Car and driver mk7 gti vs focus st

The vw gti currently places near the top in our compact car rankings because its practical yet fun to drive, with peppy acceleration and fantastic handling. Lets take a look at the focus st vs gti compact sport car comparison. Under the skin, however, its a decade old and in the time since the mkv gti blew the bloody door off the segment and today the competition has been anything but asleep. Car and driver, focus st vs gti comparo ford focus st forum. Youd expect sloppiness with an old muscle car, but a hot hatch is a different creature.

Jan 25, 2017 the fiesta is a great car, but the golf gti is just better, plain and simple. Golf gti also a very good car, not my choice as its a touch too normal, but very smart, chips well to. And did you know that you can get brand new volkswagen gtis for about the price of a new ford fiesta st. Im pretty much sold on the gti vs st, main question is leasing a mk7 4 door vs. The gti is the more complete car overall, but the st put a bigger smile on my face and i was willing to sacrifice the little things the gti did better for the sake of having a car i felt was more engaging to drive. The 2015 model brings some worthwhile improvements while retaining the st s previous strengths. Focus st 225 vs mkv golf gti overclockers uk forums. The gti is most popular in europe, its designed and created there. Fast forward three decades and the prefacelift ford focus st and volkswagen golf gti performance pack mk7 prove that breaking the 200hp barrier wont break the bank. Why buy a fiesta st when you can have a golf gti right. Its hard to imagine two hot hatches that better manage userfriendliness and driving engagement than the volkswagen gti and the ford focus st. In fact, it might even be our favourite, unless the ford focus st is, or the seat leon fr is, or the renault megane.

The blue oval is out for blood with this one, and for good reason. My poverty spec, 3100lb with 2 occupants ands 34 tank of fuel, mk7 golf not gti, outran every single focus st and fiesta st at the drag strip and auto cross this past weekend by a landslide. A choppy ride was one of our few complaints of the st when it launched, and fords removal of some play in the front has done wonders. The gti version sounds more exotic than the st did. St and gti are very much the top of the pick in the hot hatch group for the price. Gti is38 vs focus sts golfmk7 vw gti mkvii forum vw. If you go the dsg route the tranny is good for over 400 ft lbs of tq. The gti s biggest european competitor is the focus st and before that the escort xr3. Not surprising with 350 horsepower on tap and an aggressive allwheel drive setup, the focus rs is the quickest car here on the drag strip. The standard bearer for the hot hatchback movement, the volkswagen gti continues to offer a balance of thrills and practicality that resonates with buyers.

Mar 01, 2017 the volkswagen golf gti is perennially one of our favourite hot hatchbacks. Read the headtohead matchup and see photos at car and driver. So if the euro st has 280hp then the gti needs to compete with that regardless of what north america thinks of anything because we are not the gti s prime market. The gti now in its 6th generationis more entertaining than ever, thanks to a firmly sprung but welldamped suspension and a gem of an engine. I would say the st is a 910 for fun and the gti is a 810 but the focus is a 610 for most everything else where the gti stays at its 810 for everything which overall gives the edge to the gti especially in comfort and visibility, interior space and ride which are all outstanding on the gti compared to the st. Okay, they are, and we expect a new model mk 7 gti and diesel powered gtd. The ford focus st lines up against the original hot hatchback, the volkswagen gti. When the hot hatch heyday was dawning back in the early 1980s, an entrylevel ferrari mustered 215hp. Regardless, the 252hp focus st is a blast to drive. If youre looking for a practical compact hatchback thats also a blast to drive, then what youre looking for is a hot hatch. That still leaves it 10nm shy of the st with overboost and rs, though the golf gti produces its maximum torque from just 1500rpm 500rpm earlier than the focus and 1500rpm ahead of the renault. The focus st stock clutch seems to be handling the extra powertorque better than the gti stock clutch.

Ford focus st the best car to drive, and strikes the best balance between fun and family. According to car and driver, you can expect a 060 time of 5. Its a car with a fan club, as decades of continuous sales have shown. Turns out, all the performance features that are added on, mixed with the available sixspeed dsg transmission, allow drivers to cruise around the course more quickly with the gti. The focus st feels like a cheap very fwd focus with some boost and a few nifty parts added to it 410. The golf gti feels planted, sensible, and more mature in a lot of ways 810. Dont say im paying cash at car dealerships auto expert kevin hunter duration. Ford focus st vs ford fiesta st vs volkswagen gti vs mazda. Sure, most people dont buy these for hauling groceries, but as your daily driver, it does.

The gti s 2liter turbocharged fourcylinder produces 210 horsepower and is paired with your choice of a sixspeed manual or sixspeed automatic manual transmission. Greg pajo car and driver the character of their handling follows the pattern. Focus st is on e85 mix with a custom exhaust and custom tune. Hot hatchbacks are great for the driving enthusiast who wants a true performance car thats exciting enough for spirited driving and practical. Bear in mind the st3 with leather is a 4 seater if that matters. Volkswagen golf gti and ford focus st head to head photo. Some potential buyers may think the gti s suspension is a little too firm, which can cause a slightly uncomfortable ride at times, but overall, the gti. I think if its any car that can challenge the st, itll be this one.

