Ford Focus ST Estate Review: A Load Lugger You'll Love To Hoon
Pros
Cons
How fast is it?
The Ford Focus ST is one of the fastest estate cars sensible money can buy. Like its mentally fast hatchback brother, the 247bhp ST estate is good for a top speed of 154mph after nailing 0-62mph in just 6.5 seconds.
Is it sexy?
Damn straight. The alloys are stunning, the front end looks like it's spoiling for a fight, and that centrally mounted exhaust out back is epic. The ST also sits nice and low to the tarmac. We would...
What’s it like to drive?
Shovelling over 225bhp through the front wheels of any car usually means one thing: tyre smoke. So guess what? The 247bhp Focus ST estate is a bit of a tyre shredder. Driven hard on greasy roads, the ST estate struggles for grip in its first two gears. It also torque steers like a beast and tramlines because of its wide, low profile boots. However as long as you're not in the habit of driving 'look mum no hands', you'll be fine.
Despite its bad-boy tendencies, the ST estate's a confident hooner, offering plenty of grip through corners, quick and weighty steering and strong brakes. The six speeder's also easy to use, the ride quality is decent and the engine note - plumbed into the cabin via the car's speakers - gives the four-pot ST a bassy note.
How about the inside?
The Focus ST’s interior is top notch. The quality of the materials is great, the ST branded sports seats are comfortable – you'll struggle to fit in if you're a Maccy Ds demon, however – and the seating position is spot on. The dashboard is smart and easy to use and there’s plenty of space front and back for passengers.
Will my mates rate it?
Hot estates are cool, so kudos to the ST. In this colour and with this spec, you'll get more looks than Gaga in a meat grinder. And because you get Sony DAB and Bluetooth as standard, you'll be able to attract the ladies with your sick tunes. That still works, right?
Can I afford it?
Prices for the Focus ST estate kick off at £23,095 (our top spec ST-3 weighs in at £26,240), so cheap it certainly ain't. But hey, the ST estate's the only hot load lugger in its class and is good for 30mpg in normal driving. For the money then, it's great value, provided you can afford a new car...
Show me 3 used alternatives
A measly £1250 gets you the keys to a 1995 Scooby Turbo. For that amount your 218bhp chariot will hit 142mph and 0-62mph in 6.4sec. Expect around 140k miles on the clock and make sure your new steed comes with shed loads of service history.
There's good reason why the police force here in GB use 'em. The vRS estate is another lively load lugger (200bhp, 0-62mph in 7.5sec), that comes with plenty of kit, great reliability and decent looks. Just £5000 bags you a facelifted 2007 model with 70,000 miles on the dials.
If your budget can stretch to £9000, you'll have the keys to one of the best hot estates ever made. The RS4's turbocharged 2.7-litre engine pumps out a massive 380bhp, giving the '4 a 0-62mph sprint time of just 4.9sec. Your £9k will bag you a 130,000 mile car with a massive spec and supercar-rivalling performance.
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