2002 Ford Focus ST170 from UK and Ireland - Comments

I don't agree with the comment about the six speeder being "fluid" either. I think it's the most stiff, notchy and unpleasant change I have ever encountered in a hot hatch.

Ford would have been better off fitting the five speed MTX75 minus LSD, now that's a fluid gearbox.

The ST170 handles extremely well and driven correctly can beat many of its faster rivals on the more challenging roads. This car is not all about top 0-60 or top bhp, it's a great all rounder with good torque and a great chassis!

Its rivals may well beat it hands down in a straight line, but the Focus gives a great feedback to the driver, and feels a perfectly balanced chassis with enough power to keep a smile on your face. If you want full on in your face grunt and raw power, the Focus may not be for you.

The original pre-cat Coscast head GTE 16v of the first couple of years production (with 156 bhp not the 150 of the later cars) was timed by What Car to 60 in 6.9 seconds in their first road test of the car. The VXR can only shave seven tenths off that with a whopping 81 bhp more, and a good few of those tenths will be from the traction control which the GTE didn't have.

Mk2 Astra GTE 16v had 156 bhp and weighed 980kg, giving a power to weight ratio of 159.1 bhp per tonne

Astra VXR has 237 bhp and weighs 1318kg, giving a power to weight ratio of 171.7 bhp per tonne.

So, well under 20 bhp of the VXR's extra 81 bhp is doing any more than simply offsetting the extra lard.

But I know which I'd rather crash in! :-)

It makes for interesting reading, but really it's a bit unfair to compare the two cars. The Astra is new technology and as such it has much stricter parameters to be designed under in terms of safety, emissions, mpg etc etc.

Similar can be said of most car models, as they get revised it is common place to see power added to compensate for weight, it's just the way things have went.