MattR32 Posted October 25, 2005 Report Share Posted October 25, 2005 Being kept abreast of what's happening with the new ST (going to test one as soon as I can) and was emailed this site by Ford yesterday. I thought it was very impressive indeed! www.newfocusst.co.uk (then click Flash link). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Posted October 25, 2005 Report Share Posted October 25, 2005 I'll definitely be going to try one out, It will have to be orange though It may be a Ford, but it's a lot of car for less than £20k. Jon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewNiceMrMe Posted October 25, 2005 Report Share Posted October 25, 2005 Wow, well I might need to sit down for a while. That is a seriously impressive website for a start. They've done a stunning job of that and I think a good few German manufacturers could learn a lot from it. However, I find myself quite liking the car too. I'm not struck on the shape too much, and that Electric Orange Tri-Colour is hideous....but the interior looks nice and the optional Recaro's look very nice indeed. Very R32-ish oddly enough! The power statistics are impressive too and 0-60 in 6.5 seconds isn't to be sniffed at. I'll just go give myself a slap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattR32 Posted October 25, 2005 Author Report Share Posted October 25, 2005 Well I tried a 2.0 Petrol one when I was test driving every car ever made (more or less) and it was very nice indeed. Also tried the 2.0 diesel but the Astra had the edge on looks, build quality and performance (as well as price). However it did handle very nicely indeed and was MUCH better screwed together thasn Fords of old. I thought the VXR would be a great car but I'm not that keen. This however looks to be a winner and the 5 pot engine is tuned to have it's torque kick in very low down in the rev range - TDI style. Like it a lot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeilB Posted October 25, 2005 Report Share Posted October 25, 2005 Where does it boast about the sporty fog lights A fantastic website and a lot of kit for the money, looks like the Essex mob have something to to lust over and have a go buying in about 9 years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chelsea Mick Posted October 25, 2005 Report Share Posted October 25, 2005 hmmmm... Bigger engine (2.5) then the RS Focus, still turbocharged and still the same ammount of bhp (225) and performance as the RS IMHO it's pretty ugly compared to the RS. Don't like the wheels much. Interior is ok with the Recaros. Nice website though Don't think I'll bother thanks after my experience with the RS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattR32 Posted October 25, 2005 Author Report Share Posted October 25, 2005 It's been timed around the 'Ring faster than the RS showing how sorted the handling is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarMad Posted October 25, 2005 Report Share Posted October 25, 2005 Nice website. Thats the second decent new car flash site I have seen this week. Give this one a look New Lexus IS site . I like the Focust ST a lot. If it has the noise to match the handling both the Golf GTI and the VXR need to be very worried IMO. Plus value and spec wise it looks a winner as well. Just picked up Autocar and it is going to be review in it next week. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silentandy Posted October 25, 2005 Report Share Posted October 25, 2005 Wow both the ST and IS websites are seriously impressive stuff! Both cars are impressive too, not sure about the interior on the Ford though but seems good value for money and better looking than the VXR. Makes the GTI and R32 look over priced and that's coming from a GTI owner. The IS though... I'd take one of those over the new 3 series anyday, looks stunning for a japanese car. I think I've found the car I'll have once I grow up a bit more Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewNiceMrMe Posted October 25, 2005 Report Share Posted October 25, 2005 [ QUOTE ] The IS though... I'd take one of those over the new 3 series anyday, looks stunning for a japanese car. I think I've found the car I'll have once I grow up a bit more [/ QUOTE ] Bit of a mini-story for you about the Lexus IS.... Someone who works for me bought one, brand new. A few months after this, having heard how delighted he was with it, someone who works for him then bought one - second hand. Then, a few months after that...a colleague of his bought one. Hence, 3 almost identical Lexus (Lexi?!) in the same car park side by side. Now it must be said all the owners were very happy with their cars. Anyway....after 18 months the person who'd bought his first goes to change it. He decided to look around the marketplace in general and ended up back at Lexus because of the PX prices he was being offered. Even then, he ended up taking a whopping £7k less than he'd paid for the car 18 months previously (at £20k-ish new) with a mere 7,000 miles on the clock. This worried the bloke who worked for him, and his colleague.....and when they looked into changing shortly after