Focus ST Mk3 buying guide
Discussion
You can always buy one of those pouches to put the keyless fob in but ive never tried one.
As for the car, all I know is from dads Mk3.5 ST TDCi, the ride is hard, even on the standard 18" wheels (not tried the 19" wheels). Harder than my Mk2 ST. An Evo must be a pretty hard ride so it may be comparable.
The boot is tiny, was told its smaller than my Mk2. Its reduced again if you have the premium audio as that adds a subwoofer above the spare wheel so the boot floor is raised up a bit using polystyrene raisers that have some storage space in.
A nice option is the reversing camera, not essential but something nice to have.
As for the car, all I know is from dads Mk3.5 ST TDCi, the ride is hard, even on the standard 18" wheels (not tried the 19" wheels). Harder than my Mk2 ST. An Evo must be a pretty hard ride so it may be comparable.
The boot is tiny, was told its smaller than my Mk2. Its reduced again if you have the premium audio as that adds a subwoofer above the spare wheel so the boot floor is raised up a bit using polystyrene raisers that have some storage space in.
A nice option is the reversing camera, not essential but something nice to have.
Depends what you want, the mk3 ST is a nice all round hot hatch, but it's a bit dull imo. Doesn't have any character, didn't feel particularly fun for me and the steering felt a bit inert. I wanted a fun hot hatch so ruled out the mk3 after a few test drives, plus I already had that engine in a Mondeo which was equally as dull! Ended up buying a mk2 ST and I've had it for 2 years, full of character and a riot to throw down a B road. It's nowhere near as nice inside as the mk3, doesn't have as many toys and the low level plastics are shockingly bad tbh. For a fun hot hatch though, it's hard to beat for the money. The mk2 also holds its value well, you'll pay as much for a decent mk2 ST then you will for an early mk3 ST.
thebigmacmoomin said:
The Mk2 ST has lots of character, mainly from the engine note from the 2.5 5cyl but it rubbish on fuel compared to the Mk3. I get 20mpg around town and had almost 35mpg on a long motorway run.
Had my '07 for 4.5 years now my '10 for 5 years.
I get 28mpg town driving and 38mpg on a run out my 5 pot ST and that's with a few mods and Mod B map. My Mondeo Ecoboost 240 returned 30mpg pottering and 42mpg on a run and that was mapped to 265bhp. There seems to be massive variations in peoples fuel economy on the 5 pot, I've found mine not as disastrous as expected, it is a company car with fuel card though so I don't really care. Had my '07 for 4.5 years now my '10 for 5 years.
zedx19 said:
I get 28mpg town driving and 38mpg on a run out my 5 pot ST and that's with a few mods and Mod B map. My Mondeo Ecoboost 240 returned 30mpg pottering and 42mpg on a run and that was mapped to 265bhp. There seems to be massive variations in peoples fuel economy on the 5 pot, I've found mine not as disastrous as expected, it is a company car with fuel card though so I don't really care.
Is that a calculated mpg or reading from the computer in the car?I also have a mk2 st, and although those figures can appear on the screen, a brim to brim calculator will give you some truth to them
zedx19 said:
Just what the computer says, I will usually get around 320-330 mile to tank and it'll take about 50 litre to fill?
Assuming you got 330 miles everytime from a tank (we both know you don't 
)50L is 11 gallons,
330 miles divided by 11 gallons is 30MPG.
So the trip computer is quite accurate actually!!
I had a 16 plate MK3.5 for two years.
I found it very traction limited - better when you hit the traction control once to put it into sport mode.
It made a nice noise from the inside - quiet from the outside I think it had one of those sound generators?
Was perfectly comfortable.
I ran it alongside a 59 plate 997 C2S so I wasn't particularly wowed by the performance on offer. I always felt the traction let it down. Having run Impreza's in the past you could simply nail the throttle and go. You might find that coming from an EVO.
I don't do that many miles so fuel economy never a thought - 8k in two years.
Overall reliable and servicing I found reasonable especially alongside Porsche main dealer prices!
I found it very traction limited - better when you hit the traction control once to put it into sport mode.
It made a nice noise from the inside - quiet from the outside I think it had one of those sound generators?
Was perfectly comfortable.
I ran it alongside a 59 plate 997 C2S so I wasn't particularly wowed by the performance on offer. I always felt the traction let it down. Having run Impreza's in the past you could simply nail the throttle and go. You might find that coming from an EVO.
I don't do that many miles so fuel economy never a thought - 8k in two years.
Overall reliable and servicing I found reasonable especially alongside Porsche main dealer prices!
I've had both a mk2 and a currently own a mk3. Agree with some peoples summaries, disagree with others.
Mk2 - engine is the single best thing about it. Despite it being flawed. It's very thirsty, the Mk2.5 has longer gear ratios so easier to eek out a few MPG more. It was a nose heavy beast but sounded lovely. I had an RS clutch and an Elevate torque mount. Combine those with good tyres and it was very good fun. Never got a chance to get more power. Did need the oil filter unit replaced as it split. Never any issues with the cylinder liner but it was a stock engine.
