Hell yeah torque steer is cool. You push the gas hard, you ride the bull for a little bit. It's part of the charm of this car. It's not a race car, it's a fun street car with pep in its step. It's lively. Man I love my ST.
Reach into the depths of where the seat buckles are from, and pull up, the bottom cushions will fold fwd, then remove head rests and the rears should fold flat as long as the front seats are forward enough)
One of my first mods was actually a 3D printed pedal spacer, brought the accelerator petal forward about a 1/2", as well as a wider accelerator pedal itself. Made heel-toe stuff a breeze
For anyone complaining about the seats not folding flat, they do. There's a hinge on the base of the back seats, fold them forward and the seat backs are able to lay flat.
I picked up a 2017 Focus ST, ST1 base trim with the optional wheel upgrade like the ones in the video, about a month ago. I love these wheels! They really compliment the color of my shadow black ST. As others have mentioned, Ford has great incentives going right now. I paid $19,812 for a base ST with a sticker of $26,175 at a dealer in Wisconsin. Great review guys. You were pretty much spot on with your impressions of the car. The seats in the base ST are very comfortable, but you give up the Sync 3 touchscreen and Sony sound system, no sunroof is available and you get fixed halogen headlights, not the directional HID's. It's a shame Ford isn't more flexible with the options. Still for $20K, you will not find a new car that is this quick, fun, practical and the fuel economy doesn't completely suck. I love my base ST with no frills... because you know...race car!
A used 2015 would be around $18,500 or higher for the same equipment in this market. I feel like I stole it and drive it like I did all the time! Thanks for the review guys. It was one of the videos I watched while researching this car and helped push me over the edge to go test drive one. One test drive in an ST will sell you this car. The way it pushes you back in your seat when you floor it and the handling is too good for a FWD car. Keep up the great work guys. I'm subscribing for sure. The quality and content of the videos you produce are constantly improving and are fun to watch.
Perry Beyer im thinking about buying one also i need a good work car while my mustang sits for winter times i found a base model st 2017 for 17,400 im thinking about pulling the trigger haven't heard to many bad reviews in this car
Perry Beyer I'm comparing the base model ST1 to a Hyundai Elantra Sport. Both can be had for the same price. Elantra had a lot more options as compared to the ST1. What's your opinion?
Hey guys! I have owned my FoST for 8 years and still enjoy driving it everyday. In my opinion it is a perfect blend of performance and practicality. I just hit 130k and still love it😎
I love the Recaro's in my ST3. They fit me perfectly (5'11", 175 lbs), but if you're bigger than, say 200 lbs, you might be a little wide for the bolsters. I can drive 5 or 6 hours at a time without getting uncomfortable at all. Also shimmed the gas pedal a little, so I toe/heel all the time. Watching this 3 years later to the day.
Glad to hear it: I'm almost identical in girth.. Found one yesterday and secured to pick up next weekend. Plan on commuting and the seats felt like harmony, but simultaneously pondered the length of trip before needing a stretch..
@Marzimus congrats. I expect you'll be happy with the car. I still love mine with 152,000 miles. Recaros have worn very well and I still think they are the best seats of any car I've ridden in. Mine has been 100% reliable-- ZERO unscheduled maintenance, ever, so far. Was thinking of getting a Mustang GT at the end of this year, but why part with $40K for a used one that really isn't any more fun than the ST?
@@VAspeed3 Thanks VA. Car has been awesome and taken a couple road trips. Love the Ford *cough Borla* notes singing from the wear. Do you have any extra wear under your left knee in the leather? Discovered a line there and a ripple underneath in the padding. Think an ortho booster would knock out two birds..
I just bought this car this morning. I drove 5 hours to get it.....so I spent quite a lot of time in it on the way back and I absolutely agree with everything Yuri said...ESPECIALLY THE STUPID VOLUME CONTROLS BEING ON THE RIGHT. It annoys the living hell out of me.......that's probabyl my biggest/worst complaint about the car....Overall I am VERY happy with my purchase. I have had fun in it already today and I love the audio/engine playback.
TheStraightPipes yeah the seats are different my worst complaint about the car. I'm not a fat dude but not skinny either. It's great for spirited driving but a daily commute to work is uncomfortable ha.
Apparently the seats actually do fold completely flat. You have to lift the seat BOTTOM FIRST, then lower the seat backs and it'll lay perfectly flat. To do this, you still must remove the headrests. Spoiler alert, I no longer have this car but I definitely miss it and wouldn't mind picking up another ST or even RS in the future.@@TheStraightPipes
As a (virtually stock) 2014 ST owner, I want to share a tip for off the line full-throttle acceleration specifically for rainy weather... Hint: Skip 2nd gear! Here's what you do to get the best acceleration in the WET... Start off in 1st (gingerly) to get going, then skip 2nd gear into 3rd and then floor it and you're gone! Third gear has just the right acceleration on wet pavement w/o spinning the tires. Happy driving! ♫
The ST is actually even more lively after the break-in period is done on the engine. I drove a 2018 last fall, and while it was very nice, it didn't exactly blow my socks off. I ended up buying a 2014 ST3 from the same dealership in November that only had 26,000 km's on it, and it felt night and day over the newer car that wasn't broken in yet. Then, when I tried it for the first time with the TCS off (in sport mode), the car was even faster than I expected, and after incinerating my front tires going uphill in 2nd and 3rd to get onto the 417, I was already about to hit a licence losing velocity before shifting from 4th to 5th. These cars an absolute riot, easy to live with, and very reliable if you maintain them as you should. I have no regrets, and like the earned street-cred that these cars get from other petrolheads...
