Comments on: Ford Focus XR5 Turbo facelift spotted

By: wr ex owner

wr ex owner — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 23:27:20 +0000

Just thought I’d drop my comments to those slagging off the focus st.I have one and had a wrx before.Comparing the two is chalk and cheese.The wrx I owned for 11 months,the st I’ve had nearly 3 years…nuff said.
It handles better,steers better,is more solidly built,the gearbox and diff are not made of glass(my mate has had 2 diffs in his wrx)the rear discs are the same diameter as the front on a wrx so it stops ,never driven a sorted front drive car take one for a ride,I have never had a car with so much grip and I’ve owned cosworths rs capris and escorts.Pity oz is not to get the rs focus with the revonuckle geometry.Google it,it may change your mind if you actually need 4wd

By: Xr5Turbo

Xr5Turbo — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 09:08:03 +0000

I Purchased this vehicle first week of January 09, in snow white no stripes. Vehicle is nice, has a slight kick to it when turbo comes in, Not the most powerful vehicle out there> I hope they will bring in the 2 door version to Australia. Car does come with Cruise control if you pay extra. Personally, I rather pay the extra to get sunroof than the cruise control.
However I really do like this vehicle, Alot of people do ask me questions about it, make comments, try to drag me on the streets, Ladies love it lol. compare to a Focus it self this car is totally different in all aspects to its lower models.

By: Duck

Duck — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 08:48:06 +0000

^When I first read your couple of first posts on CarAdvice I thought you where completely Holden the way you said things in your posts, but I am wrong now. Or the Focus is the only ford you like.

By: Zilla

Zilla — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 08:24:01 +0000

I want one!!!!

By: Michael

Michael — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 06:31:22 +0000

I would buy this car if it had cruise control. But I won’t because it doesn’t (not even an option!). Fix the problem Ford or lose customers. I’m walking in the direction of the VW dealership who include cruise as standard on the Golf GTI. What a stuff up on Fords behalf.

By: TuffGuy

TuffGuy — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 06:01:47 +0000

As for the interior plastics issue raising its ugly head again – are you going to drive the car or sit there and fondle the dash and door panels??? Why do they have to be soft and what are you going to do with it. I bought a rex because it is a rex and because I like the look of it – way too stylish for the little rev-heads obviously. Everyone I show it to turn green with envy. Would you really and truly not buy a car because the dash or door panel was not soft??? And like you say the xr5 is the same so why does this hold so much importance for some people?

By: TuffGuy

TuffGuy — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 05:55:03 +0000

Austran I guess what really counts is how many are being sold and how many one sees on the roads – bucketloads. Sure there are a lot of forums out there with people bagging the new rex. However it is probably the same little dweebs with the reverse baseball caps commenting on all the forums. The so-called die hards who are having difficulties getting over the fact Subaru have updated the look of the rex. This was for a reason – for WRC the hatch is a better rally racing shape and all the others were already hatches. As for the new look I think it looks great and I love mine. What I was trying to get across before was the rex is better value for money than the xr5. Rex is only 3k more than xr5 but if you look at the cost of all the things I mentioned (that the xr5 does not have) they add to around 7k. That gives around 4k more value in the rex and as a bonus it is heaps faster in the dry and the wet. Remember too we are talking about standard equipment here not options, most of which Ford do not even offer as an option.

By: TuffGuy

TuffGuy — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 05:42:22 +0000

Yeah and M16 has his hand on his weapon a bit too much I reckon. M16 you are a dick – your EVO is clearly targetted at the WRX STI so of course it should be faster than the WRX. And that clearly demonstrates how much air you have between your ears, and the fact you drive a Mitsushitty EVO (yeah I know a cheap shot). I won’t crush you any more by talking about how cheap the EVO is – all they did was drop a good engine into an everyday boring cheapass Lancer and throw on an EVO badge :)

By: GhisGT

GhisGT — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 00:50:38 +0000

M-16:

By playing with the big boys, do you mean making cheap shots over the internet. Wow, that EVO must be a weapon there big boy..

By: Dlr1

Dlr1 — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 13:05:39 +0000

TuffGuy, doesn’t that ancient 5 speed manual gearbox make Subaru a bit cheap these days. I believe toyota made the 5 speed manual standard in the Celica back in 1972. Even the econobox corolla manual is now a 6 speeder. People in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.

