I drove all the fast Fords

"Burt" (Burt)
06/19/2014 at 09:30 • Filed to: None

As a recent college grad looking for a job, pretty soon I'll be buying a new car. Appropriately, I've been test driving ALL THE THINGS, and recently I test drove all the performance cars Ford has to offer: the Fiesta ST, Focus ST, Taurus SHO, and Mustang GT. There's no make or car segment I wouldn't drive (except a crossover) so I looked at all of them as potential next cars. Thoughts below.

Fiesta ST

I'll start with the little guy. There's a lot to like about the FiST. It's easy to place while driving or parking because of its size, and visibility is good. There's decent space up front, including headroom with the sunroof, and everything is easy to use. It's been !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! the little ST is a giant killer. The engine makes plenty of torque in the lower rpm range and isn't laggy, but it also doesn't run out of breath before redline. The handling is superb, and confidence inspiring. Conveniently, there's a back road running into the woods by the dealership, and I was consistently going 10 mph faster in the Fiesta compared to the Focus. Inside, the shifter, clutch and Recaro seats are all good, although it should be noted that the non-Recaro seats offer less support than the regular Fiesta seats. If you'll be driving hard, get the Recaros, people. On the highway, the Fiesta is much more quiet and composed than say, the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! .

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The Fiesta wasn't perfect though. The way the car is laid out, from the drivers seat you can't see the hood, the dash stretches out before you and the windshield is large and steep, all of which combines to impart a minivan-like feel. The sunroof, which you pay extra to get, is small, and pushed far enough back to make it fairly useless for people in the front seats. Speaking of stuff behind the front seats, the back seats are useable, but if you'll be carrying adults very often, you may want to get something bigger. Overall, if you're an enthusiast on a budget looking for something efficient and practical that can tear apart a back road or autocross, this will be perfect for you.

Focus ST

Following the same five-door formula as the Fiesta, the Focus gives you more space, power, and amenities standard, as well as a particularly nice clutch. That clutch. I don't know that I've driven a car with smoother clutch take-up than the Focus ST. It isn't as light as the clutch in the Fiesta, but I'd take it any day. Anyway, where was I? Power is good, and torque comes in early, without noticeable lag. There's plenty of grip, and the steering is immediate, which is good for back road driving. This is the only car of the four that I didn't drive on the highway, so I can't speak to whether or not the quick steering makes it darty at interstate speeds. The cabin is nice, with the steering wheel, shifter, pedals and Recaros all pleasant to use. Material choices definitely felt nicer than the Fiesta.

I only had two real complaints about the Focus, one of which is torque steer. I exited a corner in second gear, put my foot on the floor, ad rather than shooting toward the next corner, I was fighting to keep the car out of a ditch. In a straight line on level ground, you should be fine, but it's something to be mindful of on a back road. The other issue is price. If you want Recaros, and you don't want contrasting color inserts, you have to option the car to nearly 30K. There are also some penalties in weight and fuel efficiency compared to the Fiesta, but it's a bigger car with bigger engine, so that's expected. In the end, you need to compare Fiesta and Focus with the options you want and decide if the price premium is worth it. For me, it would be.

Taurus SHO

I'm a fan of big, fast sedans. I drive an Impala, and I like the Charger, 300 and SS, so I was excited to get to drive this twin-turbo beast. There's room for four adults inside, there are lots of nice features (looking at you, cooled seats) and the trunk is MASSIVE. The Taurus excels as a people mover. More importantly, how does it drive? I didn't get to do any back road blasting in it, but I can tell from the few corners I went around that it's...OK. Grip is decent with the help of the AWD, and the body is pretty well controlled, but there's a lot of weight over the nose, and a lot of weight in general, and you feel it. In a straight line, the SHO is very quick, as in "No officer, I didn't know how fast I was going. Why do I need to step out of the car?" quick, and you don't notice the speed building. The exhaust is quiet, and with all the sound deadening and mass of car around you, it takes a lot of the thrill out of the speed. It's also a shame that the SHO, like the SRTs and the SS sedan, is auto-only. Rather than being a sports car that happens to be nice inside, this is a nice car that happens to be fast. It's good, but I'd like some more drama...

