Just for fun, what cars have you owned in the past?

[Draigflag]

The Fiesta ST is an awesome little car, the new one anyway, wouldnt have bothered with the previous one as it had no turbo. They are quite effecient too, in an extreme case someone managed 75 MPG in one over a 300 mile trip, but like I say thats extreme!

Do you guys get the Focus RS over there?

[B3NN3TT]

Never have before, but the UPCOMING Focus RS will be released in the States for the first time in 2016.

I think the previous-generation turbo 5-cylinder Focus RS was sold in Mexico, but it never officially made it north of the border to the US or Canada.

[Jcp385]

Originally Posted by B3NN3TT

Until the Focus ST came along in 2012, there was no better enthusiast's Ford Focus in the US than the SVT. End of story.

My first one was really low-mile and beautiful, but we lost it in less than a year when it was totalled by a negligent driver. Bought the current one with 75,000 miles on it already, but it's had very little non-routine maintenance required at over 155,000 miles now.

It's very much an enthusiast's car, with the 6-speed manual, the burly clutch, and the peaky Zetec engine; it takes lots of gear-rowing to keep in in the powerband. So someone who is more of a "commuter" than a "driver" would probably either tire of it quickly, burn up the clutch, or just lug the engine like crazy. It isn't happy at all below 3500 RPMs, and is really hard to start out from a stop without some generous throttle. So you have to WANT it.

With 170 horsepower, the high-RPM pull is impressive for a car of its size and weight; clicking off 7300-RPM upshifts is a hoot. The handling balance is pretty much unparalleled in a front-drive car. They really broke the mold with these, and are finally just now getting back into that territory with the new Fiesta ST. Very curious to get some seat time in one of those to see how things have progressed; I think it would make a good successor for my SVT when the time comes...

Good stuff. You seem a bit more enthusiastic about yours than I was about mine

[Draigflag]

Originally Posted by B3NN3TT

Never have before, but the UPCOMING Focus RS will be released in the States for the first time in 2016.

I think the previous-generation turbo 5-cylinder Focus RS was sold in Mexico, but it never officially made it north of the border to the US or Canada.

Weird, you'd think the US would get the more powerful version and Europe get the less powerful. Wonder why they never sold it there.

[B3NN3TT]

Originally Posted by Draigflag

Weird, you'd think the US would get the more powerful version and Europe get the less powerful. Wonder why they never sold it there.

No clue. The Volvo C30 was sold here, with essentially the same turbo 5-cylinder power plant used in the Focus RS (albeit with a much softer and less athletic chassis).

The problem is that after the first generation, Ford of North America and Ford of Europe took RADICALLY DIFFERENT PATHS on the Focus. And NA got the short end of the stick BY FAR.

2005-2011 were some dark, dark times for the North American Focus. And at the same time, Europe was getting some of the best ever. This was all presumably "remedied" in 2012 with the latest re-design of the Focus, wherein NA and EU are cooperating on all of the design, engineering, and tooling again.

It's a good time to be a Ford fan.

[B3NN3TT]

Originally Posted by Jcp385

Good stuff. You seem a bit more enthusiastic about yours than I was about mine

Well, that's the thing; they are rather polarizing. The things that I love about them would be the same things that could drive another person crazy.

No middle ground with them.

[Draigflag]

I do like the odd Ford, never been a huge fan but I generally like all cars, especialy if they are innovative or clever. I think the Ecoboost 1.0 litre with 140 bhp is an amazing engine, ive always liked small cars with small engines, if they're quick too then its a bonus!

[Jcp385]

Originally Posted by B3NN3TT

Well, that's the thing; they are rather polarizing. The things that I love about them would be the same things that could drive another person crazy.

No middle ground with them.

Well, don't get me wrong. It was a nice car. Really nice, IMHO. It just wasn't a good car. And not overly well suited to the roads around here. I do miss it sometimes though.

Ironically enough, the Toyota I drive now isn't a nice car at all...but it is a really good car.

[RunningOnFumes]

Many owned with overlap in ownership.
* = presently own.

Cars in order of purchase...

• 1974 Ford Capri 2000 (used) - the German one with Bosch electrics luckily
• 1981 Ford Mustang (new) - last American car I ever owned
• 1983 Toyota Corolla SR5 Sport Coupe (new)
• 197? Datsun 1200 (used) - my one and only automatic, thank God
• 1978 Toyota Corolla 1200 (used)
• 1982 Mazda GLC (used)
• 1983 Toyota Corolla (used)
• 1995 Toyota Tercel (new)
• 1995 BMW 318is Coupe (new)
• 1999 Honda CR-V AWD (new)
• 1995 Porsche Carrera 911 (993 series) (used) *
• 2013 VW Jetta TDI Sedan (new) *

Motorcycles in order of purchase...

• 1975 Honda MT125 (new)
• 1975 Honda CB400F Super Sport (new)
• 197? Honda XL100 (used)
• 1976 Honda XL350 (new)
• 1977 Yamaha RD125 (new)
• 1986 Suzuki RG 500 Gamma (new)
• 1978 Honda XL175 (used)
• 1987 Yamaha XT350 (new)
• 1984 Honda CR250 (used)
• 1990 BMW R100GS (new) *
• 1963 BMW R27 (used)
• 1980 BMW R65 (used)
• 1986 BMW R80 G/S Paris Dakar (used) *
• 2002 Kawasaki KLR 650 (new) *
• 2003 BMW R1150 GS Adventure (new) *
• 2004 BMW R1150 GS Adventure (new) - written off by one of those arseholes on a cell phone

[Hondabilly]

1982 Chevy 1/2 ton
1990 Chevy Cavalier
1989 Chevy Cheyenne 1/2 ton
2001 Honda Civic
2002 Honda Civic SiR
2006 Subaru Wrx (Currently own)