ST170 as an ownership proposition..
Discussion
Hi,
I'm looking to replace my ageing Civic with something newer, which is good to own and drive. I'm looking at Focus ST170's as they seem to be good value and within budget (£6k-£7k).
I've done a bit of research on the web and (apart from the arguments about whether the car's fast enough!) there seem to be quite alot of owners with various and multiple problems with their cars.
Anyone out there with any experience or thoughts on ST170's and any problems they have?
I'm looking to replace my ageing Civic with something newer, which is good to own and drive. I'm looking at Focus ST170's as they seem to be good value and within budget (£6k-£7k).
I've done a bit of research on the web and (apart from the arguments about whether the car's fast enough!) there seem to be quite alot of owners with various and multiple problems with their cars.
Anyone out there with any experience or thoughts on ST170's and any problems they have?
They're too slow
Haven't had one but seem like decent cars. Look ok and handle nicely. As for problems, I suspect no more than many other cars.
You could of course be in range of a decent Civic Type R for not much more than £7k.
If you do want an ST then I would suggest getting over to the ST forums as you're likely to get a more detailed view there - focusstoc.com - biased towards the new one but there will be a few who have had the prev gen & there are links to other ST forums.
Haven't had one but seem like decent cars. Look ok and handle nicely. As for problems, I suspect no more than many other cars.
You could of course be in range of a decent Civic Type R for not much more than £7k.
If you do want an ST then I would suggest getting over to the ST forums as you're likely to get a more detailed view there - focusstoc.com - biased towards the new one but there will be a few who have had the prev gen & there are links to other ST forums.
Edited by D1MAC on Sunday 14th October 21:33
I bought an ST170 in August. A late car (2004) in imperial blue, 3 doors with all the toys (leather, climate pack, 6cd, etc...)
I've had between 32 and 35 mpg, so depending on conditions I can get up to 375 miles from a tank (its about 11 gallons). 3 year service was £250, Ford reckoned on £500+ for disks and pads all round, although I ended up doing it myself for a couple of hundred quid on parts. You can see the service schedule here, plus the site has some more useful bits and pieces.
http://www.fordst170.co.uk/servicing.php
Nothing has gone wrong on mine yet (touch wood) the car seems pretty solid. Paint seems to scratch easily (just polished and waxed so we'll see if things improve), and the alloys do corrode. Decent tyres aren't cheap either 215/45ZR17 Goodyear F1's are about £90 a corner fitted although you can get cheaper options of course. I spent some time lurking on the Ford Focus Owners Club forums (www.ffoc.co.uk). Seems like early cars do tend to have some problems, but things got better towards then end of production. I get the feeling its not really a car for modders - not many horses left to squeeze out. Mine is stock and I'll keep it that way.
On the road my main references are the Eunos Roadster 1600 S-Spec (MX-5, with light mods) and 106 Rallye phase 2 (stock) that I ran in the past few years. The Focus doesn't rev like the Eunos, and to be honest it doesn't feel as quick as the Rallye. On paper it's faster than both, but although it has enough torque its so much heavier which blunts things somewhat - you have to give it revs to get it really moving, but its not terribly rewarding to wring out to the red line! The 6 speed box isn't slick like an MX-5, more like the Pug in fact, and the ratios seem strange at first but they are Ok once you get used to it.
I haven't really had much opportunity to exploit the handling, mostly I use the car for a 15 mile commute through Surrey so I don't really get a chance to push it hard. But on a recent trip around the peak district, I had no trouble hustling it around the minor roads and the sweeping A roads. The Focus steers well, seems to me to be accurate and neutral as you push harder, and the ride never gets crashy like my Roadster did. Plus motorway journeys are very comfortable, it doesn't seem to suffer on long trips like some more performance-oriented cars (both the MX-5 and 106 Rallye fell into that category!)
To be honest, I never tested it versus the competition (Civic R, Clio sport, ...) I bought it because I wanted something a bit smoother and more practical than my previous cars. If you are looking for a proper sporting experience, you'll probably want to go elsewhere. If you want a well-specced, robust hatch with decent handling and sufficient pace and you don't want a diesel, then its great value.
Hope that helps, all imho of course!
Best
Pete
I've had between 32 and 35 mpg, so depending on conditions I can get up to 375 miles from a tank (its about 11 gallons). 3 year service was £250, Ford reckoned on £500+ for disks and pads all round, although I ended up doing it myself for a couple of hundred quid on parts. You can see the service schedule here, plus the site has some more useful bits and pieces.
http://www.fordst170.co.uk/servicing.php
Nothing has gone wrong on mine yet (touch wood) the car seems pretty solid. Paint seems to scratch easily (just polished and waxed so we'll see if things improve), and the alloys do corrode. Decent tyres aren't cheap either 215/45ZR17 Goodyear F1's are about £90 a corner fitted although you can get cheaper options of course. I spent some time lurking on the Ford Focus Owners Club forums (www.ffoc.co.uk). Seems like early cars do tend to have some problems, but things got better towards then end of production. I get the feeling its not really a car for modders - not many horses left to squeeze out. Mine is stock and I'll keep it that way.
On the road my main references are the Eunos Roadster 1600 S-Spec (MX-5, with light mods) and 106 Rallye phase 2 (stock) that I ran in the past few years. The Focus doesn't rev like the Eunos, and to be honest it doesn't feel as quick as the Rallye. On paper it's faster than both, but although it has enough torque its so much heavier which blunts things somewhat - you have to give it revs to get it really moving, but its not terribly rewarding to wring out to the red line! The 6 speed box isn't slick like an MX-5, more like the Pug in fact, and the ratios seem strange at first but they are Ok once you get used to it.
I haven't really had much opportunity to exploit the handling, mostly I use the car for a 15 mile commute through Surrey so I don't really get a chance to push it hard. But on a recent trip around the peak district, I had no trouble hustling it around the minor roads and the sweeping A roads. The Focus steers well, seems to me to be accurate and neutral as you push harder, and the ride never gets crashy like my Roadster did. Plus motorway journeys are very comfortable, it doesn't seem to suffer on long trips like some more performance-oriented cars (both the MX-5 and 106 Rallye fell into that category!)
To be honest, I never tested it versus the competition (Civic R, Clio sport, ...) I bought it because I wanted something a bit smoother and more practical than my previous cars. If you are looking for a proper sporting experience, you'll probably want to go elsewhere. If you want a well-specced, robust hatch with decent handling and sufficient pace and you don't want a diesel, then its great value.
Hope that helps, all imho of course!
Best
Pete
Edited by ChiefWiggum on Monday 15th October 14:50
Thanks for the responses guys. I was only really considering a 170 at around £6k or so which would probably get me a 2002 or perhaps a higher mileage 2003. As has been implied, later (2004) cars seem much better but to be honest, at the prices they command I would be looking at other cars.
Hmmm, we'll see. Thanks again.
Hmmm, we'll see. Thanks again.
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