2013 Ford Focus ST: Practical Performance? 

Excellent review. It was nice to see how it functions as a family car instead of focusing only on performance. I know it's performance oriented and that's been established in hundreds of videos but maybe I can convince the wife...

Nice review, Greg. I purchased mine (in silver) in April and LOVE it. Puts a smile on my face every time I get in it. That road looks like an absolute blast to drive.

The Focus and Fiesta ST are truly special cars. They really are the complete package. The handling is unreal. This is coming from a huge RWD fan that has owned a variety of sports cars. I think the Focus ST is the best 4 door car on the market for less than 30 grand USD. You can get an ST2 package that has pretty much everything you would want for 26-27.

I have a 2012 model ST -3 in Spirit Blue. Great review and you have hit the mark with regards to the car. Great fun and surprisingly practical. The wife thinks I have made a practical choice for the first time as I don't think she quiet realizes what the ST really is. It's a blast...

nice review. i just bought one of these in red, can't wait to drive it hard.

I wish more people knew how to do a review like you...great job

I actually got to test drive one of these and they are awesome :D! Ubber fun to drive, a boat load of tuning options, and very comfy :).

okay, that helped me out alot. i was looking into new cars and the ST is one of my top 5. thanks for clearing that up for me.

Great video. Thanks for addressing my questions!

I just bought this car and I love it!!! My first was a hatchback Mustang. This is way more fun!! Peppy! Everything you said! Never had an issue with shins. Thanks for the review! Nicely done

Its a pretty sweet little ride! thanks for checking it out. -Greg

Really liked the review. Very informative.

Great review. I drive an ST2 and I can tell you I do not regret the purchase. I drive a twisty road daily and I haven't been able to push this car to the limit. It's that fast and handles turns amazingly. A simple tune and it turns this car into an even faster car.

Good review, in fact it helped me in my choice of new car which is in fact a focus st3

thanks so much, I really appreciate that. thanks for checking it out. -Greg

Awesome car, awesome review. Thank you!

Great no-nonsense review which gave an excellent insight into the day-day practicality of this vehicle and all the important stuff a potential buyer needs to know to decide. Good to highlight the limited visibility in back but a backup camera should solve this problem. Ford should look at this.

Thanks, I really appreciate it. I was driving in the Zuni mountains just east of Gallup, NM. (I also included that in the credits at the end) -Greg

Just bought a '14 ST in silver. All I can say is that this car is an absolute riot. When the turbo comes on it's like a little puppy tugging at your leg going "Faster! Faster!"

Good reviewer right here, thank you :)

I disagree about the interior room. All three of my kids (one in a booster) rode in the back comfortably with a cooler on the floor all the way from Winston-Salem, NC to the outer banks. My wife was in the front and we also had a trunk full o' junk. The car was a dream the whole way there and back. Also, we got 38.9 miles to the gallon at 55mph at sea level coming home. WTG, Ford! Love my Focus ST!

Great review. I actually just bought a Tangerine scream ST2 package. The color of the car is something to get use to but when you got that matching recaro racing seats to go with it, it looks sick!

Great review. I hope to order one in a few weeks. I subscribed and liked your video :)

got a spirit blue st and love it..

Still a shaft to the rack, but electrically boosted, not hydraulically. I believe the new Infinity is the first fly by wire. thanks for stopping by! -Greg

true. Thanks for stopping by! -Greg

I'm 23 and graduating college in May I was looking to get this car.....Wow haha I had to laugh at that. Great video

Just got mine two days ago, so far yes as long as you can do manual

Thanks for sharing your experiences and or stopping by. -Greg

much effort, great video, u do not try to show how great ur effort is u just do it, great video, what mountain is that?

I get 22 mpg I can never get 26mpg. Whoa the roads were you live is so smoth and fixed properly, were I live its all pot holes everywere and bumpy it kills the real feel of this car, yet at the track feels amazing.

nice review, what a fiesta st. Can you give a review about that. Thank again.

Great info, worth sharing, and good for you for making it work for your family and not submitting to the "must have giant vehicle" mentality so many people subscribe to. I'm going to speculate your trunk was loaded to the gills or you guys managed to pack pretty light! thanks for stopping by! -Greg

The reason for getting this car is the rear wheel steering I have now with my base Mazda3...a must for a rally enthusiast going fast on tight narrow roads; you might call it drifting on the tighter corners but it`s the fastest way to go safely on narrow roads....& don`t practice with any head-on traffic

Thanks for chiming in. I think for was smart to only offer the MT as 1, they don't have a DSG and 2 they wanted to keep the Focus "focused" (as you stated!) You're right, a DSG would have expanded their market a bit, but the image would have suffered and ultimately hurt them in the long run. Thanks for chiming in! -Greg

When exactly? I'm no pro though... thanks for stopping by. -Greg

Just love this car. Takes the trophy for hottest hatch (overthrowing the speed3/gti whichever you want to make a case for) in my opinion.

