2006 Ford Focus ST 3 from UK and Ireland - Comments

The new focus ST seems to be an outstanding car, good looks, good performance figres, nice big 2.5T engine. But why has'nt their been a focus or mondeo cosworth. I'm a scooby man myself, don't know much about fords.

"Ever wonder how every magazine on the planet proclaimed the Focus to be "Car of the Year!", and continued to heap praise on the model 6 years after its initial inception?"

Not really. While it has its faults, mostly around interior trim quality and noise levels, it's still the sharpest handling, freshest looking and most entertaining small family hatchback money can buy. Even VW was forced to copy its rear suspension for the mk5 Golf.

"Do these people not figure reliability, cost effectiveness, longevity, or piece of mind into the equation? If you figure this into the equation it equals unmitigated disaster."

Oh, come on!

Reliability: See the German ADAC survey a couple of years back, where it won. It's also beat the Golf, Astra and 306/7 for reliability and owner satisfaction every year in the Top Gear survey!

Cost Effectiveness: Cheaper to buy, service and insure than almost any rival. Depreciation heavier than the Golf, but that's about the only area it loses out.

Longevity: Plenty of 100,000+ mile examples now in the classifieds and still in excellent condition. Fleet managers love them. Not an issue. Never is with Fords, despite the reputation (which is incidentally about 20 years out of date!)

Peace of mind: Eh? It's a Ford. About the most "predictable", "ordinary" car marque of them all. More dealers than any other company, more service backup, more parts availability, and about as likely to spring an unpleasant surprise on you as The Pope.

Unmitigated disaster. Ha ha. Yeah, right.

I have recently test driven one of these and what an excellent car it is and at 17.5k for the basic model it's really good value for money compared to it's rivals. For me though 17.5k was a little expensive so I opted for a used Audi S3 which is quiker, better built, and due to it's quattro AWD system, handles better. Of course, the ST is a new model and you can't really compare a new model for old, but my point is that there are better car's out there for less money.

As to comments about the VXR not being as good as the ST around the track, who takes their brand new car to the track, on any road or motorway the VXR is linear compared to the crap looking golf and focus. They look terrible, on the other hand the VXR looks like beefed up and how a hot hatch should be, you don't get 19" wheels as standard on the Focus/Golf. The interior is absolutely spot on. If this doesn't take you, get a special edition 888 Astra only in diesel, will still beat both the Golf/Focus, specially tuned by 888 racing team, will handle better than the VXR and give 41mpg.

Apparently, Ford delivers better autos to the UK and Europe than it does to the States. Shame, that.

19" wheels are an option on the Astra VXR, they do not come as standard. Good luck with finding a mortgage company when you need new tyres!!

Who cares about 19" wheels? Is this the reason why the VXR doesn't handle? And as for the comment "who takes their brand new car to the track" actually, a hell of a lot of people do, me included. Do you know what a hot hatch is? Shame you've bought a lemon in the VXR.

How Can you sit there and slate the VXR? Have you Driven all the rivals Golf gti, Focus ST, Audi S3?

I have and the one that put the biggest grin on my face was the Vauxhall. Build quality is far superior to the Focus, but not as good as the Audi, but the price reflects that. Go Take the Pepsi challenge mate!

This needs to be kept in perspective. The Audi S3 was good in it's day, but let's be honest guys is not really a fair comparison to the new Focus. It has a cramped interior, dated looks and a rough engine note. Performance and traction are very good if you like getting a headache off that awful sounding engine under the bonnet. Before you ask - yes I have driven one and found it to be fun in very small doses, but it's had it's day.

I think the Astra VXR is great fun, although I would not say it's build quality is far superior to the Focus.

The main attraction of the Focus ST is that gem under the bonnet. It's sounds fantastic, which is part of being a sports hatch. It makes you want to drive it hard to listen to the accoustics. That is DEFINITELY not the case with the Golf GTI / Astra VXR / Audi S3. what has happened to the petrol heads in this world?!

Have driven a VXR and loved it. Not as capable as the Focus or Golf, but a proper, lairy, old school hot hatch. A true spiritual successor to the mk2 GTE 16v. More power than it can really cope with, bags of grunt, aggressive styling, a fantastic engine, and more than capable of making you grin like an idiot.

VW, Ford and Vauxhall have gone back to their traditional hot hatch roots with all three cars. The Golf is beautifully built and ridiculously capable, but a bit boring (IMO), the Focus is a bit more rough around the edges, but an absolute blast to drive, and the Vauxhall, for all its faults is just so mental it makes you laugh. The same as you'd feel if you got out of a Golf GTI 16v mk2, Escort Cosworth or Astra GTE 16v a couple of decades ago.

It's called choice. Enjoy it!

This seems to be full of hot hatch owners who either own the ST praising it or who don't and dismiss it.

Even some of the facts are wrong, some guy (above) claiming the A3 is faster!

Please don't use any of these comments (including mine) to make up your mind go and drive this car and do some information gathering.

Take it from me the Focus ST is a truley remarkable car, as you will find out when you do your research! It blows the competition away!

This seems to be full of hot hatch owners who either own the ST praising it or who don't and dismiss it.

Even some of the facts are wrong, some guy (above) claiming the A3 is faster!

Please don't use any of these comments (including mine) to make up your mind go and drive this car and do some information gathering.

Take it from me the Focus ST is a truly remarkable car, as you will find out when you do your research! It blows the competition away!

The Focus is the best all rounder without a shadow of a doubt. There again ever since the advent of the Mondeo, followed by the Focus, the good ol blue oval has gone from strength to strength. The only problem is people still think Ford are budget vehicles and have the reliability problems of the 70's and 80's. Welcome to the millenium! Ford now pave the way in terms of performance, handling and equipment levels. Out of the 3 vehicles currently in the ring, I would rate them as: 1 - Focus ST, 2 - Astra VXR, 3 - Golf GTI (cos it looks like an MPV and sounds like a lawn mower!)

The only problem the average Ford has now is its freefall depreciation. In terms of handling, ride, reliability and technology they are proven in countless road tests to be among the very best cars on the mass market today. Build quality is unrecognisable to the Fords of old, and I was recently told by my mechanic (who is a VW dealer tech) that from an MOT viewpoint, Passats and Golfs fail far more frequently than Mondeos and Focuses of equivalent age.

In a country where most people are badge snobs, it will never make any difference. Ford could rebadge a BMW M5 and sell it for entry level Mondeo money, and people would still walk past it to buy a base spec Passat 1.6. The vast majority in this country are clueless beyond perceived "image" and styling. I personally like the heavy initial depreciation. It means I can buy a car that's as good if not better than an equivalent VW for less than half the price.

Read somewhere the VXR tested on Topgear didn't have the Lotus tuned chassis the production one does the one on Topgear was using a standard SRI chassis.

Golf is boring. Focus is ugly (sorry, but it really is an ugly looking car) Would take an RS over the ST anyday RS has the cool rally look to it the ST just looks like they got some 'chavs' to describe what they would like while designing it.

There are a couple other competitors though.

Civic Type R, Megane 225 (soon to be 250) which is a very good hot hatch and the 250 version will certainly be able to show up the other cars without a problem in the handling and straight line department. Shame the Citroen C4 does not have a decent turbo engine available, but then again I'm not sure the chassis on it is really designed to be as capable as these other cars. But price / equipment wise it wins and I also think it looks the best.

Think if I was buying one of the sportier cars though id look at possibly a Clio 197 as the handling on them is simply brilliant better than any other car here they may not be as quick in a straight line, but straight line speed is not everything especially in a hot hatch.