Is The Ford Focus ST Still Relevant?

"RightFootDown" (rightfootdown)
08/11/2016 at 18:26 • Filed to: None

The !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! is the Focus that everyone is talking about these days. But what about the Focus ST? It’s still available, but is it still relevant? Should anyone even care about the ST anymore now that the far superior RS is out?

It’s all about what you want, as opposed to what you need. Nobody needs a !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . What are you going to use it for? Slaying tires? Any car can do that – even a Saturn SL2.

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Put down fast times at the drag strip? Only Dominic Toretto truly needs a 10 second car, and he’d rather have an old school Charger.

The truth is that there is absolutely no reason why anyone would require such a car in their lives as mandatory equipment. But that’s not to say that the Hellcat isn’t cool. Of course it is. People want bragging rights. People want to be badass. People want a 707hp beast simply because they can.

But the operative word here is “want.” The same thinking applies to the Focus RS. No doubt many of us want to grab an RS, put it in Drift Mode, and pretend to be Ken Block. But how many of us are actually going to do that? Especially if we have to spend our own money not only for the car, but for the tires? Not many.

Photo credit: Car Advice

The same goes for the performance poster boys from Subaru – the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! and the WRX STi. From this picture it looks like all you get for the extra $10,000 for an STi is a ginormous wing, and even that can be eliminated. The main difference is in the running gear, the (not much) more powerful engine, the more trick differentials, and the more aggressive suspension and brakes. It’s a great car, but most of us don’t need all that stuff for our daily driving. Subaru doesn’t differentiate between STi models and the more basic WRX versions in their sales figures, but I’m willing to bet that the vast majority of WRXs that get sold are not the STi versions.

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Now Ford has a similar situation on their hands with the Focus. The RS is superior to the current WRX STi in just about every way, from performance to practicality (looks like Subaru picked the wrong week to quit making STi hatchbacks). But many can’t afford or justify spending over $35,000 on a Focus, a car that starts at less than half that price. The ST now fills the role at Ford that the WRX does at Subaru, and that the VW GTI does under the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . Rather than being the pinnacle of Ford’s hot hatches, the Focus ST has become the car that people will actually buy in the real world instead of a Focus RS.

Some auto journalists have slammed the interior of the Focus RS because it’s nearly identical to the lesser Focus ST. But I see it as more of a compliment of how good the ST interior really is. At first the slightly funky styling of the dashboard and center console with their vertical vents didn’t appeal to me. But it’s grown on me over time, and it’s certainly far less quirky than the “New Edge” dashboard of the first generation Focus. It’s still quite a pleasant place to be, particularly once you option it up with Recaro seats. Go for the ST3 package and you get full leather heated seats and even a heated steering wheel. These luxuries were unheard of in a Focus just a few years ago, when power windows were a luxury option we wished !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! had but didn’t. It’s the same situation as the Subaru STi, or the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! (RIP) – you’re paying for the trick drivetrain, not a luxurious interior.

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I’ve been driving a Focus ST for the past couple of days. You may have seen !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . It’s quite fun to drive, particularly in ways that I, as a True Believer in rear wheel drive, never thought possible from a front wheel drive car. It settles for less horsepower and torque than the RS, but it’s still faster than my Subaru BRZ. After driving a Focus ST for a few days, I completely understand how an equal or slightly slower driver in a Focus ST was able to catch and pass me at a !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! event last year. Yes, that actually happened, and I’m not ashamed to admit it. This hot hatch is faster than my “real” sports car in every way.

The best part of a hot hatch is that it’s practical, as well as fun. The Focus passes the sit-behind-myself test, whether it’s the RS or the ST. I’ve tried both. Cargo space is also good enough to handle your groceries and a cooler. If you need more than that, the back seats fold down (though not flat, unfortunately). And as much as those of us who live in the snow belt swear by all wheel drive when the going gets rough or slippery, front wheel drive is adequate in most real world conditions we encounter. I’ve even driven my rear wheel drive BRZ through the last two winters. With a pair of snow tires, even the “worst” drivetrain for winter can handle it just fine. A front wheel drive Focus will do just fine.

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The Focus ST is absolutely relevant today. Ford will likely sell many more of these than the RS, especially since !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . There’s a pretty good chance that Ford will eventually be selling one of these to me. It’s far more practical than my BRZ, much more luxurious inside, and it’s faster. Sure, I want the RS too. As a rally fan, I dream of power sliding all four wheels through the corners of a gravel rally stage. But I don’t need to do that. The Focus ST fits my current needs better than the car I already own, and it’s much less expensive. This could become a problem for my bank account.

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Featured image credit: CarWow
Saturn burnout image credit: Lane
Other unaccredited photos: Justin Hughes

DISCUSSION (19)

HiredDriver > RightFootDown
08/11/2016 at 18:28

The Focus RS front fascia is a fantastic appearance upgrade for any ST owners. Lots of value for the money with the ST.

