I got my hands on the all new Ford Focus ST for a week, but did I notice more flaws in the car after a longer experience with it, or, was it even better?!
Your reviews of this car are by far the best reviews I’ve seen, including those from any professional journalist. These are the first real believable impressions of the car I could make any valuable judgements from. Thank you 👍
Great review mate; some really good insights. Thank you for sharing it with us. Hard to gauge of course, how it compares to the Mk3 Focus RS. Got to tread carefully there I guess, eh. Anyway, I'll check one out for myself when they arrive in NZ next year sometime.
I have one...well a Focus! Company car, 120ps automatic diesel! But, I love it! Great fun to drive hard, no body roll, sharp front end, paddles, and just feels built for the twisty roads. Then on the autobahn I set cruise to 80mph and get 55 mpg. Love the head up display too. Can imagine the ST would be such a great drive, it’s not all about bhp and 0-60, that’s where Ford got it right. Had plenty performance cars in the past, but family life changed that! The new Focus is such a nice car.
Merry Christmas and a happy new year to you and yours Gary...picking up my ST early January and your video was a huge factor in my decision...looking forward to more content in ‘21👌🏼
Picking mine up tomorrow afternoon, can't wait! I agree with you on the looks though. I wish there was a still a three door variant, maybe it's just my age...
Got the Milltek Resonared gif back on mine Gary and I think it just gives it that more deeper sound with better pops and bangs in sport mode .... think it sounds perfect now , understand what you say about modifications but I fancy a remap to around 300-320bhp .... and I think the chassis/running gear is more than capable of handling that .... great vid again .... top work 👍🏼
I have orange fury st mk4 all stock and now considering resonated milltek. Tell me is it worth it? Is any louder than stock? More pops and bangs? Stock is almost too quiet for me and it bangs just when i flooring it very hard.
I enjoyed the review and agreed with the conclusions. I've now had mine for ten days, and this my third Focus ST is by far the best. I also agree with the comment about the synthetic sound; it's the only thing I don't like. (Oh and mine doesn't have any rattles!)
Had mine 4 weeks now, EPIC CAR Traded the mk3 ST for it and WOW, what a difference this is, I’d say the mk3 ST was just like a really fast focus, but this thing is something else !
I agree! I’ve just bought one and it’s leagues apart from my mk3. Anybody questioning the price needs to drive one to see where that extra cash has gone. I paid roughly 5k more than I paid for my mk3 and that’s with a pan roof, less that it would have been more like 4K more and it’s a lot more car for 4 grand extra in my opinion!
Just looking at doing this after having my MK8 for a year and being labelled a “fucking idiot for buying a two door when we have kids” by the mrs 😂 hoping I love the focus as much!
Great review. Very interested in one at the moment. My only doubt is its bad turning circle. The garage where I park is a bit tight and this would be my daily..
I have a hunch you will like it! I had a Mk3 RS Edition for 9 months but unfortunately couldn't live with the veering steering any longer - a real shame as some cars don't seem to have any issues at all. Here's hoping Hyundai UK can sort something out for you! its nice to be back in something that's fun but isn't trying its best to throw me off the road ; )
@@Techpeak2012 I still have my RS MK3. I have started to take it to a racetrack and that was too much fun to trade it in for the ST. But I guess the ST will be fun also on a racetrack and I like the ST so will see what I will do later.
I think my mk3 ST is also very sorted. Think in general you don’t want to mess to much with a car that is already sophisticated. Less is more and and Ford just makes very exiting cars.
I too have a mk8 fiesta st and it seems to me that this focus “feels” about the same in terms of how eager it is. I’ve heard from a few owners already that the additional weight balances out any power advantage this mk4 focus st has over the fiesta. The fiesta sounds a bit better too I think.
FYI mate, I took mine in for the rattle in the door card and it turns out there is a fix kit available (Sound deadening foam basically). The cause of the rattle is the window regulator. The Ford technician told me that it was a bit naughty that they released this from factory without fitting the kit, but hoes guess was that they were hoping that some probably wouldn’t notice it and then it saves them having to repair every car.
Gary I was rewatching your rs drag races with your mk3 and the moutune 1's etc, how about when the summer comes back to do mk2 rs runway drag races cheers steve 👍
Thanks for posting such a nice driving review! Only problem I have with it....we do not get this in the States! Ford in their infinite "wisdom" has killed all cars except the Mustang. While the Mustang is popular it is not for me. I hope Ford wakes up and brings the Focus back at some point. Really miss the hatchback form and SUVs are not for me either. Hope you are enjoying the heck out of your RS.
