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Driving Impressions Ford Focus ST

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Walking up to the 2013 Ford Focus ST your eyes are bombarded with a wide bass mouth grillClose your eyes and press the push button start. Listen to the 2.0 liter Ecoboost engine fire up. Relax into the comfortable yet supportive seats. Where do you think you are? From the quiet thrum on the engine and much of the same equipment as the standard Ford Focus you really cant tell youre about to unleash 252 horsepower.

Typically, hot hatches are the type of car that you can thrash all day on curvy roads yet not have to sacrifice the versatility of more mundane cars. Behind the sport seats and sport tuned suspension lies the same car that youll find people driving everyday. These cars are supposed to be special because to the undiscerning eye youre in a Ford Focus, but you know what lies beneath.

Ford has made the ST so easy to drive. The manual shifter is and crisp and the clutch is easy on the weakest of legs. Its built for anyone who wants a sportier Focus and whos willing to drive a manual the chance to drive it and drive it well. You really appreciate this during those times when it isnt about sporty handling, but rather about the comfort on a long haul. The lack of drama at highway speeds really makes this a great choice for someone with a lengthy commute.

The biggest issue from my quick drive arose because the ST shares the same DNA as its more plebeian cousin. For a car that is priced from $25-$30,000 the materials in the cabin arent the most pleasant to touch. While they feel rugged and durable they may be off-putting to a customer looking for premium feel. The desire for dashes to be soft touch has led to questionable materials. Many times a well grained plastic would feel better.

While the turbocharger gives you the power you want, it also serves a secret and much more sinister (*wink-wink*) role. It saves you fuel, which saves you money. The Focus ST is rated at 23 city 32 highway for a combined 27.5 MPG. Compared to the Volkswagen GTI (26 miles per gallon combined) and MazdaSpeed3 (21.5 miles per gallon combined) the Focus ST is cheaper to run. Going off the combined average and using the current national average of $3.81 it costs you $0.80 less to go 100 miles compared to the Volkswagen. That margin grows to $3.87 compared the the MazdaSpeed 3. Say you drive the ST for 100,000 miles in its life you will save $3,870 in the MazdaSpeed3 and $800 compared to the GTI. That may not seem like a lot, but the money you save only goes up as fuel prices continue to climb.

Ford has struck a balance between sportiness and comfort. This isnt a raw performance car nor is it a slouch. Drivers who hate the idea of a boring compact car dont have to fret anymore. With a low initial price compared to other performance cars, those who love to tinker and those who want a fun car right out of the box will get exactly what they want. With rising fuel prices and tighter emissions Ford just might have created the perfect formula for saving driving enjoyment. Open your eyes and enjoy the open road.

Disclaimer: Test drive procured by @Fordservice and Lebanon Ford