oldracer

HITMAN!!!!! and the rest of you reprobates live!!!! We sadly still have the 2002 GT Vert now with 91,000 miles, still flawless and in possession of a Cloth Cobra top... I am enjoying the R32 & the GlI as daily drivers and we are 1/2 assed shopping for a Terminator or GT500 used as a new toy...still I took a new job and I am buried at work most of the time...but as I went bacl to Lockheed Martin my retirement goes up next time I retire..... We still go to all the Mustang shows/cruises we can and love the 2010....just out of space. We are selling our 2002 SVT Focus we replaced almost everything on it in the last year and now it hardly gets used, so time for it to go to a new loving home....if anyone knows someone who would appreciate what it is and wants one let me know, 91K on it and it still gets 32+ highway at 75ish

62,000 miles and it's tire time again...going with Nitto Neo Gens,,,we put them on the 2002 SVT Focus which is now for sale as we have too many cars.. details/pictures available, e-mail me... I haven't been here much lately, mostly on VWVortex...we have a GLI & an R32 as daily driver's, both lightly modded and extremely fun cars.

I haven't been here for awhile....still have the 2002 GT Vert and we are looking for an 03-04 Terminator....toy time again. We bought a 2006 CPO GLI, (mine) - DD and a new 2008 R32 wife's DD....Mercedes is gone. Now we are looking for another toy as noted, missing rumble......and taking the SVT Focus to the Mustang vlub just doesn't do it for us. It is at a local Mustang seller and is for sale finally.

GLI getting 31-34 highway at 75-80 mph, ST getting 30 ish with Leadfoot driving it......still trouble-free...great little car. Rolled the 2002 GT Vert to work 1 day last week, got 23.95 mpg again at 75-80ish......of course the 16-18 city kills the average... The new Focus is growing on me....but no sport or engine option kills it for me as a viable choice.

52,000 miles and retired to my son's custody.............. He is selling the 93 LX5.0 we have mostly finished, as he is getting married Nov 1, and he is also selling his 2002 SVT Focus and taking my ST. He gains TC, Audiophile, 2 more doors, heated seats and all the parts and extended warranty. Some of you will scoff, but I bought a 2006 Jetta GLI, Pkg 1, 18"s, spoiler and DSG, it was a CPO and had 20,254 miles. I had the windows tinted Sunday and started driving it Monday for my 100 mile/day drive. The power & DSG are amazing, it has gotten 29-30 mpg so far even with everyone beating it and using the paddle shifters..... I will still get to drive my ST once in awhile and we plan to run it until 100K when the warranty ends. I am not able to shift consistently due to back & leg issues related to my service time.....so I went A/T. I drove the Fusion, Mazda 6, and some other stuff, the Jetta is miles ahead in all areas and I am very happy with it. I used to be a Service Manager for Porsche, Audi, & VW, so I know that they are way better than people think....or have heard. I wouldn't spend the $$ for a new one due to the tremendous amount of miles I put on, but this was what I wanted 3 yrs ago and the price was in my commuter car budget, ($20,900 is what I paid). My ST will be driven "only" 76 miles/day now to work by my son.......I expect it to continue to be troublefree and a solid car. I like it very much and would recommend one to anyone. Later guys

50,000 MILES!!! I had the brake/clutch fluid changed Sat, the Mobil 1 and they added 5 oz,s of R-134.. I still haven't done the brakes, dealer said I have 5K left, same as the last visit 8,000 miles ago. Boring to say, but no issues or problems yet....... I also swapped the plugs for Denso Iridiums...WOW!!! Idles smoother and runs better....but the stock "100,000" mile plugs were used up when I removed them, color was OK, electrode was pitted, and worn....there is no such thing as a 100K plug... This is a great car, too bad Ford doesn't make it anymore......

Yeah, but I'm not much of a Volvo person.....I'd do a Mazda 6 way before the Volvo.... I'm pretty settled after re-driving everything Sat that the GLI is my best all around choice, I feel I'm getting an expensive car for a MEDIUM PRICE.. I still want a 335i, but realistically 306 hp in a commuter car, plus heavy miles is such a waste.........maybe I should retire..... BUT: In spite of my leg & back problems, I am in no big hurry to get rid of my ST, it compares well with everything out there for the most part...it has more room than our C230 in the backseat..... I drive an A/T car from the house when I can't walk, so I think I will just keep procrastinating until the 09's come out..... Tiguan is at the dealer, gonna look at one of them too.....

