2013 Ford Focus ST Long-Term Road Test

Edmunds.com

2013 Ford Focus ST Long-Term Road Test

Our 2013 Ford Focus ST Needs a Sport Model

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fordson1

Annoyment? What was wrong with annoyance?

greenpony

Really? This has got to be one of the easiest-to-drive stick-shift cars I've ever had the pleasure of driving. Ease the clutch out and it automatically blips the throttle. Roll into the accelerator at almost any rpm to access boost. I've never stalled mine, and never felt like I might. The accelerator might be a little lighter than average, but it's easy to modulate. The clutch might be a little heavier than average, but after that initial heaviness it lightens up all the way to the floor. But... to each his own, right?

bankerdanny

This strikes me as a problem experienced by someone who only occasionally drives the car, like a member of the press with a large pool of cars to choose from. Most cars worth owning have some sort of quirk that an actual owner who drives the car daily would quickly adapt to.

stovt001_

I thought sport buttons merely made the ride worse so that the car felt more aggressive without actually being sportier.

fordson1

+1 bankerdanny. These posts don't reflect an actual ownership experience - they reflect an actual FLEET ownership experience.

socal_eric

After putting about the same number of miles on the Focus ST my take is that it's an extremely easy car to launch and drive, from daily driving to back mountain roads to the track. Jumping between different higher power front drivers the ST does have a little different character but if there is any criticism I have with the three pedals it's the one in the center. During some driving, primarily lower speed stop and go the brakes are touchy and can be very grabby on initial application. Otherwise the pedals are placed well and work well together.

hybris

You guys are in California I'm sure you can find a speed shop that will mess around with the throttle programing until it fixes the problem.

wheelmccoy_

@fordson1 +1 for annoyment.

Oddly enough, that word captures how I feel about InsideLine being taken over by Edmunds.

wdrauch

I've experienced no issues with the throttle calibration or clutch modulation in my ST. In fact, I would agree that it is one of the easiest to drive manuals I've ever owned. The only thing I'd change is to make the throws shorter on the shifter. Although the shifter is very smooth to the point that it almost seems to find the gears on its own, the throws are a little long ...... I'm interested to check out the supposedly shorter throws in the Fiesta ST!

duck87

I would argue that the best of the best cars do not need a "sports mode" button to work properly. Those that work out of the box without additional fiddling are those that are the most well tuned and calibrated to begin with. They should just "work". The sports button is there to impress the easily amused who associate sharper throttle response with "more power" and rock hard stiff/non-existent dampening as "sporting".

stovt001_

BMW used to prove that ride and handling could be complementary, not a trade-off. A controlled, composed ride that absorbed bumps and shocks also made for fantastic handling. Likewise, a good throttle calibration is good in city driving and carving mountain roads. It should be direct, linear, and free of dead spots. But then they realized they could make a crummy handling and throttle calibration and call it "comfort" or "economical" and a crummy ride and better throttle calibration and call it "sport" and people would somehow think that was an improvement and pay more for the privilege of having two bad modes instead of one perfect mode.

petejosh

This car comes in "sport mode" permanently. Please trade it back to the pool and get an Impala or something.