Having taken a good bit of inspiration from your project build Sy, thought someone should say thanks for treading the untrodden path early and seeing what the Mk2 Fab vRS could do.

Hope you enjoy the Ford. Is it the estate, for me it's a stunner.

 

I wanted an estate, but i couldnt find one in my budget, then the missus saw the ST-2 Hatch in Red and said that's the one were buying.  Believe it or not, i was actually looking at the Focus RS's but  the cheapest i could find was 23k.  I set a max budget of 18k.  I ended up spending a little more than that but there was no way i was spending 23k on a car thats a couple years old.

 

TBH I only bought the Fabia because i thought it would be a real challenge to turn into a really good car, i was 100% right.  The Fabia when it was 100% running right was a phenomenally potent machine able to mix it and overtake Ginetta race cars, Porsche carrera's and Mountune Focus RS's at trackdays.  My issue was the inherrent reliability of the engine and then the steering issues that arose.  Basically it ruins the ownership experience in my eyes, and after around 11 years of modifying cars its succeeded in putting me off doing it again!!!

 

Main reason I have gone with Ford.......Mountune performance packages with Ford approved full warranties.  The other reasons, are that Ford know how to make a car very fun to drive and that the car with very very minor mods like a rear ARB and better pads will absorb trackdays all day long.

 

FWIW, my Fabia is currently stage 2 so approx 215-220Hp.  I would say performance below 4k is much stronger in my Fabia and performance above that is equal.  Also in the 13 mile between my house and the dealership my Fabia managed 41mpg, the Focus on the test drive managed 40.4mpg.  Neither drives were slow.  All included overtakes etc.  Im looking forward to getting it next week now.

Did you look at a ST Estate?

Are they still to high in price.

 

EDIT, Very low miles, 15,000-3000,  ST Estates sitting with Asking Prices of £18,500

http://www.autotrader.co.uk

 

george

I didnt buy new, as i didnt want to get smashed with the initial depreciation so i bought one with 4k on the clock.  Second hand the hatch/estate seem pretty similar in price, probably because the Estate seems to have been the more popular choice so the market has been flooded with them, but locally to me there was only one and it was over 20k.

 

I test drove an ST Estate when i was living in Nottingham, and it felt no different to the hatch.  Space wise i think it had a smaller boot space than a Fabia Estate which is bizarre.

Enjoy it when it comes.

I think i have only spotted 1 ST Estate and still not many hatches.

 

I read the other day that the Rapid Spaceback has less load space than the Hatch,

i will have to have a nosy at them and see just what they are like in the flesh.

 

I am thinking i could live with one of these, but just not with the interior fabric of this one.

http://www.autoblog.com/2013/09/11/skoda-rapid-spaceback-video-frankfurt-2013

 

george

Well, ive done the deal.  Goodbye Fabia, hello Focus ST

Haha you'll have to change your username now! - maybe "FocuSy"? Lol :-)

sk4gw - from what I can gather, the one in your pics, George, has 'Sport' trim - a bit like the Citigo Sport fabric - and the SytlePlus will have the panoramic roof, glass tailgate and black alloys but the grey or red stitched 'sport' seats from the regular Rapid. It definitely looks good. Andy.

Having come from a mk1 TT anything would feel roomy but ...

... I'm 6ft tall, my seat is on the lowest setting and set quite far back. I was shocked when I could still get in the back behind the drivers seat.

Its mostly just me or me and my misses in the car but good to know it's got plenty of room back there