Wow! Lovely little car, love the colour and the seats look great too. Supposed to be a hoot to drive and even more so once the Mountune kit is on

Like it, just not that front end

Glad it's finally turned up, does seem packed full of gadgets.

I may be the odd one one out, but i dont like the look of them... outside or in! (sorry!) 

 

at least it should drive nice

Well I've done 50 miles in it, but not been going daft as it's new.

 

What strikes you is the balance the car has.

It really wants to turn into a corner, far more than any other warm/hot hatch I've come across.

The traction too is very impressive.

 

Can't wait to loosen it up and get the Mountune kit on now!

 

I may be the odd one one out, but i dont like the look of them... outside or in! (sorry!) 

 

at least it should drive nice

 

You're not the odd one out.

I may have bought it, but it's not a looker.

Plus the central control station is far too fussy and button heavy and spread out.

And other than the nice seats there are some cheaper plastics about inside.

Driving position is spot on though for me, loads of steering wheel adjustment.

 

I may be in the honeymoon period but I have had enough half decent cars to look at what a car is and isn't rather than gush about how wonderful it is because I bought it.

For it's price point, driving dynamics and huge pile of kit it's a well priced fun hot hatch.  That's why I bought it.

I dare say if you added all the kit to a Fabia VRS there would be very little difference in real world cost after discount.

 

It stands me in £18,000 plus the Mountune kit (£600).

I could have got it £300 or so cheaper if I'd shopped around but wanted to use my local dealer.

It's a lot of fun and kit for it's price.  Plus having a trim level that comes well specified you see more of the cost back when you sell because the number of options you add is very small.  I only added rear sensors and a spare wheel taking the list price to around £21,000.

 

But I like what it does.

When you get going the looks don't matter, neither does what plastic the door handles are made of.  Just the fake exhaust noise grates a little.

It already feels so nice to drive that I have no doubt my tweaked Yeti would really struggle to stay with it without the Mountune upgrade.

It's just so pointy and has great poise that you can really set the car up for a corner and it feels incredibly well sorted, better than any stock or lightly tweaked Skoda I've ever driven.

 

If Skoda made a car like this I've had bought that instead.

But I am willing to try a Ford to get a car with a very good chassis set up, 215bhp(ish) covered under main dealer warranty and a snappy 6 manual speed box.

The fact it only weighs around 1,150kg is a bonus, because it's clealy an agile bottom feeder.

I drove a standard Fiesta and was blown away by how good it was to drive. I imagine these are immense. I don't like the looks or the interior, but like you say, that doesn't matter when you're driving it... and you will be driving it because its so much fun! 

Well I've done 50 miles in it, but not been going daft as it's new.

 

What strikes you is the balance the car has.

It really wants to turn into a corner, far more than any other warm/hot hatch I've come across.

The traction too is very impressive.

 

Can't wait to loosen it up and get the Mountune kit on now!

 

 

You're not the odd one out.

I may have bought it, but it's not a looker.

Plus the central control station is far too fussy and button heavy and spread out.

And other than the nice seats there are some cheaper plastics about inside.

Driving position is spot on though for me, loads of steering wheel adjustment.

 

I may be in the honeymoon period but I have had enough half decent cars to look at what a car is and isn't rather than gush about how wonderful it is because I bought it.

For it's price point, driving dynamics and huge pile of kit it's a well priced fun hot hatch.  That's why I bought it.

I dare say if you added all the kit to a Fabia VRS there would be very little difference in real world cost after discount.

 

It stands me in £18,000 plus the Mountune kit (£600).

I could have got it £300 or so cheaper if I'd shopped around but wanted to use my local dealer.

It's a lot of fun and kit for it's price.  Plus having a trim level that comes well specified you see more of the cost back when you sell because the number of options you add is very small.  I only added rear sensors and a spare wheel taking the list price to around £21,000.

 

But I like what it does.

When you get going the looks don't matter, neither does what plastic the door handles are made of.  Just the fake exhaust noise grates a little.

It already feels so nice to drive that I have no doubt my tweaked Yeti would really struggle to stay with it without the Mountune upgrade.

