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drove a '13 Focus ST today

25K views 88 replies 37 participants last post by  chrismartin3391 
#1 ·
Have to be straight up with you all .... very, very impressive car. The power is pretty amazing, torque steer is there, but not as bad as my wife's PT Cruiser HO Turbo with 180hp. Ride is better than I expected, and the gearbox & clutch are top notch IMO. I didn't go hard from a dig, but I've read that wheelhop is pretty noticable in the car. The fit and finish is great and the paint (black) also looked very good.

The thing that let me down a tad were the feel of the Recaro seats, rather snug for a 5'11 200lb dude. I have rather broad shoulders and I felt like a fat woman was hugging me. I'm sure its a little of me not being use to that type of wraparound seating position.

I most DEFINATELY have this vehicle on my short "car to buy" list ....
 
#4 ·
Have to be straight up with you all .... very, very impressive car. The power is pretty amazing, torque steer is there, but not as bad as my wife's PT Cruiser HO Turbo with 180hp. Ride is better than I expected, and the gearbox & clutch are top notch IMO. I didn't go hard from a dig, but I've read that wheelhop is pretty noticable in the car. The fit and finish is great and the paint (black) also looked very good.

The thing that let me down a tad were the feel of the Recaro seats, rather snug for a 5'11 200lb dude. I have rather broad shoulders and I felt like a fat woman was hugging me. I'm sure its a little of me not being use to that type of wraparound seating position.

I most DEFINATELY have this vehicle on my short "car to buy" list ....

I don't like the lack of legroom in the back of the ST. Its worst in the segment. The WRX has 2" more, and the GTI/Golf R has 4" more. Since I carry people in the back its an issue for me.

To give you an idea, I'm 5'7" of awesome, and when I adjusted the drivers seat so that it was comfortable for me to drive, I was cramped sitting behind it. So you being taller is gonna be even more extreme.

Give the GTI a look, great car, least power in the segment, but very refined, nice finishes, plenty of room, and they still go pretty good. And the power problem is solved with a reflash.
 
#5 ·
People should pay at least some attention: the OP is someone looking to buy a car, and he said he's not sure what he wants to go for. He did look WRX but is not quite decided. As such the research is an ongoing process and I for one understand his looking at other cars. And it's not that there is nothing else out there. It's just a matter of what's important to someone. In my case it ended up that only the subie filled my requirements closely. It's still on the upper end of fuel efficiency, but I'm happy with the performance it gives me at the (roughly) same fuel consumption I had with the Sidekick.
The OP should probably try out a powerful FWD in the extremes, when the "self-steering" properties start to take over and the thing wants to go straight only. But that is usually "frowned" upon when taking a car out for "test"-driving... I never cared to have drive, brakes AND steering on the front tires only. And then one winter I did get to try that with an Audi and was very impressed that people actually buy such junk. OK, enough ranting... Back to the issue: OP is researching cars and comparisons are what this whole segment is about, so it should be welcome, even if it doesn't expressively say "I prefer the subie"...
 
#6 ·
I drove the ST.. The good: Nice interior, nice transmission feel you can run it on 87, and the MPG's. The bad: Massive torque steer, horrible wheel hoop, a loud clunk when you shift from 1st to 2nd hard (they say a $10 bushing will stop that), I think its pretty ugly and it will be usless in the snow or rain. I also got a $50 Master Card for taking a test drive! I'm using the money that Ford gives me to use on the Subaru ha! I'm glad i ordered the WRX
 
#8 ·
If it doesn't crack radiators, phenolic spacers, cam sprockets, and all sorts of other parts, it's a bigger winner in my book than the WRX :rotfl:


Also, WRX = Timing Belt
Focus ST = Timing Chain

So... yeah.
 
#9 ·
Its all good on my end, I realize some folks aren't up for opinions on something they don't own or don't care to. I ride a 9ft long motorcycle with a pretty loud Orange paint scheme and skullz all over it. Funny how guys on a Honda Goldwing react to it, something they'd never in a million years care to throw a leg over .... tell them you have $40k in it and your even more of a dummy.

