I really like these reviews from Brian Cooley, he focuses more on tech than the actual car itself, but I like that. Each reviewer has their own style and that's cool.
Cnettv, you just took away our happiness.... The things we loved wathing!! Keep everything for your self!! And let only your people of us enjoy all the fun!!
The only reason they would do an automatic version (which they haven't since the car started in Europe) is if people keep bitching about how they can't drive stick but really want the car.... Crazy thought here but how about learning to drive stick? It's not that hard, the ST only belongs with a manual transmission
I can see where youre coming from totally, but some people are lazier or more stubborn to learn stick, and thats where sales get limited. For the record, I do agree any good hot hatch needs a manual for the proper fun factor though.
HoldenFordFan yeah that is deffinetly true, a lot of it has to do with the fact people don't want to learn that's one thing for sure but if it was paired with even a dual clutch automatic it would just take the fun out of it all together because it wouldn't be the same driving experiance, and because it's stick and a hot hatch I ordered one lol
I owned a Mazdaspeed3 and enjoy a stick too but some days in stop and go traffic or driving on the hilly city streets of San Francisco you just want automatic. All corporate building decisions should be looked as financial/profit motivated and I think sport hatches will sell more automatics than manual versions. I believe most corvettes are sold in Automatic.
I took the Mustang GT and Focus ST out for a test drive the other day. The ST was a lot of fun. Torquey engine and racing setup on the clutch. Loved it. Some thing fun to drive, sounds bad ass and gripped the road real good. This is not to be over looked. The mustang was a nice ride but the ST got my vote that day.
I so hope that Canadians buy this car so that it's still around in a couple of years. Until then, I will be driving way too many kilometres in a year for it to make sense. Way to go Ford. We finally get your best overall car!
It's $2k more for a package that includes Nav as well as many others. In the ST3 aka 202a package you get: Navigation Recaro Heated Leather Seats Rear Armrest HID Headlights Cornering Lamps LED Signature Lighting Ambient Lighting Overhead Console Exterior Heated Mirrors
Love your reviews man Love all the detail and options you give as soon as you say I dont like its completely off when you say I do like i pay close attention knowing it must be good. :) keep up the great work CNET dont lose this man.
I just drove this car today and It was up to business. I own a Mazdaspeed 3 and this has same power but many is it smaller, very tight fit inside. Goes nicely though and has a premium feel to it + USB & SD card slot. One thing that annoyed me is the side bolster on the seat on the right side hits ur elbow as ur shifting but besides that it shifted real nice
This guy is the ONLY reviewer on CNET that is worth watching. The rest are useless and provide absolutely NO useful information and are nothing but a waste of time. Keep it up dude!
Renault tried to do a hot hatch with a dual clutch transmission and people voted with their wallets - I've yet to see a Clio RS on the road. Hot hatches should be manual - that's just how it is.
It's usually US$8-900 upgrade for a regular automatic, and $1200 for a dual clutch here. Not 'thousands' as you claim. DCTs are great because they are effortless, have seamless power out put, and generally get better fuel economy. Literally every racing programme (touring cars, rally, or F1) I've watch has shown them with a sequential or F1 paddle gearbox. Driving a 1.4 Astra with a manual gearbox doesn't necessarily make you better than us.
My guess is the hood gap is a result of a pre-production / early build. I would think they would fix this in production because it does look like the hood is open.
He's not upset that it has a manual transmission - he's just pointing out that with it being the only option, Ford might lose some sales numbers because not everyone wants a manual. And in regards to seats, if he's having a hard time fitting in being his size, again, that might be a problem for other people who are maybe a little wider. I think his overall point was that they could have tweaked a couple things to make it better suited for the American market, that's all.
I was considering one too but the second gen 3 MPS still has the same turbo failure issues due to the turbo seals going from carbon build up. Big issue sadly.
It is a bit too late for that Mr Cooley but can you please switch that rear wiper off -: ) I still have my 2013ST and I simply can not let go because it’s combination of performance and reasonable handling ( stock ) is hard to beat nowadays at the same price
He's wrong with the last statement. When you don't buy the Nav package you won't have the GPS antenna & the wiring, nor will the software for sync have the Nav menu in it. The SD card would not do anything without the Nav package
i assumed car tech would talk about.... um... the car tech. like how well the system works, plays music, how the interface works, what it does, is it easy to use etc.
Yeah, that would be pretty cool. It would be nice to be able to use a touch monitor built into the car as a remote phone just to be able to use the GPS on the phone without having to pay for the car's service. hehe
im totally ok with the ST being manual only, it's a very good very easy to learn manual now, what would be REALLY COOL, is a property of myford touch that could "coach" you on driving manual, most of this stuff is by-wire anyway, the computer already knows when you're hitting the clutch/brake/gas/stick so it can literally teach you to drive stick and offer words of encouragement, and give personalized lessons. THAT IDEA IS FREE, FORD, YOU ONLY GET ONE
Great review covering many aspects! How would you compare the clutch feel, gear change and steering feel to the previous Focus (XR5)? I ask because my wife's mum owns an XR5 and knowing how it has changed will help us decide to/not to purchase. Any feedback appreciated.
@sssmeee It's all about gearing to get the higher mpgs. My veloster turbo goes to 60 in 6.9 seconds with 200 hp out of 1.6 liters of 18 psi boosted engine hardware. 38 mpg highway too.
I do appreciate your car reviews - they are quite informative. Don't blame the Recaro seats because they're narrow - blame your backside for being too wide. LOL Also, if you haven't noticed, this car is not marketed to your demographic. It's marketed for males, 22-35 who like quick, tight handling hatchbacks. Also, Ford kept in mind when designing this car that it's very, very tuneable. Just watch and see the after-market kits start showing up on these cars.
2 things wrong here, 1 HD raido is standard in ALL focus, its a free service too unlike satellite, and Nav is only a $795 option, you cant buy just an SD card From the dealer, in more than just that. The packaged are also called ST1, 2 or 3. I know this because i sell them and order them for my dealership.
that is true but this is a road car not a race car and they could have put in adjustable racing seat... and one other thing if you can't fit in the seat properly its not going to hold you in place
This exact video showed up on my channel feed, then a few minutes later it gets blocked it for phones an such? WTF? Guess I should've clicked on it when I had the chance...
btw: Some are areas of the video have some really weird audio quirks. Might be nice if you guys edited the soundtrack a bit better. =/ Otherwise, good review as usual.
lol i like your point and agree. I love stick shifts as well but you're wrong. Modern auto boxes get better mpgs nowadays especially those dual cluth transmissions (dct) they get on average sometimes one or 2 mpgs better than manual. I'd rather a stick shift any day thoough
Hrm, I'm really concerned about potential wheel hop with this car, the engine moves ALL OVER THE PLACE when it's revved even with 0 load on it at idle. It's kind of scary how much it flexes. It's a complete recipe for wheel hop when getting out of the hole...the question is....does it?
only a child would care to comment on that preference. you will understand when you grew up yes i did , first car was a 73 pinto 4 spd , and yes i still can
Beautiful vehicle, decent price, nice performance. I still prefer the MazdaSpeed 3 over this vehicle. Why? The base MS3 had more horsepower, and torque BUT....it also has a massive amount of HP/TQ that remains un-tapped through easily purchased and applied bolt-ons. The Focus has little that hasn't already been maximized through the factory. My MS3 with 1.5k of mods is still cheaper then the focus, faster, and more spirited in daily driving, and getting 26.5 combined MPG.
