The Ford Focus ST170 Is The Forgotten Fast Ford BARGAIN! (2004 3dr Review)

The Focus was arguably one of Ford's best cars, turning a family hatchback into a sharp handling gem! The ST170 hot variant is an often forgotten Fast Ford that deserves your attention - Phil went for a drive around Mallory Park!
Road tests proudly sponsored by Peter Best Insurance - get a quote at: www.peterbestinsurance.co.uk/
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Chapters
0:00 The Landmark Mk1 Focus
0:30 How The Focus Transformed Ford
3:01 Fantastic Ride and Handling
4:14 The ST170
5:21 A Fast-ish Ford?
6:14 Starting To Appreciate - Still Great Value
6:50 This Project Car
7:20 The Perfect All-Rounder

[@dylanh1978]

The original focus is getting better looking by the day, such a peak time for cars the early 2000's , simple yet modern

[@neilmcguinness4422]

I had a tax rebate funded 2003 ST170 as a stop gap vehicle between an Impreza STI version 3 and a Golf7R when the Impreza's engine blew. I found it such a delight to drive with it's fantastic understeer free balance and monumental grip and delicious steering feel. It was not fast in a straight line, with it's tallish gearing and unexceptional torque, but it sounded fine above 4,500rpm and was enjoyable to drive with vigour. The brakes were better than those of my Subaru. They were truly excellent. I was sad to see the Focus go once I had acquired funds for my Golf, but I will never forget the thing. Anyone who has owned an ST170 will know how underrated they still are today. Brilliant cars.

[@arthurdardalis]

I had exactly the same car, loved it, handled on rails, looks great. Unfortunately most have donated their engines in order to upgrade an older Ford, never mind that prices are low, people have no idea what they’re missing!

[@klutchcustoms2428]

I bought a focus new in '99. I was blown away by how well it handled. As soon as the ST170 arrived I traded my 1600 LX for one. I still have it in a lock up waiting for a light restomod

[@easydrive3662]

The mk1 focus cars have unbelievable styling that looks far better than most new cars of today, there are no fat bulbus oddly bits like on most new cars, the mk1 focus simply has beautiful lines that all match and the cars very well proportioned. These will become modern classics in the future I own a 1.6 ghia focus, brilliant car with great handling, you really feel like your driving the car with all the control just where they should be. Interesting though over the past few years the mk1 focuses are becoming a rarer site on our roads.

[@robsawalker]

I had a red 3 door 1800 Zetec and absolutely loved it, it was such a revelation at the time.

[@JackosJingles]

I have an 03 I bought it 13 years ago.

[@j4r4lly22]

I bought one of these 3 years ago a bit spur of the moment. I still have it as it's just so fabulous to drive. Mine is a low owner car with only 42,000 miles on it and it still feels like a 2 year old car, rather than a 21 year old. Ford really did know what they were doing with the Mk1 Focus.

[@Mike-dn4ju]

The SVT focus of the same year(probably same car) stateside was fantastic to drive. Great turn in, crisp shifting six speed, and an engine that liked to rev.

[@rupertorgan7749]

I owned an ST in exactly the same spec for two and a half years from 2002-05 and put 50,000 miles on the clock. By far the best handling, steering and riding car I've ever owned, with a lovely interior and nice seats. Only let down was the peaky engine and a gearchange that wasn't the slickest.

[@jasonkaroq1138]

Fond memories of my 99 plate 1.6 3dr zetec. Still one of my favorite cars I've owned. Still a good looking car.

[@snbala]

I have owned 3 MK1 focuses, 2 1.6’s and a 1.8 and they were great. The ST170 got average reviews by owners and forums, it also didn’t help that it was in the shadows of the RS from the start and the EP3 civic blew it always. Prices are still at the bottom and it seems demand isn’t there. If the standard focuses were great to drive, I am sure these are with a little bit more power to boot.

[@Generalkenobi325]

They drive so so well the slightly lower ride hight and bigger brakes make this a cracker to drive even over the standard focus which was still great!! And they rev to just over seven grand which is very fun indeed!

[@dungareesareforfools]

I prefer the looks of the ST170 to those of the RS.

[@snbala]

@@dungareesareforfools think you are in the minority there. The RS looks fab.

[@dungareesareforfools]

@@snbala I think the wheels let it down. The ST wheels look so good.

[@snbala]

@@dungareesareforfools to me the ST170 looks like a normal focus with 17” wheels, the RS is like a focus on steroids.

[@lewis72]

The Mk5 Escort was up against the Rover 200/400 and Peugeot 306 as well as the Golf, so it was way down by then. A magazine I have has an interview with Richard Parry-Jones about the Focus. He said that when he returned to Europe as head of Ford Engineering, Europe, having been in the US with Ford, he drove the competition, the 306 & Golf and then got in the Mk5 (may have been Mk6 by then) Escort. He was horrified at how bad the Escort was, so from that point on, he went for a completely new model and new name.

