ST/XR5 road test

[melbzetec]

I like the idea (but then again I know where it came from!!)

The point is, it works to help bring the Ford range together, rather than the "Falcon Car Company, plus some others".

As Matt says, it will start to put Focus on the radar. For all those who know XR6 and XR8, they go, "What's this XR5?" It says "performance" in Australia.

Question is, will there ever be an XR4???

Originally Posted by melbzetec

Question is, will there ever be an XR4???

Perhaps the Fiesta ST?

[Mick K.]

Originally Posted by melbzetec

Question is, will there ever be an XR4???

Too late - there was one already Ford Sierra XR4 (and there were XR3 (Escort) and XR2 (Fiesta) too)





MK

[English Wes]

Hello people
I was lucky enough 2 test drive a focus 3 door st2 in orange on the 3rd of this month. Its not out till January over here and I only popped in to my local dealership 2 pick up a brochure but they didnt have any so the salesman said he would take my name and address and send me one. So when I sat down at his computer he started giving it the sales pitch I just wanted 2 get home from work. Right at the end of his pitch he said they had one arrived that day and they were doing test drives and did I want 2 come back the next day. Well I nearly ripped the blokes arm off.

In a nut shell
this thing hurls u down the road, it felt like a flat torque curve from 1500rpm to around 6000rpm, theres so much torque and absolutely no lag it pulls in every gear and sticks 2 the corners like glue
But its so comfortable and effortless 2 drive. With 225 bhp, front wheel drive and 18inch rims on a 40 profile I was expecting the wheels to follow every little grove in the road and twitch off of man hole covers and torque steer but there was none of that at all. This thing has been set up so well it feels more like a 4 wheel drive set up when your accelerating out of corners.

Ok so Im a ford nut so maybe Im a little biased but this has to be the best front wheel drive production car to ever leave a factory everything is set up so well

Jeremy Clarkson called this car the A.S.B.O which stands for anti social behavior order and I can see why. I just couldnt stop over taking people I wanted to but the car wouldnt let me in fact I probably spent more time on the other side of the road go past everything.
Sorry about the rant but the car is actually that good

2.5 20V 5 CYLINDER TURBO 225 BHP
ST-1 = 17500 pounds
ST-2 = 18500 pounds with- sony cd, zeon headlights, traction control
ST-3 = 19500 pounds with- full leather and sony cd multichanger

Not sure how much it will be when it hits your shores though

PS- over here ford dropped the XR badge in favour of the ST badge because they wanted to shake off the essex boy racer image that the XR badge held. Must admit I prefer the XR badge but after 10 years of the ST badge you just forget about it

[melbzetec]

English Wes, nice to hear from someone on the other side of the world, and a great review ( rant?) as well

Here in Oz we have the XR moniker only on Falcon. XR6, XR6 Turbo, and the XR8 ( obviously for the 6 cylinder, 6 Turbo, and V8), and it is the badge associated with performance product straight from the factory ( I think there may have been an XR2 Capri????? (convertible) in Oz?)

[English Wes]

melbzetec hello mate
over here we had XR 2 / 3 / 4s the number related to the different cars in the range

XR2 were fiestas
mk1 XR2 1981/83 86bhp
mk2 XR2 1984/89 96bhp
mk3 XR2i 1989/92 108bhp
mk3 XR2i 1992/94 108bhp Zetec

XR3 were escorts
mk3 XR3 1980/82 96bhp
mk3 XR3i 1982/86 105bhp
mk4 XR3i 1986/89 105bhp
mk4 XR3i 1990 efi 108bhp
mk5 XR3i 1991/92 108bhp
mk5 XR3i 1992/94 130bhp Zetec

and the XR4i was the sierra
mk1 XR4i 1982/85 150bhp
mk2 XR4x4 1985/92 150bhp

the XR badge over here was the sportier model that sat below the RS badge. The XR badge was dropped after 1994 and we saw the first ST badge in 1996 on the Mondeo which replaced the Sierra It then appeared on the Focus which replaced the Escort and last year finally appeared on the mk6 Fiesta

although the XR/ST badge has always sat below the RS badge the new Focus ST and Fiesta ST were actually designed by team RS and apparently Ford are not going to be making the Focus RS which was going to be 4 wheel drive with a 3.0 V6 twin turbo. Which I cant believe there not building. So with the new Focus ST being more powerful than the old Focus RS and the new Fiesta ST having more power than the old Fiesta RS turbo the question is will we ever see a RS badge again. Lets hope so people

And why did Ford sell Cosworth to the yanks are they insane

[zetec]

That's funny, we didn't see XR here until roughly 1993 or 1994 with the EB/ED from memory... Glad to see we're still carrying the flame!!

[FPV8U]

Well mum saw the new XR5 on the cover of MOTOR mag today and it looks like the AUII XR8 will be making way for an XR5 next year in Orange, it's a perfext match for her Small, Economical, good shopping basket and its a damn fast little car hope pricing is reasonable as it may be the only thing in the way come the 2nd quater next year

[orsest170]

Originally Posted by XRPEAL

Well mum saw the new XR5 on the cover of MOTOR mag today and it looks like the AUII XR8 will be making way for an XR5 next year in Orange, it's a perfext match for her Small, Economical, good shopping basket and its a damn fast little car hope pricing is reasonable as it may be the only thing in the way come the 2nd quater next year

Well I just bought that issue of MOTOR and it says the XR5 is due for release in March and that pricing should be around 37k. This is all speculation of course, but it's all looking good at the moment.

I'd be surprised if it gets here that early in the year though, coz it seems Ford is struggling to keep up with the demand in the U.K alone at the moment. Some guys that have recently bought an ST (XR5) will be waiting until at least March for their cars to arrive.

All those that have taken delivery already are very happy campers to say the least - the only area that it seems to fall short of expectation, is the fuel economy, which apparently isn't as good as the Ford brochure claims.

Hope it is March though, coz I'm counting down the days and I don't know if I can stand the wait... I want one now!

[Martyvan]

Originally Posted by orsest170

All those that have taken delivery already are very happy campers to say the least - the only area that it seems to fall short of expectation, is the fuel economy, which apparently isn't as good as the Ford brochure claims.

Probably their right foot being a little 'twitchy' with a new beast...... Thats almost like Jeremy Clarkson saying he doesnt like the Bugatti Veyron because of its poor fuel economy at full steam, it will use 100litres of fuel in 12 minutes. (400+kph)

But you are right, who wouldnt be happy with having one....