Seats fold flat guys, gotta flip the bottom cushions forward, then the rears fold (dont forget to remove the headrests 1st). Love this channel...great back and forth fairness and honesty.
Watched this review a year ago right before I bought my ST. Turns out you completely don’t notice the torque steer after a week of driving it. Until just now watching this again I completely forgot all about it.
I own a 2016 Focus ST. Basically exactly what you reviewed, even to the paint color. It is such a sweet car. I hear a lot of people complain about the seats, but I have no problems with them. and i'm a 6'1" 240lb dude. I find the seats to be very comfortable, actually.
+Stanton Barbas we just couldn't get comfortable in any position and we're both quite different in size. Any one we took for a drive in also complained about the seats. Just preference!
I have the EXACT car (except a 16) in this video, I'm 5'9" 155lbs and love the seats. Long road trips start to upset my back a little bit though. Oh and my wife HATES the seats :/
I ran a 2016 with the same seats. They basically need to be “run in” to your body shape. This may take 3000 miles - after that they are supper comfortable.
Sorry Jacob, it's not an artificial sound, it's called a Sound Simposer pumps sound straight from the engine into the cabine. If it were a artificial it would pump straight into the speaker system with no engine connection at all to the cabine....
I just got rid of my 2016 and concur. It's really really good. The bad part is the seats sit to high and the seat pan is to tilted. The heel toe shifts can be fixed with a cheap mod to fix the position of the throttle, but then all the pedals feels like it is too close. The clutch spring is stupid and should be fixed. As for noise a simple mod to open up the intake with a green filter and a ram air induction and it is quite a lot louder and people completely hear it a turn around. I always thought they heard the exhaust until I lent my car to someone and realized the induction noises are epic. So yah it is really good, and a few small tweaks would make it epic. Ford should fix it and I'd come back for an encore. Good review guys!
How have I never seen this channel before?! I love it! Great video. I'm thinking about getting a 2016 ST and I think this video pushed me over the edge to get it
TheStraightPipes I'm pretty skinny. They didn't bother me when I drove one for a bit. I do video reviews of cars as well and work with a Ford dealership and haven't driven an ST yet that they have so maybe I'll keep that car for a day or two just to make sure!
@@jakeherington7237 haha yea a lot has happened since then ! I found a 2018 with only 14k miles on it I might buy it just wanted another opinion, thx for the reply
I really like a manual transmission that has a clutch that presses in deep rather than one that easily hits the floor because there is much better control in between gears
Victor Rodriguez hello fellow st owner if u got premiums I suggest plasti dip did mine black and they look really good now also stratified tuned almost fbo these cars rip but stock form needs help
I was determined to buy a Forte5 because of all the features, but saw a Focus ST1 on the lost as well. Right after driving it I bought it. Less features, but such a better driving experience. The Forte 5 just felt bland and boring after the ST.
I watched y'alls review before I bought mine and it really convinced me. 20k miles later, I'm watching this again and it made me wanna go drive it. All the points you made are pretty spot on. Cannot for the love of god, heel toe this damn thing. That's the most disappointing. I do feel though that y'all need to expand more about different trim levels. I didn't really care that much but I was surprised to find that the base trim doesn't have many of the interior amenities that you guys mentioned.
Here's what I've done to mine: - Symposer Delete - Catless Downpipe - Swap the resonator with a beefy glasspack (Magnaflow) - Muffler Delete - "Whale Penis" from a 370Z exhaust to reduce drone (j-pipe effect) (whistles at high output, not intended, just a known 370 trait) - Injen cold air intake - Boomba 50/50 blow off valve wide open (@50/50) - Stratified tune with progressive crackles / 93 octane Sounds like a mean ass rally car.
I had a 2017 st in Kona blue. Had it for 2 years and I traded it in April of 2022 because I live in Wisconsin and it snows up here and thought it would be better to get a truck. I love my truck but I miss my ST sometimes🥲 such a fun car
3 weeks ago i bought 2017 ST3 estate diesel. Does not sound as good as petrol one but it's a hell of a fun car. Great choice for daily family car. Loving it and actually right side volume controls are ok for me... i might be the only one... beside Ford designer ;)
I have this car. Love driving it . So smooth and fun. lots of power and it looks awesome. lots pf people comment on it. And its only made in Standard shift so its unique.