Mk3 - despite mine being an estate its a much better overall car. Interior is nicer but still not German quality. However, it handles better and is much more economical. I do miss the unique engine sound. It is easier to modify 'safely' but as others have said having more torque you do have to be more careful when you use the power. It should have had an LSD from the factory and a stiffer torque mount.
Summary - late model Mk2.5 would be a great car to own if you can accept it's flaws and enjoy the delightful 5 cylinder growl. If you want something that is a better car but misses a bit of theatre, then the Mk3 is still a fun car to own.
Mk2 - engine is the single best thing about it. Despite it being flawed. It's very thirsty, the Mk2.5 has longer gear ratios so easier to eek out a few MPG more. It was a nose heavy beast but sounded lovely. I had an RS clutch and an Elevate torque mount. Combine those with good tyres and it was very good fun. Never got a chance to get more power. Did need the oil filter unit replaced as it split. Never any issues with the cylinder liner but it was a stock engine.
Mk3 - despite mine being an estate its a much better overall car. Interior is nicer but still not German quality. However, it handles better and is much more economical. I do miss the unique engine sound. It is easier to modify 'safely' but as others have said having more torque you do have to be more careful when you use the power. It should have had an LSD from the factory and a stiffer torque mount.
Summary - late model Mk2.5 would be a great car to own if you can accept it's flaws and enjoy the delightful 5 cylinder growl. If you want something that is a better car but misses a bit of theatre, then the Mk3 is still a fun car to own.
I've just bought '16 plate ST estate and at the moment I'm really liking it (coming from a MK5 GTI which is the best car I've owned). Have had it for a few weeks now and am averaging 35mpg which is on par with the Golf - averaged 38mpg on a drive from London to Glasgow. Performance is pretty good as well, it seems to do a good job of masking its speed and is very comfortable.
Before I bought my MK3.5, some of the tips on the buyer's guide were:
- Look for water in the spare wheel well / around the rear wheel arch in boot (can't remember the root cause but this was the symptom, sure a google can bring things to light).
- Sound Symposer pipes an engine note in through the speakers - easily disconnected.
- The Focus was among the most stolen cars in the UK recently thanks to its' keyless entry and start. A decent pair of faraday pouches will set you back about £8 and will stop the keyless signal being relayed and your car stolen. I'm sure it happens to other keyless start cars also, but there's a lot of Focus on the UK roads so I wonder if it's a matter of proportion! Also, keyless start isn't the standard for all of the ST variants.
- Rough idle - some cars were recalled due to a fault with the wiring loom, so you could check for a recall on the Gov site or check it's been fixed/not been an issue.
- The 2.0L EcoBoost engines are sometimes known as EcoBooms, thanks to pistons giving way under Low Speed Pre-Ignition conditions. Following a few rules like not getting the car into boost in too high a gear + low revs, letting the car warm up before hitting boost etc, seem to be working for many.
- Many of us experience wheelhop, and a rear motor mount is a cheap fix that many owners do
- There are so many optional extras across the ST-1, 2 and 3 variants, so best figure out what you want/need to help narrow down the search!
- Huge leap in the interior quality from the '12-'15 PFL or MK3 version to the '15-'18 FL or MK3.5 version. The Ford Sync infotainment thing in my brother's 2014 Focus is poorly designed and not user-friendly, whereas the big touch screen in the newer version is great and works very well.
- Loads of aftermarket tuning and parts available for all sorts of people, whether you're hands on yourself and want to manage maps etc, or get others to do it.
- Plenty of cars come up on the FB groups (Particularly MK3 ST Owners (UK)) for sale, and at least there you can check in with the owner the history and also know that it's a genuine, not-robbed example.
Spooky211 said:
I've just bought '16 plate ST estate and at the moment I'm really liking it (coming from a MK5 GTI which is the best car I've owned). Have had it for a few weeks now and am averaging 35mpg which is on par with the Golf - averaged 38mpg on a drive from London to Glasgow. Performance is pretty good as well, it seems to do a good job of masking its speed and is very comfortable.
Exactly the same move I made (mk5 GTI to ST estate, albeit a pre-facelift). I find it capable of slightly higher mpg on a run than the older Golf, but worse round town!The Golf was better at getting the power down without fuss. The Focus has a bit more torque steer (particularly with a full load in the boot!!) and tram lining issues. The quick steering feels a bit odd and elastic to start with, but you get used to it.
The biggest annoyance for me is the rubbish turning circle! Rear seat space is quite tight too if you need to have passengers or baby seats.
In four years I haven't had any problems with mine (standard power), except some loose door seals and the occasional crash of the older sync system, which as stated isn't amazing. It's on 66k miles. It's been a good all rounder, and they make a great value used purchase.
I don't have any worries about theft, but then I don't live anywhere near Birmingham!
I think the Fiesta ST is more commonly nicked too.
zedx19 said:
thebigmacmoomin said:
The Mk2 does so I would guess the Mk3 does aswell.
mk2 pipes in sound from the engine bay, mk3 generates sound through the speakers I think?The piped in sound is quite good except it is odd how it just stops on the overrun when you come off the gas.
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