[@chucky2316]

All crap apart from the pug

[@lewis72]

@@chucky2316 The Golf had the best interior. The Rover 200/400 had the best engines (the 1.6s being Hondas)

[@dungareesareforfools]

It would have been the mk5, not mk6. By the time of the latter, he was fully involved and there were notable improvements. He was also involved with the development of the RS2000 4x4, a superb handling car, and one that predates the mk6 in its original form.

[@lewis72]

@@dungareesareforfools I don't think that there was much love for that RS2000 4x4 as the rest of the range was so drab it had damaged the nameplate.

[@dungareesareforfools]

@@lewis72 Indeed, it was seriously underrated. I owned one, it was one of the best handling cars I've had (although a Focus mk1 Zetec I drove came impressively close). It was let down by being underpowered, and by the terribly inadequate brakes. The steering was sublime, I've no idea what they (i.e. RPJ) did to make it feel so much better than the standard Escort.

[@dungareesareforfools]

Used to drive a mk1 LX, even that had better ride and handling than my E46 BMW 3-series. It changed my opinion of front wheel drive cars.

[@kieranst6155]

I have a 2002 one with low mileage ❤❤❤❤ love her

[@st170restoration]

Nice 👍

[@herme99]

I had a boggo 1.6 Zetec, but still hanker for one of these.

[@russellmilliesmith6270]

Fantastic cars, I've had several over the years including the ST170 and all were great. I always found the diesel a little disappointing, even the 115 version never felt particularly torquey andwasn't as good on fuel as the mk3 mondeo tdci's. Perhaps ford missed the opportunity for a MK1 ST TDCi, perhaps with the 2.0 tdci 130 engine.

[@LiamStark96]

Wouldn't say at its best.. other than the RS the mk1 focus was pants, be aswell paying an extra grand and getting a used mk7 fiesta st

[@CarlSmith-bs4qx]

CVH was never fitted to the UK Focus! The 1.4 was the Zetec-SE later badged Duratec

[@chucky2316]

Cvh was a good engine

[@garymorris801]

Fab cars

[@TG-pd3ft]

Nice thing

[@teatimetel174]

i have a focus mk1 sport tdci which for me i prefer that the the st170.

[@sydnorth5868]

As good as the Focus was, I have difficulty in labelling a car from 2002 as a classic. Until recently I would have argued that any car post 1960's could not be labelled as such. I'm only just coming round to the fact that some cars from the 1980's might be 'classics' (Mk1 Golf GTI, 205 GTi and Sierra Cosworth for example). I don't know. Maybe Im just getting too old!

[@lewis72]

It is a subjective view and part of the enjoyment of the classic car scene; discussing what is or isn't or should or shouldn't be a classic. IMO, it's any car that's worth more than its nominal value, which does, unfortunately, include a number of cars that I don't really like.

[@teatimetel174]

modern classic

[@lewis72]

In Germany there's a whole interest/movement called Young Timers.

[@MegaReddevil71]

Shame ford can't make a decent engine now they got it so right with the mk1 focus and mondeo both very tough hard wearing cars that can do 200000 miles with the zetec motors

[@Birmingham_racing]

Good car but the ep3 type r took it to a difference level

[@ClassicsWorldUK]

Great cars!

[@spencertaylor7248]

Believe it or not sold a fiesta RS turbo for a brand new 03 in black as my youngest was born and needed a bigger car did the job handled well but was boring compared to the mental torque steer of the RS and performance wise wasn't in the same league.

[@kanalnayotb]

👍

[@StephenH-ms9og]

The mk2 ST was a far better car. Its also still affordable and the value will rise considerably more than the 170.

[@bjornmarley5670]

No turbo= no fun...

[@chucky2316]

Mk3 escort was the last great ford, maybe a mk1 focus rs .

[@runoflife87]

Nice car, even if rust bucket. As for the Contour (US twin of the Mondeo) - not very successful car because of limited interior volume, bland looks, high price and unskilled UAW workers.

[@ClassicsWorldUK]

Interesting, the Mondeo was a runaway success!

[@Sebastian-jk9kk]

America just had the SVT Focus for this generation

[@alexmcwhirter6602]

Focus Mk 1 not a "rust bucket" provided it's looked after.

[@daddymulk]

​@@alexmcwhirter6602 that's one thing you can say about MK1 Focus, they have lasted quite well and still on roads now, dad's one never failed MOT and still had original exhaust at about 15 years old

[@johnstannard8366]

Modern classic?????

[@blackbirdmark495]

Unfortunately I don’t think that the focus had striking looks, at the end of the day, it’s just a standard “focus” with an st engine 👎

[@Lukson_PL]

It never was fast and never will be 😑

[@daddymulk]

That Episode of Wheeler Dealers Dream Car with guy who Owns ST170 and wanted Mk2 Escort, I thought keep the ST170 ya fool the prices will be going up