Ford Focus ST review @ 1000 miles

m4a1mustang

Agreed. Selective quoting ftl. How many bad reviews are there on the 370z?

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jpritche

Hundreds
Zero.

Shamu

Won't find any quotes on torque steer for 370Z.

I will say that almost every review I have read on the Ford talks about torque steer issue and the crappy electric systems in place to try to counter issue. No selective editing on my part. Then all typical quality issues that go with this low quality but cheap American brand.

Don't worry I wouldn't expect someone who owns a Ford to understand. I'd create a fantasy world too if I owned a Ford to justify my purchase. Ah yes best handling fastest and high quality sedan ever!

I guess I could wait a year or two and pick one up for $12k after this Focus Boi racers resale value collapses on itself.

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Grant

Red__Zed

Nah, but you'll hear some about how there might as well be a small bus on the front axle.

If you trust reviews to evaluate a car, you're doing things very wrong.

There's no love lost between me and the ST. I've no interest in a turbo FWD car, and in that price bracket I'd be in a WRX, but it's preposterous to pick out negative comments like that.

Nevermind the fact that the interior quality is miles ahead of most other vehicles in the price range, contrary to your claims.

m4a1mustang

You're a funny guy, Grant.

First of all, I don't think I said anything denying the torque steer. Is it there? Absolutely. You can feel the computer try to compensate, but it can only do so much. But, it's not my car, so I don't really care.

With any car you can find plenty of good and bad comments from reviewers... often in the same review. If I cared enough, I could search for plenty of praise of the ST.

Low quality? Everything inside the ST feels pretty nice to me. For cars in its price range it's got to be among the better quality cars around as far as interior materials are concerned. It's well done. Doesn't feel econobox at all.

Fantasy world? Hardly. I don't own a Ford. I drive one occasionally and happen to think it's a fun, well built car. Would I personally buy an ST? No. I'm not into FWD hatches, or sporty FWD cars in general. But I do understand the appeal of cars like the MS3, ST, GTI, etc. They are convenient, sporty, and fun all rolled into one and work just fine for many people.

Keep trollin', man. You do a good job.

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ZMan8

This

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Ni55anPat

My friend bought an ST few months ago and loves it! Traded in his 5.0 mustang get better mpg, more room....but get a fun car.....he's plenty happy!

Lug

I just had to......

The most significant take-away from this confrontation is the Fun to Drive line in our Final Results tabulation: Note how the ST topped the GTI by two points. Considering how long and how well VW has raced slot cars, that’s a colossal achievement. Something finally caught the GTI. Car And Driver

The numbers are impressive, without a doubt, but how the Focus gets around the figure-eight might be the most shocking. Apparently, nobody told Ford that high-performance, high-horsepower front-wheel-drive cars are supposed to suffer from terminal understeer. With any luck, no one will ever tell them, because the Focus ST is one of the best-handling front-wheel-drive cars ever built. Motor Trend

For now, the car to beat in the compact hot-hatch segment for all-around value and performance is the 2013 Ford Focus ST, hands down. Autoweek

Overall, though, we think the Ford Focus ST is one of the best options available in the hot-hatch market. Its drawbacks are quite minor compared to the amount of fun you'll have while driving, and with features typically unavailable from competitors, the Focus ST will feel as if it's worth much more than what you're actually paying. Edmunds

The Ford Focus ST is the first front-wheel drive car I would actually purchase with my own cash. Jalopnik

All have different strengths and weaknesses compared to their rivals and it seems Ford found the best blend. According to them, a study by Polk found the new Focus ST was the best sold hot hatch in Europe during the last three months of 2012. Considering awareness wasn't that high for this brand new car, the results are surprising. 44% of buyers chose it, compared to only 33% for the Golf GTI, a long time leader, and just 12% for the Megane RS. Autoevolution

But I wouldn't advise you to buy a Focus ST simply because it's better than the competition. I'd tell you to buy one because it is bound to be remembered as one of the decade's great cars, a thriller that deserves to be held in the same esteem as the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 and the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution. Think of buying a Focus ST as purchasing a bit of history -- except it's better, because history doesn't usually rotate when you lift off the accelerator. -- CarsAbout.com

The Vauxhall might be a couple of tenths quicker around the track, but for everyday, every-road driving, this must the best hot hatch on sale. In fact, it might be the best do-everything fast car in the world... Top Gear


Ford's new Focus ST is a starship amongst suborbital dinghies. It backs up its sci-fi looks with an EcoBoost engine that shreds time and space. It dominated every performance category in this test except observed fuel economy, and did so in a way that's both confident and entertaining. This is the new highperformance standard against which any other mass-produced car with a 4-cylinder engine will be judged.Road And Track

I could get serious and go find about 50 more if you really want!