Mustang GT

There are several things that I'm a sucker for when it comes to cars, and a few of those things are long hood/short deck proportions, V8 sound and power delivery, and manual transmissions. The Mustangs at the dealership combined those with something else I'm fond of, factory rebates! All Mustangs at the dealership are manuals with the Tech and Track Packages. I climbed into the car, excited as a school kid. I turned the key, and the Coyote V8 growled to life. The jimmies rustled softly. The engine is exceptional, revving all the way to 7,000 rpm, but it still has not problem burbling along behind a minivan at 1,200. The shifter is good, and the clutch isn't too heavy, and the standard seats, while not heavily bolstered, still provide decent support. The Mustang is composed on the highway, and thanks to the torque from the V8, downshifting to pass isn't necessary. Between the Challenger, Camaro and Mustang, the Mustang definitely has the best visibility, and is the easiest to place on the road.

The only place the Mustang falls short is the handling. The ride is busy over bumps, the rear axle doesn't feel very well located, and the car is softly sprung and damped. Out the same road, a 2013 Challenger felt more planted. The Camaro has more grip and better controlled body motions, but the trade off is having no idea where the right wheels are on the road. Fortunately, there are a host of upgrades available for the Mustang to fix the handling. It's a great value right now, and it's on my short list.

DISCUSSION (55)

Nibby > Burt
06/18/2014 at 21:51

Did ya look at the Fusion at all? I know it's not really "performance" but it's a solid car.

desertdog5051 > Burt
06/18/2014 at 21:55

Wow. You must have come with a law degree or similar. When I ended college, I could not afford anything new.

Burt > desertdog5051
06/18/2014 at 22:00

It's an engineering degree. I won't make as much as a lawyer, but I'll do well.

 V8 Rustler > Burt
06/18/2014 at 22:01

The jimmies rustled softly.

Burt > Nibby
06/18/2014 at 22:02

They actually had a Fusion with the 1.6 and six speed. My friend test drove it, and while it's quite a nice car, it doesn't interest me enough. My parents on the other hand, want one.

dogisbadob > Burt
06/18/2014 at 22:03

WOW you're lucky! Glad you enjoyed the cars.

But maybe you might want to wait for the 2015 Mustang and see how that compares.

desertdog5051 > Burt
06/18/2014 at 22:05

Do you have a job lined up?

Burt > desertdog5051
06/18/2014 at 22:07

I've applied at a couple different places, and I just applied with the state for an entry level job that I'm as well qualified for as any candidate. I'll have to see how that goes.

yamahog > Burt
06/18/2014 at 22:08

Oh no, is that what they told you?? Errrr, about that.... if you don't have a bunch of loans to pay off you'll probably do well as a single adult in an affordable area, but if you want to add in a family and move somewhere "nice?" Good luck!

-BSE in Aerospace Engineering, 2012

Burt > yamahog
06/18/2014 at 22:12

Single, affordable area with SUPER low rent, zero dollars in loans. Roughly 8K in paid-off trade in value, if I choose to use it.

wiffleballtony > Burt
06/18/2014 at 22:14

I gotta say, when I test drove the Challenger, "planted" never sprung to mind.

desertdog5051 > Burt
06/18/2014 at 22:16

Good luck. Sounds like you have made some good decisions already.

Burt > wiffleballtony
06/18/2014 at 22:16

I didn't expect it to, but the R/T with the handling pack I drove did alright for itself. The road is pretty bumpy/uneven, and the Mustang didn't handle that well. You could feel all the weight in the Challenger, but it controlled it pretty well.

Burt > desertdog5051
06/18/2014 at 22:20

Thanks!

wiffleballtony > Burt
06/18/2014 at 22:36

Bumpy roads are definitely not the Mustangs forte.

Drakkon- Most Glorious and Upright Person of Genius > Burt
06/18/2014 at 22:47

IN 2014 this THAT is called the American Dream. Well done.

Team6.1 > Burt
06/18/2014 at 22:52

I'm biased to the mustang obviously, but I will admit it's faults. But I will also say you get a lot of performance for your $ and if you are committed to the track machine it is quite easy to mod whatever you want. I haven't touched my suspension yet because I'm found of resale value, but I have driven other mustangs with superchargers, coilovers, brembo and braided lines, the sky is pretry much the limit. Yes it has a solid rear axle, but even stock I would happily line up against an M3 on a track. Plus that 5.0

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > Burt
06/18/2014 at 23:00

"Rather than being a sports car that happens to be nice inside, this is a nice car that happens to be fast.