11:30 Although it's a great car stock, modifying it is so much fun. I mapped it using mountune's m330 map and it was the best decision I've ever made. It's still very balanced and usable and subtle when you want to drive it normally. It feels so much more responsive, it's more powerful and torquier. I also recently got the m365 map and exhaust. Now it has another good boost in power and performance. If anyone has a stock MK4 I highly recommend getting an m330 map.
@@fantasyproduct1042 I just use standard 95 octane on both m330 and m365, no issues. Insurance isn't affected by much surprisingly. Warranty should not be affected as far as I'm aware.
I'm thinking about getting the m330 remap on my ST but with fuel prices going through the roof lately in the UK I've held off. I'm getting 25mpg generally on a mix of roads up to about 33mpg on the motorway. What can I expect with the m330? I think the extra 50hp of fun and the better torque will be worth it though even if it makes it more thirstier 😂
@@mick65291 I've been using the m365 for about 4 months now (and was using m330 for about 4 months before). In my opinion both m330 and m365 hardly use any more fuel than stock. I'm currently sitting at 29.5mpg average (towns, cities, country roads, etc...) and I don't exactly drive "slow" everywhere haha.
I've had the ST for 2 months now after handing back my RS after 2 1/2 years. I don't regret it at all with this being my main driver, if its a weekend car the RS is better. I do miss the AWD system in more slippery conditions but other things make up for it. The ST is a good 10-15% more economical during my commute and much more comfortable in standard mode but it comes alive in sport mode. The ST needs the performance pack and I like the HUD which I didn't actually care about but I got a great deal on one that had it. The wireless charging however is crap, the phone just slips on/off constantly and you get notifications every time.
Looks a great car overall. Biggest problem for me is the price......its waaaaay to expensive to justify ! Surprised you didn't mention that. Fast fords should be cheap IMHO. Its 90% of the reason why the Fiesta STs have been top of their class so ford should have done the same for the focus particularly with the car market the way it is at the moment. Closer to I30N money would make sense. Great video though as always though 👍🔥
@@CarFocused Thanks for replying. It does look like great fun......certainly more positive feedback than the last Focus ST. If it was your money, knowing the depreciation on new cars, would you invest in this compared to others in the market?
Just signed the paperwork on a Black ST with PP, HUD and wireless Charger for £20 a month cheaper ( PCP ) than my 17 plate ST3 was 2 years ago. No one pays list price DO THEY!!!!
@@stevemk4st649 I saw a few on Auto trader well below list. With car sales really poor atm it's good to see. A ST in orange for £24,950 seems more like it to me ! :-)
I had a mk7 fiesta st2 and always wanted a focuse st.now I have a mk8 fiesta st3 and as much as I like the focus I think the fiesta beats it this time.that said I think both are amazing cars
Hello Nevil. I've just got the ford focus 1.5 ecoblue st line x and for a daily driver is spot on couldn't ask for more. Which diesel engine are you running pal? .. . . .
@@nevilbounds5762 Hello Nevil. I so so nearly brought the same model and apart from the look of the car the engine and the twin pipes are etched. Well enjoy your motar! I'll keep enjoying my magnetic metallic grey paint estate but I must admit that it doesn't look like a estate. Safe driving 👍
@@grassyknoll9647 Nioe car Grassy. What engine do you have they have them from 84bhp to 247bhp? Either way the inside of it is nice and even the lower powered focus grips like s##t to a blanket! Lol 😂
I got an offer back from my dealer for 30.5k EUR in my country for full option minus sunroof. The list price for it was 37k. It's not the first time the list price on Fords is bloated, if you're interested in the car just ask your dealer for an offer. I reckon you can get one for 30k which is a bargain.
One thing is scaring me off the Mk4: here in german forums there are huge quality and reliability issues: automatic box that let the car move forward when you put it in R, light clusters getting cracks in large numbers, rattling exhausts and stuff like that. Mk3 seems to have been better qualitywise, which is a shame as Mk4 looks and feels even better.
The worst part of this car is that the regular S-line looks identical....meaning your ST won't stand out.... So tired of manufacturers doing this, they KILL the exclusivity of their sport versions.....
Why should that really matter. I love the fact that other cars want to look like the one they REALLY wanted to buy. Just smile as you let them passed knowing who has the better equipped and more exciting car to drive.
