I have been offerd...

[brad197]

Due to my mate stupidly soon to loose his lisence due to drink driving I have been offerd a completly mint 2008 focus ST3 with 10,000 miles in white! for £11500! I think thats pretty cheap!

I know the history of the car and know it has not been thrashed and has been looked after (obviously other than being driven while under the influence! :thumbdown

What do you guys think of the ST. I like that its an st3 and has virtualy every extra, also really like it in white! But im yet to drive one. Am going for a teest drive tomorrow but thought I would get your views first.

I am very happy with the 197 and had no plans to sell. However im now a daddy and the extra space and refinement would be nice!

What do you guys think? Cheers

 

[A2ON]

mate have a long read especially my last post .

hope this helps below

http://www.clio197.net/forum/showthread.php?p=45535#post45535

 

[slime]

...been tempted by an ST3 myself, mainly because fo the kit you get for your money, and the fact that I can have it now rather than in July...looked at a 59 plate in Performance Blue fully loaded at £18000...haggling would've seen that at £17,300 ish......they sound great and look great but once you've owned a 197 you are going to struggle with the handling on other cars IMO. The ST felt heavy and un-chuckable and was not as exilerating to drive (unless you are going in a straight line all the time).....I'm sticking with my Clio 200. I think I would get board of an ST quite quickly.....and lets face it, they are quite common....how many 197's and 200's have you seen around???

 

[A2ON]

my thoughts exactlly . . . . . as per my last post in the thread above mate .

 

[brad197]

Thanks for your thoughts guys... I aready knew what you were going to say, I was thinking the same things myself!
I have now however been offered the st for £10500!! For an st3 with only 10,000 miles!! how can I turn this down!? or am I over valuing? Im now trying to gather any funds I can to buy it! Am I rushing in? I will almost certianly be keeping the clio and selling the st on..

 

[A2ON]

You've asked all the same questions again .

All the info u need is above mate .

Ultimatlly the decision is yours though but it sounds like your minds made up .

 

[slime]

...that's a good price, same cars on PistonHeads are quite a bit more...if you can run both for a while, why not!!? You might be able to sell on in 6 months for the same money......

 

[Normski]

Dad has an ST3 in silver, 5 door (actually looks good). I have driven it once before I got the 197. It was good to drive but not fun, it's lazy due to the turbo doing all the work and not as engaging to drive. 197 handles better definately but the sound of the 5 pot in the ST is hard to beat. 197/200 catches more looks, as was said above, lots of ST's about now.

 

[Graeme GTR]

£10,500 its a cheap car, its a steal. 3dr or 5dr? If you could afford to buy it then stick it on Pistonheads and make a little cash on the side from it? Need to check if your mate has finance outstanding on the car first? Whats the reg?

 

[jaxx]

If you love the Clio for "what it is" mate, dont do it.

I was close to buying an ST3 when i evetually bought my C30 T5 (same car, different body shell)

But i sold that as it was pretty pants in the corners, i could have earpls 172 in a straight line, but he would obliterate me in the bends. They are a very wet and soggy car compared to the Clio, the feedback is very minmal compared to the Clio and the electronic aids are VERY obtrusive and cant be fully disabled.

If you want more space, comfort and grunt, then fair do's. The engines are absolute diamonds too and they are bomb proof as its a Volvo engine. They are strangled though, the ST is 225bhp i think and the C30 is 230bhp, i had mine remapped and it shot up to 270bhp! Was a monster in a straight line and just a lovelly drive.... but in comparison the little Clio will just eat them in the bends.... except if you spent a substantial amount of money upgrading the Focus... but why bother?

 

[Willis]

The ST's are great, a friend of mine has one that's 303BHP now. It is seriously quick if it's going in a straight line but he's the first to admit that throw it at a corner and it gives up. He has a little girl and all the usual kiddy luggage to cart around and it does the job brilliantly whilst still being an interesting car instead of the usual parent-wagon.

Get it if you can make a profit, but I think it'll spend more time on your driveway then the Clio would.

 

[robtuba]

My other half has a 10 plate ST3, the reason I now have her 197.
The focus is a better allrounder, better at motorway work, bigger, and better spec'd than the 197.
It does drink the fuel, expect 25-28mpg.
It's no where near as much fun as the Clio, more roll in the corners.
Great engine 2.5 turbo it's got real grunt plus its easy to tune.
You'll miss the Clio, the wife keeps nicking the Clio back off me!