That’s one of my biggest cons of owning the 2018 focus st. Cannot heel toe no matter what, pedals are too far apart and the interior panels in the way. Other than that, 10/10 daily
When you said the one thing that bothers you the most was the steering wheel buttons. I told my brothers the same thing when I got mine. Apparently there is a device you can install that will let you reprogram the buttons so you can have the radio on the left. The only thing I would change on the car if I could would be that.
great review guys! Awesome work with intro and outro. One request. Can you try to do more comparisons with ratings in the future vs other cars? Each review I always feel like you like/love the car but I can never really judge which cars you liked better than others. For example, the Elantra sport review you both seemed to love it and didn't have many complaints, but in the focus st review you had a few minor issues with the car. At the end of the day I can only assume which one you liked more.... I think it would help a lot if every review you would take 3-4 cars in the same cost area and do a quick comparison using points perhaps? Even just a general comparison would be cool. You did compare to the Kia so thank you for that.
I think the rear seats do fold all the way flat, you have to pull up on that bottom seat part too, then lay the back of the seat down. That's how my focus titanium is anyway.
I'm 5'7", 155 lbs. The seats *do* fit perfectly if you've got a "tiny butt," lol. I love the Recaros. Your hand is right next to the main volume knob when you shift so it never occurred to me to use the controls on the steering wheel. Lack of space for my phone is the primary interior headache. With the factory Pirelli P Zeros it's an awesome winter car. Heated seats, heated mirrors, heated steering wheel and the Pirelli's come as close as you can get to a true all season tire. Also, it really does warm up quickly inside the car compared to other cars I've owned. Totally satisfied with the Focus ST and it's a pity Ford is dropping the Focus altogether in the US.
Let's all do our part: call or write Ford US Customer Relationship Center and tell them what their American customers want. If we all contact them, maybe they'll realize it's a profitable business decision to bring the Mk4 Focus ST 6 spd manual transmission to the US/North American market. Wouldn't hurt to ask for the Fiesta ST and/or the Puma ST 6 speed manual as well! Ford Motor Company Customer Relationship Center P.O. Box 6248 Dearborn, MI 48126 Ford U.S. Phone: 1-800-392-3673
I had a 2018 ST1. I just hated the cheap interior..... The ST3 pkg. looks much nicer but they're difficult to find.... As far as the seats go, if you're a bigger person then you'll likely struggle with them because of the aggressive bolsters.
3:02 The back seats do indeed fold flat. Pull up from the seat bottom, where the seat back and seat bottom meet, feel for metal bars. You can pull the bottoms all the way up and forward (slide front seats up first). Viola!! Fold-flat seats. There's a lot of neat "tricks" for this car that I never knew about. Just got mine last month. 2017 FoST ST1. Also, Heel/toe is possible and it's quite easy. I made a short video my channel showing how to "big toe/pinky toe", as I call it..lol. Heel/Toe in my Mazdaspeed 3 was super easy, this car is slightly challenging and I'm up for that!! ...Great Vid and Subbed!!!!
The seats do fold flat. Although you probably have to remove the head rests. The bottom part of the seats fold forward just give them a good pull and they will come up without having to push a release button. And then the backrest folds forward all the way 100% flat.
When I went to look at my current ST that was one of the first things i checked out about it. I remember my dads 03 zx3 seats folded forward and increased cargo capacity. The uneven part from the full size spare is a little annoying though.
It is actually possible to fold the seats down flat! The back seat's can be lifted towards the front seats allowing the back seat to fold down flat. :)
Love mine, plenty of power, upgrade the motor mount for $60 and you have a fast car. I will walk on any of the V6's, other than the STI's no other 4 is even in the same class as the ST. Also Hondas Is Top speed is 128, in CA freeway speeds are 80mph passing at 90mph and at that speed you can hit 130 fast. I was passing an SI that was all raced out, When I shifted to 6th, I was Gone, hit 155 so fast! These cars for what they are are incredible, I do have Bilstein shocks also, which are nice for speed stability but I would hit 140 all the time when I lived in Virginia. Would go faster but country roads do have turns
Put in a TURBOSMART blowoff valve and your problem of: It doesn’t sound like a turbo will be instantly solved. Oh it will sound like a turbo alright! PFFFFFFF-- SHHHH-PFFFFFFFF-SHHHHHHHHH, ALL DAY LONG. LOVE THAT SOUND! ST3 VERSION is the best hot hatch for the money in the automotive universe. You can pick up a base ST with push start and a lot of standard equipment “options” for 20K where else can you get a 252hp, 270ftlbs of torque hot hatch brand new for 20K?? You can’t.
HERES A TIP REAR SEATS FOLD FLAT! JUST HAVE TO PULL UP IN THE CENTER OF REAR SEAT ON EITHER 40 OR 60 SPLIT AND THEY LIFT UP ALLOWING REAR SEATS TO FOLD FLAT. WHAT A GREAT REVIEW BY “EXPERTS” WHO ARE TESTING THE CARGO AREA 🧐🤔
My wife has a 2014 Explorer Sport. I have a 2005 Acura TL. My biggest complaint about her SUV is the volume controls are on the right side of the steering wheel and my car's are on the left along with every other car I've ever owned.
I'm also not a fan of Ford's choice of putting steering wheel radio controls on the right. The radio is on the right, redundant controls ought be on the left like every other car with steering wheel radio controls.