@@stevemk4st649 Disagree, sports model should be unique from the slower models. This is a big contributor to why all cars today look very similar.... everybody is trying to make sporty aggressive looking cars, even if they arent actually fast.
@@TekkenBones But how do you make a model unique unless you just add more pointless body kits. At the end of the day its a Focus, so any other Focus is going to look similar no matter what you do. Does it really matter if its not fast? If a person likes the look of a car but has no desire for a 2.3 litre engine with poor fuel economy why can't he / she have one that they like the look of, even if that is very similar to the SPORTS version. I for one really don't care, and I will be parking my ST next to the ST lines at work.
@@CarFocused you should definitely try and do a comparison video, and include the Hyundai i30N, also the Renualt Megane RS (although i'm yet to see one on the UK roads).
I actually think the build quality is good. I had a '16 fiesta for 2 years, no rattles. Then got a 30k Mini JCW '18 and had rattles within 2 months from multiple places.
I turned the video off once he said an RS is better than an ST.. just because you have a used RS does not make RS better than ST. ST is better all-rounder. You even experienced a lot of problems with your RS MK3. A bigger turbo and a 4WD system do not make a car better as a daily.
@@CarFocused actually I'd pick an ST any day. By God's blessings, I can go and get an RS now but as long as the ST will be around, RS is unjustifiable! Every time you see an RS, there's at least something wrong with it. It is definitely not reliable as an ST.
You was talking about ruining the car if you tune it,, I was going to fit a HPtuners Ngauge which is connected to the car’s computer and unleash more power,, so why not. ? no mechanical amendment.
I’m sure its a very good car and with a remap to 330bhp it will be brilliant but it’s not a car a desire to own it just doesn’t tug on my heart stings to make me want to buy it. It just looks a bit to dull and offers nothing different in looks to the dreaded st lines. I like the colour though but hate the screen plonked on the dash😡😡
diamus100 as it’s got a lsd I’m sure it can cope with more power. Not all cars have a screen stuck on the top of the dash. Golfs have it in the dash and I’m sure their drivers can see it and use it fine. That was a thing manufacturers did years ago ford are very late to the game I thought they weren’t going to do it but sadly the stuck on afterthought screens have arrived.
Steve MK4 ST I drive a mk 2 Mazda 3 mps. Which is basically an older version of the mk4 st as it’s got the earlier version 2.3 engine and it’s got lots of Ford Focus suspension parts etc. I just don’t see it’s enough of an improvement to spend an extra £20000 over the value of my car. Not that I see what difference what car I drive is on my opinion of a focus st!!After all it’s non mk4 st drivers ford what to buy the car. I’m sure it’s a great car but not one I long to own.
So the new ST has had no new development since the MK3 and they have just decided to put the MK2 Mazda parts onto a new body design. I currently have the MK3.5 ST and have been able to get another brand new car only 2 years into my current PCP for £20 per month less. I wont have paid for a service for 4 years, tyres or an MOT, or any other fault as the warranty is always there. I know everyone is entitled to an opinion, but I can't remember the last time I commented on a video for a car that (1) - I have no interest in (2) - Would never buy (3) - Have never driven. I for one have smiled almost every time I've given the ST a blast, and I know its not a supercar but when the haters pass comment, what are you comparing the car to when you pass judgement of it's abilities?
Steve MK4 ST well there’s not much point having a comments section if only mk4 drivers can have an opinion and make a comment!! My main gripe with the mk4 is its looks which I don’t need to drive one to make.
If you say that it's only a little bit better than a GTI, then it's not that good...I mean look at the competition...Type R, I 30 N, Megane Trophy, nu much more serious than GTI's
But it’s too expensive. Mk2 rs and £10000 for modifications.? Or if I had the money for An st I would buy a vxr8 Bathurst s. 6.2 v8 supercharged and 560 bhp. A beautiful car. And the focus isn’t.
@@CarFocused not fully specced but 31k for a brand new one, an R doesn't have many options anyway unless you want to change the alloys, pan roof or DCC. Over 30k though for an ST, crazy, better buying a 1 or 2 year old RS.
AS GOOD AS A GTI?!@#?? GTIs are such a boring cars... the focus sT is a Hooligan, and fun, and joy! not dall gray... not involving... not communicationg.... as a golf GTI/R leonCupra audi S/RS...
@@CarFocused understood.. but when talking about hot hatches... usualy when describing how good they are, we really don't care if they can handle big things in their booth... the ST is mega to drive, and super-fun on back roads, the absolute opposite to the golf gti, the gti, will be like meh... there.