To keep things fair and stay within the sweet spot of a 3year old used car, well compare the 2017 models. Like the previous poster said a little tweak with the comp and bam you have a lighter faster car than the speed3 or st. Back again after 2 days out at super summit which had free auto cross and drag racing. Im familiar with mk6 issues but havent heard much of anything bad on the mk7 gti aside from turbo problems on the first few that were built. Mk7 vw gti is lying through its grill ford focus st. A staff favorite and 10best winner, the 247hp eurospec st may be a gti imitator, but it acts as if its running the monte carlo rally. For example gti with 230hp and 350nm and a st with 250hp and 360nm site i use for reference is car. The vw is still a seriously impressive allrounder but the st is definitely set to be the drivers choice. You may want to read more of autotrader s model vs.

The mk7 gti outperforms the st in about every aspect, the dsg version widens the gap even more. Mar 27, 2015 the focus this year is on adding greater athleticism to the mix, which has been achieved with an allnew suspension, a tad more power and optional performance upgrades. These zealous hatchbacks are all the car youll need. This car feels at one with you, like a glove with giant wheels and an engine. Focus st owner drives manual gti s for the first time.

The mazdaspeed3, focus st, and subaru wrx offer vastly. Fast forward three decades and the prefacelift ford focus st and volkswagen golf gti performance pack mk7. After driving my friends fiesta st with less than a thousand miles on it, as well as multiple focus rental cars, ive really been turned off by the interior quality. Aug 26, 20 we all know the venerable volkswagen gti has been at or near the top of the heap for ages, but with fords new focus st hitting the north american market we couldnt help but wonder if the gtis days are numbered. But it did not make me wish i bought it instead of the focus st. Volkswagen golf gti v ford focus st headtohead 12 may 2015 volkswagen golf gti. Most of the work was carried out on the front end, with a stiffer subframe, springs, and bushings. The focus st and the gti can both get pretty luxurious on the upper trims. Volkswagen golf gti v ford focus st headtohead drive. Apr 16, 2018 with the automatic, the gti can do the sprint from zero to 60 mph in 5. Ford focus st vs ford fiesta st vs volkswagen gti vs mazda mazdaspeed3.

To keep things fair and stay within the sweet spot of a 3year old used car. Like the gti, the focus st is a distinguished performer that happens to carry the shell of a massmarket compact. This is the essence of what a car in this segment needs to look like, to some. The st is a great car if its built right at the factory. Mk7 vw gti is lying through its grill ford focus st forum.

For example when you approach the car the doors will automatically unlock, and you can turn the engine on with the press of a button. Nov 23, 2012 read the headtohead matchup and see photos at car and driver. You can add features like heated leather seats, a heated steering wheel, a power moonroof, premium audio and navigation to both cars, but the vw offers more in the way of safety and driverassistance. Sep 06, 20 the current gti has thoroughly earned its reputation as a brilliant, satisfying driver s car. And, if you ask me, i think i almost prefer the looks of the upcoming gti over the st. It communicated proceedings adeptly and if kept flowing, was a joy to punt at speed. The ford focus st doesnt enjoy that kind of pedigree, but packs all the requisite performance credentials and then some. The braking power of the golf gti did, however, prove superior with a hurried stop from 60kmh covering. The auto cross was a very simple and straight forward course. We compare the vw golf gti with the ford focus st to see which is best. Parked next to the gti is a tangerine scream ford focus st. The mk7 doesnt disappoint with a compelling package. The focus st was refreshed in 2015, the golf gti in 2016. In this article, well compare the focus st vs gti with the assumption that youre looking at the used market.

While the mk7 is downpipe, exhaust, and tuned for 93 oct. On track, the focus st felt more enthusiastoriented than the golf. The hot hatch makes tons of sense to someone with a desire for driving excitement but needs more everyday practicality than a dedicated. The focus st satisfies performance fanatics who cant afford the trackready focus rs or want more power and practicality than the terrific albeit tiny ford fiesta st. The st is much more aggressive in the way it responds to your inputs and the car just wants to be pushed all the time. Rarely has volkswagens iconic gti badge been so humbled as it was in november 20 when we last put the gofast polo in the ring with the ford fiesta st. Jul 28, 2010 the gtinow in its 6th generationis more entertaining than ever, thanks to a firmly sprung but welldamped suspension and a gem of an engine. Stock mk7 gti dyno runs vs stock focus st dyno runs, they are extremely close. So if the euro st has 280hp then the gti needs to compete with that regardless of what north america thinks of anything because we are not the gti.

Vw golf gti vs ford focus st which hot hatch is best. Mk6 gti vs mk7 gti vs sportwagen vs focus st vs tdi. Enter the 20 ford focus st, a car that ford says will run circles around every other hot hatch available in the united states. Make no mistake, the focus st is fun to drive and its quicker. Oct 31, 2016 under the hood, these two models both have turbocharged inline fourcylinder engines.

Due to a classaction lawsuit, owners of 20112016 fiesta and focus. I know the time of 6,4sec and 6,5sec isnt much but still in the low amount of videos i saw a gti always beats the st. Mod wise a gti with just a tune murders a tune only st. With the current car already having an inch or so more than the focus, the mk7 will have an inch or so more on top of that. Mk5 golf gti vs focus st opinions overclockers uk forums. Ford focus st vs vw golf gti comparison cj pony parts. Back then the focus st was the newcomer trying to challenge the golf gtis dominance of the market. Two of hothatchdoms greatest meet to determine the new pocketrocket king.