Test Drove the '14 Focus ST Yesterday...

"K-Roll-PorscheTamer" (k-roll390)
02/21/2014 at 16:18 • Filed to: Focus ST

It was Fantastic!

(This was my test vehicle! my Dad's in the upper left corner.)

I knew I was right in choosing this as my new car. I'll miss the Astra, but my god was that a genuinely fun car to drive; in in the wet and dreary weather south eastern Michigan is giving me.

As you can see, my tester was Oxford White, and it was the ST2 trim with partial leather Recaros. Those seats fit me perfectly like a glove. As it was the first turbo car I've ever driven and only the third manual car I've driven(Chevy Calvalier and S-10, none of which were mine) It was great!

The best part was that I was showing up my dad with my 2 hours of manual experience. Mind you, he has a '74 911 that I brag about constantly to my friends. I shifted quicker than him and did a few 0-60 pulls at stoplights; now I know he wasn't happy about that but I know the boy-racer in him was impressed and proud of my driving skills even though he didn't want to admit it.

The shifter is smooth through the gears and the clutch is light, though rather springy at the top. Acceleration is great, handling in wet weather was great on the summer tires amazingly! Overall fantastic car for a great price IMO.

Can't wait to pick up my Performance Blue ST1 in a couple weeks!

DISCUSSION (32)

puddler > K-Roll-PorscheTamer
02/21/2014 at 16:19

Kinja'd!!!

burnout?!

K-Roll-PorscheTamer > puddler
02/21/2014 at 16:20

That's what everyone thinks it is. It's actually wheel covers to protect the wheels from the environment I believe; so no one screws them up during a test drive too! If I actually did that on the lot I wouldn't be getting one of these haha!

Stupidru > K-Roll-PorscheTamer
02/21/2014 at 16:21

Kinja'd!!!

Are spinners making a comeback?

K-Roll-PorscheTamer > Stupidru
02/21/2014 at 16:23

Wheel covers....

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > K-Roll-PorscheTamer
02/21/2014 at 16:33

"The best part was that I was showing up my dad with my 2 hours of manual experience."

" I know the boy-racer in him was impressed and proud of my driving skills even though he didn't want to admit it."

Write those down in your diary Francine, you'll want to look back on that page when you make your ST look like this after a week.

Kinja'd!!!

puddler > K-Roll-PorscheTamer
02/21/2014 at 16:34

looks cool.

Lekker > K-Roll-PorscheTamer
02/21/2014 at 16:35

That sir, is awesome. Did you order one? =D That is what seems to be one of the THE funnest cars to hoon around. What do you have planned?

K-Roll-PorscheTamer > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles
02/21/2014 at 16:38

I'm gonna disregard this comment for now. I'm not gonna crash the car in a week. I don't even have it yet for that matter. He even asked me to go heavy on the acceleration at one of the lights. we all have our moments of hooning about and I'm sure you've had yours.

Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs > K-Roll-PorscheTamer
02/21/2014 at 16:38

Awesome, congrats!

K-Roll-PorscheTamer > Lekker
02/21/2014 at 16:40

Nah, it'd take to long to order one at this point. We're doing a dealer trade for a blue one. Though I have to wait a year before I can seriously mod it, I plan to drop in a catback and maybe a downpipe at some point.

K-Roll-PorscheTamer > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs
02/21/2014 at 16:40

Thanks! I'm genuinely excited for this!

SnapUndersteer, Italian Spiderman > K-Roll-PorscheTamer
02/21/2014 at 16:40

You're a driving debutante. Please don't drive like an asshat

maximillious > K-Roll-PorscheTamer
02/21/2014 at 16:40

Dude CONGRATS!!!! I love my Black ST1 and you will like the stock seats SO MUCH MORE over a long distance. I have driven long long long hauls in those seats and they are comfortable the entire way. I hear the ST2/3 seats are a nightmare for rides longer than an hour. Its so much fun. Oh and all of your asshole friends are going to try to yell over you any time you try to use the voice commands. Dont think they wont. I promise you they will. I am 26 and like to think that myself and my friends are "adults" but every time I use voice commands in the car with them someone yells out something about either tits, penises, vaginas, or the last two going into or around each other. Oh and butt holes. Enjoy the new WHIP. Get yourself some steelies and blizzaks for winter... you think its nice in the wet, in the snow, those summer tires perform like shit.

Audi-os, amigos > K-Roll-PorscheTamer
02/21/2014 at 16:41

He/she has a good point, but didn't have to be so sanctimonious or macabre about it.

Have fun out there! But please, be safe. Wouldn't want anything to happen to you, or that righteous ST!

K-Roll-PorscheTamer > SnapUndersteer, Italian Spiderman
02/21/2014 at 16:42

A debutane? what's that? And I'm not gonna drive like an asshat as I despise asshat drivers and asshat parking.

K-Roll-PorscheTamer > Audi-os, amigos
02/21/2014 at 16:44

I agree as being a young driver, I'm almost expected to do something stupid. I reckon we all have or will at some point in our lives; but I wouldn't preemptively assume that it's going to happen right away. I agree that being my first turbo car, there's gonna be a higher sense of responsibility than in an NA car. I'll be saving my extreme hooning about for future Auto-X.

