In Europe cars like this are called hot hatches but here in the states we call them pocket rockets and this car is very much a rocket, for not a lot of emptying your pocket.
The ST is the top trim of the Focus line up and is also the biggest performer. It has a 2 liter turbocharged four cylinder producing a very impressive 252 horsepower and 270 foot-pounds of torque. This makes this front wheel drive hatchback suffer from a fair amount of torque steer, which is when the torque from the engine steers the front wheels. This makes the car wiggle when you really get into the power and makes hard acceleration more exhilarating. This power also makes the Focus ST really fast, even feeling faster than the Mustang that was reviewed last month.
To go along with a fast car you need a chassis to handle the forces at work. The steering is super fast, like turning a video game wheel. It’s light yet has very few turns lock to lock. This makes it very fast and easy to use, but lacks some feel. Ford has also fitted a torque vectoring system that brakes the inside wheels a little when corning. This allows the nose to dive into corners on turn in and rotate on the power making this thing very entertaining in the twisties. The ride is a bit firm but that is to be expected for a performance hatchback.
Design-wise Ford went minimalistic by not putting in too much stuff over the stock Focus. The performance model is differentiated with 18 inch wheels, side skirts, a new diffuser, spoiler, and front end. Inside you get cool yet comfortable Recaro sport bucket seats, a revised steering wheel and a six speed shifter. All of the materials are well done and everything is laid out in a logical place. The MyFord Touch navigation system I did have a few problems with though. The system overall is well laid out and easy to use, but some of the buttons are hard to reach and select. The voice activation also has some issue and can be frustrating in some of its modes.
For around $24,000 the Ford Focus ST is a great choice for those looking for a sports car, but don’t want to make sacrifices in practicality.
