FR-S/BRZ vs 2013 Ford Focus ST II

[SEC]

I drove a Miata with snow tires in the winter for years and have to disagree with this point. A light, RWD car in the winter is an absolute blast. But, you need to pay attention and have some skills or you can get in trouble.

Originally Posted by jasper

Depending on where your from and if this is going to be your only car a FWD might not be a horrible idea. In the winter a FWD is way better than a really light RWD car. I like the new focus and looked at one before I bought an FR-S.

[einzlr]

Originally Posted by SEC

I drove a Miata with snow tires in the winter for years and have to disagree with this point. A light, RWD car in the winter is an absolute blast. But, you need to pay attention and have some skills or you can get in trouble.

I think these are two sides of the same coin. RWD is a blast in the snow, for sure (@RaceR posted a video of a HPDE on ice ), but FWD is less precarious and more practical for daily driving. That said, the Mini is a fabulous winter car - both safe and fun, and takes the cold without flinching.

[SEC]

True. I just like to think of my daily commute as if it were a stage of a World Rally Championship event.

Originally Posted by einzlr

I think these are two sides of the same coin. RWD is a blast in the snow, for sure (@RaceR posted a video of a HPDE on ice ), but FWD is less precarious and more practical for daily driving. That said, the Mini is a fabulous winter car - both safe and fun, and takes the cold without flinching.

[Kochinopride]

Screw it. Buy a Lotus

[einzlr]

Originally Posted by SEC

True. I just like to think of my daily commute as if it were a stage of a World Rally Championship event.

I like how you think. But I like keeping my license even more

Originally Posted by Kochinopride

Screw it. Buy a Lotus

The Elise is and always will be one of my very favourite cars I had actually planned on buying one a few years back ... before the voice of practicality whispered in my ear that I'd have no place to keep it and I already have too many cars. Sometimes I wish I could just dive into dumb decisions like some people

[Kochinopride]

The Elise was my first car, never regretted getting it - I will admit it is a pain in the pocket to maintain sometimes, but man... the never ending grin, looks and performance makes those pains fly out the window!! I got the FR-S as a daily driver and it is 1000x more comfortable than the Elise lol.

[einzlr]

Originally Posted by Kochinopride

The Elise was my first car, never regretted getting it - I will admit it is a pain in the pocket to maintain sometimes, but man... the never ending grin, looks and performance makes those pains fly out the window!! I got the FR-S as a daily driver and it is 1000x more comfortable than the Elise lol.

Haha I hear you. I figure the M Roadster is somewhere between the Elise and the FR-S on the pain-grin spectrum. The M Coupe, OTOH is much further at the grin end, so I'm hanging onto that one

[Wes B.]

Originally Posted by Kochinopride

I got the FR-S as a daily driver and it is 1000x more comfortable than the Elise lol.

Elise's shatter spines and turn pelvis' to dust...just sayin'.

[Prof1ig8tor]

I'm shopping these two cars right now. Edmunds Inside Line has both cars and different Editors are proclaiming their true love for each, saying they could be monogamous with either one.

I owned the previous gen Focus SVT and just loved the thing. At the time I had more garage space and could keep a 10th AE Miata, 94 MR2 Turbo and other toys inside. Now I'm down to one parking spot, so choose I must.

---
In the course of evaluating a car, it's often necessary to place myself in someone else's shoes. Thoughtfully consider what needs and desires they have, then determine if that particular vehicle meets them. If I didn't, every minivan review I've ever written would go something like "This thing is pointlessly humungous, ugly, handles like crap and makes me want cry at the thought of my declining youth."

There are other times, though, when I can very much wear my own size 12's. The Ford Focus ST represents one of those times. I love small, torque-rich, sharp-steering, sufficiently damped cars with firm, tight seats that adjust to accommodate my height. I want a manual transmission that's easy to use and near-luxury cabin materials. I expect a certain degree of comfort and quiet for a long road trip. I'd like to order it with a unique color or trim choice, be it inside or out.

That's a lot to ask and at this point, our new Focus is checking every box.

I've liked a lot of our long termers over the years, but I'd only consider actually buying a handful. This could easily be one of them.

James Riswick, Automotive Editor

http://blogs.insideline.com/roadtest...ford-focus-st/
-----

The FT-86 is a purpose built car. The Focus is a platform for a SUV, a Sedan, a Hatch and a Van; which has been very well tuned. FWIW at our local car gatherings the BRZ / FT-86 draw a crowd. No one other than me even glanced at the Focus, despite the screaming yellow paint. Also, the BRz / FT-86 are arguably more conservatively styled. With a set of wheels the FT-86 really pops.

[LIKEABOSS]

I have a 12 Focus Titanium as my daily driver. I absolutely hate the DSG trans in it even after multiple flash updates. I planned on buying a Focus ST to replace it until the Recaro seats killed it for me. I'm pretty much sitting on top of the side bolsters putting pressure on my thighs. Anything outside of a short trip is uncomfortable. (I'm 6'4" 220) It's ashame because the Recaro seats in my Boss fit me perfectly.

I test drove a FR-S last weekend and loved it. The seats are an excellent fit for me. I felt very connected to the car as I drove. The ST certainly has more power and you can feel it. Is an FR-S or BRZ driver going to get beat stock for stock...probably. However, I found the FR-S to be much more fun to drive and hence why I'm looking to purchase one.

[Allch Chcar]

FYI, those gear ratios for the ST are excluding the different ratios on the two half shafts. The first 4 have a different ratio than the last two.

I found these and they look close to what I remember from the ST manual which I couldn't find for some reason...
Gear ratios (overall):
I 3.231 (13.13)
II 1.952 (7.93)
III 1.321 (5.37)
IV 1.029 (4.18)
V 0.821 (3.34)
VI 0.685 (2.78)

[BMWDavid]

Originally Posted by LIKEABOSS

I have a 12 Focus Titanium as a daily driver now. I absolutely hate the DSG trans in it even after multiple flash updates. I planned on buying a Focus ST to replace it until the Recaro seats killed it for me. I'm pretty much sitting on top of the side bolsters putting pressure on my thighs. Anything outside of a short trip is uncomfortable. (I'm 6'4" 220) It's ashame because the Recaro seats in my Boss fit me perfectly.

I test drove a FR-S last weekend and loved it. The seats are an excellent fit for me. I felt very connected to the car as I drove. The ST certainly has more power and you can feel it. Is an FR-S or BRZ driver going to get beat stock for stock...probably. However, I found the FR-S to be much more fun to drive and hence why I'm looking to purchase one.

I too drove a Focus ST recently. I'm not that big a guy...5'11"/220#. The ST had the Recaro seats and I was sitting on top of the side bolsters. No way could I live with that. Other than the seats I thought the car was good.

My BRZ seats fit me fine!

[dori.]

hmm, those 1/4 mile and 0-60 times look off for the Focus... I expected it to be a good amount faster, probably close to what the Genesis coupe does

[DarkSunrise]

Originally Posted by dori.

hmm, those 1/4 mile and 0-60 times look off for the Focus... I expected it to be a good amount faster, probably close to what the Genesis coupe does

A couple of things to keep in mind:

1) The Focus ST is pretty heavy at 3250 lbs (GTI is 3113 lbs, FR-S is 2758 lbs by comparison).
2) The Focus ST engine loses a fair amount of power as it warms up (puts down 235 whp at 185 F, 216 whp at 202 F).

Explains why it's barely any faster than a GTI which puts down 202 whp stock at temp.