Steve in Manhattan > RightFootDown
08/11/2016 at 18:32

If I drove them back-to-back, I’d probably conclude that the extra performance of the RS isn’t worth the harshness, and go for the ST. It’s one thing to have a car that can perform, it’s another thing to take it to a track and make it perform.

Racin'Jason001 > RightFootDown
08/11/2016 at 18:44

It is, for those people who can’t afford an RS, yet still want something sporty for a lower price.

Dru > RightFootDown
08/11/2016 at 18:49

When dealers are asking 50K for RS’s, you bet your ass the ST is relevant.

Roundbadge > Racin'Jason001
08/11/2016 at 18:58

Quite this. Schmoes like me could use more affordable performance cars that enthusiasts don’t care about.

I’m not saying no one cares about them. I’m not saying enthusiasts don’t care either...I just want a cheap performance car and want people to not care about the ST enough for it to be cheap.

DarkCreamyBeer > RightFootDown
08/11/2016 at 19:14

This is like asking if the GTI is relevant now that there is a Golf R*. The answer is the same: duh if course it is. Choice, even in the same model line is good. And like the GTI, the FoST is a damn good drivers car.

* It's dumb you can't get a Golf R two-door nor an S3 two door that's not a convertible though.

samssun > Racin'Jason001
08/11/2016 at 19:25

Agreed, just like the S4 isn’t made irrelevant by the RS4.

Officer Jim Lahey is not a real cop > RightFootDown
08/11/2016 at 20:23

Back seats do fold pretty flat. Did you try folding the seat bottoms up/forward first?

Busslayer > Officer Jim Lahey is not a real cop
08/11/2016 at 20:34

I have an 05' Focus that I have had for about 5 years and I just figured this out 3 weeks ago. I was cleaning and noticed the seat bottom moved a little. I pulled a little more and it came up. It was an epiphany for me. I ran and got my wife to show her. She was less excited about it than me.

NJAnon > RightFootDown
08/11/2016 at 20:41

Why wouldn’t it be relevant?

I never had any interest at all for a Focus ST, but I know it has relevance in the car fan world.

shop-teacher > Busslayer
08/12/2016 at 07:05

Hahaha! I imagine my wife would have the same reaction.

shop-teacher > RightFootDown
08/12/2016 at 07:08

Spot on. I’d love to get an RS, but that just ain’t in the cards for me. An ST, on the other hand, is a very real possibility for my next vehicle. It’ll have to be an ST-1 though, I’m too fat for those Recaros.

DasWauto > Officer Jim Lahey is not a real cop
08/12/2016 at 09:45

I was gonna say the same thing. I wondered why the seats in my sister’s Focus didn’t fold flat until I tried giving the seat bottom a tug. Good feature, I hope Ford didn’t remove that ability in trying to match the seat to the Recaros up front.

Justin Hughes > Officer Jim Lahey is not a real cop
08/12/2016 at 10:09

You know, I should’ve realized this because my 2002 Focus worked the same way. First fold the seat bottoms forward, THEN fold the seat backs down. It’s still awkward to remove the three head rests, and then you have them bouncing all over the car (at least the way I drive), but it works.

It’s still not a flat floor, though. The area where the back seat folds down ends up a few inches lower than the actual trunk/hatch area. This can be good or bad, but overall I think it’s good.

Thanks for the tip!

ateamfan42 > DarkCreamyBeer
08/19/2016 at 10:12

It’s dumb you can’t get a Golf R two-door

You can: It’s the Scirocco R, and it looks GORGEOUS. But you have to leave North America to get one :(

ateamfan42 > RightFootDown
08/19/2016 at 10:14

Only Dominic Toretto truly needs a 10 second car, and he’d rather have an old school Charger.

Of course he would, because everyone knows the 1970 Dodge Charger is the sexiest looking muscle car ever!

ateamfan42 > RightFootDown
08/19/2016 at 10:17

The ST now fills the role at Ford that the WRX does at Subaru, and that the VW GTI does under the Golf R .

I think most of us would agree the ST is to the RS as the GTI is to the Golf R. But unlike those comparisons, “stepping down” from the STI to the WRX doesn’t go from AWD -> FWD. For some folks, especially in the snow belt, that is a very big deal.

Havlock > Busslayer
10/04/2016 at 09:05

Good story! However, I do not think that is the case in the newer generation of Focuses (Foci?). I don’t think the rear seats are able to fold flat parallel.

Topper > RightFootDown
08/11/2018 at 07:13

Just traded my RS for an ST and have no regrets. As a daily, the ST has more usable power and a more forgiving ride. Parts are also easier to get. Most RS consumables are 3 weeks away or more. Both great cars but with completely different realities.