2014 Focus ST: First Day Impressions

"PanchoVilleneuve ST" (PanchoVilleneuve)
10/27/2014 at 17:19 • Filed to: Focus ST

One day, 175 miles of fairly hoony hot hatchery, and I have the following to report:

-All seats in any application, vehicular or otherwise, should be the ST Recaros.

-Turbo lag followed by sudden WHAM of boost is very, very fun.

-When not being driven in a hoonish fashion, this thing settles right the fuck down and feels like, well, a Focus.

-Even on New England roads, which resemble the surface of the moon most of the time, the ride is impressively smooth. It's squishy/boaty/floaty/softy by any means (it's still quite firm) but it takes the bumps in a way that is as far from jarring as you can get.

-I need to learn to put faith in the hill-start system.

-This car is infinitely more fancy-pants than my old xB.

-The sound symposer is awesome.

-Ford really blew it when they chose to call it a "sound symposer" and not a "vroom tube".

-My jacket has new car smell.

DISCUSSION (31)

bob and john > PanchoVilleneuve ST
10/27/2014 at 17:23

as I said before.

BOOOOOOOOSSSSTTTTTTTT

PanchoVilleneuve ST > bob and john
10/27/2014 at 17:25

IT'S SO SUDDEN!

jkm7680 > PanchoVilleneuve ST
10/27/2014 at 17:26

Mhmmmm, Sounds nice! Congrats.

bob and john > PanchoVilleneuve ST
10/27/2014 at 17:34

IIRC, I think boost is limited in first an second......or maybe that was the fiesta ST...

in either case, first thing you need is COBB motor mounts :P

Vicente Esteve > PanchoVilleneuve ST
10/27/2014 at 17:39

-The sound symposer is awesome.

Really?

BlueMazda2 - Blesses the rains down in Africa, Purveyor of BMW Individual Arctic Metallic, Merci Twingo > PanchoVilleneuve ST
10/27/2014 at 17:47

-My jacket has new car smell.

Probably one of the best parts of having a new car. Congratulations.

PanchoVilleneuve ST > bob and john
10/27/2014 at 18:02

It is sorta, depending on if you have overboost available.

PanchoVilleneuve ST > Vicente Esteve
10/27/2014 at 18:02

Yes, really.

shop-teacher > PanchoVilleneuve ST
10/27/2014 at 18:16

Great news, the car was really there!

 V8 Rustler > PanchoVilleneuve ST
10/27/2014 at 18:20

-I need to learn to put faith in the hill-start system.

I never really got on with that system on my Mustang. The good thing is that it deactivates whenever I have the ESP off, which is always.

Opposite Locksmith > bob and john
10/27/2014 at 18:20

why does he need motor mounts?

Love Cobb. They helped me give my WRX love and care

bob and john > Opposite Locksmith
10/27/2014 at 18:26

ST twins have soft motormount that l;ets the engine rock back and forth and in the fiesta I know for sure it actually hits the fire wall. the COBB rear mount eliminates that

PanchoVilleneuve ST > V8 Rustler
10/27/2014 at 18:41

I'm still slowly letting out the clutch and giving it extra power like I always used to do on hills and the car just sits there all like "WHAT ARE YOU DOING I WILL KEEP YOU FROM ROLLING NOW YOU'RE JUST SETTING OFF LIKE A MORON."

Kate's Dirty Sister > PanchoVilleneuve ST
10/27/2014 at 18:58

Seconded

Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again. > PanchoVilleneuve ST
10/27/2014 at 19:10

Hill start is god.

Opposite Locksmith > bob and john
10/27/2014 at 19:11

OH DAMN thats wild. stock tq does that? youd think thatd be addressed

bob and john > Opposite Locksmith
10/27/2014 at 19:12

that part of the reason why (in the fiST) the motor is limited in first and second. Once you put a tune on it, you DEFINITELY notice it as tune gets rid of boost limit. /drive did a peice on it I think.

Opposite Locksmith > bob and john
10/27/2014 at 19:30

front drivers love to limit 1-2 boost erryday. I wonder how much if it can be felt

bob and john > Opposite Locksmith
10/27/2014 at 19:31

a lot. I think its like a 5PSI cut in first

Opposite Locksmith > bob and john
10/27/2014 at 19:47

not to mention how the engine isn't as loaded

PanchoVilleneuve ST > Opposite Locksmith
10/27/2014 at 21:47

Stock torque in the FoST is 270 lb-ft. It's the same 2 liter Ecoboost that also does duty as the most powerful engine in the Escape.

It's a brute.