I've never heard the SHO summarized so well.

Dusty Ventures > yamahog
06/18/2014 at 23:00

Unrelated: wink wink nudge nudge

Burt > Team6.1
06/18/2014 at 23:09

The 5.0 is a glorious engine. I like the LS engines, and the Hemis, but the just can't match the rev-happiness of the 5.0.

signintoburnerlol > Burt
06/18/2014 at 23:11

You drove all the fast ones?

Kinja'd!!!

Burt > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles
06/18/2014 at 23:11

Thanks!

Burt > signintoburnerlol
06/18/2014 at 23:12

*currently in production, that I can afford. Better?

Axial > yamahog
06/18/2014 at 23:16

The mistake was choosing aerospace. You might as well have chosen civil. D:

Best options are electrical, petroleum, mining, and systems. Mining alone will net you, easily, a starting pay of $70,000 at your first job because there are not that many mining engineers.

That said, aerospace is definitely more interesting to me than any of the aboves.

yamahog > Axial
06/18/2014 at 23:37

Not to be tacky here, but I made $70k at my first job as well. I'm just realistic about how much things cost.

Brian Silvestro > Burt
06/19/2014 at 09:32

At least someone else notices the long ass dashboard on the Fiesta.

R Saldana [|Oo|======|oO|] - BTC/ETH/LTC Prophet > Drakkon- Most Glorious and Upright Person of Genius
06/19/2014 at 09:37

#COTD please forward to the jalop headmasters. Oh and send that to DC too, they need to see what's really going on.

Burt > Brian Silvestro
06/19/2014 at 09:39

It's craziness! I haven't driven anything else in that size bracket with a dash nearly that big. My friends theory is that it's supposed to give drivers the impression they're in a bigger car, but I'm not a fan of it.

R Saldana [|Oo|======|oO|] - BTC/ETH/LTC Prophet > Burt
06/19/2014 at 09:40

Cooler if you did, maaan.

yamahog > Brian Silvestro
06/19/2014 at 09:41

Yeaaaa. Wasn't a fan either.

Brian Silvestro > Burt
06/19/2014 at 09:43

It is give me the impression that I'm in a taller thinner car that wasted space.

Burt > Brian Silvestro
06/19/2014 at 09:48

It does feel quite narrow. I wish I could actually see the hood when I drive, but then again, I'd like everything to have a hood similar to an SLS AMG or an old Caddy, so I'm just biased.

DoYouEvenShift > Burt
06/19/2014 at 09:49

Aww..Come on Ford, I would really only consider 1 one those cars a performance vehicle.

Burt > DoYouEvenShift
06/19/2014 at 09:50

Well, relatively speaking. They're all quick for their respective segments.

Brian Silvestro > Burt
06/19/2014 at 09:51

Damn, now every time I drive mine I'm gonna think of that

yamahog > Drakkon- Most Glorious and Upright Person of Genius
06/19/2014 at 09:51

Lol, the American Dream predicated on your parents having enough money to send you to school debt-free and provide you with a car you can trade in for 8k? I'm just glad I earned enough scholarships and grants to keep my debt in only 5 digits and I have the means to pay it off in full by my 25th birthday, at which time I'll buy my first new car. It'll be the first time I've owned something less than 10 years old.

Sorry for the skepticism, I went to college with a lot of spoiled rich kids and I'm jaded as hell.

Burt > Brian Silvestro
06/19/2014 at 09:57

I'm not sure whether to apologize or laugh. If any of your local dealerships have Mustangs in stock, they'll probably take 4 grand or more off sticker. There's still time!

Brian Silvestro > Burt
06/19/2014 at 09:59

They're not Boss 302's so no thank you!

Burt > Brian Silvestro
06/19/2014 at 10:08

...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................dealer trade for a new one?

Brian Silvestro > Burt
06/19/2014 at 10:20

I think the ones remaining on the lots are marked up beyond reason.

Burt > Brian Silvestro
06/19/2014 at 10:26

I meant used, sorry. i'm sure if there are any new ones left, they're astronomical.

Brian Silvestro > Burt
06/19/2014 at 10:30

I've checked, used ones are still pushing $40k, which is well out of my price range.

