Have Fun in the Snow with your ST

"Giles007" (Giles007)
02/05/2014 at 17:45 • Filed to: Focus ST, Fiesta ST, Ford, ST

Winter is upon us and for the first time in a long time I don't mind. Why? Because the Focus ST is a blast to drive in the snow! It's very civilized and balanced, but it's extremely easy to induce oversteer around corners when you command it to. I just want to make sure that everyone that owns an ST is aware of what kind of fun is possible, so please read ahead.

Because of the reduced traction in the winter, the chassis dynamics and suspension setup of the ST become "exaggerated". What can normally only be done at high speeds in the summer can now be accomplished at very low speeds. It becomes easy to see what this car is really capable of.

It's really incredible how easy it is to bring the rear of the car out around a corner and correct it (bring it back in) with the throttle. To induce drop throttle oversteer (or " !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! " ) you simply lift off the accelerator as you turn the wheel into a corner. (What this does is it transfers the weight of the car to the front wheels while reducing the grip of the rears).

When I bought my Focus ST last winter I was amazed. I had no idea a FWD car could handle like this; modulating the rear of the car with the throttle! You can even enter intersections sideways (powerslide) and just apply the throttle when you have your line. Like "point and shoot". Quite fun.

Again, this is all done at very low speeds . And, this is important, IF YOU DON'T HAVE TRACTION COMING INTO A CORNER, YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO INDUCE OVERSTEER . This is a Fwd car, so the front tires need to be able to grip at all times.
When learning the handling dynamics, start at low speeds. Get comfortable with it for a while before working your way up and you will see how just how balanced and neutral this car really is.
Please be safe and cautious of others. When learning, it's best to do these things in the middle of the night on roads with no traffic.

DISCUSSION (16)

The WB > Giles007
02/05/2014 at 17:51

This is good to hear. I have been pondering buying one now for a few months and driving to work in the ice today had me curious how it adapted to the slick conditions on summer tires.

This is pretty much the nail in the coffin for me to buy a Focus ST.

ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable) > Giles007
02/05/2014 at 17:56

This is of course on winter tires or all-seasons, yes?

Because driving on the summer-only tires the ST usually comes from the factory with is really rather dumb.

NoahthePorscheGuy > Giles007
02/05/2014 at 17:59

in the Fiesta I haven't really tried drifting without the handbrake. Its all about the handbrake. Hold the ESC button for 10 seconds, put it in second and handbrake all the things. Amazing.

Giles007 > ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable)
02/05/2014 at 18:07

Oh, winters of course. I couldn't imagine driving on summers (I actually change them out early in the fall because they turn hard below 5 degrees)

Giles007 > NoahthePorscheGuy
02/05/2014 at 18:09

Yeah, but you can pull the handbrake in any car. The ST will do things no other FWD can.

Try it. Over and over again. It is rewarding and your friends will swear you're using the ebrake.

ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable) > Giles007
02/05/2014 at 18:10

5 degrees? You must be in Canukistan.

If if dropped to 5 degrees F in the fall anywhere in the US, I'd be very surprised.

Giles007 > The WB
02/05/2014 at 18:14

It is the best car I've owned in regards to winter driving (I've never owned an AWD though). I live in Saskatoon and last year the city couldn't keep up with clearing the streets; the ST handled it like a champ.

I highly recommend the car. You will not be disappointed; especially if you appreciate great FWD handlers.

Giles007 > ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable)
02/05/2014 at 18:16

Yup. Way up north in Saskabush.

The WB > Giles007
02/05/2014 at 18:18

I've owned a Volvo 850 wagon and a Mazda MX-6, and my current 4x4 Ranger. The Mazda was the best in the ice in terms of overall handling, next the Volvo, then the Ranger.

The Ranger, by virtue of 4WD, gets off the line faster without worrying about spinning. But stopping it is a nightmare.

I'm not going to get winter tires for the 3 days a year it "snows" in Oklahoma, though I may justify some All-Seasons on another set of wheels.

Giles007 > The WB
02/05/2014 at 18:38

Yeah, I'd probably go with some all seasons. The summers get a little hard around 5 degrees Celsius (41 Fahrenheit?).

The WB > Giles007
02/05/2014 at 18:48

Thanks for the tip, I will keep an eye out for some cheap wheels that fit, as we do have quite a few days below freezing.

JawzX2, Boost Addict. 1.6t, 2.7tt, 4.2t > Giles007
02/05/2014 at 19:28

As fellow Fiesta ST owner I'm gonna chime in and say that I think the reduced weight vs the Focus makes a real and noticeable difference here. Sure, The Fiesta can be swung into lift throttle over-steer quite easily, but unlike the Focus it doesn't have the momentum to HOLD that attitude for any meaningful length of time, at least that's been my expereince so far this winter (I might also add that i HATE these damn Michelin xIce xI3s I ended up putting on it, and that may be a contributing factor as they seem to be HIGHLY optimized for traction in the direction of rotation and provide quite poor braking performance on ALL surfaces...). The Fiesta snaps back into line almost immediately under low traction situations. It's better than most FWD cars, and as Noah said, "handbrake all the things" works a treat, but sustained slip angles are not as forthcoming, at least not at *SAFE* speeds.

ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable) > Giles007
02/05/2014 at 19:48

Where the fuck is that? LOL

Giles007 > JawzX2, Boost Addict. 1.6t, 2.7tt, 4.2t
02/05/2014 at 22:25

That's a very good point. I never thought about the added weight being tossed around.
Have you tried sport mode in the winter? The electronic nannies become less intrusive and let you slide out farther/longer before they finally rein you back in.

Giles007 > ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable)
02/05/2014 at 22:27

lol. Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada

Giles007 > The WB
02/05/2014 at 22:42

17" alloys and 16" steelies will fit no problem, so you could save some money there.

And if you need any more convincing, this was the nail in the coffin for me:

"The steering response is like a racecar. This is real similar to how I would set up a FWD racecar. It rotates on the way in and not much understeer... really impressive." - Randy Pobst

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