BRZ vs. Focust ST Track Comparison
 

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3oapP8qzehI&feature=player_embedded"]Ford Focus ST vs Volkswagen Golf R (or Subaru BRZ)! - Head 2 Head Episode 23 - YouTube[/ame]

Fast-foward to the 8:00 min mark.

Interesting to hear Randy Pobst's feedback driving the BRZ vs. Focus ST. Both fun to drive cars, seems like he enjoyed driving them.

That was a horrible comparison. It was an awd hatch for 38K vs. a fwd hatch for 28K vs. a rwd coupe for 26-27K... non of those are in the same segment. Still it was a good review of each car individually.

I just don't understand why they allow the twins in any comparison. Every single comparison the twins come last in every category (power, speed, options, technology) and yet every single one its the twins that win.

Am I the only one who really appreciated the humor of that 2 (3) car comparison?

Lets see the new 240 Nissan...next

It was an odd decision throwing a RWD sports car into a hot hatch test. But the twins are the cars to beat right now in track comparisons under $30k. They probably felt the Golf R wouldn't match up well against the Focus ST on the track (probably true with the nondefeatable ESC in the R). So why not see how the Focus ST would fare against the BRZ.

Edmunds did something similar with its autocross comparison of the Focus ST vs. FR-S. Different categories or not, I have a feeling it won't be the last time these two cars are compared.

The twins got beat. By the ST.

Yes the twins are balanced and handle well in the corners, but they fail on straights. Something I pray will be fixed in a later version.

a pair of summer tires?

It got beat by 1 second by a car that has 50 more horsepower and probably better tires AND that costs a couple of grand more.

Not bad at all if you ask me. That couple of grand can be put into a nice wheel/tire package and maybe a bolt-on or two.

Yep exactly. That 1 second gap is just the difference between the tires on the cars. If you want to set the fastest times, just throw on a set of sticky tires on the BRZ.

The greater point is that Pobst seemed to love the BRZ on the track. And isn't fun the ultimate goal?

To be fair I believe the base price of the Focus ST is under $26k. And it weighs a good 450lbs more than the BRZ, which more than offsets the extra 50 hp. But give the BRZ better tires though and it's no contest.

Good call. I was going off the prices posted by someone above.

I won't deny that the ST is a good car and I'm glad to see Ford step up their game in North America. :thumbsup:

given that the focus is a more usable car, in that it seats 4 comfortable and is a hatch back design for did a great job. Best hot hatch on the market imo. The brz/frs is a totally different animal made for a different task. Pure driving pleasure.

If this happened I would buy one. :)

I think it's cool the way Randy is talking casually about the cars, then an exterior shot shows him ripping around a corner at the same time. I don't possess that skill.