Focus ST First Drive (Taking Stabs at the GTI)

[McQueen77]

ok fine a good car, but at end of the day, it will never have the legacy or heritage of the GTI and besides that, Es ist auch nichts deutsch.

PS - all it needs is an apple or obama/hope sticker and it would look like a Prius from the rear..

 

[DaveSTR]

Still a ford...

that looks like a cross between a Subaru and a Mazda. No thanks. Still a Ford.

 

[johnny_p]

wrong. my ford fusion was loaded - leatherette, nav, etc.. and it was just terrible on so many levels. terrible vehicle. i was used to the GTI and it seemed like a piece.

JohnnyP makes a good post. Probably the best one on here because god knows im just talking shit but at the end of the day, still wouldn't roll in a Ford. which essentially means nothing.

:thumbsup:

 

[GTIpilot1]

Some of you are just tools; hating on a car because it has more hp stock and is a better overall value than your Golf.

So what if you prefer VW to Ford? I do too. That doesn't mean I shit on every other car.

You're entitled to your opinion, but you shouldn't have one at this point.

Test drive one. Then post your thoughts. They'll be worth something then.

 

[RacingManiac]

I guess I am the minority who could not give a s*it about "heritage" when I buy a car....otherwise a "heritage" of unreliable car would have warded me off my VW....

 

[MBorVW]

This reminds me of the kia is crap thread I just think the focus st is ugly. It's probably a hoot to drive.

 

[chilli42]

Some of you are just tools; hating on a car because it has more hp stock and is a better overall value than your Golf.

So what if you prefer VW to Ford? I do too. That doesn't mean I shit on every other car.

You're entitled to your opinion, but you shouldn't have one at this point.

Test drive one. Then post your thoughts. They'll be worth something then.

Sanity at last!

 

[Chris@Revo USA]

Agree. Days of VW having a huge advantage with interior material quality is long over. They certainly don't have the power advantage. Looks is about all that is left. Seriously hope they keep up with that trend for the mkvii.

The interior of even the decontented jetta is still way a head of that of this focus. It isn't always just about the surface, VW has always used better materials, better fastening techniques (like actually hiding screws), and sound deadening them other cars in similar price points.

I had a focus for 10 days last summer not an ST but this same platform, it was nice but still not quite there compared to VW. But I also hate lexus interiors if it gives you an idea of how picky I can be

 

[GSXR]

Really? I thought the Jetta interior was horrible. That's why I went with the GTI.

 

[czhao1009]

Impressive numbers.
But personally I would not buy one simply because of the looks. Just personal preference, no hate on Focus owners or anything.

 

[MKVI66]

Generally when people get defensive..............."Ford Hate", it is because on some level a statement has rattled their little world. They are not convincing others. They are convincing themselves. Ford is a great automaker and has been for a very long time. They have made good vehicles and bad vehicles. They have made good decisions and bad decisions.

That said, the ST is a GREAT decision and competition is never a bad thing. The faster and better quality of affordable small cars will it turn push VW to make the Golf better.

Honestly, why does VW keep throwing money to hire Ford engineers and the great Jost Capito. Obviously Ford was doing something right and VW wanted a piece of the pie. It's all business.

 

[Chris@Revo USA]

Really? I thought the Jetta interior was horrible. That's why I went with the GTI.

The one and only problem I have with the jetta interior is that with the contours VW likes to put in going to a hard material meant seams from bonding two halves together which previously would have been wrapped in a continuous sheet of soft touch material.

There is one right in front of the side mirrors on top of the door trim and one on the hump over the cluster. Other than that sitting in the car the fitment is excellent, the layout is 99% the same as a gti and the texture on the parts you do actually come in contact with are the same. Still better then most japanese or domestic vehicles including luxury ones.

Hell the interior on a mk2 VW is better then most modern domestic/japanese vehicles they are finally getting to where VW was in 1985.. VW did go backwards with the materials a bit on the mk3 and the styling was quickly dated but was still good vs the competition.

 

[johnny_p]

Impressive numbers.
But personally I would not buy one simply because of the looks. Just personal preference, no hate on Focus owners or anything.

Basically sums up why I didn't get the Mazdaspeed 3. I loved the way it drove, just couldn't get over the looks.

 

[trd420]

2013 Ford Focus ST: $24,495 Base Price, SAE-Rated 252 hp and 270 lb-ft

Ford has revealed the base price for the upcoming 2013 Focus ST: The turbocharged hatchback will start at $24,495 when it goes on sale later this year. The company also announced that the ST’s SAE power ratings are higher than the original estimates. When the ST debuted at the Frankfurt auto show last year, Ford pegged the car’s turbocharged 2.0-liter four at 247 hp and 266 lb-ft of torque; the official numbers now stand at 252 horses and 270 lb-ft. Recall that Ford similarly underrated the 200-mph 2013 Shelby GT500 Mustang before releasing higher power figures. In addition to gifting us with the Focus ST’s price of entry, Ford also laid out the car’s standard and optional equipment. Full pricing below:
•Standard equipment includes cloth sport seats, aluminum pedals, a dash-mounted auxiliary gauge pod, keyless access with push-button start, 18-inch aluminum wheels, and fog lamps. A sunroof can be added to any model for $895.
•ST2 Option Package ($2385): Adds partial-leather Recaro front seats, HD radio, MyFord Touch, upgraded Sony audio system, dual-zone automatic climate control. Navigation available for $795.
•ST3 Option Package: ($4435): Includes ST2 equipment plus full-leather Recaro front seats, navigation, HID headlights, heated seats, ambient interior lighting.



The ST’s base price compares favorably against the $25,365 needed for a five-door Volkswagen GTI, the benchmark hot hatch and a perennial 10Best Cars winner. (The three-door GTI is slightly cheaper, but is down two doors on the five-door-only ST.) The 252-hp Ford, however, handily outguns the 200-hp VW, expanding its value quotient beyond the bottom line. The ST wears a unique body kit and is available only with a six-speed manual transmission.

As for other competitors, the 263-hp Mazdaspeed 3 starts at $24,495—the same as the ST. Although the Mazda has the Focus ST and GTI beat in terms of power, it isn’t as refined as the GTI and has a penchant for wicked torque steer. We’ve already taken a ride in a Focus ST development car and came away impressed by its performance chops and near-GTI levels of maturity. The 265-hp Subaru WRX five-door costs $26,345 and packs standard all-wheel drive.


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•Comparison Test: 2012 Ford Focus SE vs. 2012 Honda Civic EX
•Instrumented Test: 2012 Ford Focus SE Hatchback Manual
•First Ride: 2013 Ford Focus ST

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Eager early adopters take note: Ford is opening up its pre-order books starting tomorrow, and will sweeten the pot for the first 1000 customers to order an ST between now and August 20 by throwing in a free GoPro HD Hero2 Motorsports Edition camera pack.

Go ahead and figure out which color you want now on Ford’s configurator. We’ll take Performance Blue.

http://blog.caranddriver.com/2013-ford-focus-st-24495-base-price-sae-rated-252-hp-and-270-lb-ft/

 

[maxtdi]

Looks like someone missed the shitfest that was going on everywhere else on this forum.

:laugh: