2013 Ford Focus ST Long Term Road Test

Edmunds.com

2013 Ford Focus ST Long Term Road Test

Edmunds long-term update of the 2013 Ford Focus ST includes discussion of the optional Recaro sport seats.

Read the full story here

duck87

I'd prefer a "performance pack" with the seats and a legitimate LSD and the removal of the infotainment, etc...

homer281

Per edmunds own focus st build and price page:

You get the Recaros with 2 different option packages:

201A is $2400 and includes the features listed above.
202A is about $4400 after discount and includes full leather Recaros, hids, ambient lighting, power adjustable seats additionally.

The Edmunds focus st is a 201A car, not 202A

fordson1

Exactly. The more expensive package also adds nav, a rear armrest, heated mirrors, overhead console, etc. The fact that you got the 201A package instead of the 202A is also in your own introduction to the Focus ST LT test that you guys wrote.

agentorange

So Ford are into the bundling ripoffs like everybody else. How nice!

fordson1

Aw, I don't think $2,385 is that much for the Recaro seats, the Sony 10-speaker with MFT and the giant screen, the dual-zone, the HD radio and Sirius satellite radio. They do offer the sunroof for $900 and the nav for $800 as standalones...that's pretty good, I think. I kind of view the requests for Boss 302s with manual steering and crank windows the same way I view those for MT diesel wagons with mouse-fur upholstery and no carpeting - on the big scale, nobody buys cars like that.

wjtinatl

Now, I'm pretty "broad of beam", but owned a '03 Focus SVT with the Recaro's that came in the EAP pkg. While they were snug, I never found them uncomfortable, confining or too narrow. I just tested out the Recaro's in a new ST at the dealership and have to agree these are much more unyielding than the ones in my '03. The dealer says they've ordered every ST with the pkg. that includes the seats so likely not much opportunity to try the base level thrones.

fwprj

i have an ST1 with a sunroof as the only option and I think the base cloth seats are more than adequate. Even after roughly a 4 hour road trip I wasn't tired from sitting in the same position the whole time. The ergonomics are very good, even in the base car.

markst1

I test drove 2 Focus ST with the Recaro seats and found them very uncomfortable. I really didn't like the side bolsters pushing my legs so close together. I don't know why the writers for some of the car magazines said they were great. I bought a basic ST with the equipment group 200A. The cloth seats are very comfortable for a daily driver. I'm glad to see the writers for Edmunds feel the same way I did about the Recaro seats.