One word, WOW. I honestly think Ford should steal Mazda’s “Zoom Zoom” moniker and brand it as their own for this Focus ST. I wasn’t sure what to expect when I was told I could review the Focus ST. At first I thought “A Focus?!?”, but after 2 minutes in this car my view of the Ford Focus has changed… at least with the ST version.
The first surprise really came as I sat down in the car. These are not your typical “bucket” seats as these really were stiff racing style bucket seats that really did hug you. You needed the hugging effect in order to stay in your seat when taking corners at speeds you probably shouldn’t take corners 😉
The second surprise was the 2.0L EcoBoost engine this car comes with. Dishing out 252 HP on a 3,223 lbs car really gives you the feeling of driving a go-kart. The EcoBoost within this car was hands down the best EcoBoost experience I’ve had. The car just went when you hit the gas and “went” is an understatement. Since my days working as an auto detailer for a GM/Chevy dealership in town, I’ve not really had the chance to drive a car with any amount of performance so this was a treat.
The ST “Sport Technology” markings can be seen everywhere on this car from the seats and the door runners, to the front grill back to the hatch. This car definitely has some nice styling throughout and definitely was a head turner when stopped at the lights. Still I thought, I’m driving a “Focus”, this can’t be. And yet it’s unlike any Ford Focus you’ve ever driven.
I had been awhile since driving a manual transmission and with this ST it was a pleasure. I noticed gear ratio’s within this car much different than standard manual transmissions. Helps give it that sporty feel which those looking at this car will appreciate.
There were only a couple of downfalls I saw with this car and they are not major by any means. The turn circle on this car was surprisingly high, I found myself turning into the oncoming lane when faced with tight turns. This wasn’t cool and something that should be looked into. The other issue was in reverse there was no back up camera. This really ought to be a standard issue especially if there is a Ford SYNC system within the vehicle. That was a miss in my opinion.
Overall Ford has really out done themselves this time and if you are looking for a cheaper sport car, packed with all the technology that typically comes with Ford these days, then this is your car. I’d be in the market if I was in my early 20’s again…
Thanks again to Waterloo Ford – @waterlooford and Ford Canada – @fordcanada for the vehicle and opportunity.
Strategic IT 
Magnificent! Got to share 🙂