The seats do fold flat. You have to flip up the rear seat and then they fold flat. This design goes all the way back to the old VW Rabbit from the ‘70s. I fit a bathtub in my old Rabbit. I have tons of room in my 2013 Focus when I need it.
As the matter of fact, the UK models have blind spot sensors as well. Also the pre-facelift model has rear view camera which isn't available in the US in the PFL. Idk if there is "active city stop" in therenas well but it all is available in the UK model ;)
Y'all's conversation flow had improved so much over just a few years.
"Downshift and pass is the new Netflix and chill" LOL
@goobRe i agree
Hell yeah torque steer is cool. You push the gas hard, you ride the bull for a little bit. It's part of the charm of this car. It's not a race car, it's a fun street car with pep in its step. It's lively. Man I love my ST.
The seats fold completely flat, you just have to raise the bottom of the back seats.
+AlDim000 well that's weird
AlDim000 someone showed me in video! Sorry we missed it. Our bad.
What do you mean raise the bottom of the back seats? I just bought my ST3 and I can't figure out how to lay them flat
Reach into the depths of where the seat buckles are from, and pull up, the bottom cushions will fold fwd, then remove head rests and the rears should fold flat as long as the front seats are forward enough)
Ben S : Ben, you got this figured yo?
One of my first mods was actually a 3D printed pedal spacer, brought the accelerator petal forward about a 1/2", as well as a wider accelerator pedal itself. Made heel-toe stuff a breeze
My first and only mod was a wooden shim for the gas pedal. I hell/toe every time I'm on the brakes approaching a turn. Works great.
Just noticed your comment a sec after posting my question to this. Have to loon into it.
Anyway to leave link of what you used?
There are a ton out there. Mishimoto makes one but that's just the first that comes to mind.
Compared to other cars, it's definitely the nicest looking hatch !
I'm very late but I disagree I would say the nicest looking hatch is the Mazdaspeed 3
bitch i'm a no name this comment was 3 years ago so what do you expect 🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯
@@clayton9838I know this is late, but I saw a Mazda speed 3 when looking at a GTI and it was the ugliest thing I’ve seen in a while.
Subaru wins no doubt.
For anyone complaining about the seats not folding flat, they do. There's a hinge on the base of the back seats, fold them forward and the seat backs are able to lay flat.
I picked up a 2017 Focus ST, ST1 base trim with the optional wheel upgrade like the ones in the video, about a month ago. I love these wheels! They really compliment the color of my shadow black ST. As others have mentioned, Ford has great incentives going right now. I paid $19,812 for a base ST with a sticker of $26,175 at a dealer in Wisconsin.
Great review guys. You were pretty much spot on with your impressions of the car. The seats in the base ST are very comfortable, but you give up the Sync 3 touchscreen and Sony sound system, no sunroof is available and you get fixed halogen headlights, not the directional HID's. It's a shame Ford isn't more flexible with the options.
Still for $20K, you will not find a new car that is this quick, fun, practical and the fuel economy doesn't completely suck. I love my base ST with no frills... because you know...race car!
+Perry Beyer wow $20k is a steal for this thing. Congrats
A used 2015 would be around $18,500 or higher for the same equipment in this market. I feel like I stole it and drive it like I did all the time! Thanks for the review guys. It was one of the videos I watched while researching this car and helped push me over the edge to go test drive one. One test drive in an ST will sell you this car. The way it pushes you back in your seat when you floor it and the handling is too good for a FWD car.
Keep up the great work guys. I'm subscribing for sure. The quality and content of the videos you produce are constantly improving and are fun to watch.
Perry Beyer im thinking about buying one also i need a good work car while my mustang sits for winter times i found a base model st 2017 for 17,400 im thinking about pulling the trigger haven't heard to many bad reviews in this car
Perry Beyer I'm comparing the base model ST1 to a Hyundai Elantra Sport. Both can be had for the same price. Elantra had a lot more options as compared to the ST1. What's your opinion?
WTFx Elantra is slow that's the dif
Hey guys! I have owned my FoST for 8 years and still enjoy driving it everyday. In my opinion it is a perfect blend of performance and practicality. I just hit 130k and still love it😎
I love the Recaro's in my ST3. They fit me perfectly (5'11", 175 lbs), but if you're bigger than, say 200 lbs, you might be a little wide for the bolsters. I can drive 5 or 6 hours at a time without getting uncomfortable at all. Also shimmed the gas pedal a little, so I toe/heel all the time. Watching this 3 years later to the day.
Glad to hear it: I'm almost identical in girth..
Found one yesterday and secured to pick up next weekend. Plan on commuting and the seats felt like harmony, but simultaneously pondered the length of trip before needing a stretch..
@Marzimus congrats. I expect you'll be happy with the car. I still love mine with 152,000 miles. Recaros have worn very well and I still think they are the best seats of any car I've ridden in. Mine has been 100% reliable-- ZERO unscheduled maintenance, ever, so far. Was thinking of getting a Mustang GT at the end of this year, but why part with $40K for a used one that really isn't any more fun than the ST?
