:30

MrLOL said:
I've got a similar engine - ive got the 2.4 5 Cylinder turbo in my Volvo S60 and it produces 260bhp with the a higher pressure turbo.

Currently on 125k and going strong.

slightly OT question but whats the volvo fuel consumption and how does this compared to the ST? (as it seems a lot of ST owners report really scary mpg figures)

Mucky_Pup · 8 Nov 2010 at 13:31

MrLOL said:
I've got a similar engine - ive got the 2.4 5 Cylinder turbo in my Volvo S60 and it produces 260bhp with the a higher pressure turbo.

Currently on 125k and going strong.

Ford took it a bit too far by boring it out to 2.5, as people with cracked liners have found out, lol.

MikeHiow · 8 Nov 2010 at 14:32

I'm not sure why they messed with it so much. A friend of mine's V70R makes 300bhp on a simple remap, and I believe his is the 2.3 variant.

Mr-White · 8 Nov 2010 at 14:34

why didn't they just bore out a 6th cylinder ?

Can't help but feel 221bhp is a little low for a 2.5l 5 cylinder engine, especially as Mitsubishi and Subaru are getting over 300bhp from 2.0l 4 cylinder engines

MW

Fr0dders · 8 Nov 2010 at 14:34

the 2.3 and 2.4 were designed for use with High Pressure turbos. The 2.4 was just a revised version of the 2.3 engine. The S60 T5 had both 2.3 T5 and 2.4 T5 in it. They changed to the 2.4T5 mid way through its life.

the 2.5 was designed for lower pressure turbos. Dont think the block is as strong, which is why the 2.3 and 2.4 make 300bhp easier than in the Focus ST.

Mr-White said:
why didn't they just bore out a 6th cylinder ?

Can't help but feel 221bhp is a little low for a 2.5l 5 cylinder engine, especially as Mitsubishi and Subaru are getting over 300bhp from 2.0l 4 cylinder engines

MW

what 6th cylinder. They are 5 cylinder engines ?

MikeHiow · 8 Nov 2010 at 14:36

Mr-White said:
why didn't they just bore out a 6th cylinder ?

Can't help but feel 221bhp is a little low for a 2.5l 5 cylinder engine, especially as Mitsubishi and Subaru are getting over 300bhp from 2.0l 4 cylinder engines

MW

This power figure would have been a result of R&D, not the limits of the engine. I suspect things like how the car drives, reliability, emissions and loads of other factors played a part.

This block can and does handle over 350bhp, and probably as far as 400bhp as evident by those tuning the RS.

Fr0dders · 8 Nov 2010 at 14:42

isnt the Focus ST using the 2.5T engine as found in the S60 2.5T

uses a low pressure turbo and has about 208bhp as standard ?

GreenMint · 8 Nov 2010 at 14:44

As long as its stable enough at stock for now...

Jonnycoupe · 8 Nov 2010 at 14:44

Bore out a 6th cylinder... awesome!

RS500 is 350bhp so thats pretty reflective of robustness if the OEMs take it that high. Of course marketing, driveability, drivetrain limits and layout etc will guide what sort of power its required to make rather than how much the engineers can get out of it.

GreenMint · 8 Nov 2010 at 16:11

Gixer said:
Shame your g/f doesnt like the R26. I'd like one of those as my next car What doesnt she like about the Renault? I'm assuming its looks. Performance wise I prefer the stats of the R26, I havent driven either though so cannot really comment.

Yeah, more so the looks than anything else whereas the Focus does look more subtle, not sure she'd have approved if I had said RS instead, but the looks of them :eek:

hehe

Either way, I'm more than happy to go Foci!

Mucky_Pup · 8 Nov 2010 at 16:25

Later generation engines are getting a plasma coating or some such done on them, so I don't believe there have been any reports of them cracking liners as of yet.

Am waiting to see the new ST, and subsequently the Mk.3 RS (whenever that comes), and what they can do with the 2.0L engine.

GreenMint · 9 Nov 2010 at 02:10

Right, have found 3 local ones now, all within £1 of eachother, Black w/ stripes at main dealer as stated in OP, black no stripes at anothe rlocal dealer, 21k, sunroof, and a blue w/ side stripes, 21k, sunroof, rear parking sensors, but at available car, which "might" be a worry? I dunno, not sure really, oh and its £1 more!! :eek:

Performance Blue might be a more likable colour (Might take off the side vinyls, possibly) but not sure, as said before, is at AC..

Original one:

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classif...d/postcode/le674bd/page/2/radius/10?logcode=p

Plain black:

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classif...d/postcode/le674bd/page/2/radius/10?logcode=p

Performance Blue @ Available Car

http://www.availablecar.com/used-ford/focus_2.5_st~3_3dr/88394

Fr0dders · 9 Nov 2010 at 07:29

Available car are fine if you pay cash and the car is in good condition.

They buy from trade auctions for their stock same as everybody else so its just a question of how good an example it was.

Take a look first before buying and just dont get stung on the finance, which is where they make their money.

Kappa · 9 Nov 2010 at 07:53

Mucky_Pup said:
Think the newer ones have it, as Fraud have stopped charging for everything, and just stuck everything on the last incarnation of the ST as standard. E.g. electric rear windows on the 5 door model etc. etc.

I didnt get electric seat adjustment I never thought they did it?

(you can get it on a boggo Focus with the Titanium X pack! Typical!)

TimBrad said:
Ah fair enough, thanks, tbh the leather in the ST3 didn't look that great, not sure why it doesn't seem to suit hatchbacks as much!

Regarding the leather, it's one of my bugbears, it is lovely to sit in etc, however, compare the leather from another manufacturer it seems and Ford's leather is PANTS! Like vinyl almost. BUT... It is still better than the cloth!

GreenMint · 9 Nov 2010 at 10:44

MrLOL said:
Available car are fine if you pay cash and the car is in good condition.

They buy from trade auctions for their stock same as everybody else so its just a question of how good an example it was.

Take a look first before buying and just dont get stung on the finance, which is where they make their money.

Ah ok, thanks mate, you see so many people slating car supermarkets, but its nice to see one thats actually in line on used prices, they do seem to be pretty good price wise with more performance based cars, I guess that people just out looking for "normal" cars are the ones they really sting! - No finance going to be used from them, might top the amount up with a loan, but definitely not financed in that sense, evil rates and prices!

Kappa said:
I didnt get electric seat adjustment I never thought they did it? (you can get it on a boggo Focus with the Titanium X pack! Typical!)

Regarding the leather, it's one of my bugbears, it is lovely to sit in etc, however, compare the leather from another manufacturer it seems and Ford's leather is PANTS! Like vinyl almost. BUT... It is still better than the cloth!

Yeah, it looked like old vinyl wrapped in cling film, maybe it was cause it was indoors at the time, I don't know, but it didn't feel as good a leather as my Dad's Volvo, or my girlfriend's 11 year old MGF! - Ah well, its heated aint it

Fr0dders · 9 Nov 2010 at 10:48

TimBrad said:
Ah ok, thanks mate, you see so many people slating car supermarkets, but its nice to see one thats actually in line on used prices, they do seem to be pretty good price wise with more performance based cars, I guess that people just out looking for "normal" cars are the ones they really sting! - No finance going to be used from them, might top the amount up with a loan, but definitely not financed in that sense, evil rates and prices!

Car supermarkets main problem is that they bang out crap cars on expensive finance

You can avoid problem #2 by paying cash.

Its possible the car is still a rotter. it could have marks all over it and all sorts of issues and been abused by its previous owner, but it doesnt harm to check as not every car they have will be a bad 'un