How much are you willing to pay for the MK2 Ford Focus ST?

[Lucidity]

The more and more I look at it, the less and less I like it. Ford doesn't need to compete with the drag type ricer srt-4, it needs to be in comp with the mini, pt cruiser, and other type hatches for a zx3 style model. This means getting it into the 170 hp range, and doing rwd. And do all of this for a msrp of around 20-21k. Remember it's more of a fun to drive, well handled car, not a dragster. All though a 0-60 around 7 or below would be nice too.

[Oni]

Man, greedy aren't we? We want everything for damn cheap. This car is a cut above all the current Foci in production in terms of chassis, drivetrain, and interior build quality, and we want prices just at the SVT's MSRP? I don't get it. No one has driven this car, and we're already crititicizing the price? Do you think an Acura RSX Type-S is overpriced since it's not faster than an SRT-4? Where do you even start by comparing the SRT-4 and the ST? Dodge was the second to last one to jump into the sport compact scene with the SRT-4? And Ford is supposed to build a car to compete with them? Haven't we always been losing to the Japanese with respect to this market and not U.S. competitors? Notice how U.S. makers rely on horsepower to sell their cars rather than the car's driving character to sell the car?

The ST outclasses almost every car just in its interior build, not to mention the chassis is more than likely lightyears ahead of what's here on the U.S. spec cars (all U.S. manufacture cars). Well, it's not faster than a Mustang GT, so why pay that much? Well, why buy a balanced chassis with a better build quality when you can buy a technologically outdated new production vehicle with a V8?

There are just so many things to argue about in here, but it really comes down to the fact that a car like this is wasted on the general public and the majority of road networks in the U.S. That's why it won't see the light of day in the states.

Just look at the majority of counters listed in here and the general mentality about pricing verus performance, and you wonder why Ford killed the SVT and doesn't bring the ST here.

Out of curiousity, how much would people pay for a Focus RS brand new if it were stateside?

[Oni]

How do you get people to think of the Focus as an upscale model? It's very simple, and every company does it. It's called marketing, and some times, it just takes time. And I can understand why Ford wouldn't want to make an investment into this because it's risky, and it may take too long to change the mindset about their product. Not only that, but the market is so dynamic that it could work against them but that's a gamble for every company.

[inteller]

Originally posted by ROBSONzts
I would buy it, it has lotsa potential!
FORD needs to realize that if they added more power, they would sell better. BUT FORD doesn't want to hurt the Mustang sales, by makeing the Focus faster, or just as fast as the Stang.
Check out how this one looks;

OMG, that thing has all 10 shades of badass....

[azdamay]

Originally posted by ilcowil
Dodge was the second to last one to jump into the sport compact scene with the SRT-4?

You're forgetting that before the SRT-4, there was the R/T. And there was also the ACR, which goes all the way back to the 1st generation Neon. They may not have had the acceleration of the SRT-4 but Dodge was making an attempt to "sportify" the Neon before the SRT-4 came along.

[Oni]

You know, I was thinking that before I made the claim, but I didn't think they had as big of an impact on the market as the SRT-4 did. I could be wrong, though.

[azdamay]

Well the ACR was a pretty big hit on the race tracks, but you're right, it didn't make a huge impression on the public like the SRT-4 has. The R/T was more "visible" to the public thanks to the classic R/T badge that always gets people to take notice, but even with it's improvements it admittedly was no SRT-4.

[European-Parts]

Focus ST Video:
http://www.channel4.com/4car/video/test-drives/

[Oni]

^^Thanks for the post.

First time I've finally seen an angle where I actually like the looks.


The rest I'm still iffy on, but it's not really relevant how I feel.


And still too chunky for my taste.

[david46816]

I agree with azdamay I wouldn't touch it with a 20 foot pole . I would buy a Rice burner or a dodge before buying that