Brilliant car 👌👌

Nice video! Had the ST on my list to check out, but it wasn't on my top mainly due to the fact that I've rarely driven stick. Well, after an exciting test drive with a very helpful salesperson, I'm sold. Going to be picking one up in the coming weeks. Question: is the ST3 package worth it? Really liked the LED sig lights and heated seats could be useful for a New England winter.

It can behave in the everyday grind...the exhaust can get a bit tiresome in just day-to-day slow commuting (when you wouldn't expect it to be loud). But other than that, it does the job just the same as your SEL. thanks for chiming in! -Greg

You're in a good spot if those are her choices! I haven't driven a Speed3, no Mazda dealer in town. MotorTrend did a nice Head2Head on it though. I think they liked the ST better if I remember correctly. Thanks again! -Greg

That's funny, I'm 23, just got out of college, still have a job though and planning on purchasing this car in Black.

good luck!

I'm 40 and I just trade my 360 horse power Evo X for a black ST with options as minimal as possible (ST 1 package). I agree with this review, this car is phenomenal. The Focus ST is underrated and its pretty sad, but good since you won't see too many on the road, and that makes it a little exclusive ;) Thanks for the review!

was a great reveiw !! subscribed.. just got a questions tho.. I am 6'2 and I'm considering this car for myself, hows the head room in it? thanks !!

That's what I've heard in the reviews. While this car is fast (no doubt about that) I would just prefer something like the FRS or BRZ that you can kick out around a corner, or tune it up and do burnouts with. However, living in Upper Michigan, with the amount of snow we get up here RWD isn't going to cut it year round. 4WD/AWD is a must up here! Like I said, great review.

Thanks so much! You bet. -Greg

no, thankYOU! I appreciate it! -Greg

I really liked your review. Thanks for the input. I'm going to getting myself one of these in a couple months in Black... I would like to know what you thought of the Recaro full leather seats for longer trips. I want the Sony sound system, but the only way to get that is to get the full package (Recaro seats and all)...

I already drove one of those and I am not a Ford fan. But this one was fun.

Sweet looking car! I absolutely hate FWD though. Great review!

Actually looking to buy one of these in the next week or two. I'm probably going black over that yellow... But the white one does not look bad ether.

nice video, how common is a focus st with moon roof, and with it will it affect anything?

thanks so much for your support! -Greg

AWD would hamper the vectored torque feature that makes it possible to nose-in and kick-out the rear in tight turns. Would also somewhat undermine the ST's extremely good handling characteristics by changing wheel thrust angles, altering balance and increasing overall curb weight. Might still be interesting to see if Ford could make a decent AWD wagon out of this little firecracker though. There's a FWD wagon available in European markets.

I want a 2015 MUSTANG, but the Focus ST would be second choice!!! I've driven the ST! What a blast!!!

That was one of my favorite parts! lol

Gr8 Job Greg - think the 35-40 yrs olds like us are the ones shopping these - and seeing I do not have the $ for a WRX Have you tested the Speed3 - think the focus vs. Speed3 would be a good compare (oh and trying to convince the wife to go tacoma over wrangler - but since it is her drive may have to go with what mama wants - you know the saying mama not happy no one is.happy -

okay, im having a hard time finding out about the steering system on this car, mostly i get the electric assit rack and pinnion. is the car fly by wire? or is there still a steering wheel shaft to the rack?

Thanks for checking it out! -Greg

I would love to have this, w/o the moonroof, cuz it will mess up the performance

Cool! I had fun, so I assume you are too. Thanks for watching. -Greg

I've had a ST now for 5000 miles. I am very please with the car. When I signed to buy it, they had me sign a liability weaver. What might you ask? Well...I missed that the Eagle OEM tires they put on the car are only rated for temps above 40*F, and only rain. Anyway, I killed the EPA MPG estimates. If you can discipline yourself, drive conservatively, stay out of the boost, and no dwnsft stops I achieved 28.4 - 28.7 mpg avg with a splash of highway. The clutch is a bit touchy, not a deal killer

Cool! Thanks for watching. -Greg

My 2007 Focus ST isnt so powerful but its the most reliable and fun car I have ever owned. Aside from regular maintenance I have replaced the tires and battery once. Not bad for a nine year old vehicle. I would buy it again in a heartbeat. Love my Focus ST!

