Focus ST First Drive (Taking Stabs at the GTI)

[DaveSTR]

Love my VW GTI, but to say that Ford has no history is just plain ignorant. They have much more racing history than VW if you care to be factual. From a consumer point of view, are you also forgetting the Ford/Cosworth partnership... Some of the most iconic hot small cars.

No soul is at least a personal opinion.

Sorry but the Focus has zero soul and history. Ford's significant racing history is tied to LeMans and an egomaniac driven effort to defeat Ferrari, when Enzo Ferrari refused to be bought up by Ford. Ford left after and do what now? WRC or NASCAR.
Ford/Cosworth are such a small niche tell me what impact they are in the collector market. Ford is a name without much soul beyond Steve McQueen in a green Mustang in Bullet.
VW and Porsche's history although much shorter is far more notable. Ford is a truck/minivan company that is still building cars. So much for that.

The Golf/GTI is the GOLD standard in the hot hatch market. Period. All others are chasing the legacy its built. Gimmicks sell cars to gain attention. This Ford is just the latest. If you have to give a camera away to sell a car, the camera is probably worth having more than the car LOL!

 

[j4juke]

I would likely have gotten one over the GTI if it was available for the 2012 model year. Does anyone know how much it weighs?

Per this Titanium model 3062....so at least 150 lbs less than a comparable GTI I believe...http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests..._chevrolet_cruze_ltz_rs_comparison/specs.html

 

[chilli42]

Sorry but the Focus has zero soul and history. Ford's significant racing history is tied to LeMans and an egomaniac driven effort to defeat Ferrari, when Enzo Ferrari refused to be bought up by Ford. Ford left after and do what now? WRC or NASCAR.
Ford/Cosworth are such a small niche tell me what impact they are in the collector market. Ford is a name without much soul beyond Steve McQueen in a green Mustang in Bullet.
VW and Porsche's history although much shorter is far more notable. Ford is a truck/minivan company that is still building cars. So much for that.

The Golf/GTI is the GOLD standard in the hot hatch market. Period. All others are chasing the legacy its built. Gimmicks sell cars to gain attention. This Ford is just the latest. If you have to give a camera away to sell a car, the camera is probably worth having more than the car LOL!

But a rubber "Fast" with a GTI is not a gimmick!? So I guess the WRC is not racing!? We are also talking about VW's, not Porsches!

Again, love my GTI, but try and be at least a little open minded and objective. I'm not interested in what is collectable, I'm more interested in fun cars to drive. Whether you choose to admit it or not, Ford has produced some fun cars to drive. Period.

 

[TheWombat]

I'd certainly be interested (if I didn't have a 2012 6mt GTI). I had the previous Focus ST for five years, and while it was nowhere near as good a car as the VW, it was well built and a fun drive. I also had a Fusion Sport for two years, and that car's build quality was, dare I say it, at least as good if not better than my VWs. Ford has come a long, long way, and is probably the most "with it" of the American car companies right now. I don't like the way the new ST bundles every option (shades of VW/Audi, with the HIDs only on the 4k plus package!) but the car gives every indication of being a great ride, certainly on par with the MS3, and competitive with the GTI. Preferences? Autobahn GTI vs. ST? I'd have to drive them both back to back I think.

 

[McQueen77]

american cars used to be terrific. they have been so awful for so long it is going to take a long long time, if ever, for them to shed that stigma.. unfortunate really because it may very well be a fine car. i just think most of these american companies need to fire their design team, esp with the interiors, just so bland and low rent. if hyundai and kia can make a snazzy interior, albeit gaudy imo, then why can't americans?

even with this, which is probably the top end interior for the regular Ford Focus, all photoshopped, it still looks like a cheap turd to me. just staring at a big mass of useless hard gray plastic. way to go team.

 

[DaveSTR]

american cars used to be terrific. they have been so awful for so long it is going to take a long long time, if ever, for them to shed that stigma.. unfortunate really because it may very well be a fine car. i just think most of these american companies need to fire their design team, esp with the interiors, just so bland and low rent. if hyundai and kia can make a snazzy interior, albeit gaudy imo, then why can't americans?