@@VAspeed3 Thanks VA. Car has been awesome and taken a couple road trips. Love the Ford *cough Borla* notes singing from the wear. Do you have any extra wear under your left knee in the leather? Discovered a line there and a ripple underneath in the padding. Think an ortho booster would knock out two birds..
I just bought this car this morning. I drove 5 hours to get it.....so I spent quite a lot of time in it on the way back and I absolutely agree with everything Yuri said...ESPECIALLY THE STUPID VOLUME CONTROLS BEING ON THE RIGHT. It annoys the living hell out of me.......that's probabyl my biggest/worst complaint about the car....Overall I am VERY happy with my purchase. I have had fun in it already today and I love the audio/engine playback.
+Chris Childress awesome, congrats! Lift that rear wheel ;)
TheStraightPipes yeah the seats are different my worst complaint about the car. I'm not a fat dude but not skinny either. It's great for spirited driving but a daily commute to work is uncomfortable ha.
+Chris Childress yep we fully agree with you on that. Perfect for the twisties, not so much for the straight roads to work
Apparently the seats actually do fold completely flat. You have to lift the seat BOTTOM FIRST, then lower the seat backs and it'll lay perfectly flat. To do this, you still must remove the headrests. Spoiler alert, I no longer have this car but I definitely miss it and wouldn't mind picking up another ST or even RS in the future.@@TheStraightPipes
As a (virtually stock) 2014 ST owner, I want to share a tip for off the line full-throttle acceleration specifically for rainy weather... Hint: Skip 2nd gear! Here's what you do to get the best acceleration in the WET... Start off in 1st (gingerly) to get going, then skip 2nd gear into 3rd and then floor it and you're gone! Third gear has just the right acceleration on wet pavement w/o spinning the tires. Happy driving! ♫
The ST is actually even more lively after the break-in period is done on the engine. I drove a 2018 last fall, and while it was very nice, it didn't exactly blow my socks off. I ended up buying a 2014 ST3 from the same dealership in November that only had 26,000 km's on it, and it felt night and day over the newer car that wasn't broken in yet. Then, when I tried it for the first time with the TCS off (in sport mode), the car was even faster than I expected, and after incinerating my front tires going uphill in 2nd and 3rd to get onto the 417, I was already about to hit a licence losing velocity before shifting from 4th to 5th. These cars an absolute riot, easy to live with, and very reliable if you maintain them as you should. I have no regrets, and like the earned street-cred that these cars get from other petrolheads...
Just bought a ‘16 ST today. It’s not the fastest car but it’s just enough to have a ton of fun around the city and on (paved) back roads
The seats do fold flat. I thought the same until I watched some of "torque and tech's" channel
+Miles Herbst yes but it's not very intuitive and it wouldn't help with cargo capacity for our test anyways
TheStraightPipes I completely concur. Thanks for this awesome review guys!
+Miles Herbst no problemo
Can't believe everyone doesn't know the seats fold flat. You can literally transport a refrigerator in this car.
+Theoriginalct Theoriginalct we figured it out for our Focus EV review :)
Fiesta ST is a must for you guys... Do it!!
This needs to be done! Bought my ‘14 Fiesta ST and I love it!
those are for females
@@oneday3857 you're a female
@@mauishingles4257 like i said those are for females
This aged wonderfully
Glad there is a Canadian show
+Jie Jin right on bud!
yall:
"I like ____", "I hate it"
I love this channel
Just bought this car april 3rd and didn't know how to fully drive a manual now I'm damn near a natural and I've fallen in love with this car
Seats fold flat guys, gotta flip the bottom cushions forward, then the rears fold (dont forget to remove the headrests 1st). Love this channel...great back and forth fairness and honesty.
Watched this review a year ago right before I bought my ST.
Turns out you completely don’t notice the torque steer after a week of driving it. Until just now watching this again I completely forgot all about it.
Myles Hejmanowski just wait till you tune it lol
I got Michelin PS4Ss which greatly reduced it compared to the Goodyear Eagle F1s.
I own a 2016 Focus ST. Basically exactly what you reviewed, even to the paint color. It is such a sweet car. I hear a lot of people complain about the seats, but I have no problems with them. and i'm a 6'1" 240lb dude. I find the seats to be very comfortable, actually.
+Stanton Barbas we just couldn't get comfortable in any position and we're both quite different in size. Any one we took for a drive in also complained about the seats. Just preference!
Stanton Barbas I test drove an st and I'm looking at purchasing one and love the seats too. and I'm 6'3 285
I have the EXACT car (except a 16) in this video, I'm 5'9" 155lbs and love the seats. Long road trips start to upset my back a little bit though. Oh and my wife HATES the seats :/
I ran a 2016 with the same seats. They basically need to be “run in” to your body shape. This may take 3000 miles - after that they are supper comfortable.
@@ajwest3081Supper is comfort food.. 😅
Used to have one of these, super fun daily car!
The Fidget Spinner made the video better! I always like the styling of the Focus & ST!
I just bought one and a LOVE it!
