Focus ST-3 Buying Advice

keepthegreen

Looking at buying a Ford Focus ST3 but I obviously want to try and get the best deal possible. List price is 23,800k so what am I likely to be paying. A search on new-car-discount.com comes up with a figure of 20,600.

Can anybody give me some buying advice?

Thanks in advance.

AdrianHi

Found a lease for about £340 a month including VAT and tax.
If you get it for 20,600 you loose about 289 a month depreciation, if you pay 23,800 you loose about 380 a month depreciation.
20,600 looks like a decent deal, what can you get a nearly new or pre-reg one for though?

daveyjp

Drivethedeal £17,020 or £17,297 (3/5 door) - add £1,500 if you don't want the Ford finance offer. 8.9% on HP.

keepthegreen

Thanks guys drivethedeal certainly seems to be a good discount on list. I've done a few various quotes and written them down. I have also booked a test drive at the local dealership tomorrow. Hopefully they will match those prices.

2nd hand with low mileage doesn't seem to be much lower than that and given the nature of the car I'll probably avoid buying second hand.

Does anybody have any direct experience with drivethedeal? Seems a little too convenient to me.

daveyjp

We have, that's why I posted their price.

No problems for us - £500 deposit paid, next call was from supplying dealer, two weeks later the car was delivered.

keepthegreen

Great, thanks Davey. Now I know I have the choice to walk away if I don't get that 12 months tax and full tank of petrol

missgiddypants

Drivethedeal certainly looks a good option

Have you had a look at Archers of Ashby - Ford dealership who offer hefty savings. They will deliver too. Maybe take a print out of their page with you when you test drive and see if they'll match the price?

We've just ordered an ST-3 from our local Polar Ford - they had an offer on their website for ST-2 at £18995 so did the ST-3 for us at £19995. We've taken Ford Finance which meant a £1500 deposit paid by Ford which takes it to £18495. We also had the bonus of a family member being a Ford pensioner which entitled us to another £2k off and then another £3k from trading in my car.....we're getting a bargain :D:D:D

Let us know how you get on I haven't test drove one but boyfriend did and he was very very impressed....we're so excited!!!!!

vikingaero

keepthegreen wrote: »

Thanks guys drivethedeal certainly seems to be a good discount on list. I've done a few various quotes and written them down. I have also booked a test drive at the local dealership tomorrow. Hopefully they will match those prices.

2nd hand with low mileage doesn't seem to be much lower than that and given the nature of the car I'll probably avoid buying second hand.

Does anybody have any direct experience with drivethedeal? Seems a little too convenient to me.

As an extended family we have bought 9 or 10 cars with DTD and/or Carfile Once you accept the quote, they arrange for the supplying main dealer to call you up and finalise the order along with a credit card deposit. DTD have no other involvement and are paid commission by the dealer.

Your dealings will be with one of the salesman from the franchised dealer and would be the same as if you walked into a showroom. On one occasion the supplying dealer has been a local dealer that refused to match the DTD price.

Microstar_2

I run a garage business which sells and repairs cars. We tend to specialise in high-performance cars, although we also sell and repair more mundane models (can't afford not to!).
I would think carefully before buying a Focus ST. They DO drive nicely, but they are not a great long term prospect. Fuel consumption is heavy (VERY heavy if you use all the performance), they are in a high tax band and a new version is due out in the not too distant future. Depreciation is heavy and will only get worse; we find older used models (more than three years old) difficult to shift off the forecourt. As the older models have fallen in price on the secondhand market they have also developed a somewhat 'Chav' image.
You might be better considering one of the VAG cars (Golf GTI, Leon, Octavia vRS etc) which hold their value better and are easily remapped to give more performance than the ST with much better economy, or even a used BMW?
BTW I am not biassed against the Focus ST (used to own one myself!), just trying to offer some genuine 'trade' advice.

keepthegreen

Thanks Microstar I tried to get a Leon test drive today but the two local dealers had nothing available. I would still like to get a test drive though so I'm going to ring around a little further afield tomorrow.

I've dismissed the Golf at least for now because it seems as though the base model is very stingy on the spec sheet. The Ford seems to offer a lot more for less money. I also hear where you are coming from with regards to fuel consumption and depreciation and it is the main reason I haven't already bought one (I'm still weighing up my options).

On the subject of the Ford test drive, the first dealer I had pre-arranged a test drive with wanted to talk numbers before I had driven the car which put me off straight away and then was unwilling to move from list price at all. I at least expected an attempt at trying to offer a pre-registered vehicle. I produced some figures from Archers of Ashby thanks to missgiddypants and also the drivethedeal prices to try and get things moving. The salesman left to speak to his manager and returned a few minutes later and was very rude telling me "that was the price and if I didn't like it I could go and get drivethedeal to give me a test drive" needless to say I walked out without my test drive. I'm still pretty shocked and annoyed actually because I hardly even opened my mouth up to that point and my manner certainly did nothing to warrant it.

Anyway... I took a trip to the next dealer on the list which was a Seat dealer that low and behold had a Focus ST on the forecourt. Totally different attitude from this salesman who agreed the Focus test drive even though he knew full well it wasn't the spec I was looking for. He didn't even have a leon available to test drive so knew he was extremely unlikely to get a sale.

So long story short I got my test drive but drivethedeal is still looking like the best option. After the test drive I'm fairly convinced of the car I want but still would like a Leon test drive before I make a decision.

keepthegreen

Left spec with a few local dealers to see what they come up with. Told one the DTD price and letting the others come back blind. Two calls back so far £22,183 and 21,935. take off 1500 if i take a 2500 ford finance deal which is the minimum possible.

Spec is White, 3dr ST-3, Silver Wheels, Sunroof, DVD Sat Nav and rear park sensor.