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Which ST would you buy?

3K views 42 replies 20 participants last post by  sttwoton 
#1 ·
I'm feeling so conflicted. I'm planning to buy a 2014 ST3, but a 2015 ST2(?) just became available. I am a fan of the refreshed interior/steering wheel on the 2015, but I like the exterior of the 2014 more. The 2015 also looks like it needs a little paint work on the hood, and I'd swap those wheels to the ones the 2014 has. The 2015 has 20k fewer miles but it's a 3 owner car vs the 2014 being a 1 owner car and it still has low miles at 46k.

Which ST would you choose?

2014: 2014 Ford Focus ST - Carvana
2015: 2015 Ford Focus ST - Carvana
 
#2 ·
I don’t like the premium wheels so the 2015 is a turn off for me. I love love love the OEM snowflake wheels. But you can always swap those out so not a deal breaker.

Not dedicated enough to try to zoom on the 3D view to look at engine bay. I would go with are unmodified. I would still want to do all fluid exchanges just based on age for both cars. So mileage doesn’t affect that.

you should factor the infotainment system as well. Both 14 and 15 are stuck with sync 2 unless you replace the electronics. 16 and up has sync 3.

if this was 16 vs 14 I would go 16 but in this case I think I would take the lower miles. All other things being equal.
 
#16 ·
I am a big fan of pre-face lift. Others a huge fans of the facelift. I think, especially in black, the pre-lift have a much more aggressive and unique look. Can't go wrong either way for styling or fun factor though, that's for sure.

you should factor the infotainment system as well. Both 14 and 15 are stuck with sync 2 unless you replace the electronics. 16 and up has sync 3.
That's a good point, however I have to strongly say that I prefer the Sync 2 system. Just wish it had the speed of the sync 3. I have 2 other ford cars with sync 3 in them, and it doesn't give the same feel my 2013 ST's sync 2 does. It is inarguably better for it's purpose between connections, radios, maps, etc., but it feels annoyingly bland to me, and styling of the interface is poopoo.

Sometimes the Sync 2 system it has an issue when jumping between my girlfriend's bluetooth'd phone and mine, and of course no android auto or apple car play could be a thing for a lot of people (I don't care) but it is good. I always thought it was a pretty simple and intuitive way to divide the system into 4 quadrants like they did, and even customize the background with your own picture of choice. Just a slightly off-topic thought on that lol.
 
#5 ·
Same price, I'll take the 20k less miles. I'm mostly indifferent to the styling changes between the two. Some of it is easy to change, I'd switch wheels to a lighter/wider set anyways.

I don't like that the '15 has paint issues. Lol just swap the hood/bumper/lights for a '14 and you are good to go! Can't believe '15s are going for $27k 😳
 
#7 ·
I'm feeling so conflicted. I'm planning to buy a 2014 ST3, but a 2015 ST2(?) just became available. I am a fan of the refreshed interior/steering wheel on the 2015, but I like the exterior of the 2014 more. The 2015 also looks like it needs a little paint work on the hood, and I'd swap those wheels to the ones the 2014 has. The 2015 has 20k fewer miles but it's a 3 owner car vs the 2014 being a 1 owner car and it still has low miles at 46k.

Which ST would you choose?

2014: 2014 Ford Focus ST - Carvana
2015: 2015 Ford Focus ST - Carvana
also look at the service and accident history. 3 owners isn't unheard of, but I'd be trying to figure out why. theres not enough diff in mileage there to make a difference to me personally.
I'd personally rather have ST2 seats with the partial leather for sweaty reasons. I also can't stand the premium wheels.
I also prefer the pre-facelift look, especially the front end. I'm not sure about the 2015, but I can tell you that I had a '13 ST3 and also bought an '18 ST3, and the new headlights WAY better on the new one. I'm not sure if this 2015 has that or not. also, my '13 had this ridiculous huge turning radius that was apparently changed on newer models.
I'm not sure how the '15 fits into any of this so I don't know if I'm helping or making it even harder to decide.Also make sure you figure out what tires are on them. Of someone put on garbage, you're gonna need another 800 bucks to fix that eventually. I also see some curb rash on the '14. Need a lot more pictures to help see how bad things are or aren't.
 
#8 ·
14' for sure. Higher trim level so full leather, power adjustable Recaros WITH heated seats.
The seats look good. No excessive wrinkles, etc.

It obviously was well taken care of. Can't tell if it's tuxedo black but that color is really nice, lots of flake.

Like @Ryry said, 15's didn't get any if the updated trim level stuff that the 16 and up did so it's not really that much of an upgrade over the PFL.

Steering wheels can be swapped out if you so choose and the sync3 can be added at your convenience if you want.
 
#13 ·
Thank y'all so much for all the replies. This helps a lot and gives me more to think about. I'm still leaning towards the 2014, and I'm going to research doing the steering wheel and sync 3 swaps. 👀 I wish I could find a '16 or newer ST3 but I've looked without any luck so far, everything I find is an ST1. I am also comparing to possibly buying a brand new Veloster N but I don't know if I want to pay ~$15k more for a car with almost the same specs and a much smaller aftermarket.
 