Yes I have. The only Mazda that rings my bell for this task is a Mazdaspeed3....but its 6 speed only.... That is the reason it comes in 2nd to the GTI/GLI is the lack of a performance oriented A/T. My legs are bad due to Neuropathy and my back is gotten worsae in the last yr.....so I will have to go A/T next time. The regular Mazda 3 just isn't a feasible switch from my ST at this point, Focuses just don't have great resale or trade-in value. The best trade I have been offered in the last 2 months is around $8-$9K, for that it will sit out front as a 3rd or 4th car because I think it would be stupid to write a check to cover negative equity for a car I actually like enough to drive for another year or 2..... I rarely drive it on weekends and we usually drive the Mercedes for long trips or vacations due to the enjoyment and comfort/handling combo, plus it is a 7 spd A/T. 5 days a week of shifting is quite enough for me at this point. The DSG in the GTI/GLI is the best transmission I have ever driven period. It shifts faster than a Ferrari A/T (8/1000's of second vs 400/1000) and with the 2.0 Turbo it gets 32-34 actual mpg hwy, and 24 mpg city according to 3-4 owner's I have talked too....and they love the car. At $30ish loaded, its a great package. Its got paddles or just a Sport setting that holds to redline......all I need. I am getting older and starting to like cars like our Mercedes way more than I used too, my wife loves the C63 and boy that's a nice little car, pricey, but so is a Shelby or Z06 as a toy........later on maybe. (Z06 is now my 1st choice due to my GM discount from Cuz...) If we go to 1 vehicle someday, it will have to be the LTZ Suburban, can't beat the versatility and features and it drives wellk and tows good. If I buy one for Florida, we will get the Dk Blue, as my 07 is White. With the 6.0 it gets 13-15 city and 18-20 hwy, same as my 4.0 Ranger used to get.....I can live with that as the business uses it as a writeoff anyway. I still like my ST and it looks like it will run to 100K easy with no issues.....I'm changing from Mobil 1 to Royal Purple synthetic shortly as an experiment to see if I notice any differences...

OK, here's my $.02 worth: I hate FWD as it just doesn't drive as well as a RWD, no debate there, raced 911's for 17 yrs and have had all manner of muslecars and sports cars too. I bought my 2005 Focus ST in Feb 2006, today it has 47,500 miles on it from driving 100/miles a day to work. I have not had any issues since the A/C compressor seal had to replaced at delivery, probably from sitting for 5 mos before I bought it. It was purchased for $16, 186 after a $2,500 rebate and X-Plan as a throwaway commuter car and has won me over in that capacity in a way I never thought it would. It is, of course, a 2.3L Duratec, 5 spd manual, with 6 disc, power windows, locks, mirrors cruise, traction control, heated seats, moonroof, 4 wheel discs, SVT shocks with stock Focus springs were part of the factory package. It has Leather & suede like seats, rears fold down, and it also has the Sony Audiophile system. To all that I added; Mobil 1, upper tie bar, Steeda CAI, and a SCT premium fuel performance tune, and BFG G-Sport tires and window tint. I drove a new 2008 SES that I was thinking may be a better piece for my commute....hated the way it drives and looks, and the gadgets were cool, but I am more a performance dynamics kind of guy.......NO SALE. Then I went and drove a Jetta 2.5 and a GLI.....completely different level of vehicle. The Rabbit & Jetta 2.5 are both competitive with the Focus SES loaded version on price but way ahead on driving, handling, features etc. The GLI is what I would buy and may yet......but a quick cost/benefit analysis tells me what I need to do is run ST to 100K miles and then buy something else............I purchased a warranty thru the Credit union that is $0 Ded and covers everything mechanical...so far again, haven't needed to use it... I drove a Mazdaspeed 3 and thought why couldn't Ford have offered this in a Focus??? Dumb asses was my assessment....turbo motor is awesome, in fact the whole car is great. So no 2.3, no sale, I gert 26-29 running 65-80, so I'm happy. The new ones are reporting in at more like 30ish hwy from what my Ford buddy is hearing..... I bought my wife a 2007 C230 with the AMG Sport pkg last April, 13.6" front drilled rotors, 11.5 rear.....this is a 2.5L V6 with 201 hp, it gets 22 city and 30-32 hwy at 80-90.....handles better than any of our Mustangs and is toy loaded....for approx 32K new...can't beat it. 7 spd A/T makes the diffewrence for performance & mileage I'm sure. I would buy another one except, I don't like the 2008 redesign...so we are replacing it with a 335i in a year or so...even better!!!! I would buy a Fusion over anything except a Mustang at this point.......

Bill Franco put 2 complete drivelines in my '99 Cobra Vert...didn't fix the problem, they gave me full MSRP less $100??? WTF!!! and we bought a 2001 ST, (POS), then a 2002 GT Vert, still here....then my son & I bought the '93 LX 5.0 FHP Notch, still got that building a 331 Turbo for it...bought a GM, got rid of that for the commuter Focus ST, bought a 2007 loaded ST V8, sold that for the 2007 C230 Sport.... what a phenomenal road car....comfort has become our thing I guess.....Mustangs are all toys now.... Still have the 2007 LTZ suburban w/6.0 l.............great truck, love it!!!! I'm thinking I will relocate it from Boston to here.....but then I got nothing to drive up there...... Now I am deciding on a color, (white, Vista or Grabber), for our 2008 GT.....idiots that we are, we keeping all the other cars....I learned that if you sell them, you regret it sooner or later..... 2008 will get forged internals and twin turbos...will be a shop car, ( tax writeoff too!!!) Going A/T with this car for traffic and launch issues....plus my legs and back deteriation have earned me a Handicapped placard after years of trying to avoid it.....at least I get great parking spots now...... I guess my addiction is never going to be cured, but that's fine wiith me

44,250 miles still no problems/issues. I am researching whether a Mazdaspeed 3 driveline will be a difficult swap or not...the thought intrigues me........ I might have to just buy the Mazdaspeed 3......great little car.... I will update from time to time......

Well, I replaced the tires with the same BFG G-Trac Sport Comp's I had....car returned to silent, comfortable ride again. I will turn 42,000 miles tomorrow and will replace Mobil 1 and Mobil synthetic filter again this weekend. The car will be 2 yrs old Sat Feb 16th Still no failures, issues or concerns despite the sporty use it sees. The SCT2 tune continues to be flawless andf is delivering 27-30 mpg w/o A/C on.....and that is running 75-90 mph everyday on the highway for 25-30 miles of my 48 mile 1 way commute. I am Mustang hunting again, as we want one for a toy for club and weekends....I'm leaning towards a 2008 GT or a 2004 Terminator. Either one will get mods, the '08 has the advantage of the A/T for my bad back and legs.......plus we can order it the way we want it. "Fred" as I call my ST will be around as a commuter/extra car until the end of my 100K aftermarket warranty.....no sense in taking the $$$ loss by selling or trading it...it is the Anti-Ricer and still new to me. The new Focus is Fugly to me and with no 2.3 or meaningful power...no sale here. I could see a Fusion V6 maybe if I am still commuting when this goes, but when I get the shop....Mustang will be driver then.

mn. written like a true lawyer....when I finished I was confused about what the subject was initially!!!! :reading: I ordered a GT500 from my dealer, my refusal to pay more than MSRP resulted in the purchase of a Mercedes instead... I thought about a Shelby GT, but the cheap tacky hood scoop and fugly rear diffuser killed that idea....and the laughable price too I have decided now that I am either buying a 2004 Terminator or a 2008 GT Premium and spending the $$ I save on serious mods... I like the GT and Lord knows there is tons of parts available..... I love the Bullitt, but the local dealers are adding $10K to the first batch the idiot at the 1st dealer said there was only going to be500 made, so it was a steal at $10K over.........would have laughed if the stupidity wasn't so depressing... I have been offered a 2008 GT500 @ MSRP, but no color choice......my thought is - BITE ME, and that Z06 is looking way better about now. I guess I will decide this Spring about which way to go...

40,000 mile update......turned 40K today. No problems other than the tires are going to need replacement shortly after 25,000 miles of abuse... No time to do any changes to the car, maybe brake upgrade will be done in the next 2 mos or so...still have original brakes and rotors, wearing well. Put 10K miles since Nov and it sat for 2 weeks over Christmas vacation, we drove the Mercedes all the time and the '93 LX 5.0 of course..... I'm looking into a Bullitt if they can be had.......sure would like one...

This is the 36,000 mile report.........No problems, no issues. I will write again at 40,000 I expect I'll have time to do some upgrades, (17" SVT wheels, Turbo form a Mazdzspeed 3 maybe, struts and shocks, SS brake lines etc.) I decided to push the envelope a little....resale is poor anyway, why not have some fun.......