It's just so pointy and has great poise that you can really set the car up for a corner and it feels incredibly well sorted, better than any stock or lightly tweaked Skoda I've ever driven.

 

If Skoda made a car like this I've had bought that instead.

But I am willing to try a Ford to get a car with a very good chassis set up, 215bhp(ish) covered under main dealer warranty and a snappy 6 manual speed box.

The fact it only weighs around 1,150kg is a bonus, because it's clealy an agile bottom feeder.

Great to see such an honest review. Could you fit a pre-facelift zetec s bumper if you don't like the bottom feeding look?

I look forward to having a nose at this

Great to see such an honest review. Could you fit a pre-facelift zetec s bumper if you don't like the bottom feeding look?

I look forward to having a nose at this

 

Wait until the Mountune kit is on (2 weeks) by which time I'll have loosened it up (1,000 miles) and you can have a drive, see what you think Charlie.

Now you have the Fish mouth at the front, why not put the Boss Fox Brush on the back!

 

Enjoy the fun drive at last!

Awesome that will be brilliant thank you

maybe you will have to find a way to kill the fake noise ? it would drive me MAD! its fake........ not real! MAD! lol....

 

anyways let me drive it, I may change my mind! :P 

 

 

Shark

The exhaust symposer can be disabled

http://fordstnation.com/focus-st-interior/6456-disabling-sound-symposer.html

I would have to get into it with my eyes shut and drive it with my eyes shut.

I would have to get into it with my eyes shut and drive it with my eyes shut.

I can confirm it's easier to drive with your eyes open.

Very nice Richard. At least you can fully disable the electronic nanny unlike most modern hot hatches! Blue is the best colour by far! Does the ST3 have uprated Sony speakers or is it just DAB and Sat nav that's added?

+1. The blue looks not so different from Skoda Race Blue, am I wrong? 

I did consider one of these, was firstly put off by the dealer ignoring me when I went in the showroom and their total lack of knowledge of the car (ie I asked what kit the ST3 had on it and they told me to look online!!) and secondly I walked out of the showroom and saw my car :love: - now that is a looker.

 

Oh and then I drove home

+1. The blue looks not so different from Skoda Race Blue, am I wrong? 

 

It's darker.

 

Race Blue is nicer in my opinion.

When I get the Yeti back I'll do a blue-blue side by side comparison shot.

Raining this morning.

 

Is it wrong that I want to switch the ESP off, go into a roundabout a bit hard and yank the handbrake on, then come out the other side with plenty of lock?

Never had a car that wants to make me do that before.  Not had it 24 hours yet.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I think I'm more likely to get 3 points in this than the GT-R!

 

Being good...

And that's the big differences between a decent steer and a normal car... Irrelevant of badge and/or image.

Lovely car Can't believe some of the snobby comments directed at the ST3, both here and on another thread. Especially on a Skoda forum.

I think Ford have got this car spot on, just need a little tweek on the front end.

I actually quite like the looks (front at least in this colour which tones down the grille contrast a bit IMO: Love the side profile even in the strange purple that one of my neighbours' mother's picked).

 

Also, I take it that the steering hasn't been o/ded on anaesthetics?

Second attempt today in getting a go of one. Last time was when they first came out and unless I put down a sizeable deposit they wouldn't entertain it. This dealer had one on a ramp outside. It had done 6k and was already on ditch finders instead of Bridgestones on the front. Guessing it was a well used demo car. Asked could I have a go and they said no. Wouldn't take it off the ramp unless I booked an appointment. Ok then so I asked them were there any others and their other sites (3 within 25 miles) and don't know was the answer. Suzuki when I wanted to drive a SSS phoned ahead to the next garage to get the car ready for me. Totally unaccompanied drive too.

It's the first Ford I really want a go of. Oddly even the 208GTi has peaked my interest a bit just down to the good driving position

 

Put it on the corner scales today...

 

 

Full tank and optional spare wheel.

Put it on the corner scales today...

 

Scales? Was this just done for the halibut?

Scales? Was this just done for the halibut?

 

It was done in response to a thread in the Fabia mkII section where an owner test drove an ST and an amount of debate followed.

 

PS, nice pun.