Has anybody read the Test Drive magazine this month ? It has got a group test with the ST against rivals such as the Cio 197,Mini cooper S,VW polo GTI,Ibiza FR and the fabia RS.The ST came third overall after the cooper s then the Clio.They slated the performance of the ST as being poor(they recorded a 0-60 time of 8.9 secs !!!)What aload of bollocks,the main thing they praised the ST on was it's looks and chassis.What a crap magazine!!

Most reviews I have read about any car, including the ST contradict each other. I've read reviews where people have slated the ST gear box, others say its great, some say the engine sounds nasty, others have loved it.

At the end of the day its just someones opinion, and to be honest, anyone can say what they want about the ST, I still love it.

Yup, whilst it is nice to see when a magazine or whatever praises it, I'm not too bothered to be honest if they don't. All that matters to me is that I think it looks great and enjoy driving it, and thats the end of it really.

Yea agree with you all on this but look at the 0-60 time. It's got to be wrong !

Maybe the bloke who only got that time out of it was just a crap driver!

Didnt another major reviewer record a similar 0-60 time?

My ST does 0 to 62 MPH in 9.3 SEC so there about right. Had a magazine as well where they was ST VS the Polo GTI and the Mitsubishi COLT CRZ and the ST won it not because it was the faster but the more fun to drive on the road and also was the slowest of the group but who really care!

The performance of my ST is very poor as well.

The ST is held back with to many resrictive parts,breathing,economy,poluting the ozone !!! etc all to do with restrictions under the ozone,you have to do mods to get round this

Performance of my first ST was great. Although when the air temperture outside was hot my first ST's performance fell. The car kept up with the likes of 197 RX8 even had fun with 320 BWM's. I had the car timed at 7.8 seconds 0-60 but that was with only 2 bars worth of fuel and only me in the car.
It's most likely down to luck. Some people just seem to get no luck with cars.

I've yet to open the taps on my second, but it seems to be quicker, altough thats prolly just down to me. I'll test properly after 1000 miles.

Well I mullered a Golf GTI on the way home from my track day today and my car was SO much fun. Its not whats written about it but how much fun YOU get out of the car. I know full well its not up there with "the others" but I really dont care. I loveit, I love driving it and I've met some top people because of it!

8.9 to 60??

Must have been in reverse like when Tiff raced the Focus ST around the Anglesey track

Mine is standard but feels quicker than the Ford times and I've driven some quick cars in the past. Autocar car got 7.8 to 60 so that's a heck of a difference. I don't think Ford would have falsified their 0-60 times. Times stated by the manufacturers are usually on the conservative side.

To sum up - I'm well pleased with mine!

Well said ST0zz! 7.8 compaired to 8.9 is a big gap! The Zetec s is not far from that 0-60 time!

I read a long term test article not so long ago, and the writer was adamant that the car was a lot quicker than the initial tested 0-60 time. Not that they ever tested it again to give you a proper indication
There are so many variables, no two cars will be the same, different mileage at test,driver,air temp,track conditions,tyres, fuel used etc.etc. I'm sure the European ST comes with 16" wheels, I bet this would effect the 0-60 time too.
Many mags don't even test the cars, and publish results of other car mags within the publishing group world wide.
My last car was an IS 200 I'm Sure the ST when it arrives will feel a lot quicker, not because it is but because it is more nimble and louder doing it all. Its all relative so I'm not too disappointed to be riding around in a bouncy old 1.0L Micra at the moment, I could get the worst ST off the production line and it would still drive great after this.

I believe in that Test Drive magazine article they stated that they had got 7.9 out of the ST on a previous occasion. The journalist writing this particualr article only got 8.6 out of it, but i noticed the quoted 0-60 times were poor for all the cars tested. The Clio for example was in the 7s, but officially it's 6.9 secs i think. To be fair they did write some complimentary things about the ST, they just said it could be quicker.