By: M-16

M-16 — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 12:30:50 +0000

TuffGuy you talk sh** comparing the this Xr5 Focus with you crap WRX my EVO would eat you crap WRX why don’t you came and play with the big boys.

By: KJ

KJ — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 12:11:25 +0000

The side panels have changed, maybe it’s just the colour that makes it hard to see. If you go onto the Ford Oz website, you’ll see pics (I hate how all pics on the Ford website are computer generated) that show the side is different (same as the Ford UK pics).

By: Austran

Austran — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 11:16:29 +0000

I’d say you’re wrong Tuff. If we’re talking cheap, open the door of a brand new WRX and try to tell us all it’s a quality looking/feeling product (the XR5 is no better).
Most car enthusiasts (the people who would tend to buy either of these cars)… want to have a car with great looks at least. Have a search on nearly any worldwide forum… and try to find a general consensus that the WRX (specifically), is a good looking car.
No denying all-wheel-drive is great, but for some that’s just not the be-all and end-all, especially when it looks like the new WRX!! The new Rex has also come into some pretty harsh criticism with its new found suspension ’softness’.
Features? That’s purely whats important to the individual. People will obviously sacrifice xenons, climate and cruise for a great sounding, great handling car, cheaper car.
I don’t own an XR5, but i would say in this instance, it seems to be the better choice.

By: TuffGuy

TuffGuy — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 10:37:45 +0000

Ford are just cheap – when comparing WRX to XR5 we find the following:
WRX has 3kw more, weighs 30kg more, 1 full second faster to 100km/hr, has all wheel drive, xenons, climate, cruise, cd player reads MP3s (XR5 doesn’t), 10 speakers vs 8 – and all that for only an extra $3000.
Wow XR5 has 6 speed and 18″ wheels against 5 speed and 17″ wheels, heated mirrors (wow I want some of those), lumbar adjust for front driver seat, and that is all.
Considering AWD is estimated to add around $4000 the XR5 is grossly overpriced when you look at what you don’t get.

By: TuffGuy

TuffGuy — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 10:19:51 +0000

So GT40 is obviously a Fordophile, and obviously a big fan of one of Frauds biggest heaps of junk ever made – the GT40. Ask Jeremy Clarkson what he thinks of them – he wanted one sooooooo bad yet went and sold his because it was a heap of junk which broke down every other day. As for the XR5 it is just a Focus crapbox with a few little go fast bit stuck on. If you squint a little bit you could think it was a Daewoo or Kia. Cheap nasty thrown together crap with nothing – no xenons, no cruise, no climate, no performance, the list goes on. Ford are so cheap I am surprised they did not cut down the falcon dash and interior and stick it in the Focus to save more dollars. yes I lurv the electric orange or whatever it is called but not on a cheap boxy crapbox with a few “afterthought” go fast bits stuck on. I will take my WRX over that any day.

By: Zandit

Zandit — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 07:06:42 +0000

Used to sell these a year back and had a chance to drive them at the release when the first XR5T came out, you could not take the smile off my face!! Until we get one in the showroom i cant really comment on the look but has anyone seen the racing stripes that are available? seems that ford cant get enough of them lately.
Macca, just to give you the official speale regarding the high rear lights, its so they are out of the way in-case someone rear ends you and other drivers see your lights more clearly!

By: Golfschwein

Golfschwein — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 01:10:59 +0000

That’s a point to consider, BOSSCR. If your boss told you you’re getting a new Camry, you could at least plead for that spec and colour. Quoite noice.

By: Peter

Peter — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 01:00:59 +0000

Those going on about how there should be radical changes… well, it is only a mid-life facelift.

It’s a shame that we don’t get the 2-door. :(

By: Revhed

Revhed — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 23:23:26 +0000

…looks like still no climate control (and probably also cruise) when all its competitors offer it – why?

By: BOSSCR

BOSSCR — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 23:19:14 +0000

Ease up Golfschwein,

Toyota did have a bright colour. Remember that metallic pastel green colour that came out when they released the latest gen camry…?

Also, I remember a Melbourne Motor show when Toyota had only silver cars -BLAND!

There is a lot to like about Toyotas, but they are as boring as bat sh1t.

Focus is targeted at a younger market, not the lawn bowls market.