They offer competitive fuel efficiency with an average of 30 MPG for city driving and 40 MPG for highway driving. The Ford Focus is a reliable vehicle that can, with proper maintenance, last up to 200,000 miles. That doesn’t mean those were quantifiably bad vehicles, just that other Ford Focus years earned more praise. Unfortunately, the models released from 2012 to 2013 fell short on their ratings. What is it about the Ford Focus that makes it so popular among these consumers? Like Any Vehicle Model, There Are Hits and Missesįord Focus models 2010, 20 are highly rated for their reliability and durability. There are many loyal Ford Focus fans who passionately advocate for the model as a great car. What’s good for one driver might not appeal to another motorist. Good and bad are very subjective concepts. Leaving off the navigation option, where most of the problems arise, makes it a more palatable option, but including it will also bring in the Recaro seats with Ford's option packaging.The determination of whether a car is “good” will often be determined by performance, longevity, rating organizations and reviews from previous buyers. And although improved from its initial launch, MyFord Touch remains overcomplicated and a little clunky. The Recaro seats are a little much, not the most usable for everyday errand running or commuting. At the same time, its body style makes it a practical everyday driver. There are faster, more powerful cars around, but the Focus ST is a car you can bring close to its limits on public roads without undue recklessness. Looking at engine, transmission, and suspension, the 2013 Ford Focus ST makes for an excellently responsive car, one that anybody who really likes driving could enjoy. The Focus will show similar functionality. I tested the latest version of AppLink in a Ford Fiesta earlier this year, and recorded the video embedded below. With or without MyFord Touch, Sync includes AppLink, which offers some very impressive integration with popular apps. It may fall short of the extreme fidelity of audiophile systems, but represents an excellent bargain. I never found the system delivering distorted or shrill notes. Bass comes through strong enough to feel, while highs can be very delicate, when recorded that way. Its 10 speakers, which includes a meaty subwoofer in the cargo space, and 355-watt amp create very clean overall sound. The Sony-branded audio system in the Focus ST, a very worthwhile option, delivers much better sound than I would expect from a premium system in a compact car. Other automakers are implementing similar systems, but Ford had Sync first, and it works very well. This system offered similar integration with my iPhone's music library when I had it plugged into the car's USB port. Not only could I then see the contents organized as a music library on the MyFord Touch LCD, and select music on that interface, I could also use voice command to request music by artist, album, genre, and song name. However, I preferred plugging a USB drive full of MP3 files into the car's USB port. I could also play music from my phone using the system's Bluetooth audio streaming feature. It let me pair my phone through Bluetooth and make calls by saying the name of anyone in my phone's contact list. Sync comes standard on the Focus ST, and does not need MyFord Touch to work. The stereo and phone screens were not quite so complicated, and have the added bonus of being powered by Ford's Sync system. A hill hold feature would have been nice when forced to stop midway up a steep San Francisco street, but the lack of turbo lag from the Focus ST's engine helped, letting me carefully bring in the power while letting off the hand brake. I could take off from a light without spinning the front tires and creep along in grid-locked traffic without stalling the engine. Instead of making like an uncontrollable bucking bronco, the Focus ST settles down nicely. The real benefit of its European tuning comes in city driving. It is a car that readily speaks to the driver. The Focus ST's handling is similar to the Scion FR-S', but with a lot more power on tap. I hit the gas at different points during my turn exits and the car showed me the timing that worked best. When I held the brakes a little into a turn, the car responded with predictable rotation. But the best part about the Focus ST is that it let me play. Turn-in was sharp, while the wheel fed back good heft, even with its electric boost unit. The Recaro seats' big bolsters keep you in place, but they exude boy racer a little too much.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |