[JohnSmithNot1882]

This is good news because Car and Driver, Road and Track and Motor Trend cannot be fare behind.
2013 Ford Focus ST First Drive

 

[Josh157]

Great article! Can't wait till the rags get some numbers on it.

 

[Rev.Hammer]

GREAT article full of great comments! All of the negatives were SO outweighed by the positives of the car.


Still be cool to have the wagon over here tho......
THANKS JOHN!

 

[Brandon]

Autocar drove it too: First drive review: Ford Focus ST Review | Autocar

As did Auto Express: Ford Focus ST review | Auto Express

 

[Ron]

Read good. Drive better. Want car. :!:

 

[dem778]

Awesome articles. The embargo on publishing must have been lifted today. Hopefully the comparison tests start to pop up soon, although, Inside Line did note that they drove it at a Ford sponsored event.

Auto Express drove it on a back road somewhere...very nice video

 

[BadWolf]

It seems like this car just may be as awesome as all of us hope and expect it to be!!!

I never thought I would be so excited about owning a manual car. But after reading these few reviews, I CANNOT wait for it to be in my driveway.

The photos on the interior of the car in Autocar's article has red inserts on the seats. I wish those had been available.

I wonder how close to production the cars they were given actually are?

 

[Shomare]

They are stating the car has 247 HP.

 

[Ron]

The Autocar piece gives combined mpg (in imperial gallons) of 39.2, which converts to 32.6 U.S. That would be the icing on the cake for me if we got #s like that (when driving with some restraint, I know).

 

[BadWolf]

AutoExpress has the following info:

0-62mph: 6.5 seconds
Top speed: 154mph
Economy: 39.2mpg

So the MPG for us in NA would roughly be 32 mpgish?

And Autocar's gave the 0-60 time of 6.2

Edit: Ron, you beat me to it!

 

[DarkBuddha]

Did anyone else catch this at the bottom of the Autocar review???

Ford Focus ST 5dr

Price: £21,995;
0-60mph: 6.2sec;
Top speed: 154mph;
Economy: 39.2mpg (combined);
CO2: 169g/km;
Kerb weight: 1362kg;
Engine: 4 cyls in line, 2000cc, turbo, petrol;
Installation: Front, transverse, front-wheel drive;
Power: 247bhp at 5000rpm;
Torque: 250lb ft at 1750rpm;
Power to weight: 181bhp per tonne;
Specific output: 124bhp per litre;
Gearbox: 6-spd manual

These number have been around a while, but geez... 39.2mpg combined?!?!!! That's just wacky!

 

[Shomare]

The Autocar piece gives combined mpg (in imperial gallons) of 39.2, which converts to 32.6 U.S. That would be the icing on the cake for me if we got #s like that (when driving with some restraint, I know).

Like that is going to happen...

 

[MacAttack]

They say 247 hp in the articles. I can't help but wonder if these articles were written a while ago, and not updated, or if there will be slightly different HP ratings for different regions.

 

[petraman]

Nice find! But I'm not sure I like what they're saying about steering feel...

 

[Rev.Hammer]

"But where the ST really gets different to the Golf, and the previous Focus ST, and the Focus RS and, well, just about any fast Ford before it, is that Ford really has ramped-up the steering response. It feels night-and-day different to the previous Focus ST, or Golf GTI. It's a quick rack, wanting only 1.8 turns from lock-to-lock, and as soon as you wind it away from its the straight ahead (to which it's highly willing to self centre), it weights up and quickens up very smartly.

The steering ratio increases the further you go from centre, so it quickens more once lock is applied, and that makes it feel terrifically agile. Chuck the ST into a corner and it very rapidly tucks in feeling, in its way, a bit like a Renaultsport Clio 200; which is not a bad benchmark. Feel? There is some, but it's subtle. Torque steer? The tiniest of tugs here and there; just enough to remind you the ST has 247bhp. It's an intuitive, albeit not totally natural feeling system."


I dont see anything all that alarming about the steering in this article....

 

[MacAttack]

He's referring to electronic assist vs hydraulic. There's less road feel.

And anyone else notice the video review mention an early summer release? Doubtful, but backs my theory that these reviews were done a while ago.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Rev.Hammer]

Ah.. I see what you are saying now. He didnt seem to think that the decrease in feel was too drastic, however that is very much going to be an individual tolerance sort of thing.

 

[Istvan Buda]

My jetta has an electric steering and it isn't that bad

 

[AK Maniak]

Am I the only one who noticed that the inside line article said that the ST would be out this summer? I pray that they are right.

 

[ZeroThAught]

Here's another one: 2012 Ford Focus ST review and pictures

They mention getting around 15mpg while testing, which sounds like about what I'll be getting for the first couple months :thumb: