Few arguments in the Auto Trader offices get as heated as the question over which is the top hot hatch.
Stuart is a big fan of the Ford Focus ST, but I’m not convinced. I always thought that the second generation Focus sapped all the style from the original, and the pumped-up ST looks like mutton dressed as lamb compared to the edgy Focus RS (our Used Car of the Year Award winner).
I’ve only had half an hour at a test day in it and I admit it’s a joy to drive when you grab it by the scruff of the neck – but unless you buy it in ‘look at me’ bright orange it has no personality.
Stuart, from Essex, is having none of this. “The ST has masses of character,” he rebuffs. “It sounds amazing too, with its offbeat, almost Impreza-like warble. It’s far better than any of the dull four-cylinder engines which only lift their personality above the common-or-garden models with a boomy exhaust and a turbo whistle.”
He chokes on my suggestion that I’d rather have a Renaultsport Mégane (prodigious grip), Astra VXR (brutal power) or Civic Type-R (stunning looks):
“The Civic Type-R is only any good when the engine has been wound up to the redline and the Mégane Renaultsport 230 Renault F1 Team R26 has a stupid name.”
“The Focus ST has a better engine, better chassis and it’s cheaper.”
Which side of the hot hatch argument are you on?
Car reviews: Ford Focus ST, Honda Civic Type-R
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39 Comments
November 27, 2007 at 3:39 pm
You’re both wrong. The Ford Focus ST is a little bit chavvy and a step backwards compared to the RS (who wants to explain the special diff to a girlfriend?) and even further behind the legendary Escort Cossie of the early 90s.
The Civic is an awesome looking and awesome performing car but being a Honda carries a little bit of a ‘fast and the furious’ image, while the VXR is insanely powerful, but probably needs RWD or 4WD to channel the power to the road.
I agree with Stuart’s view of the Renault. Hot hatches need to have a cool image and who wants to reel of that long-winded name. It needs to be something like RS, MPS, ST, VXR, FR or Cupra.
It needs to be GTi – the Volkswagen Golf GTi 30. It’s a brilliant looking car, practical, fast, great handling and with a genius semi-automatic gearbox.
November 27, 2007 at 5:22 pm
Someone mention the Golf GT…(yawns)
Focus RS is brutal – and fantastic for it. ST looks too refined to be a hot hatch (refined if you ignore the Orange hue), and that’s the crux really. A hot hatch has to look, well, hot.
And for that, my vote is firmly in the Vauxhall camp. So firmly I’m considering selling a kidney to get one.
By the sounds of the driving experience, I won’t be around for much longer after I’ve owned it anyway, so doesn’t look like I’ll need it…
November 28, 2007 at 11:27 am
In my opinion you guys are thinking too big!
All these hot hatches you are talking about might have lots of power but they also have serious weight issues.
What you want is something like the new Clio Cup, and then after you have bought it take the rear seats out and fit a lightweight roll cage.
A bit hardcore perhaps…but fun.
December 17, 2007 at 7:58 pm
I think that you guys are missing the point of the ST a little bit…
I don’t think that it is fair to say that the ST is a step backwards from the RS, as it was intended to replace the ST170. The idea behind the ST is that it’s a practical, comfortable car which can be a bit of an animal.
If you want a more focused hot-hatch to compare to the likes of the R26 and VXR, wait for the RS
December 18, 2007 at 11:10 pm
I’ve had a Focus 2.0 3dr. which was nice then moved to WRX and now 0′3 WRX STI. To be honest they are more an individual car…. Would not be seen dead in a Golf or Vauxhall thanks!
December 19, 2007 at 11:22 am
Out of the cars mentioned, I’d go for the Focus. However, what I’d actually do in real life is save myself at least £15k and get a tidy 205GTi or Clio Williams. Not as fast, safe, comfortable, spacious or reliable as the new boys but if you can’t have as much fun (if not more) in one of those old school hooligans, then you need to reconsider whether you are a petrolhead or just another motorist.
December 21, 2007 at 12:06 pm
I own a focus st2.5 and drove the vauxhall vxr and the golf gti before i bought it the golf is good but the interior is bland the vxr i sbrutal power but torque steers and will put you in a ditch no problem the st handles great looks good does not bite you unless you ARE A COMPLETE IDIOT a great HOT HATCH !!