they found exactly the same - the prices in PX they were being offered were appalling. Depreciation had, it would seem, hit the IS200 hard. I don't know how they're faring up now - but 2 of the owners don't have them anymore. One has an Audi, the other a 3-series (although I should also add that the Audi owner bought a Saab and then swapped that within a matter of months for a 3-series, and then swapped that for the Audi!). The original owner still has his Lexus IS200 but would readily tell you to be very wary before ploughing your personal funds into one. All of them liked the cars a lot - but be careful not to get wrapped up in this 'Better than a German car' thing. They're good cars - but they're not the German-Marque killers they're made out to be; otherwise that'd have happened long ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisan Posted October 25, 2005 Report Share Posted October 25, 2005 [ QUOTE ] I'll definitely be going to try one out, It will have to be orange though It may be a Ford, but it's a lot of car for less than £20k. [/ QUOTE ] Yes but give it time and you'll get even more car for your money, in fact, quicker than you can say "blimey that depreciated quick". Give it 18 months and they'll be a bargain at around 10K ish. I've had lots of Fords, including ST's, but one thing I would never buy - a new Ford! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snoopy Posted October 25, 2005 Report Share Posted October 25, 2005 Very Nice and i love the way they have used the volvo 5 cyl engine but modified and they say they have tuned it too sound like an Audi ur-quattro. One of my fav engine sounds ever the Audi 5 pot just wish they had the sound on that website. Looks very nice to me but shame a lack of normal outside colours and the interior colour added to the seats if you spec cloth does not look nice on the site to me bet its a good car though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparky Posted October 25, 2005 Report Share Posted October 25, 2005 Yeah, I was very taken with Lexus, but heard a similar story - so it's put me off. Those are two nice websites mind. I can't take to the new ST no matter how I look at it. It just reminds me of the Chavs round here doing up their normal Focuses. Oh, and that ST orange colour!!! Wow, you'd not be missed either. My eyes hurt... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R32North Posted October 25, 2005 Report Share Posted October 25, 2005 Have to say, in anything but that gairish orange, the ST looks / sounds like a very capable car!!! 5 cyl turbo will make a sweet sound Not that I'm likley to buy one but I'd opt for it over a VXR and probably a GTi (price wise). And again, that Lexus site is pretty neat, plus that IS350 is also a very nice car and so much better looking than the 3 series - none of the axe like cuts and chops which seem to be propular with some marques these days! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewNiceMrMe Posted October 25, 2005 Report Share Posted October 25, 2005 [ QUOTE ] so much better looking than the 3 series - none of the axe like cuts and chops which seem to be propular with some marques these days! [/ QUOTE ] I followed one at lunchtime - and I thought they'd have started to grow on me by now. Alas, no. The engineering and performance is stunning of course, but slap a Daewoo or Kia badge on it and you'd not know they hadn't designed it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarMad Posted October 25, 2005 Report Share Posted October 25, 2005 I think the used values of the current IS have dropped a lot recently. When the IS200 first came out and for several years after it was beating Audi and BMW hands down, I looked into buying mine but the value it had held was silly. But you also have to think about spec etc. when you compare them as they are not like for like. On the new car a similarly spec'ed BMW for instance will be 5k more expensive than a similar spec IS250 the same was also found for the IS200. So with the extras dropping like a stone on the BMW for most of the extras anyway the difference on the new car could mean the BMW owner being much worse off. I'm sure the new car will be back to having the same residuals as the first IS and easily an equal to the other luxury marques. Hopefully this time Lexus won't be quite so slow in replacing the model and giving it a better mid life facelift. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattR32 Posted October 25, 2005 Author Report Share Posted October 25, 2005 The IS has been around a LONG time now though and I think they mucked up the marketing by only offering a 2.0L six. The 3.0L came a bit late. New one looks great though. As for the Ford, I preferred the looks of the Ashtray (as does JC!), but I think the Focus looks okay and one of the best handling front drivers I have ever driven is the ST170 (old shape) - Just didn't like the limp wristed engine. Dad had 3 uR Quattros - If the new ST sounds anything like them, I'll struggle to resist! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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