Sorry Jacob, it's not an artificial sound, it's called a Sound Simposer pumps sound straight from the engine into the cabine. If it were a artificial it would pump straight into the speaker system with no engine connection at all to the cabine....
You guys should do a Fiesta ST, love the channel and would love to hear what you guys think of the car I drive everyday
By far the most entertaining focus st review I've seen!
+millerpa1000 sweet thanks! Tell your buddies! Subscribe!!
You can fold the seats flat! You need to take out the headrest and pull the bottom cushion up when your folding the back part down
I just got rid of my 2016 and concur. It's really really good. The bad part is the seats sit to high and the seat pan is to tilted. The heel toe shifts can be fixed with a cheap mod to fix the position of the throttle, but then all the pedals feels like it is too close. The clutch spring is stupid and should be fixed. As for noise a simple mod to open up the intake with a green filter and a ram air induction and it is quite a lot louder and people completely hear it a turn around. I always thought they heard the exhaust until I lent my car to someone and realized the induction noises are epic. So yah it is really good, and a few small tweaks would make it epic. Ford should fix it and I'd come back for an encore. Good review guys!
+Malifestro thanks! Agree with all your points too
I love this channel! I look for new episodes constantly and get such a thrill when there's a new one. Yuri and Jacob rule 🤘🏻!!!
How have I never seen this channel before?! I love it! Great video. I'm thinking about getting a 2016 ST and I think this video pushed me over the edge to get it
+Josh Rolfe awesome man thanks! Make sure you can live with the seats. That's about it!
TheStraightPipes I'm pretty skinny. They didn't bother me when I drove one for a bit. I do video reviews of cars as well and work with a Ford dealership and haven't driven an ST yet that they have so maybe I'll keep that car for a day or two just to make sure!
+Josh Rolfe right on
Am thinking about getting the rs I love it
The seats do fold flat, you have to lift where you sit and pull up then you take the head rests off then you can recline the seats all the way down.
best Focus ST review I've seen thus far
+phillip smith that's awesome! Share and subscribe :)
Saving up to buy one of these in a few years. I can’t wait
Did you get it?
@@michaelmarquez6133 lol no I’m not really into cars anymore :/
@@jakeherington7237 haha yea a lot has happened since then ! I found a 2018 with only 14k miles on it I might buy it just wanted another opinion, thx for the reply
The aftermarket fixed the heel&toe issue on my ST. $70 bolt-on adapter with adjustments for your taste!
+dblr3000 perfect
dblr3000 what's the brand used ?
Unspecified. I bought mine from CJ Pony Parts.
or you could 3d print it for free!! Plus a snorkel too!!
This is great! Love the dynamic between you two.
+Brian Szadek awesome, thanks! Share, subscribe, party!
TheStraightPipes will do good sirs. Will do.
+Brian Szadek you're the man. Don't forget to party
Kinda like the two Sonic commercial guys, but not as dorky.
+SteverRob we don't have Sonic in Canada but that sounds good, thanks!
Yuri has to lose that Stache
Richie Nguyen lol it's gone
Thank you for backing me up on this
You kinda had a Freddie Mercury thing going on
+Lanks RIP Freddie and Yuri's stache
Pornstache Yuri
I really like a manual transmission that has a clutch that presses in deep rather than one that easily hits the floor because there is much better control in between gears
I like the base rims better too, just my opinion though. Good review guys, maybe I'll try to get you an RS!
+Grant Schubert sweet thanks
Grant Schubert Yuri and Jakub love ford! I'll let you know when we can make it up to Ottawa for sure! Can't wait to see the trucks.
Grant Schubert Both wheels are nice IMO. I prefer the ones seen here, same as my 2015. The "snowflakes" have a bad name, and I'm no snowflake! lol
You guys are awesome, how don't you have more subscribers?
+Jake Perdue I don't know, help us out! Share the videos :)
@@TheStraightPipes you do now :)
I agree, the standard rims are way better, I just bought a pre owned focus ST and I love the way it drives
Victor Rodriguez hello fellow st owner if u got premiums I suggest plasti dip did mine black and they look really good now also stratified tuned almost fbo these cars rip but stock form needs help
Stock, the ST is quiet as hell. Far better with an exhaust. I got the AWE track for mine. Sounds soooo good.
Gotta drive a stage 1 or 2. Night and day difference.
The stage 2 are sick!! Tons of fun.
I find it insanely hard to believe no one has a problem with the cars open differential.
I was determined to buy a Forte5 because of all the features, but saw a Focus ST1 on the lost as well. Right after driving it I bought it. Less features, but such a better driving experience. The Forte 5 just felt bland and boring after the ST.
I watched y'alls review before I bought mine and it really convinced me. 20k miles later, I'm watching this again and it made me wanna go drive it. All the points you made are pretty spot on. Cannot for the love of god, heel toe this damn thing. That's the most disappointing. I do feel though that y'all need to expand more about different trim levels. I didn't really care that much but I was surprised to find that the base trim doesn't have many of the interior amenities that you guys mentioned.
