So i was just checking out the new 2012 Ford Focus ST and I have to say it is pretty bad ass with over 250hp and around 250ftlb tq...it is definitely up there on my list of tempting trade in options.... what does everyone else think??

2012 Ford Focus ST First Look - Motor Trend





More images in the link :)

 

At $10,000 more than a fit, it better be worthy. All that interior color is for the birds.

 

Its estimated close to 26k for the ST which is only about 6k more than the Fit Sport w/ Navi...considering that gives you more than twice the hp and torque with a 2.0L turbo engine id say that isnt bad at all. Especially since youd be paying more than double that to swap a k20 into a fit or building out the stock L15!

 

Nahhhh.

Cool car. Not a Fit replacement. It's a different animal.

 

Loaded Titanium Focus at the local dealer listed at $26,000.

 

elaborate?

5door Focus Titanium starts at 22,9 MSRP. I was only referencing base prices.

 

The Fit and that thing are two very different cars. If I was looking to buy a Fit I wouldn't be looking at a performance oriented hatchback like that, and on the other hand, if I was looking at an economy oriented hatchback I wouldn't look at the Focus ST.

Comparing the Mazdaspeed3/Focus ST for example would be more relevant I think as far as a "replacement" discussion is concerned.

I wouldn't replace my Fit with that, but I bought it with reliabilty, versatility and economy in mind (with a little sprinkle of fun), not setting out to make it a hot hatch. I guess if you were to take a modding approach towards the Fit I could see why the Focus ST would be a good alternative.

 

Ok I see where you are coming from. While I enjoy doing modifications and making the fit my own, i haven't really done all that much to affect performance in the power department. If you are able to get economy out of the fit then props to you, but personally when and where i drive, i almost never get over 30mpg and rarely get near 27mpg. I have been averaging somewhere around 23-26mpg in the fit. If I could do the same with a car with double the hp and tq and make driving a bit more fun I'm all down for it as long as it doesn't break the bank. Currently a mini jcw doesn't even get those numbers and that upwards of 35k and a mazdaspeed 3 i just don't like at all. The only other hatches pulling higher numbers are way too expensive and personally id never want to own (subi for example). Basically I love the functionality of a hatchback over a sedan and I have a lot of lugging needs with bass gear, snowboards, bikes and so on so the open long space is always going to be important to me. as far as economical, i can barely call it that with the numbers im getting right now. so if i can add some fun back in for the same epa then im a happy camper. You are right though it all depends what we use the car for and want out of it. While i love honda's and always have i feel like they have moved away from what consumers are really looking for and sadly are just getting closer to the sad likes of toyota dare i say it. just my personal opinion, not trying to start a flame war :D

 

Ah, i've seen a lot of people say this and I really have no explaination for it except for 100% city driving or a heavy foot. I've learned to slow it down alot with the Fit just for economy sake as my work commute has recently increased to about 60 miles a day. Currently getting about 37-38mpg but it's almost all freeway (with traffic though).

I'm curious about the cargo capabilites of that Focus as well as the fuel economy.

 

yeah its just traffic traffic traffic :(

If i was on the highway id probably get around 34 or 35 avg...it would be more but i sacrifice a little with my intake. I too am also curious i think i might go look at the standard model this weekend and walk around and sit in it just to compare.

as far as epa on the ST model i can assume its less than the 28/40 the focus gets now so id say 24/35 is probably reasonable...but we'll have to see. I think they start selling in the spring.

 

Last I read was December 2012. I kinda like them too. Wish they were a coupé like the RS was... But that power is nice and does look pretty good. Guess we will just have to wait and see

 

Agree. The Fit is for those who want something very economical but still want to have some fun driving. While the Focus ST would be more for those who want a "sporty" car that is still somewhat economical.

Is the Focus ST built well enough for it's target market? Yes.
Will people buy it? Yes, but not a lot.
Why? WRX, Ralliart, Countryman, Mazdaspeed 3. It's a niche market that only sounds like it would have a lot of customers.

 

i just switched from ford to HONDA!!! i might need to switch back

 

Ford and a few other American cars are making leaps and bounds with the quality of their vehicles. Watch out everybody!

 

So I stopped by the Ford dealer today and I wanted to share a couple of things with you guys. First off when I got there I have to say that while I understand the reasoning behind it, I think its really really stupid to have a showroom full of cars with dead battery's with which most of the cars functions require! I couldnt even open the hatch of the focus because its locking mechanism is operated by a button.... DUMB! While im sure there's a manually override, the salesman didn't even offer it so that I could see the cargo space.....

Ok aside from my bitching about yet another crappy dealership let me talk about the 5door focus. Since the ST is going to just be an overhauled engine, and suspension mostly, I wanted to compare the interior to what we all know and love about the fit. Sadly it sucks at first and second glance. For a tall guy like myself, there is pitiful headroom and barely a 1/2 inch more legroom than the fit with the seat fully back. What I like to do is get out of the drivers seat and see how much room my typical sitting position leaves for rear passengers. I was shocked!!! Any passenger sitting behind me would either require legs made of paper or none at all. without a measuring tape I can assure you it was no more than 4 inches from the back of the drivers seat to the beginning of the rear seat bottom. At that point why bother.

I am really glad I checked this car out because while more power would be great and I am sure fun...this definitely does not seem like a feasible option. Honda definitely did one thing right and that was utilizing the interior space like a pro....its just too bad that ingenuity didn't carry over into the engine bay with some umpfh lol

I am wondering if anyone else had taken a look at the new hatch focus??

 

On vacation right now, rented a Focus 5 door for 10 days driving around Denver CO. My findings compare to the Fit:

Good - Torquey engine, more comfy ride and still feels sporty, lots of functions/features, nice looking car.

Not so good – very poor throttle response, slow reacting auto tranny (the combination of these two things killed it for me, I do not want one), smallish interior space, controls not intuitive.

 

yeah the interior is pitiful.

 

While I agree that the interior is not as large and does not make as good of use of the space (Honda excels at that), I disagree that the interior is poor. I actually think it looks and feels much better than the Fit. The seats in the SE Sport rock, the plastics are higher quality, and the instrument cluster is great. It just does not have the space that the Fit does, but nothing in it's class compares in that regard.

 

Yet another car with a fake LSD. Plenty of zoot though!

 

Agreed! They used $1,000 worth of electronics instead of a simple helical limited slip. That was one of the few things I loved about the specV that I owned.