Audi-os, amigos > K-Roll-PorscheTamer
02/21/2014 at 16:48

You have a responsibility to the other people on the road. Their safety is in your hands.

I think it's one thing if you want to be willy-nilly with your own safety. That's your god-given, 'Murican-guaranteed right. But don't force that decision upon other people who didn't sign up for that. That's all.

K-Roll-PorscheTamer > maximillious
02/21/2014 at 16:48

So I've been warned about the winter. I'm sure I'll love the blue ST1 as much as the white ST2 I drove. We only had it for about 30 minutes and it was great! I probably won't use the voice commands because I don't think I have a need for them(and for the possibility of the aforementioned reason). I didn't want MyFord Touch and the ST1 price is fantastic! I'm planning on getting a set of steelies for next winter! :)

K-Roll-PorscheTamer > Audi-os, amigos
02/21/2014 at 16:52

As my safety is in their hands as well. A mutual/symbiotic relationship on the road I reckon. I'm a defensive driver by nature, unless forced to make a move under extreme circumstances; such as being tailgated or driving behind stupid drivers.

I don't want anything to happen to me, my car, or anyone else because of a brash, stupid decision that could potentially cost people many things.

Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs > K-Roll-PorscheTamer
02/21/2014 at 16:55

For me it was between this and a used SHO.

There wasn't much info on upgrades for the Focus ST at that time, so I went for the SHO, but now there is, you should join the people over at http://www.ecoboostperformanceforum.com/ , I'm there under username yowen.

There are some great gains to be had with tunes/downpipes, that sort of thing on anything ecoboost.

maximillious > K-Roll-PorscheTamer
02/21/2014 at 16:56

Yeah i didnt need all that extra shit and the price on the ST1 is so insane. I love the Fiesta ST, because it made my car so cheap. The voice commands come in handy when making calls or playing music over your phones bluetooth, which is the single greatest thing ever

Once you drive it, check out where the put the trunk pop button... its so dumb its not funny...right below the reallly small fog light button.. i cannot tell you how many ties I opened the hatch while driving...ugh

K-Roll-PorscheTamer > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs
02/21/2014 at 17:01

Never knew about that forum, I'll have to check it out. I'm on focusfanatics.com and focusst.org

I'll probably make an account there as well!

focusfanatics: KarlW25

focusst: Karl_ST1

K-Roll-PorscheTamer > maximillious
02/21/2014 at 17:05

I didn't even know it about that! I'll have to check it out when I get it in my driveway. I liked the Fiesta ST at NAIAS this year, but it was too small interior-wise for my liking. The GTI is similar in dimensions compared to the Fiesta and yet it's soo much roomier on the inside!

Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs > K-Roll-PorscheTamer
02/21/2014 at 17:47

I like ecoboostperformance, because they run some good specials on performance parts from time to time with their partnered vendors (livernois, unleashed tuning, ppe downpipes, and many more). SHit I sound like an advertisement, lol.

Your boy, BJR > K-Roll-PorscheTamer
02/21/2014 at 17:52

Kinja'd!!!

Turbofans?

maximillious > K-Roll-PorscheTamer
02/21/2014 at 18:00

Yeah I almost went with a GTI, even considered the R... but then I drove to FST and I fell in love.

There are little things about the focus ST that are.... odd.... but nothing that makes a difference... and they just look so sexy. I saw a yellow one the other day and I will say its one of the few cars that looks good like that... they white is beautiful, the black is just plain evil, and blue, well blue is just cool.

K-Roll-PorscheTamer > maximillious
02/21/2014 at 18:07

The ST was the only one I test drove. I took a ride in a GTI and was shocked by the drive; it was great as well. The R was out of my budget. The white was a love/hate color for me and so was black. Blue was just perfect and the yellow is just too bright for my daily driving taste.

Bubbles22 > K-Roll-PorscheTamer
02/21/2014 at 18:58

It's good to hear that auto makers are putting some fun into the less expensive cars.

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > K-Roll-PorscheTamer
02/21/2014 at 19:16

It wasn't the hooning, it was the ego. Or rather, where your ego was placed. You've got a ton to learn and here's lesson one - Dad was sandbagging to make you feel better :P

K-Roll-PorscheTamer > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles
02/21/2014 at 20:24

Well it was a fact that I was shifting quicker than him. And honestly, it was the first time he's seen me drive a manual after he believed that I couldn't do it. Normally, nothing I do usually impresses him. This time he seemed pleased with my skills in driving a manual so I'd say he was impressed.

SnapUndersteer, Italian Spiderman > K-Roll-PorscheTamer
02/21/2014 at 20:29

If you do that with your dad in the car, I struggle to envision what you'd do alone.

Be responsible and don't become a stereotypical teenage driver

thedevilinside > K-Roll-PorscheTamer
02/21/2014 at 20:49

I went from a NA car to the Focus ST. NA car was more dangerous, just saying. I like the FoST better, but NA had more chance to get in trouble.