Here's what I've done to mine:
- Symposer Delete
- Catless Downpipe
- Swap the resonator with a beefy glasspack (Magnaflow)
- Muffler Delete
- "Whale Penis" from a 370Z exhaust to reduce drone (j-pipe effect)
(whistles at high output, not intended, just a known 370 trait)
- Injen cold air intake
- Boomba 50/50 blow off valve wide open (@50/50)
- Stratified tune with progressive crackles / 93 octane
Sounds like a mean ass rally car.
I had a 2017 st in Kona blue. Had it for 2 years and I traded it in April of 2022 because I live in Wisconsin and it snows up here and thought it would be better to get a truck. I love my truck but I miss my ST sometimes🥲 such a fun car
holy crap that moustache
Suggestion: you guys should also do a horn test. Nobody does that 🙏🏼
saabkyle does
3 weeks ago i bought 2017 ST3 estate diesel. Does not sound as good as petrol one but it's a hell of a fun car. Great choice for daily family car. Loving it and actually right side volume controls are ok for me... i might be the only one... beside Ford designer ;)
I have this car. Love driving it . So smooth and fun.
lots of power and it looks awesome. lots pf people comment on it.
And its only made in Standard shift so its unique.
That’s one of my biggest cons of owning the 2018 focus st. Cannot heel toe no matter what, pedals are too far apart and the interior panels in the way. Other than that, 10/10 daily
The first comment! FINALLY! 8 YEARS AND I'M FINALLY FIRST! Also, great review and awesome chemistry on camera.
+Alex Sajewski you're the man. I'll highlight this comment to mark your achievement
Alex Sajewski congrats !
Alex Sajewski
Congrats bro!... I'm actually crying right now.
When you said the one thing that bothers you the most was the steering wheel buttons. I told my brothers the same thing when I got mine. Apparently there is a device you can install that will let you reprogram the buttons so you can have the radio on the left. The only thing I would change on the car if I could would be that.
+silverspear21 that's hilarious and amazing
People underestimate the focus ST were by its faster than a V6 mustang
huh??
Hi guys, I'm new to your channel and I just wanted to say I really enjoyed that video and I have subscribed :)
Thanks
Love my ST! I got the craziest color available though... tangerine scream!
great review guys! Awesome work with intro and outro. One request. Can you try to do more comparisons with ratings in the future vs other cars? Each review I always feel like you like/love the car but I can never really judge which cars you liked better than others. For example, the Elantra sport review you both seemed to love it and didn't have many complaints, but in the focus st review you had a few minor issues with the car. At the end of the day I can only assume which one you liked more....
I think it would help a lot if every review you would take 3-4 cars in the same cost area and do a quick comparison using points perhaps? Even just a general comparison would be cool. You did compare to the Kia so thank you for that.
+jsperan49 we'll do our best to do that but it's difficult without driving them all first THEN recording a final video
jsperan49 I'll try to compare more but like Jakub said it is hard without driving them all yet.
I think the rear seats do fold all the way flat, you have to pull up on that bottom seat part too, then lay the back of the seat down. That's how my focus titanium is anyway.
This review made me buy my Focus ST a little over a year ago
I'm 5'7", 155 lbs. The seats *do* fit perfectly if you've got a "tiny butt," lol. I love the Recaros. Your hand is right next to the main volume knob when you shift so it never occurred to me to use the controls on the steering wheel. Lack of space for my phone is the primary interior headache. With the factory Pirelli P Zeros it's an awesome winter car. Heated seats, heated mirrors, heated steering wheel and the Pirelli's come as close as you can get to a true all season tire. Also, it really does warm up quickly inside the car compared to other cars I've owned. Totally satisfied with the Focus ST and it's a pity Ford is dropping the Focus altogether in the US.
God i hope these are still around when i get out of the army. It's my dream car
Let's all do our part: call or write Ford US Customer Relationship Center and tell them what their American customers want. If we all contact them, maybe they'll realize it's a profitable business decision to bring the Mk4 Focus ST 6 spd manual transmission to the US/North American market. Wouldn't hurt to ask for the Fiesta ST and/or the Puma ST 6 speed manual as well!
Ford Motor Company
Customer Relationship Center
P.O. Box 6248
Dearborn, MI 48126
Ford U.S. Phone: 1-800-392-3673
I really like the carbon fiber shift knob.
+Alex Park it's so good
One thing that's often never talked about are insurance rates. The RS is very high & the ST will increase a significate amount as well.
No maybe the rs but not the focus st. its not high at all I have a 2013 focus st I pay 116 a month
Love this car. Especially after full bolt ons and custom tune by mountune.
Bought the 2018 and I've started modding this car. It's a fun little hatchback
*You guys gotta do the Fiesta ST. It needs more exposure.*
I had a 2018 ST1. I just hated the cheap interior..... The ST3 pkg. looks much nicer but they're difficult to find.... As far as the seats go, if you're a bigger person then you'll likely struggle with them because of the aggressive bolsters.
Great, quality videos guys! They are made reallllly well and are a nice blend of informational content as well as usability data.
I believe you can bypass the "loading" graphic by pressing OK. 🎉
You guys have come so far since this video. Still a great review.