December 21, 2007 at 1:04 pm
I broadly agree with Adrian, apart from the ST should be compared to the old ST and not the RS.
In a few years time when all of these cars are more affordable second hand propositions, the orange Focus will look even more low rent than it does now. All of the overpowered Astras will have been trashed, and apart from the looks who is going to buy a type-r that is inferior to the original ?
For me it’s the Golf every time, an excellent all round package that won’t be embarrasing to own (or say you have owned) in a few years time…. and it isn’t available in chav orange !
January 2, 2008 at 5:50 pm
I tend to disagree with the choice of Golf.
To the untrained eye, they’re nearly impossible to tell apart.
There are 2.0 TDIs running around with Monzas on.
It’s like handing out badges to everyone who turned up rather than those that are actually at the top of the leaders board.
Yes, they’re an excellent car, reliable to the end, practical, great fun to drive but the GTi is just not set far enough apart from the rest of the bunch. I’ll bet that you would find yourself having to explain that the Golf outside is a GTi whereas with a Focus ST, the difference is instantly noticable to even the least trained eye.
Just my thoughts.
January 14, 2008 at 12:56 pm
Having owned a BMW M3, Corrado V6, Subaru Impreza turbo, Renault megane Cup,Golf GTI, Audi 3 litre V6, and various fast fords and vauxhall’s i can honestly say that buying an 07 ST3 Focus 5 dr(because of baby) was the most prudent move i’ve ever made. Bought from a local Ford Dealer.
The car excels in every dept. and does not specialise in one like the power of the VXR, the finish of the Golf and the track handling of the Renault. The Focus is an all rounder and in the REAL world the quickest down any pot-holed B road. Couple all that with the BLUE FIN stage 1 remap and its supercar humbling!
January 15, 2008 at 2:53 pm
I must say i agree with all of the comments above, if you want awesome front wheel drive power with kick you into a ditch torque steer to deal with then go for the VXR. If its a raspy high revver you are after then go for the CTR, i have driven my friends CTR and it does grip well round the twisty bits. I must discount the RenaultSport R26 due to its silly name and how ugly it is. Now to the Focus ST, this is a car for the grown up ‘Boy Racer’ it can blend into any car park, if you dont have the ‘ST Orange Sprayjob’, and to the untrained eyes could look like any other Focus. Which is what people who buy this car want, they dont want to be loud and obnoxious, they want to be sedate most of the time but when they are on their own on a quiet b road they can let their inner child go and act as if they are 17 again, only this time they arent afraid that they will end up in a bush, trashing the new, yet to be sprayed front splitter of their Corsa 1.2. The Focus is a great all round car, handles and goes as well as it should, a real competitor for the Golf Gti moniker of the best Hot Hatch. Saying that though, i think the Golf Gti is far too expensive, especially being as though you have to have the Ed.30 to get the proper power from the 2.0 powerplant, a little dull on the styling and all this due to VW thinking that people will pay whatever for the GTI badge on a Golf because of it affinity with Hot Hatches, and there are still people silly enough to be duped by this and pay 24K for a hot hatch, in the realms of the true B road blasters such as the Subaru and the Lancer Evo. One last point i must make, none of the posts except one has mentioned the car which i drive every day and beleive it to be as good and if not better than the others. I refer to the new Seat Leon Cupra, it is very pretty to look at, has all the nice gadgets you come to expect, is more powerful and quicker than most, copes well putting that power down unlike the VXR, has very little to no, torque steer and has awesome front end grip and corners like it is part of the tarmac, all this from a car that is based on the Golf Gti, only better and for 4 grand cheaper, its not hard to see why i love it so much! Oh yes and also the engine remaps you can now get would add even more pace without affecting the handling too much
May 30, 2008 at 4:12 pm
Im currently the proud owner of a clio 172 at the minute and was reading this forum on which modern day hatch is best. At the moment im edging toward the focus st because of its all round ability and is reasonably priced even for the top spec ones. The astra vxr has a lot of appeal also because of its power although poor rear leg room? the clio suffers with this and it is a git at times for passangers. The megane looks horrible IMO even though i own a renault i just cant bring myself to get over the back end. I would never ever consider owning the golf! im 23 and i consider it a “dads” car, way too heavy and underpowered i beat one in my clio on acceleration! The closest rival though to the st focus is the seat leon cupra r, this is a very good all rounder but IMO isnt quite as good in each area but still a fantastic car. Just a note on the orange focus, i think it looks rediculous!
