Vehicles of Guru3D thread #2

Picked up a new ride last month; a 2014 Ford Focus ST. Turbo 2.0 liter with 252-hp and 270 lb-ft of torque, six-speed manual, full leather Recaro seats etc. This thing is a blast to drive and strikes a nice balance between performance and economy.

 

damn nice ^

 

neat car congrats on the ride.

My counterpoint to it is that I've always felt it was underpowered compared to the RS available elsewhere other than the US. Plus the base WRX costs just about the same and will outperform that Focus (more power and AWD)

 

----

 

Ohh nice ST! I do like them. Wish the US got the RS though.
At 252HP, it reminds me of a Mazdaspeed 3

 

Those Focus's are nice and the WRX mentioned above isn't for everyone. They're damn fast but I think they look really tacky. They seem aimed at ricers and people who think those fart can exhausts are cool. The Focus is more subdued looking and I want to say it gets better MPG too.

The US never gets any of the good Euro hot-hatches. We also don't get that diesel VW that gets ridiculous mileage. Fiat just came back though. They sell the 500, and... well, that's it. Come on Europe, send us some of the good stuff.

 

Do you get this one?



Love a fast, small estate

 

Nope. We (in the US) don't get the estate version either. Europe gets all the best little cars and sends us winners like the Smart ForTwo. lol

Whenever I see a round-up of the best hot-hatches (and small variants) pretty much all of them aren't for sale in the US. I'm not really in the market for one as I like a big, fast, luxury sedans (saloon cars?) but it would be nice to see these peppy little cars available here.

 

The WRX is undoubtedly a great performer, but I simply don't like the style and the interior feels cheap. I was also looking for better fuel economy than it can muster (My other vehicle, a Jeep Wrangler, gets 16 mpg ). In the Focus, I can get 30 mpg on the highway while driving back and forth to work, and it's quiet and comfortable inside. When I want to hammer it, the intake noise and lift-throttle oversteer in corners make it stupid fun. I dig the dual personalities.

Supposedly, the Focus RS is going to be shown in Geneva in the fall, and will be coming to the US next year with AWD and 320-350 hp. It'll be far more expensive than the ST, and far less economical, of course. If you're going for cost/economy-be-damned performance, there are myriad options out there, but the ST struck the best balance for me, and I love it.

 

Well you have the Fiesta ST and Focus ST now.

 

The Fiesta ST is a cracking good car!

 

I'm not knocking the Focus. I think the Focus is a great small car and the ST must be fantastic. One of my old girlfriends had a ~2005 Focus and I thought it felt more solid than any other smaller car I've ever driven. Not sure about the Fiesta yet.

I'm just jealous of all the other great small cars of the world we never see here.

 

Something very good about small cars.

Even though I've done 11k in it, the novelty of driving this still hasn't worn off (at all - I can't get enough of it lol)



With 45hp and a top speed of ~85mph it was always going to be a winner.

Cars have all grown, though. A 'small' car now, is actually enormous!

 

You mean like the Volkswagen Scirocco? Pretty awesome looking little hatchback.

Love my Dart Rallye 1.4 Turbo.

 

^This has to be my favorite scene from a movie besides the marmot in a bathtub. Wash that motor!

 

BMW 5.20i 170 HP and 1.6 Engine M package 2014

vs


Mercedes E 200 1.6 150 HP AMG package 2014

vs

Freelander 2 2012 2.0 Engine 240 HP 4x4 SUV


what do u think guys.

drove 5.20i BMW and it goes fast and fuel economy is best. Freelander is my current vehicle but FUEl economy is getting trouble boring.

Didnt test drove E b***305;ut 150 Hp sound slow which some my friends already said.

 

If reliability and cost of ownership are concerns, I'd widen the options a bit.

My personal experience (and those of my friends) with BMWs keeps me from ever considering buying one. They break, often and are ridiculously expensive to fix, even parts that are typically not too costly for other vehicles (brakes, water pump, etc). They handle great but the ride in a bimmer is way too stiff for a daily driver. I hate taking long trips in a BMW.

I can't speak to Mercedes with much personal experience but I don't hear many good things about their quality. From the 90s through recently MB quality has been abysmal compared to their old (seemingly) bullet-proof cars.

If I had to go German it would be an Audi. Myself, I'd be looking at the Japanese performance/luxury sedans. Infiniti makes some, Lexus and Acura make a few that could be considered pretty quick (though not "fast").