I don't understand why people don't like the seats. I'm a big guy and I think they're great lol. Anyway, good review guys
Love having both of you doing the review as I'm getting both opinions on likes and dislikes. Seems much more objective.
3:02 The back seats do indeed fold flat. Pull up from the seat bottom, where the seat back and seat bottom meet, feel for metal bars. You can pull the bottoms all the way up and forward (slide front seats up first). Viola!! Fold-flat seats. There's a lot of neat "tricks" for this car that I never knew about. Just got mine last month. 2017 FoST ST1. Also, Heel/toe is possible and it's quite easy. I made a short video my channel showing how to "big toe/pinky toe", as I call it..lol. Heel/Toe in my Mazdaspeed 3 was super easy, this car is slightly challenging and I'm up for that!! ...Great Vid and Subbed!!!!
+Jon K. Sweet thanks!
TheStraightPipes No Prob at all!!
miss mine so so much
The seats do fold flat. Although you probably have to remove the head rests. The bottom part of the seats fold forward just give them a good pull and they will come up without having to push a release button. And then the backrest folds forward all the way 100% flat.
+G Gutierrez yep figured that out after. Not intuitive
Took me months to figure that out. Makes all the difference !
When I went to look at my current ST that was one of the first things i checked out about it. I remember my dads 03 zx3 seats folded forward and increased cargo capacity. The uneven part from the full size spare is a little annoying though.
My man is right, if you're having to use your right hand to raise the volume, might as well just reach to the volume knob.
🤛🏻 real talk
I counted 7 comments on here asking for the fiesta st review, I knew I wasnt the only one
I like the torque steer too. It's fun to "fight" it
SteverRob that's what I'm talking about
It is actually possible to fold the seats down flat! The back seat's can be lifted towards the front seats allowing the back seat to fold down flat. :)
Yes
heel/toe can be fixed with a pedal kit. I did mine and it is a game changer. Only like 80$.
Nice!
Once you start modifying.. tastefully, it becomes a different car. Please come drive mine... I'm in the suburbs Detroit
Love mine, plenty of power, upgrade the motor mount for $60 and you have a fast car. I will walk on any of the V6's, other than the STI's no other 4 is even in the same class as the ST. Also Hondas Is Top speed is 128, in CA freeway speeds are 80mph passing at 90mph and at that speed you can hit 130 fast. I was passing an SI that was all raced out, When I shifted to 6th, I was Gone, hit 155 so fast! These cars for what they are are incredible, I do have Bilstein shocks also, which are nice for speed stability but I would hit 140 all the time when I lived in Virginia. Would go faster but country roads do have turns
Put in a TURBOSMART blowoff valve and your problem of: It doesn’t sound like a turbo will be instantly solved. Oh it will sound like a turbo alright! PFFFFFFF-- SHHHH-PFFFFFFFF-SHHHHHHHHH, ALL DAY LONG. LOVE THAT SOUND! ST3 VERSION is the best hot hatch for the money in the automotive universe. You can pick up a base ST with push start and a lot of standard equipment “options” for 20K where else can you get a 252hp, 270ftlbs of torque hot hatch brand new for 20K?? You can’t.
HERES A TIP REAR SEATS FOLD FLAT! JUST HAVE TO PULL UP IN THE CENTER OF REAR SEAT ON EITHER 40 OR 60 SPLIT AND THEY LIFT UP ALLOWING REAR SEATS TO FOLD FLAT. WHAT A GREAT REVIEW BY “EXPERTS” WHO ARE TESTING THE CARGO AREA 🧐🤔
My wife has a 2014 Explorer Sport. I have a 2005 Acura TL. My biggest complaint about her SUV is the volume controls are on the right side of the steering wheel and my car's are on the left along with every other car I've ever owned.
I'm also not a fan of Ford's choice of putting steering wheel radio controls on the right. The radio is on the right, redundant controls ought be on the left like every other car with steering wheel radio controls.
Radio controls belong on the right side of the steering wheel because the radio is to the driver’s right. You’re wrong, Yuri.
Man, you guys have changed and improved a lot. I got to know you on the 2020 vids and forward, but seeing this "old" vid, really feels weird.
Love mine too. Bad knee stops me from keeping it
Confirming what others have said. Heel toe in RHD version is perfect. And also much better than the RHD Fiesta ST.
You can heel toe the UK version just fine being on the correct side of the car
The seats do fold flat. You have to flip up the rear seat and then they fold flat. This design goes all the way back to the old VW Rabbit from the ‘70s. I fit a bathtub in my old Rabbit. I have tons of room in my 2013 Focus when I need it.
And trust me !! I feel. The same way when I get into a big truck !!!
As the matter of fact, the UK models have blind spot sensors as well. Also the pre-facelift model has rear view camera which isn't available in the US in the PFL. Idk if there is "active city stop" in therenas well but it all is available in the UK model ;)
trust me these rims are better i have an st with the origonal rims and they a PIA to clean
The base ST is a good value for a daily fun driver. Good looking car too. Yuri, grow handle bars now!
Some people buy the RS rear wing. Lowering springs would do it and check out fifteen52 for wheels. Or, you can get RS wheels too