JHL88 Posted September 12, 2013 Share Posted September 12, 2013 (edited) Im considering selling my truck. Money is a little tight right now, my payments are a little higher than i'd like them to be and gas sucks lol. I've been eye balling these focus ST's and they seem pretty reasonable for the price. They start @ $24K decently equipped. My payments would be about 100 bucks cheaper and im sure ill get better MPG's as well. Any complaints on them? pretty quick? What options are a must? Is the limited optioned ST good enough? Edited September 12, 2013 by JHL88 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egott_91 Posted September 12, 2013 Share Posted September 12, 2013 I've seen quite a few members on here with them so hopefully you'll get the responses you want. They seem like pretty nice little daily driver cars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ForceofWill Posted September 12, 2013 Share Posted September 12, 2013 Nice quick daily. Interior is really nice too. I like their Recaros. Don't know if you'd be able to get one under like $27k tho, seems to be going price. A tune, intake and exhaust and you'd have a nice reliable fun setup. Don't think the gas mileage is great tho. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marylander Posted September 12, 2013 Share Posted September 12, 2013 I can't speak to the focus itself (though it sure looks like a sweet little ride and it seems to be getting great reviews), but I can tell you that after driving an Audi a4 turbo Quattro for 9 years, and having a corvette as a toy, I really don't miss having expensive to own/maintain cars and I LOVE the freedom of getting really great mileage from my tdi. With the focus you'll probably cut your gas bill to 1/3 of what you spend now. And really, a small car with a stick is a lot more fun to drive in real-world traffic. Heck, I could never open up the vette around here without either looking like an idiot or risking a ticket. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHL88 Posted September 12, 2013 Author Share Posted September 12, 2013 (edited) Yea, that's my problem. I DO miss my c5z and camaros I've had but I can't really afford one right now & I need something more practical. I've never had a FWD/turbo car before so it will def. be a change. On a side note coming from a truck to something else, im sure anything will feel faster. I think my wife's '12 caravan is quick lol Edited September 12, 2013 by JHL88 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Ryan Posted September 12, 2013 Share Posted September 12, 2013 (edited) I hear they are awesome! Let me tell you a bit about my story. I had a 2010 Camaro - had to get rid of it due to a drastically increased commute and fuel costs. I got a Veloster (non turbo) to get me by - hated that car with a passion within two weeks of owning it. Terrible paint, poor fit/finish, and terribly boring to drive. So when living situations changed I decided I needed a new car, one that would meet what I needed in a car without costing me 35-40+K 1) Preferred American 1a) 4 Doors for the kids 2) Fun to drive (not necessarily a fast car, just had to be fun to drive) 3) Decent gas milage as my current commute is still 60mi round trip. Thats what I set out to find. I test drove a slew of cars ranging from chevy cruze to audi a6's (yea I considered spending a LOT of money on a fun car). I drove the Speed3, BRZ, WRX, A3, A4, A6, C250/C350, IS250/IS350, 328i/335i, ATS Turbo/v6, Tauras SHO, Fusion Titanium, and I'm sure a few others I'm forgetting as this was almost a year ago now. In my head I wanted a entry level luxury sport sedan, after realizing that was going to cost me 40K+ I decided that feeding my kids was probably a bit more important than having a fancy car. BRZ was slow compared to the ST (and no 4 doors), WRX was too much money, Mazda looked like a big happy face. I test drove 3 ST's before I bought mine all while driving the other cars in the mix. At the end of the day I couldn't get over how much childish fun I had when driving the ST and realized I had test drove 3 of them because it was so much fun, literally every time I came across one I would hand over my drivers license so I drive one again. I wasn't overly impressed with the styling of the car, however I couldnt get over the driving experience, and thats what I was after. I searched for Performance Blue (this was when they first came out) and couldn't find one anywhere in so cal, so I stopped by to see a red one in person, fell in love and took it home that day. I wanted a ST3 model originally, and kind of regret not waiting to get the ST3 for the heated seats and HID headlights - but at the end of the day my ST2 fits all of my needs and it was 2k cheaper than the ST3. It's a quick car - not a fast car, I have driven a whole lot of cars in my day and I have never owned a car more fun to drive on a daily basis. Really happy with my decision - still a year later. It's garaged now that I have company car to commute in, but when I get to drive it on the weekends: Edited September 12, 2013 by The Ryan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Ryan Posted September 12, 2013 Share Posted September 12, 2013 (edited) Im considering selling my truck. Money is a little tight right now, my payments are a little higher than i'd like them to be and gas sucks lol. I've been eye balling these focus ST's and they seem pretty reasonable for the price. They start @ $24K decently equipped. My payments would be about 100 bucks cheaper and im sure ill get better MPG's as well. Any complaints on them? pretty quick? What options are a must? Is the limited optioned ST good enough? I guess I should have answered your questions before going