Ford Focus ST Estate
Bovingdon takes a turn in the ST and finds highs and lows alike
I’VE BEEN LIVING WITH OUR FOCUS ST Estate for a month or so now and here’s my conclusion: what a car! I mean that in the purest possible sense. This thing is fantastic at what a mid-sized estate car should be fantastic at: carrying people and stuff. So often we moan about crossovers and sing the praises of hatchbacks or smaller estate cars, but so often my heart sinks when I borrow one back-to-back with an Suv-shaped thing and realise that, practically speaking, the high-riding, heavy, ‘pointless’ option is more practical in nearly every conceivable way. Not so this time. The Focus has tons of rear space, a huge boot and just feels brilliantly equipped to deal with the real world.
With this in mind, I also want to tell you it’s a dazzling dynamic success. However, the fact that in the Focus’s last report Ian Eveleigh was reduced to writing about the B&O sound system speaks, um, volumes about the ST as not just a ‘car’ but a ‘drivers’ car’. It’s okay. Pretty decent. The ST is quick, has a very responsive front end and uses an electronically managed limited-slip differential to keep wheelspin in check. But despite strong promise, the ST never elevates itself from competent to genuinely exciting, and the harder you go, the less convincing it becomes.
Things get off to a good start. The 2.3-litre engine feels as punchy as you’d expect given its 310lb ft output, the steering is extremely alert but keeps things on just the right side of edgy, and the ride, although a little on the tough side, hints at tight body control. Overall there’s a sense of purpose about the ST. The downside of this is the pretty boomy exhaust – perhaps it’s exaggerated by the cavernous boot/echo chamber? – and, at times, a refusal to really settle down into a relaxed, composed flow. But praise be the six-speed ‘box! It’s not the greatest action ever, but it’s there. That’s enough for me.
So, you feel encouraged. The ST is up for it. Only… when push comes to shove, it isn’t. All that torque really gives the front wheels a workout and whilst the ST resists scrappy inside wheelspin very well, the front end sends mixed messages. On the one hand it bites really hard into turns and requires very little lock, but on the other is hunts and sniffs around under power. The combination of very fast steering and the evident torque corruption is that the ST feels busy and on edge. There’s plenty of grip but it doesn’t convey huge confidence. I think the best way to describe it is that the front end feels fragile and that the composure could shatter at any time.
The engine – so strong low down – also gets a bit flat and reluctant as the revs rise. Perhaps the ST disappoints only because it feels initially like it’s going to be right on the money. Certainly, there’s a sense that it flatters to deceive. I guess playing the ‘warm’ rather than full-blown-boiling hot hatch is a tricky balance. More aggression in the chassis and drivetrain creates compromises at low speed, but not fully embracing the performance brief means you inevitably can’t reach the heights of, say, a Civic Type R. More than anything, the ST shows just how cleverly VW has walked the line with the GTI in the past.
Oh god. This sounds negative, doesn’t it?
I do like the ST and I love its utility. Great stereo too, eh, Ev? It ticks so many boxes for a useable, practical, efficient and pretty cool-looking family car… I just want the dynamism turned up a couple of notches. I know you’re all crying ‘wait for the RS!’ But the ST already costs Type R money. We shouldn’t have to wait.
Date acquired February 2021 Total mileage 5240 Mileage this month 1694 Costs this month £0 mpg this month 31.3