Five-Point Inspection: 2013 Ford Focus ST

Ten years ago the so called “tuner scene” was in full affect. Every manufacturer wanted a piece of this compact performance pie and the possibilities seemed endless for consumers. But, like any automotive trend, time moves on, tastes change and only a handful of hopped up economy cars remain.

That didn’t deter Ford. After years of hot editions of the Focus in Europe, the maker finally brought the fire-breathing Focus ST States-side. Not only that, but pricing has been kept in check as well with the ST starting at $24,495.

After week behind the wheel, the ST proved it isn’t just a vast improvement over a regular Focus, but quite possibly ready to redefine the hot hatch segment. Here are five reasons why.

The Focus ST is powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine that produces 252 hp and 270 lb-ft of torque. Power is channeled to the front wheels via a six-speed manual transmission.

The engine is incredibly flexible and offers high levels of torque throughout the rpm range. Unlike the peaky Mazdaspeed3 engine, the Focus ST develops power early and keeps it. This large power band can really be exploited around a racetrack and Ford’s sound symposer ensures the engine is heard inside the car.

Despite all of this power and thrust, fuel economy is fairly decent in the Focus ST which is officially rated at 23 mpg city and 32 mpg highway. During a week behind the wheel we averaged 24.5 mpg; not bad considering the car was constantly in boost.

An absolute must for any potential Focus ST owner is to check off the box that adds the optional Recaro seats. These are some of the best sports seats found in any car under $50,000, heck, even under $100,000. They provide amazing support and keep you in place during hard cornering.

The ST also receives three additional sport gauges mounted in the center console above the infotainment screen that monitor turbo boost, oil pressure and oil-temperature. As can be expected, there are ST badges here and throughout the cabin.

The Focus ST starts with a well-balanced chassis. But that isn’t its secret to success.

Up front it has an electronic differential that uses the brakes independently to control wheel spin. This helps pull the car through corners by allowing the outside wheel to turn faster.

If that weren’t enough, the ST is able to individually brake each of the rear wheels as well. This means it will brake the inside rear-wheel to help the vehicle rotate through a corner, or brake the outside wheel to stop it from rotating too much.

All this adds up to a front-wheel drive (FWD) vehicle that cuts around tighter corners, and performs mild four-wheel drifts around faster ones. There is a distinct lack of front-end push associated with most FWD cars and at no time does the vehicle get out of control or become unstable. The Focus just goes about its business, hustling all 3,223 lbs. of mass around faster than expected.

The exterior of the ST differs from regular Focus hatchbacks slightly. The ST has a larger front grill, different lower front fascia and a revised rear bumper. In the middle of this rear bumper is what Ford calls a “central dual-pipe” exhaust tip, which is essentially a single, convoluted metal tip connecting the twin exhaust tailpipes. Finishing off the Focus ST’s look is a set of unique 18-inches wheels shod in wide 235 width tires.

Although these changes do not put the ST’s looks over the top, they still give it a purposeful stance showing that, like Steven Seagal in a kimono, this Focus means business.

Unlike some other performance vehicles playing in this price range, the ST has not sacrificed comfort and convenience to keep the price down. Aside from the aforementioned seats, the interior is finished in quality materials that look modern. Being that the Focus is still a hatchback, it is practical as well, offering 23.8 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seats.

Like it or leave, the ST has Ford’s latest version of MyFord Touch which can be connected to a 355 watt Sony 10 speaker sound system. The system is still frustrating to use at times, but at least the Sony stereo boasts rich bass and a clean sound. After a few hours behind the wheel of the Focus ST it became a battle of what to listen to; the excellent stereo or the sweet engine intake noises.

Thinking about buying a new car? Interested in a Focus ST?

Visit AutoGuide’s new car buying section here. If you want, you can skip to Ford.