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Nissan coined the phrase “4-Door Sports Car” with its Maxima sedan all the way back in 1988, and the new model uses the designation as well, though the phrase might not be as accurate as it used to be.
If the trademark for “5-door Sports Car” is still on the market, though, Ford may be wise to snatch it up and throw “5DSC” decals on every Focus ST they sell, because this little pocket rocket is as close as you can get to that old cliché.
For 2015, Ford’s mid-tier hot hatch – the ST is bookended by the raucously-fun Fiesta ST and the mighty, all-wheel drive Focus RS – received some cosmetic updates and new options to make it even more appealing than before, and the updates carry over into 2016.
And “appealing” is certainly a term that can be used to describe this mighty mite, especially when finished in “Tangerine Scream” yellow paint (a $595 option). While it certainly looks the part of a sports car, be wary of ticking the options box for this garish paint if you drive in Manhattan, as I was hailed not once, but twice as a cab by pedestrians.
Overall, though, this is a hot hatchback that definitely looks the part, with just the right amount of fender flares, trim touch-ups, and aggressive tweaks. The headlights are more streamlined and the front fascia adopts a cleaner version of Ford’s trapezoid grille, while the taillights get a trim up from the outlandish shape they were before.
Inside, there’s plenty of goodies for all you sports car fans out there. Heavily-bolstered Recaro leather seats keep you firmly in place – almost too much so, if I’m honest – and an optional carbon-fiber shift knob is a subtle but fun touch, and wouldn’t look out of place on a race car.
Speaking of the shifter, Ford’s 6-speed manual is a delight to use, with a short, notchy throw and clear shift pattern. No fishing for gears here.
The clutch is on the heavier side with a higher engagement point than I usually prefer, and while it’s a delight to use when the going gets twisty, try navigating 2nd Avenue, uphill, during rush hour traffic, and you may be wishing your left knee was made of Adamantium.
The 2.0-liter turbo 4-cylinder under the hood is a peach, and puts out way more power than such a small engine has any right to. A total of 252-horsepower and 270 lb.-ft. of torque may sound like an uncontrollable mess, but Ford’s clever torque-vectoring system makes this car feel almost like it has all-wheel drive.
Steering is delightfully on the heavy side, and gives you a sense of full control over where the car goes, down to the millimeter. Weaving through city traffic is a breeze, and you’ll feel like a Formula 1 driver on even the mildest of twisty back roads.
So it looks the part and goes the part, but isn’t it really just a glorified toy with no practical side?
Thankfully, the answer to that question is a resounding “nope!” With 4-doors (5, if you consider the hatch a 5th door) and enough space to haul pretty much all the people and things you’ll ever really need to haul, the Focus ST is as practical as a small crossover in a pinch.
The updated SYNC 3 infotainment system is a delightful update over the outgoing platform – though still not perfect – and HID headlights, ambient lighting, and available leather seats make this feel like just a top-trim Focus when you’re not hustling it.
The suspension is tight but forgiving, even on the most pothole-ridden of NYC roads, and throttle response is smooth and easy if you’re driving relaxed. There’s no “sport” mode to be found here, the only difference in aggressiveness comes from both of your feet. It will even manage 31 mpg on the highway, and we saw an average figure of about 25 mpg through a week of mixed driving conditions.
So what’s to keep you from buying one right now? Unfortunately, the Focus ST has a heck of a lot of good competition, specifically from the folks at VW and Subaru. The ST is not nearly as refined as the venerable Volkswagen GTI, and though it’s technically not a hatchback, the recently-updated Subaru WRX is all-around more livable and even faster, not to mention equipped with standard all-wheel drive.
Also, the two aforementioned pocket rockets both offer the option for an automatic transmission if you’re unable to row your own, in the form of VW’s excellent 6-speed dual clutch and the more boring but still manageable CVT in the WRX. The ST remains manual only, and while that’s fine for most hot hatch buyers, it may not be enough to sell a first-timer.
With the nearly 300-hp, all-wheel drive Focus RS hitting dealer lots soon, it seems Ford has neglected its middling hot hatch to some degree. There are certainly plenty of reasons to buy one, but there may be even more reasons to buy something else.
Read more on NYDailyNews.com.