I don't have the opportunity to drive Chevys, but I do get access to GMC, so I should be driving the new Sierra when it arrives. thanks for watching. -Greg

ha! Got to love those Foci and Prii. thanks for watching. -Greg

The ST is a lot of fun! -Greg

sounds perfect for you! thanks for watching. -Greg

i have a 2012 focus sel sedan, and have been feeling that its just not sporty enough for my taste (favorite car being a mustang) is this car easy to drive as well as very sporty? like can it behave in the everyday grind

The road is fun. And on our final way down at reasonable speeds we finally saw a cop. Be careful, the ST will get you in trouble! thanks for chiming in. -Greg

i wish we could get the RS .thats the one that i want .

HA! That's the dealer plastic on the seats making all that noise...so annoying for shooting videos. Sometimes they take it off, sometimes its left on. The dude, BTW, is a good buddy who wanted to come along and check out the car. I handed him the camera and said "hold on!" thanks for watching. -Greg

yeah, but don't think an AT really fits with the vibe/purpose of this car. thanks for stopping by! -Greg

Excellent! Enjoy :) thanks for watching. -Greg

I'm not sure on that. I'd guess you wouldn't notice the extra weight up top...unless you're Michael Schumacher! Thanks for watching! -Greg

did you play the butler in scarx movie 2? goid reviews bro,curious im 38 is it ok to finance 27,000 on this car? i currently have a 2012 dodge charger stx:-(

The car I drove was definitely nice..."worth it" is so relative. LEDs are awesome though. thanks for watching! Good luck, feel free to come back and share your experiences after some time behind the wheel. -Greg

The Megane RS is a better handling car but it was a little more expensive, and there was no 5 door model. It also has no room in the back and not a lot of trunk space. The Focus is a very good all round package because it isn't miles away from the Megane on the road, but it is definitely something you could use everyday, have a small family still and cart people around in. It's compromised but only in the good ways most people need this kind of car to be.

How would you think a Focus ST would be for an all-season car for someone living in WI? I've had my eye of the ST ever since it came out, but have been hesitant about driving it during the winter months.

Darn..Dont need it, but want it.

Torque steer is not too bad... my 2002 Sentra SE-R Spec-V had way more torque steer and about 77 horsepower less. The trunk space is a bit tight but I can always fold the seats down (flip the bottom seats up and they do essentially go flat) 1 drive in this car and I was sold.... I did want AWD but this thing is so good for the buck and winter tires make AWD not really needed (although drag racing would show better 0-60 speeds) I was not one for the orange but got one due to availability.... this car is a tonn of fun... all it needs now is AWD and a back up cam... it is kind of tricky to get the feel of this car when backing up in tight places. I got the ST3 again because of availability... I like the toys but NEVER use the damn moon roof... even keep the cover closed all the time... but I got a good deal so it was not too bad.... I'd go for the WRX but they made them ugly and the interiors on them are horrible... plus in Canada the WRX is almost 40 grand... so screw that... and Mitsu made neutered cars in the past few years so to hell with them... Mazda made an ugly assed car with the retarded grin on the front and horrible torque steer... so what is left?? For is the closest thing to the best sporty yet practical car on the market these days.

This was on my very shortlist a few months back. Unfortunately, the absence of a DSG was a deal breaker for me. For those who have killer commutes in heavy traffic and/or share a car with a non-MT loving SO, that's the bottom line. Ironically, I wanted a 5 door hatch but I think much of the market for this car would prefer a 3DR. It appears that Ford has chosen to limit the ST to a rather narrow niche. (5DR/MT). Excellent car but the narrow "focus" in the market is puzzling.

Sweet video man. Can't wait til you post a video test driving the new RS next year haha

You should reveiw the new chevy Silverado

Can the rear seat fold down to make more hauling room?

Its supposed to be pretty awesome! thanks for watching. -Gref

It doesn't handle like a FWD though...besides the torque steer that is! thanks for watching! (and being the first to comment :) -Greg

I'd really enjoyed it. thanks for watching. -Greg

thanks for watching and sharing! -Greg

nice car, but sad there is no AT version

This unit needs a driver mod. What is up with the horrible hand placement on the steering wheel?

i think the mazdaspeed3 and focus ST are very similar. but maybe in the future ill trade my ms3 for an ST? who knows, i gotta test drive one tho

really? Your cellphone? thanks for stopping by. -Greg

Thanks for the video, I really like your style of reviewing the car. Very easy going, own opinion and so natural. Hope I can get there myself in the future, would appreciate a little feedback about my car review videos, though keep in mind I am new to the game! ;-) cheers BTW, love the ST!

plastic on seats! thanks for watching. -Greg

Thanks for watching. I appreciate it! -Greg

Who was the dude eating potato chips in the beginning segment of the video? :p

I'm originally from MI...although I'm a troll. (below the bridge that its!) This thing would be sweet with AWD. -Greg

I would of rather had liked to seen the focus in that special color green on the fiesta st. The number one color I hate on cars is yellow.