So to make some of you even more happy, I think I'll drive a Hyundai Veloster Turbo tomorrow afternoon :p
 
#10 ·
If you do so, and that isn't just a joke, please tell us what you think of it! I don't know that I've actually heard from anyone who has driven one.
 
#12 ·
I drove the Veloster Turbo back in Oct. when I was car shopping. It's a nice car, it ran well....enough power to be fun. There was some torque steer, but it was not horrible.
The interior is a nice place to sit, but then again I have no complaints with the WRX interior so I may not be the best judge there. The Veloster interior did seem smaller than the WRX, not cramped....but noticeable.

When I stacked it up (price / features / performance / lifestyle fit) against the WRX...obviously the WRX won my vote. I've always been a rear drive car type guy. Hate FWD understeer and torque steer, so the AWD of the WRX and the larger usable hatch were selling points to me.

My last car was a lightly modded / tuned 2006 Honda S2000, and the WRX is not as "nimble" as that was.......but I get more performance almost across the board, and more space. I find it strange that I really don't miss the Honda like I thought I would.
 
#13 ·
My girlfriend rocks a N/A veloster and I've driven it a fair amount.

When it was in for service I drove a turbo'd one as I was in the market, even though I had my '13 WRX hatch on order. Loved the interior. Really classy for a cheaper car. Love the touch screen and the space. The tranny was exceptionally smooth for being a new model. I liked the distance of the throw. The suspension was really tight, it handled great, especially for city driving.

Two things to note that ultimately turned me off. 1) resale value is gonna miserable. My gf bought her '12 NA for 17k with 3k miles, at a dealership. New n/a's are 18.5 or so. The turbo is only 22k I believe fully loaded?

2) and this is the biggest concern interestingly enough... Visibility. The car is a 3 door, (technically 4 with the hatch). I'm 6'4" 240, and when I sit in the car (and even when she is driving), the right side, where the extra back door is, is fine, and you can see clearly through that side. But on the driver side there is a pretty inexcusable blind spot. It may be compounded by my size but still.
 
#14 ·
Yeah I got to sit in one at a car show not too long ago, I actually loved the seats (5'11 165lbs). The car came with a boost gauge, HINT HINT Subaru! :mad: The interior was nice and the car all around looked nice:)

Down sides?
No Boxer Engine
No AWD
... NEXT
 
#15 ·
Down sides?
No Boxer Engine
No AWD
... NEXT
These can be rather good things.

"No Boxer engine" -- the boxer design is overhyped by Subaru IMO. It inherently balances primary vibrations sure, and the weight distribution advantages are obvious. However, you have twice the number of valvetrain components, excessively large packaging, and difficult envelope fitment. The layout is part of the reason Subaru could not lengthen the stroke on the EJ series motors, leading to crippling turbo lag. There IS a reason the rest of the automotive industry (key: larger automotive companies with tremendous R&D resources) have stuck to conventional (read: contemporary) powertrain layouts. Which leads me to my second address: the drivetrain. AWD may be a great layout for inclement conditions, but frankly, AWD will never perform to the level of RWD. When pushed to 95%, AWD platforms nearly always understeer, with Subaru's "symmetric AWD" one of the worst offenders. The idea of a Hot hatch with FWD and a brisk motor is an excellent concept. Torque steer exists, but is manageable at stock power levels. The addition of electronic diffs in many of these hot hatches (minus the ST) nearly completely mitigates torque steer. The transaxle lends the least amount of drivetrain losses compared to any conventional layout, which provides superior fuel economy. In poor conditions, a FWD vehicle with an LSD will perform nearly as well as an AWD vehicle. So, to sum up, to 99% of the population, the points listed are not negatives at all! :)
 
#17 ·
Good points, but I've had no problems with my boxer engine, Hell my co worker owns an older legacy with 259k miles on it, no problems. I also love the rumble of the boxer:) As for AWD, I live in PA and I love driving in the snow :) I owned a 1997 Jetta GT 5 speed and it SUCKED in the snow, hell it sucked in the rain. I also drove a new 2010 Malibu and the same (except was better because traction control). I suppose it's preference really, I really wish there were American car companies that built something closer to the STi's. So far the Ford ST is the closest, just missing AWD;)

Either way, I guess it's preference.
 
#18 ·
Holy shi* I felt the exact same way when I drove it last week. Car is awesome and a lot more impressive than I had ever thought it was going to be. I am 6'2 190 lbs and the seats felt incredible without a doubt. I did go hard on the car and felt the wheel hop immediately (Guy let my dad and I take the car alone for like 45 minutes, how could I not try it?) but for stock the power is definitely there and great. Not a huge fan of Ford in general but it did NOT feel like a ford car. We drove our Golf R there and we both (my father and I) agreed how great it felt. If anyone here wants a fun little test drive I would recommend this car for sure. Although I do love the WRX a lot more :thumbup:
 
#19 · (Edited)
i own a TB ST2 ST :D

after 17yrs of scoobies all modded n a mitsu ralliart , i'ma impressed bought it without even test driving as the reviews were that good :D

20k miles already no worries and averaging around 29mpg !! ...
 
#20 · (Edited)
#21 ·
love the focus hatch, just wish AWD. Same with the Veloster, but that looks like it has more blind spots than Stevie Wonder. Just drove a 2014 camaro ss and that thing ya couldnt see out of it at all. My rental car is a Ford focus sedan, idk if the interior is similar but i loveeeeeee the steering wheel. the way your hand fits at teh 10 and 2 position, love it. makes me think of getting something aftermarket for the wrx.
 
#23 ·
Traded in my '11 WRX sedan for a '13 Focus ST. It was a spur of the moment decision. Every time I see a widebody sedan, I miss my old car, but I've wanted an ST for nearly a decade, so not getting one would've been sacrilege. I enjoy my car and I'm looking to pick up an older WRX for a work car.
 
#24 ·
Looks like you have a fair amount of mods done to it as well! How you liking it? Any pics?
 
#31 ·
After reading this thread I went out and drove an ST a couple weeks back. Great car, really enjoyed it. I couldn't ever buy one due to snow in my area, but I was really impressed with how quickly the turbo spooled and how well it handled - I expected it to have more body roll than my WRX with bars/links, but it had less. The interior was alright, nothing spectacular except the Recaro seats. It also has a great shifter with a pretty tight pattern. If you haven't gone out and driven one, I highly recommend it.
 
#33 ·
A flaming yellow hatchback with bespoke 18" wheels, an Aston mouth, and an Aventador exhaust, and you say the WRX is outlandish... :rotfl:

The Ford had a lot of neat little touches that show someone took the time to think the car through. For example, the Goodyear Eagle F1s had a small extra rubber bead around the edge of the wheel to protect against curbing. The fuel cap is cleverly intergrated in with the seams around the taillights. The active intake resonator keeps the car quiet and unassuming when cruising, but put your foot down, and it lets out a surprisingly throaty growl.

My biggest complaint was how much the car falls on its face when the weather turns nasty. On my test drive, a pleasant fall day went from clear and sunny to rainy and miserable. I was driving on coastal roads, averaging around 30 mph, and not at all driving in a manner I would consider "spirited". After all, I was driving a brand new $35k car I didn't own, and I'm not a test drive joyrider. On warm, dry pavement, those tires grip like claws, but introduce some puddles and mildly cool weather, and the car starts skidding and sliding like a greased pig on ice. The traction control killed all but a fraction of available power in a fruitless struggle to maintain grip, and the whole experience was actually quite nerve-wracking. It's very much a 1-2 season car in stock form.

The cargo space wasn't as much as I would have liked, my stocky body couldn't get comfortable in the Recaros (as much as I wanted to love them, I was sore in 15 minutes), and the Sync infotainment thing seemed like a waste of money.
 
#36 ·
I've said it before...I just don't fit in the ST. I'd love to drive one, but my wide ass and broad shoulders just simply cannot fit in the seats for a comfortable driving position. So it's not even worth a try.
 
#37 ·
ST1s come with the regular Focus seats and not Recaros.
 
#47 ·
I posted :)
 
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