Ford Focus ST review

There are two flavours of ST these days: the standard one, and the Edition track special. The former starts at £37,705 for the six-speed manual (the one you want), while the seven-speed auto (the one you don’t) is priced at £39,155. You can also get an estate version of the ST: whack another £1,100 on top for that one.

Other than that, there’s not much to it: there’s half a dozen paint options (only Race Red is free, the others are £300-£800), and a handful of options should you want them. An HUD and Blind Spot Assist are £450 apiece, the driver assist pack is £550, a sunroof is £1,045, and the track pack’s £3k.

The ST Edition costs £42,905 and absorbs all the hardware you’ll find on the track pack (as mentioned already, Brembo brakes, adjustable suspension, bespoke 19s, Pirelli tyres and a dedicated Track mode) plus gloss black detailing, unique ‘Azura Blue’ paint and the driver assist and blind spot kit. Phew.

The base ST undercuts the Golf GTI by a grand or so. That’s is only real rival to be honest: the Hyundai i30N is no longer available and the GR Yaris is a good chunk more expensive. The Honda Civic Type R and VW Golf R live in a higher echelon to the ST.

The days of monthly prices around £300 seem long gone: on a three-year PCP deal you’ll be looking at just under £500 a month.

As for fuel consumption, Ford claims 35.3mpg: we found the car averaged 34mpg over six months of use when we ran the pre-facelift car as a long-termer. CO2 emissions are 183g/km. 

What’s the spec like? 

The ST is fairly well equipped: you get matrix LED headlights, keyless entry and start, cruise control, dual zone climate control, a rearview camera with front and rear parking sensors, a 12.4in infotainment system with Apple and Android connectivity, 675-watt B&O stereo with 10 speakers and a subwoofer (the speaker reflects awfully in the windscreen though) plus heated electric front seats, a steering wheel and a windscreen.