E46 m3 over both of them i'm afraid

________________________________________

1999 Astor Grey GTi-6 OEM+ (now gone...)
2004 Aegean Blue 206 GTi 180 (also gone...)
2006 Skoda Fabia vRS in Sprint Yellow

Be very careful on the focus, especially remapping it.
It makes no sense to me - loads lower mpg than my volvo but its the same engine with a smaller turbo.

S60R is worth looking at over the focus, but can have the same cylinder cracking issue and buy after 2005. Make sure its had the angle gear done. 300/300 out of the box with trick suspension, 4wd and huge brembos. Very quick.

________________________________________

Nothing to see here

on topic id pick the ST i dont like the looks off the R32 nor the mk5 one might just be me but i prefer the focus im getting one my self plus you can buy alot of stuff for the focus off volvo aswell same parts some cheaper then the other and you can get a ford approved st300 pack wolf something its called plus new focus ST comes out this summer so ST prices will drop

Mk1 focus Rs if you're looking at hatchbacks. I didn't get on with my E46 (330ci m-sport) although it was immacculate with FBMWSH, I was continually replacing bits on it and they were serious money. The handling/ performance was poor too. I think the M3 would have made the experience better but then the bills are about 4x what I was paying, which was already obscene. It's a more grown up car than the hatches, with grown up bills to match.

Expensive to buy but cheap(ish) to run if you want a proper car get the lotus, it's a great experience and a very special peice of kit (in any elise/ exige form). Mk4 R32 is old now, and lardy with it. The mk4 golf's reliability was never anything to shout about either. I've driven that new ST 3 hard and it's very souless and not a great deal of fun..insanely thirsty too!

Have you looked at a wildcard....S2000 perhaps? Cheap as chips at the moment and a stonkingly good car.

________________________________________

"Rules are for the interpretation of wisemen and the obedience of fools" (Colin Chapman, Lotus founder)

I never liked the Haldex 4WD system on those Golfs/TTs etc. Too complex and felt a bit artificial relying on electronic trickery. And it was only 4WD once traction was being lost at the front so it was 2WD 90% of the time. Also needs maintenance (fluid/filter changes) and very expensive if it goes wrong, which isn't unknown. I'd rather have a 1980s/90s Audi quattro with a proper 4WD system. The R32 was awesome to drive with a great noise but a bit heavy-feeling.

The Focus ST version I've not driven but I have driven several different Mk2 Focuses. The handling for what is a mundane grocery-getter is unbelievably good. It is tactile and responsive, fantastically good for what it is. I like 5-cyl engines and I think the Focus is well screwed together, if not quite as high quality as a VW, Audi or BMW. If you look closely at the instrument pack it is a little cheap, and you can see that in the rear the door car cappings are made of a cheaper material than the fronts. But as a driving proposition the Focus is much better than the Mk4 Golf. The ST will be a great driving tool if it is anywhere near as good as the cheaper versions. And for the performance it will be cheaper to run than a M3, though I would seriously consider a E46 M3.

________________________________________

Cherry Rallye SOLD