+1. Nail on the head. We bailed them out and get what? If Ford ended I would have zero tears. I will not buy a US car. They dont compare at all. Quality is better- wow.

Should have always been there. They took the US consumer for granted and after multiple bailouts we get zip. When KIA and Hyundai are doing it better there is ZERO hope.

 

[RonBurgAM]

We bought the GTI to replace a 2002 Focus. Cross-shopped a 2012 Focus with 5-speed, which really was not in the same class as the GTI.

That being said, we wanted to wait for the ST. But there was (still is) no release date. If it was available, absolutely would have test drove it.

The ST will be a different car from the Focus, the same way GTI differs from Golf. Besides the power, it will be interesting to see how the throttle response and shifter differ on the ST. Not to mention suspension and interior upgrades.

I'm glad we didn't wait, but to dismiss the ST without a test drive is very assumptive.

 

[tribecagolf]

This is retarded...

So buying an STI is like buying a 40k dollar Impreza,

and an EVO is a 42k Lancer?

It's a personal opinion. If I am going to spend $29K on a car, I'd probably buy a used car, a couple of years old but a lot more luxurious than the Focus. I mean come on, I've seen BMW M5's go for that much.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/BMW-...rs_Trucks&hash=item2c64df6606#ht_22420wt_1165

...but again, that's just me.

 

[tribecagolf]

american cars used to be terrific. they have been so awful for so long it is going to take a long long time, if ever, for them to shed that stigma.. unfortunate really because it may very well be a fine car. i just think most of these american companies need to fire their design team, esp with the interiors, just so bland and low rent. if hyundai and kia can make a snazzy interior, albeit gaudy imo, then why can't americans?

even with this, which is probably the top end interior for the regular Ford Focus, all photoshopped, it still looks like a cheap turd to me. just staring at a big mass of useless hard gray plastic. way to go team.

Spot on man.

 

[dwagner88]

american cars used to be terrific. they have been so awful for so long it is going to take a long long time, if ever, for them to shed that stigma.. unfortunate really because it may very well be a fine car. i just think most of these american companies need to fire their design team, esp with the interiors, just so bland and low rent. if hyundai and kia can make a snazzy interior, albeit gaudy imo, then why can't americans?

even with this, which is probably the top end interior for the regular Ford Focus, all photoshopped, it still looks like a cheap turd to me. just staring at a big mass of useless hard gray plastic. way to go team.

Troll fail. That is NOT the current gen Focus interior. That's the crappy last gen. This is the current gen in basic form:

and a more loaded version:

 

[chrisisnapping]

+1. Nail on the head. We bailed them out and get what? If Ford ended I would have zero tears. I will not buy a US car. They dont compare at all. Quality is better- wow.

Should have always been there. They took the US consumer for granted and after multiple bailouts we get zip. When KIA and Hyundai are doing it better there is ZERO hope.

Ford didn't take a bail out...

 

[mk6-k]

Ford didn't take a bail out...

This^

 

[BoomBoy]

I used to have a 2007 turbo'd Focus before the GTI. The car was just a beast with awesome handling (the interior was crap, though). I'd buy Focus ST (now with an improved interior) if I didn't already have a GTI. Blue looks sweet, though.

 

[maxtdi]

Forgive me if I am wrong, but wasn't the Euro Focus hailed as superior to the Golf?

Now the entire world gets 1 focus

 

[DaveSTR]

Ford didn't take a bail out...

FACTCHECK.ORG

A Ford TV ad slams competitors for accepting bailout funds, even though the company’s CEO lobbied for the bill. The company — the only one of the Big Three not to receive a bailout — feared a collapse of GM and Chrysler at the time would have hurt suppliers and, in turn, Ford itself. Ford Chief Executive Officer Alan R. Mulally also asked Congress for a “credit line” of up to $9 billion in case the economy worsened.

In other words, Ford was for government bailouts before it was against them.

Although Ford did not need money from the $80 billion bailout program, Ford did receive $5.9 billion in government loans in 2009 to retool its manufacturing plants to produce more fuel-efficient cars, and the company lobbied for and benefited from the cash-for-clunkers program — contrary to the ad’s testimonial that Ford is “standing on their own.”