http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/ford/focus/18755/ford-focus-st-estate

Yeah, it’s not an Audi, but this looks like it could be the right balance between fun and practical. Anyone interested in one of these?

not going to be much fun if you don’t want to break the law.

Alright Captain Sensible, thanks for your input.

not going to be much fun if you don’t want to break the law.

Back to the Allegro, Grandad.

I think, in a couple of years, when someone has taken the hit on the depreciation then this will be my next car!

Interesting. They’ve just appeared on the Ford management car scheme. I’ve had the Focus a few times but boot is quite small so am on a Mondeo now. Prefer the Focus as Mondeo, although it drives beautifully, is a bit dated inside.

An estate ST would be ideal.

I’d have one. Just what I’ve been looking for (Unless anyone has a £3.5k RS4 Avant for Sale?) 😉

Not sure they’d allow it in the car park at Peaslake.

Have the Volvo engined ST and thats what makes it. But if time passes and Mountune get sensible power out of it, yes, I’d have one. Stuff the greenies…………………

Subaru BRZ has fold down rear seats and is the same price.

HoratioHufnagel – Member

Subaru BRZ has fold down rear seats and is the same price.

Coupe though, hardly comparing like with like.

Just got a Titanium X estate diesel and it’s a real nice car but that is nicerer by far

The new 328i for me 🙂

Ford will be good value second hand though 8)

I’ve just got a titanium x 1.6 turbo estate, which is a lovely car, had I known about the ST (which I can’t afford anyway…)

Back to the Allegro, Grandad

on my 3rd Alfa actually…

but it is well overpowered for todays roads – it is like riding a 6-7 inch travel bike round swinley and then complaining that it is too tame – why not ride something more suitable for the conditions that provides appropriate feedback and fun, like a Soul or Anthem.

That looks cracking…would be very tempted if I had cash to waste on a new vehicle.

but it is well overpowered for todays roads

I agree with you TG. A proper fast car would frustrate me enormously – even in my 140bhp Passat I find it hard to back off at 80mph.. especially after living in Germany.

Has that Passat not got cruise control? That’ll take your finger off the trigger so to speak….. 🙂

That said, imagine what it’s like having something that’ll do 60mph in first gear…. 😉

Fast cars aren’t just for exceeding the speed limit, they get you there faster too. Which is quite handy if you’re, frinstance, driving from Glentress to Edinburgh and stuck behind one of the endless 40mphists.

Hopefully my Mondeo’ll last a few more years and I can make do with 180bhp and 60mpg til then 😉 but I’ll definately want to try the new ST next time… But having driven other recent Foci they don’t feel like as good a car as the early ones, my Mk1.5 was slow as continental drift but it was a really well sorted, well thought out car, lovely ergonomics inside, amazing use of the space… Not convinced they’ve nailed that as well since.

Fast cars aren’t just for exceeding the speed limit, they get you there faster too.

Nahh they don’t. All cars do the same speed: stopped in traffic. 😛

Nuh uh, all of mine spend quite a lot of time broken down as well

they get you there faster too

True, but if your burnout to 70mph is over in a flash, you can’t enjoy it!

Which is quite handy if you’re, frinstance, driving from Glentress to Edinburgh and stuck behind one of the endless 40mphists

Not as useful as a relaxed outlook and sense of perspective 🙂 Much more expensive too!

Nuh uh, all of mine spend quite a lot of time broken down as well

😀

they get you there faster too

don’t talk guff – are you saying that you need all that power so you can hug the speed limit a bit more, and that normal cars aren’t capable of that. Or are you like that idiot instructor on that braking distance thread that was aggressively overtaking on country lanes ?

Saves you a couple of minutes on your arrival time I suppose, well worth the risks, to you and everyone else on the road.

Saves you a couple of minutes on your arrival time I suppose, well worth the risks, to you and everyone else on the road.

Overtakey Mr Fandango boy racer doesn’t do it to save time, of course – he does it because he enjoys it.

molgrips – Member

Not as useful as a relaxed outlook and sense of perspective

I can do that too- my old car wasn’t really capable of swift overtakes. But when you can overtake safely and proceed at your own pace, why not do so?

TurnerGuy, I can only suggest you read my post again (or, rather, don’t quote it out of context, as I suspect you did that intentionally)

Like it, although a new Octavia (including vRS) should be out early next year too.

Love the hidden door protectors on the new Focus – really neat design feature.

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0Z3Fz6Q7Ro&feature=player_embedded[/video]

Which is quite handy if you’re, frinstance, driving from Glentress to Edinburgh and stuck behind one of the endless 40mphists

I’ve just done some maths:
Edinburgh to Peebles is according to google maps, 23 miles.
At 40mph average (realistic) that will take 34.5 minutes
At 60mph average (unrealistic) that will take 23 minutes
At 80mph average (impossible) that will take 17.25 minutes

I reckon, realistically, you might just average 60mph for half the journey, even pushing it hard. So best guess, giving it lots of beans in a fast car on a good day, you’d save 5.75 minutes.

Just saying, like…..
🙂

But yeah, overtaking IS fun, so stuff it, why not eh? 🙂

But when you can overtake safely and proceed at your own pace, why not do so?

Cos the required car costs more to buy, service, tax, fuel and insure, wastes precious fuel that we all need and fks the environment up that little bit more.

So it’s a bit like owning more than one bicycle, or making unneccesary trips driving places just to ride a bicycle? Or for that matter, wasting electricity posting on internet sites?

Yes, but more vanity orientated.

Note I’m not complaining about actual motorsport. Just boy-racerism.

Today everyone was driving along at 70-80 on the M5. Some of us using twice as much fuel as others. Bit of a waste.

Cos the required car costs more to buy, service, tax, fuel and insure, wastes precious fuel that we all need and fks the environment up that little bit more.

Bollocks!
My £400 Omega/mobility scooter is just fine for that! 114bhp I’ll have you know! Overtakes pretty rapidly in sport mode! 🙂

not going to be much fun if you don’t want to break the law.

I though bombing through red lights is ok if your a member of this forum??

Oh, and I’m always pleased that
A) I’ve overtaken a car worth 40 times as much
B) It’s still in one piece and mostly functioning when I pull in

🙂

Sorry. I bluddy LOVE my old shed. 🙂

molgrips – Member

Today everyone was driving along at 70-80 on the M5. Some of us using twice as much fuel as others. Bit of a waste.

True, but this is no mad sports car, it’ll still deliver 40mpg if asked. Could be better o’course but it’s not too disgraceful. There’s a lot worse out there for people to go and be sanctimonious about.

(this is why I own a 2.2 diesel mondeo not a fast petrol one… It’s not as quick, but it’s still quick enough, but will still return 60mpg with a little less foot (and no doubt much better if driven for outright economy). Nice balance. More economic than my 80bhp focus was, in fact)

Hmm. On that subject- Ford have traditionally done diesel ST mondeos to go alongside the petrol ones… Wonder if they could squeeze the 2.2 diesel into a Focus? The 2.0TDCI fits…

on my 3rd Alfa actually…

I bet sitting on the hard shoulder in a cloud of steam makes you a bit jealous of cars that go.

I bet sitting on the hard shoulder in a cloud of steam makes you a bit jealous of cars that go.

I’ll let you know when it happens…

I took my first 156 in for a service once and there was a guy with a 2.5l V6 156 there for some work – I asked him if he’d had many problems and he reeled off a list of just about every problem possible.

Then he said it was a company lease car and he was going to buy it when the lease ended shortly…