![]() Torque steer? It is there if you push it in first or second. ![]() The tires and suspension let you feel all the road imperfections, but it is not harsh and handling always feels connected instead of busy or mushy. You can row back and forth through the six gears if you want, but the powerband is broad enough that downshifts are not nearly as necessary as some manuals I have owned. There is great power delivery even down low and when the turbo kicks in you feel it push you back in the seat. There are 5 other cars and a pickup in my driveway, but there is only one car you would chose if you said to yourself "I just feel like going out for a drive". The acceleration is quick, the steering is quick, and the braking is quick. ![]() I don't believe everything I read, … especially in advertising, but this car delivers. It is aimed (noticed how I didn't say focused -) ) at someone who wants a fun and exciting car that is also practical and affordable. This is more a first impression that a long term ownership review. No initial purchase issues and not driven long enough to have reliability or service issues. Stand-alone options include dark gray 18-inch alloy wheels with red-painted brake calipers, high-performance all-season tires and the navigation system (requires the ST2 package).īrand new car. The ST3 package (aka the 402A Equipment Group) adds all ST2 items but also tacks on heated mirrors, a keyless entry keypad, full leather upholstery, heated front Recaro seats (with eight-way power adjustments for the driver), a heated steering wheel, a rear center armrest, multicolor ambient interior lighting, carbon-fiber interior accents and a navigation system. The ST2 package (aka the 401A Equipment Group) adds xenon headlights, a sunroof, dual-zone automatic climate control, cloth and leather upholstery, Recaro front sport seats, the Sync 3 infotainment interface with an 8-inch touchscreen, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone app integration, and a 10-speaker Sony sound system with HD radio, a CD player, satellite radio and dual USB ports. Standard equipment includes 18-inch alloy wheels, summer tires, performance brakes, an electronic limited-slip differential, hill start assist, automatic headlights, foglights, LED daytime running lights, an integrated blind-spot mirror, keyless entry and ignition, air-conditioning, cloth upholstery, front sport seats (with driver height adjustment), 60/40-split folding rear seats, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, MyKey parental controls, a rearview camera, a 4.2-inch central display, Bluetooth, Sync voice controls, and a six-speaker sound system with a USB port. It was great five years ago and it's still great today. In total, though, the 2018 Focus ST needs to be on the shopping list for anyone looking for a powerful, charismatic car with plenty of practicality at a reasonable price. Those grippy Recaro seats may also be too confining for drivers of above-average size. ![]() Cabin quality also isn't as impressive as it once was and is overshadowed by the Volkswagen and Honda competition. The rear seating is cramped, and the base tech interface is behind the times. Yes, it's fun to go quickly in a straight line, but the ST has corners licked, too.Īs for downsides, the ST's relate mostly to those inherent to the regular Focus' design. Then there's the ST's entertaining steering and handling. We also love the six-speed manual transmission, though acknowledge that the availability of a dual-clutch automatic (such as Volkswagen's DSG transmission) would widen its audience. All that power goes through the front wheels only, making it a bit unruly at times, but that's all part of the fun. First and foremost, its 252-horsepower turbocharged four-cylinder engine continues to be a hoot, thrusting you into the ST's Recaro sport seats to the tune of a deep warble.
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