When it comes to corners and ST, then manual is the right choice. The only drawback is the transmision, which is not quite track adapted but rather for low emissions and highway. But the engine specs are one of the best, best torque in the 2.0-2.3 class ... If you can, pick a factory tuned ST with Predator soft ( 330HP)......just like mine! 🤣👍
Wow wasn't expecting it to be quicker than a dct i30n. In a straight line the i30N with the dual clutch completely annihilates all competitors at the price point. Love the ST, great car all around, great tech and the interior is quite a bit nicer than the Hyundai.
Greetings from Nottingham. Really enjoyed the video and comments. I think the ST is a great motor and it is a proper drivers car. Six speed manual of course!
Knew that would be very close to the i30N DCT but was not expecting that... I wonder if your would get even quick in the manual i30N (lighter) and the type R too 🤔
Happy New Year. Really enjoy reading the magazine and seeing them come to life on track. I am interested in the Kona N and the I30 N dct. Even the new Sonata N. I am a Hot Hatch fan. My MkV Gti from 2008 is Still with me. 84,000 kms. DSG.
Sonata has no N but has an N line big big difference... u are better of in the i30 Sedan N. Interesting of speed in ranking the Sedan N, Kona N, I30N DCT, I30N FL variants, I30N pre facelift variants, then the i20N... but on tighter circuits like this the fiesta ST and I20N should boast better times
Interesting is how the speeds compare throughout the lap. The manual car seems to get most of it's speed in corners and getting on the power. Then again, it had newer tires. Auto wins on longer straights. Turn numbers: Max/Min (auto/manual) Into T1: Max 107/104 T1: Min 63/66 T1-2: Max 77/77 T2: Min 68/71 T2-4: Max 109/109 T4: min 88/89 T4-6: Max 101/102 T6: Min 73/75 T6-10: Max 102/102 T10: Min 65/60 T10-11: Max 73/74 T11: Min 66/61 T11-T12: Max 69/67 T12: Min 52/55 T12-15: Max 99/99 T15: Min 48/49 T15-T19: Max 119/119 T19: Min 52/53 T19-T20: Max 85/84 T20: Min 48/50 T20-T21: Max 78/77 T21: Min 46/46 Finish Line: 100/97
The only time I wished I had an automatic in my 2013 Mk3 ST was when I was stuck in an horrendous traffic jam south of Atlanta heading north. A car carrier had failed to secure the load and dropped TWO cars off the trailer onto the freeway, blocking the whole road. i spent and hour and a half moving 30 feet at a time; clutch in, clutch out ... Still have the little Ford; I've been driving nearly 60 years and It's been a great car.
I think the manual might feel better because when you are in manual control you don't have optimal revs. Or maybe you are pushing the engine at more dangerous thresholds. Either way those are joys automatic cars avoid.
Manual transmission will soon be a thing from the past once Ev cars are the common car purchase from the working class. So for shifters hold on and enjoy them while they last
Awesome comparison and a great driver. One upside of having a detuned 2.3l RS engine under the bonnet is that you can very easily just remap it for more power. Mountune offers a 280->330 BHP remap using stock components and it completely transforms the car. Extra 50 BHP makes a world of difference, though it also makes the car more difficult to drive (torque steer all day under heavy acceleration).
Engine is no good at all comparison torque vs hp is disgusting a bad powerband witch only drops dead on high revs and the constant stress on the engine even they fixed the slits between cylinder walls from the 2020 models its open deck and verry limited on further increase of hp a exhaust manyfold build in the block they should kept the mk3 st block closed deck way more robust and way better tuning potential.
@@LB83. a retune fixes a lot of issues with the power band. The engine goes strong up to 5500 RPM and the optimal upshift is around 6000 RPM. My Focus has done 62k km in 4 years and the only issue I had with it was high-pressure fuel pump, which I got replaced around 47k under the warranty. Open block design is literally a non-issue for a FWD hot hatch. This is my daily driver first and a track car second (I track it like 3-4 times a year). Sure, it would be nice if you could tune Focus RS to make 500 PS, an ST will never be able to put this power down anyway.
@@Arqan93 its a weak block cant argue about it the material turbo side between cyl 2and 3 is where the biggest issue is located it cracks once you get in the range of 380hp btw a stock focus rs block cant handle more then 380 on a daily basis i have 3 friends who had engine failures crack on the turbo side btw stock rods are limited to 380+- i talked with mt and they say best option to be safe is their forged small block witch is a 2.0ts mk3st closed deck block stroked into a 2.3 that one is bullit proof and wil handle 450bhp on a daily basis m330 flash tune aint to special either the drop off after 5600 rpm is anoying the powerband 📈 is not consistend to say the least its a fun car to drive but verry limited when you want to put a quaife lsd in it and run the engine up to vw golf r stage 3 talking about 500+ hp never gonna happen in a safe way so for the money better to get a second hand m2 or the new ctr just to make a comparrison a45s has a 4cylinder witch runs on 2bar boost safe try that with the 2.3 and she wil blow up old fords where made a milion x better if i had to compare the rs turbo against the mk4 focus st
@@LB83. sure it's not a stury block, that's why I said it would be nice to have 500 PS potential on the RS. But for the ST I really don't give a damn. It's a fast, fun daily driver that can do track days every once in a while. Having a FWD car with more than 350 PS seems pointless to me. No matter what kind of shenanigans you play with the front diff, it will not give you enough traction, period. What you're describing is a problem for like 2% of potential buyers. If you're into high performance tuning that requires significant investment in parts, just buy something else. I'm happy with a 500 pound remap, because power to price ratio is very good and it's fun to drive.
