I'm over 6'5" and so I'm a little worried about interior space, especially with this being manual only. I'm not so concerned with headroom since most of my height is in my legs, but I was turned off from the GTI because of the cramped driver's space (only 38.5" of legroom) which made is really uncomfortable to work the clutch. My current car has 43.2" of front legroom and while it's manageable, it's also not the most comfortable over long trips. But the ST has a bit less with 41.9", so I'm wondering A)how accurate are these numbers, and B) is the slightly shorter legroom combined with the manual trans going to be too uncomfortable for a daily driver in a city commute?
The Big Legroom Question
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You're almost better off just waiting until you have a chance to sit in a ST with the proper seats (Unless you're getting a ST1), since the Recaros likely have a different seat height than the regular Focus seats. All you can do is sit in the car to test it out, numbers never tell you the whole pictures (for example, a Lexus IS350 feels very cramped in the drivers seat, a BMW 3 series and a few others in the class feel like they have plenty of space).
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all kinds of things affect your legroom;
dash height and length, seat base height, seat base angle, seat back angle , seat base length, pedal height, and such. Baron's right. I would say that sitting in a recent Focus Titanium should be at least an 80% approximation of an ST
dash height and length, seat base height, seat base angle, seat back angle , seat base length, pedal height, and such. Baron's right. I would say that sitting in a recent Focus Titanium should be at least an 80% approximation of an ST
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I'm 6'7", most of it being in my legs as well, and I'm sorry to say but if you think the GTI is cramped then you probably won't fit well in the ST. I felt like I had a lot more room in the GTI when I drove it (however the Focus I just rented was pretty comfortable for the most part... even though it had a faint smell of cigarette smoke and cheap car interior deodorizer. Yuck). However, everyone's different... you won't know until you try!
Likewise. I'm only 6'2", but I most certainly felt more cozy on my recent Titanium test run vs. my wife's GTI.
Ford has chosen a very odd seating position in the Focus, too. I assume it'll be similar in the ST. Dunno. I am used to being slightly reclined in my cars, and the Ford feels like it is in the early stages of ejecting me when driving. Only the telescoping wheel saved me from axing the idea based on driving position.
Interestingly, I have only heard Colum Wood mention this in all the reviews so far.
Like anything, though, I'm sure I'll become accustomed to it.
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You have to sit in the car to find out. I fit perfectly fine in my Civic Si and then I sat in another car with more legroom and I was cramped. It did not have much room to adjust telescopic and tilt wheel. I have concluded I need to sit in the car. I fit fine in a Focus Titanium but I should note I am 6'2".
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The problem with the Focus IMO is that HUGE center console. It may give you a "cockpit-like feel" but it gets seriously claustrophobic for people like me. I can live with it, but if comfort was my first priority I'd go with the GTI without a second thought.
Interesting, I had gotten the impression that the ST was actually roomier up front then the GTI while instead sacrificing some rear legroom. I guess I will just have to wait and hope that dealerships actually have some ST2's or 3's in stock. In my current car, I keep the front seat all the way back and also lean the seat-back pretty far since this helps with headroom and visibility. I've heard the ST has more of an upright feel to it, is this true?
Also, maybe some tall guys who drive manual can give some perspective on what that's like in general. How cramped is too cramped?
Also, maybe some tall guys who drive manual can give some perspective on what that's like in general. How cramped is too cramped?
Can't speak to the ST, but see my post above as a corroboration of your assumption, IF the ST is similar to the Titanium. Definitely more upright. IMO, a little too much so. But I'm sure I'll get used to it.
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6'4" here, curious as to leg/head room also. But I've been driving Mustangs for 14 years or so it can't be too bad in comparison. :!:
That would be a pleasant surprise.
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That's odd because I felt the same way when I sat in the ST2 seats... but I thought it was just my mind playing tricks on me since I haven't sat in a Focus in a while before that.
Ah well...good news has petered out.
My experience on the Titanium was that the passenger side was not height adjustable. Either that or I just never found the super secret lever to adjust it.
Yeah. My bad. I didn't attempt to adjust the driver's seat lower, so I cannot confirm/deny the capability.
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