May 30, 2008 at 4:50 pm
The focus st is a brilliant piece of automotive engineering.
Ford are fast running out of space in their throphy cabinet because of all the awards the previous generation Focus and current model is winning thanks to its class leading chassis and award winning engine.
The Focus ST is the best ‘do-it-all’ hot hatch on the market today – for a car which ticks all the boxes no other manufacturer comes close.
May 30, 2008 at 8:39 pm
Oh and to john j, the leon cupra r has the exact same engine as my golf GTI turbo and it weighs more.
You do know what VAG is and who makes what.. don’t you?
June 3, 2008 at 2:46 pm
Has anybody actually thought about the new Subaru Impreze WRK Sti now its in hatchback guise? Not that much more expensive and an absolute beast. The best handling, the quickest, radical styling and its practical. The only downside is the sparse interior, but be honest, you dont buy any of these cars for that, do you…..
Its the scooby every time..
June 7, 2008 at 5:00 pm
I bought a Focus ST because it seemed to offer decent value at the time. It has been a suprise at just what a superb all round and massively capable car it really is. The same as a lot of other people here I have owned quite a few ‘performance’ cars, and many that have had a lot more power than the ST – yet it never dissapoints to drive it or feels compromised in any way – unlike most of its so called rivals. Really really great car !
June 13, 2008 at 1:07 am
I borrowed a Focus ST for a weekend & got well aroused by it the first evening just listening to that glorious exhaust note – made the hairs stand up on the back of my neck whilst picturing a works Audi quattro on full tap!! As a bored 5 series owner I would have bought one despite it’s front wheel drive, had it not been for the lousy fuel consumption… boy this car has a drink problem! I found the chassis a little bit woolly right on the edge, not as focussed as my earlier Impreza or my current 330d M-Sport, but more comfortable & just as rapid on a duff road surface all the same. Thanks Ford, for building cars like this & not letting the bean counters have all their own way.
June 13, 2008 at 4:44 pm
None of you have experienced anything until you sit in the Mazda 3 MPS and unleash the awesome power – check out the time it clocked at the Nuremberg circuit on UTube. This baby will out sprint a 911 in 3rd.
June 15, 2008 at 11:07 am
I cant believe it hasnt yet been stated.. but if you want the best hot hatch you have to pay for it….. and the best by a long shot is the AUDI S3.
I had a Mk5 Golf GTI, drove an Focus ST and Golf R32. The closest thing to the S3 is the R32 with its 4WD.
Sorry all you Ford lovers by even the new RS will not come close to the S3 around a track.
June 16, 2008 at 4:47 pm
I hope that whoever stated that the new type r wasnt as good as the old one hasnt just jumped on the Jeremy Clarkson bandwagon?! The only bad review (almost) this car has got is from a 50+ bloke! This car wasnt made for him! He should find the ride hard. Anymore power and wouldnt we just have another torque steering vxr?? The inteior is totally incomparable to the old plastic dreery basic CTR. Perhaps the new CTR looks a bit boy racer, but surely no more than the old one? Test drove the focus st before i got this and found everything excellent apart from the looks and interior, fine but not for me. I found them very grown up and almost boring, im sure ill get one in 10 years though!
May 26, 2009 at 4:40 pm
I agree with will about the new ctr. I have owned both cars and the new ctr is a better car. Vtec cuts in sooner than the old one and revs 800rpm more and also has closer ration gearbox for better acceleration. Autotrader reveiw says in revs to 7,900 mine revs to 8,200 top seed of 145? I have had 140 in fifth in mine (done on a track day) so think it would do more than 145. Old ctr looks so dated and looks like a breed van! If you want a hardcore hot hatch this is the car for you. ST’s are nice but getting very common 225bhp form a 2.5 turbo engine is not that good in my opinion ctr is a 2.0 and does not have a turbo and has 198bhp just think what the bhp would be if it had turbo!!!!!