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UNKNOWN_370

This is what i know based off the only 2 videos review i've seen. both were european vids and I was really searching the Megane.

1. On the track, Megane is 1st, Focus ST is 2nd.
2. On the street, Focus is first, Megane is second.
3. The focus has the sickest exhaust on a Front driver
4. Styling is nice but boy-racerish, but by no means bad.


This is what i learned inspecting one at the dallas auto show.
1. It's a high quality vehicle, overall.
2. the center stack kinda looks like a transformers toy and takes away from the overall appearance.
3. The RECARO's were built in HEAVEN,seating perfection and extremely high quality, only gotten by recaro.
4. Shifter placement is perfect and love the high quality look and feel of the shifter.
5. I would consider buying one as a DD for sure.

And it's not bias, because i kinda don't like Ford in general. If i went domestic, i'd look in GM companies. But it is, what it is. The focus is nice.

Torque steer to that level is not good considering most japanese and european brands have conquered it well, while GM and ford are still torque-steer junkies. But some good suspension tuning can reduce it too...

I would like to push one to the limit. I don't mind FWD sporty for DD/aggressive driving..

May i add. US and Europe used to have two different models. Ford gave the cheap one to home while blessing foreigners with the real deal. Ford finally came to their senses and gave us the european focus. All those years of us without the "real" focus, and the focus had over a decade of awards. now we finally have the car that's rightfully ours. I'm just glad to see a FUN front driver out there. there used so many and hardly any RWD, now we're missing good FWD's and have enough RWD. So lets balance it out and make both plentiful.

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Shamu

So I have sat in the car and I didn't see the "quality" you guys are raving about. Dash is a cluster. Car I sat in at show was showing wear just from people climbing in and out that better brands didn't show. It's a flicking focus. Lol!

And I love the "proof" this is a great car. It beat (well really didnt beat them)another crappy VW and a French companies econo boxes in a comparison on clearly biased car blog and magazine?

No one has sold me on this boosted fwd trash heap. Hey but it's your money guys! I'd jump in a better balanced and much lighter mini before I'd get in this 3200 lb pig. Or perhaps Fiesta ST if you want a pile of junk that is fun to drive.

I just feel sorry for people who are shelling out $24k for this car

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Grant

UNKNOWN_370

The Megane is the French econobox you're talking about??? Really??? Lol. That car is going to have a strong influence in the next gen/future FWD sporty nissan's in america. France is half of nissan engineering... think about it.

And Mini cooper S models are known to be unreliable turbo cars. Case and point. My neighbors Mini which is only 4 years old, has died on him 3x in 6 months. Mini's do drive nice though, my cousin has one in PR and drives those mountains like a dream... But her's is always in the shop too...

You criticize negativity at your own convenience.

Dude i don't like Ford much either but damn. When you lose sight of calling a spade a spade due to predjudiced dislike? That's bias based on ego feeding insecurity.

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Shamu

I have driven plenty of fords and ford cousin Mazda variants. My experience is based on many miles on mountain roads. Ford makes decent motor and tranny typically. It's just chassis and bits they bolt on that leave me a little flat.

The generally physics of FWD cars really limit them to being lightweight and moderately powered. 3200 lbs and 250 plus boosted HP with all power going through front wheels won't cut it . Frankly 2700 lb mini is too heavy for my taste as well. I just can't imagine a 3000 plu lb fwd car.

I love Ford GT4O. About only ford I'd drive right now

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Grant

Iceagetlc

I bet you would drive a 40 year old race car, we all would.

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m4a1mustang

Enjoy your Mini.

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Shamu

Loving the Mini S. Much lighter car not too powerful - nice balance and I consistently get 35 mpg! The Focus weighs about 500 lbs more than mini.

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