Shopping for a small car recently, I had the surprising pleasure to drive Ford’s new “hot hatch”, the 2013 Focus ST. Astonishing, swift, fun, explosive, svelte and a tremendous value – my thoughts while driving the 6-speed manual ST. Ford has certainly come a long way from generic, boring cars.
My pre-purchase checklist:
Pro ST:
- Value: roughly $23K for the base model
- Subtle: the black ST is quite elegant and understated – the opposite of some of the brighter options.
- Loads of torque
- Impressive hatch storage space (I would trade this for more headroom)
- Base model is available without the microsoft bits known as “MyFord Touch“
- Five door hatchback is a great, flexible car.
- Fuel economy: 23/32; 26 combined mpg. Impressive.
- Assembled in Michigan.
- Middleton Ford’s (Keith Norris) customer service was quite good. They kept in touch regularly via email, answering questions and offering several different configuration options. Madison’s long time Ford dealer – Kayser – was fine in person but non-existent on subsequent inquiries.
Con ST:
- Heated seats can only be had on the most expensive model, known as the ST3. One must accept the microsoft/MyFord Touch bits along with leather Recaro seats and other goodies. I prefer simplicity all around.
- Interior room: at about 6’2″, I was somewhat cramped in the ST’s front seats. The back seats were serviceable, but not terribly comfortable. Headroom is limited.
- 6 speed manual only, no DCT (DSG). I have long enjoyed three pedal cars, but after driving the latest GTI DSG, I am a convert….
Several ST reviews:
Georg Kacher
Top Gear
Wired
Focus ST Forum
duckduckgo.com search
UK’s CAR magazine
Twitter Search #FocusST
TX Garage
Peter DeLorenzo
Ford is to be commended for creating, shipping and supporting the Focus ST. I would have owned one but for the tight interior and lack of a DCT transmission option. Heated seats at an affordable price would be a plus in the base model as well.
Marketing Notes:
- App Store: GTI 35 Edition iOS Game I did not find a Focus ST app.
- Brand www sites: Focus ST GTI
- Cars.com inventory (5.30.2013): Focus ST (2189) GTI (4004)
Next, why I chose a GTI.