#14 ·
A few friends of mine have sold cars to Carvana, and honestly- after hearing about their experiences- I do not think I'd buy a car from them. There was little to no pre-purchase inspection on their side. Basically- the car had to be able to drive onto the transport- so my friends were thrilled that they offloaded their cars and there were no questions about any underlying issues that may exist. I'd be wary of the history, and what kind of issues you may be inheriting.

If you are not in a hurry- maybe look for one locally (so you can see it and get a PPI before committing) or perhaps look in the "Cars For Sale" section in this forum.
 
#15 ·
A few friends of mine have sold cars to Carvana, and honestly- after hearing about their experiences- I do not think I'd buy a car from them. There was little to no pre-purchase inspection on their side. Basically- the car had to be able to drive onto the transport- so my friends were thrilled that they offloaded their cars and there were no questions about any underlying issues that may exist. I'd be wary of the history, and what kind of issues you may be inheriting.

If you are not in a hurry- maybe look for one locally (so you can see it and get a PPI before committing) or perhaps look in the "Cars For Sale" section in this forum.
Thank you for the heads up! I'll definitely keep this in mind. They have a 7-day return window, and I have an appointment set up with my mechanic the day after I purchase it for a full inspection and compression test and if the results aren't reasonable then it's going right back to Carvana. I'll absolutely take a look around the Cars For Sale section though!
 
#23 ·
I'm feeling so conflicted. I'm planning to buy a 2014 ST3, but a 2015 ST2(?) just became available. I am a fan of the refreshed interior/steering wheel on the 2015, but I like the exterior of the 2014 more. The 2015 also looks like it needs a little paint work on the hood, and I'd swap those wheels to the ones the 2014 has. The 2015 has 20k fewer miles but it's a 3 owner car vs the 2014 being a 1 owner car and it still has low miles at 46k.

Which ST would you choose?

2014: 2014 Ford Focus ST - Carvana
2015: 2015 Ford Focus ST - Carvana
I wanted an ST3, but I found a 2016 ST2 that was in too good a shape to pass up. Overall, very happy.
Not sure if I could have gone to an ST1. (My first ST was an 2014 ST3)
 
#24 ·
I'm feeling so conflicted. I'm planning to buy a 2014 ST3, but a 2015 ST2(?) just became available. I am a fan of the refreshed interior/steering wheel on the 2015, but I like the exterior of the 2014 more. The 2015 also looks like it needs a little paint work on the hood, and I'd swap those wheels to the ones the 2014 has. The 2015 has 20k fewer miles but it's a 3 owner car vs the 2014 being a 1 owner car and it still has low miles at 46k.

Which ST would you choose?

2014: 2014 Ford Focus ST - Carvana
2015: 2015 Ford Focus ST - Carvana
I have a 2014 with about 61K miles and despite how careful I am, the hood and front need paint work from the stone chips. It seems inevitable on the car.

Assuming both cars are stock, the 2015 is arguably the better car, all else being equal. It only has 20K miles, it's a year newer. The flip side is the 2014 doesn't have a lot of miles based on its age, it's a few grand cheaper. I think everybody else has given you pretty good advice.
 
#25 ·
Thanks y'all. I decided to go with the 2014 after all! It's in fantastic shape as far as I can tell aside from a little curb rash on the wheels and some flaws in the paintwork here and there. I'm taking it to the mechanic first thing tomorrow for an inspection, compression and leakdown tests. If all is well I'll be keeping it and will start ordering upgrades (starting with the intercooler!). I really appreciate everyone's advice in this tread, it was super helpful and I feel like I made the right decision. :)
 
#32 · (Edited)
Yeah, I really appreciate the warning about Carvana. I fully believe they don't actually do their "150 point inspection" on the cars. There's no way that the oil leak could have been missed. Here's a link to the inspection and pics: BYOP X-PRESS WELLNESS CHECK

I'm looking at a 2022 Hyundai Veloster N now instead. Got the return process started on the ST. Y'all are awesome though, I really enjoyed this community while I was here. Y'all are super helpful and chill. Thanks again to everyone who contributed to the thread. :)
 
#36 ·
I'm looking at a 2022 Hyundai Veloster N now instead. Got the return process started on the ST. Y'all are awesome though, I really enjoyed this community while I was here. Y'all are super helpful and chill. Thanks again to everyone who contributed to the thread. :)
Not sure what your budget is but that Elantra N is a pretty wicked machine too. As far as I know it's the same drivetrain as the Veloster N but a lot more roomy car.

You're more than welcome to stick around, there are a few people here who don't have STs anymore and still hang out!
 
#37 ·
Who performed the compression check?
Kind of unfortunate with that low of mileage that there's not good compression.
 
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