off on my giddy school girl tirade... I just love this car. Mine was $27,775 - ST2 w/ Sunroof I average 26.5mpg mix city/highway - best MPG I've seen is 30 and that was on a long highway trip doing 75mph. Love the quickness of it, I smoked a dodge caravan last week. I'm not much of a 'racer' it's just fun to drive. What's a must? Depends on what you have to have, I had to have the Recaro seats, you couldn't get them unless you get a ST2/ST3. Is limited good enough? Depends on what you want. ST2 had recaro seats, sync (its not as bad as some make it our to be, works great with my Galaxy S3), Sony audio w/ sub (sounds better than most stock steros), auto climate controls. I thought I'd never use the auto climate controls but I find it to be pretty neat that I can freeze myself and my wife can rock the heater. - 1 Thing to be aware of, small gas tank - I had to fill up twice a week because it'll only go about 250-300mi depending on how you drive it before you need gas. That's been my one and only pet peeve. Edited September 12, 2013 by The Ryan Hot_Wheel 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SYMAWD Posted September 12, 2013 Share Posted September 12, 2013 I never drove an ST, but a VW GTI isn't a bad choice either. I'd personally take a WRX if you could infer anything from my username. I know I really didn't answer your question, but I work at a dealership and there is a few things to be aware of. First, test drive a used one as well as a new one. See how the car will hold up after a year or two and some mileage. Also, check for one that hasn't been sitting on the lot for a while. You also want to inspect the cars closely even bring a paint thickness gauge with you if possible. Every now and then a car might need paint due to damage in transport etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
camaro2ssblack Posted September 12, 2013 Share Posted September 12, 2013 None of my business but if money is tight buying a new car is not a good idea IMO. Get a solid daily driver for around $10k and get back on your feet. Buying a new car is practically the worst investment you can make, regardless of your financial situation. Have you noticed that even doctors, etc drive used luxury cars. Let someone else take the depreciation. That being said, I do like the Focus. Again absolutely none of my business and just my opinion. Good luck with your decision. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
varga740 Posted September 12, 2013 Share Posted September 12, 2013 I really suggest getting it with the Recaros. They come in the ST2 (201A) and ST3 (202A) packages. The base model does not have them. If you shop around you can find an ST2 for under 25k for 2013 since the 2014's are out. Gas mileage is decent for a performance car. If I granny it I could get 32mpg but realistically I get around 26, oftentimes less. It has great handling and it's quick for a hatch but If you come from a Camareo or Vette than the power will feel a bit underwhelming. I'm coming from a 136hp 4-cylinder car so this in comparison fells like a rocket. The differences between the ST2 and the ST3 are much less than with the base model. The ST3 adds full leather seats as opposed to partial leather, HID lights, heated seats, interior ambient lighting, moonroof (optional on the ST2), power seats, and those are the ones I can remember. The big downsides for me is the wide turning radius and small gas tank. The Ryan 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
varga740 Posted September 12, 2013 Share Posted September 12, 2013 In my head I wanted a entry level luxury sport sedan, after realizing that was going to cost me 40K+ I decided that feeding my kids was probably a bit more important than having a fancy car. BRZ was slow compared to the ST (and no 4 doors), WRX was too much money, Mazda looked like a big happy face. I test drove 3 ST's before I bought mine all while driving the other cars in the mix. At the end of the day I couldn't get over how much childish fun I had when driving the ST and realized I had test drove 3 of them because it was so much fun, literally every time I came across one I would hand over my drivers license so I drive one again. THE Mook and The Ryan 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chase@InsanePaint Posted September 12, 2013 Share Posted September 12, 2013 CAN'T STAND little cars like that..... THAT being said....I LOOOVE the Focus ST. Don't know why. Can't explain it. But there are always "exceptions to the rule." And that little rocket is my "exception." I dig em. The Ryan 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Ryan Posted September 12, 2013 Share Posted September 12, 2013 Lol that pretty much sums up the Mazda for me. And the very cheap feeling cabin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meltd0wn Posted September 18, 2013 Share Posted September 18, 2013 Even though im in Australia i cant say enough for these little rockets. Awesome to drive and handle really well. My only complaint is the turning circle it is a little bigger than the Toyota Rukus i had before. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billwil Posted November 15, 2013 Share Posted November 15, 2013 Well...what did you do? BTW, love my ST! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHL88 Posted November 16, 2013 Author Share Posted November 16, 2013 Well...what did you do? BTW, love my ST! I still have my truck. Actually just bought a set of new wheels for it. I think its smart for me to keep it for a while. Ill see what the next gen camaro has to offer, or if i win the lottery i see a c7 in my future Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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