::looks at bank account::

::cries::

Burt > Brian Silvestro
06/19/2014 at 10:36

Uhhhhh...4.6 Bulitt? At least you'll look awesome in it

MazdaMonkey > Burt
06/19/2014 at 10:39

Great article. My fiance and I did the exact same thing at a local Ford dealer a couple of months ago. We then checked out a CPO CTS-V wagon (about a grand more than the Mustang GT, but worth the extra cost). Let us know what you end up with!

Brian Silvestro > Burt
06/19/2014 at 10:40

....eh

Burt > MazdaMonkey
06/19/2014 at 10:41

Thanks! How much did they want for the shaggin' wagon? Where are they located? do you kow if they take kidneys as down payments?

MazdaMonkey > Burt
06/19/2014 at 10:48

I think we figured around 43K out the door after taxes, title, etc. It was at Classic Cadillac in Atlanta/Roswell. Black, auto, still under factory warranty but the Cadillac CPO warranty is insanely long. Paint was a bit swirled, but still looked good We only didn't buy because the wagon's hatch opening is surprisingly short (21 inches) and our Greyhound wasn't able to get into the car through the back. Not a week goes by in which my fiance doesn't say: "Really sucks that [the dog] wouldn't fit into the CTS-V." She loved that car. I love her more for loving that car.

Fantastic car, especially for the money. Cadillac dealers are scared of the wagons and let them go pretty cheap. If you have the time and are willing to spend 40k, I recommend waiting around for one. Interest rates are crazy cheap right now (we got 1.99%).

Garrett Davis > Burt
06/19/2014 at 11:08

Great writeup! I completely agree with your Focus vs Fiesta assessment, though I ended up with the Focus ST simply because I needed the space. The torque steer becomes second nature after a while, and once you get used to it, you can kind of guide it to steer into the turn with you, which I was surprised to find. If anything, its very consistent and predictable.

I did a similar write up, but for hot hatches instead of just Fords. Could help you in your search if you're shopping outside the Blue Oval as well: http://oppositelock.jalopnik.com/hot-hatches-a-…

Burt > MazdaMonkey
06/19/2014 at 11:12

Well a CTS-V wagon is the ultimate relatively attainable vehicle for me, and I could probably make that work. I only have one potential issue, and that's insurance. I'm a 22 year old guy, so even as a college grad with a clean driving record, I'd imagine they'd skewer me.

MazdaMonkey > Burt
06/19/2014 at 11:21

You don't know until you call! Some insurance companies don't differentiate between it and the regular CTS wagon. If I recall, that was the case for Doug. Find a VIN number and run it through your insurance company's website for a free quote, if they have one!

Burt > MazdaMonkey
06/19/2014 at 11:39

Woah, I assumed they would charge a huge premium. I have work to do!

ILLec > Burt
06/19/2014 at 12:00

The pricing on the Focus ST is a lot better then you think. I got mine for $24k with every option possible other then sunroof. Sticker was $30k

Axial > yamahog
06/19/2014 at 12:42

Not tacky at all, flaunt what ya got. Haters gonna hate. :p

At least when I was choosing majors, aerospace was being discouraged since demand was way down. That was the real point of contention; that one's first job out of college might not actually be the profession trained for and thus lower wages. With the ones I mentioned, you are all but guaranteed to find a job in those fields post-grad.

Personally, if I could have redos I would rather do aerospace (or mechanical or mining) than the SEOR program that I kind of stumbled into. Systems just seems...redundant. Everything is a system. Everybody has to deal with integration. You have no choice but to learn systems. =/

Drakkon- Most Glorious and Upright Person of Genius > yamahog
06/19/2014 at 15:04

I like employees who either put themselves through school, or didn't even finish.

The ones that did finish only on Dad's dime just don't want to work when they leave school. What's that sound? The Grad School bell ringing? Sorry, I have to go, something shinier and more interesting just caught my attention *poof*

Seriously, parents help, scholarship or not, being in your 20s with buying power and getting on with your life puts you head and shoulders above your peers.

Drakkon- Most Glorious and Upright Person of Genius > signintoburnerlol
06/19/2014 at 15:07

This car never gets old.

Too bad they shunned the GT3/Le Mans route.