2013 Ford Focus ST
We’re at Roebling Road Raceway near Savannah, Georgia, to find out if the 2013 Ford Focus ST does indeed deliver world-class performance for bargain basement prices. So let’s download the data before we dive in to that.
Starting under the hood, you’ll find Ford’s now very familiar 2.0-liter EcoBoost I4 engine, but it’s a high output version for the ST with an over-boost function that bumps horsepower up to 252. Torque remains the same at a very vigorous 270 lb-ft. Transmission is a 6-speed manual only and also gets specific ST updates.
The chassis adds some additional firming, while suspension and steering have all been re-calibrated. The ST rides almost half an inch lower than its more pedestrian siblings.
Atop all of that hardware, sits a 5-door hatchback body that gets a muscly makeover that transforms this compact from kitty cat to rip roaring' tiger. Specifics include a wide open, one piece, black trapezoidal grille, rocker extensions, and a diffuser-style rear bumper with venting and a cutout for the center-mounted dual exhaust. It wouldn’t be a hot hatchback without a prominent spoiler up top.
18-inch alloy wheels sport Good Year Eagle F1 rubber, with the two up front handling both steering and power distribution, as rally-car like all-wheel-drive is not on the menu. Manual transmission and hatchback only? Sure sounds European! ST, created by Ford of Europe’s Sports Technology division, is a true Euro-style performance car following in the path of the Volkswagen Golf R. And much like the Golf R, at the track, it ate up asphalt like few other front drivers can do. It was super easy to find the ST’s limits and push them right to that point corner after corner.
The front strut suspension and control blade independent rear have been perfectly stiffened, and the ST comes with unobtrusive stability control that can be disabled, and Torque Vectoring Control which uses selective braking to tighten turns. Steering is nice and direct, and while speed sapping front drive understeer is still an issue, a little lift-off-the-throttle oversteer counters it nicely.
As for complaints, if you’re not used to slinging compact, hot hatches around the track, you’ll feel like you’re sitting right on top of the front wheels, and the Sound Symposer which pumps engine noise into the cabin didn’t pump quite enough for track work. A little more exhaust note would go a long way in helping you stay off the rev limiter.
When driven in a straight line, the ST will spring to 60 in 5.9-seconds and complete the ¼ mile in 14.8-seconds at 95 miles-per-hour. Power builds quickly, so keep a hand on the shifter and be ready to move it up; meanwhile, keep a firm grip on the wheel with your other one as there’s plenty of torque steer to go around.
The Focus ST gets a thoroughly transformed interior as well, with a sporty two-tone theme that mirrors your exterior color of choice. Our favorite feature by far is the optional Recaro leather buckets up front, but the thick pedals, steering wheel, shifter, and dash top accessory gauge pack are not far behind. And hatchback versatility is always a plus with rear seats that fold to give you wagon-like cargo room of 44.8 cubic-ft.
Away from the track the ST feels surprisingly docile. The now easier to hear engine and exhaust make a sweet sporty sound when you want them to, and quiet down nicely when you don’t. While the suspension is tight, it’s not uncomfortably so over even rough pavement. Even far from its limits, the ST is a very fun car to drive.
And, it’s a clear winner in value as well, packing all this major performance into a very reasonable $24,495 price. The Recaros are part of a $2,500 package that includes a Sony stereo and dual auto climate and it’s well worth it.
So, the results are in and we feel the 2013 Ford Focus ST fully lives up to its promise by delivering an incredible amount of performance for an almost absurdly low price. With hints that an even more potent Focus RS is in the works, we sure hope Ford stays this global performance course and builds a lot of them.
Specifications
- Engine: 2.0-liter EcoBoost I4
- Horsepower: 252
- Torque: 270 lb-ft.
- 0-60 mph: 5.9 seconds
- 1/4 mile: 14.8 seconds @ 95 mph
2024 Hyundai Santa Fe
Hyundai’s Santa Fe Aims For Land Rover
The Hyundai Santa Fe has been through many changes during the four generations and 23 years that it’s been sold here in the U.S., but none more dramatic than what is being offered for 2024. This fifth-gen Santa Fe is certainly bigger and definitely boxier, but is it a better Santa Fe?
This 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe is indeed a major departure from the wide-mouth, chrome-clad, swoopy-styled midsize five-passenger utility that we’ve known for the last 5 years, and it brings some other big changes with it.
The look is now more slab-sided, slimmed-down, and off-road inspired; drawing comparisons to Land Rover from just about everyone we encountered. The wheelbase has been extended by almost 2 inches, which adds to interior space; so much so that a third row of seating is now once again standard in the Santa Fe. Like many major departures when it comes to styling, time will tell how well it ages, or if there will be another big swing next time around. Many on our staff were not fans of the 21-inch wheels that come with the top Calligraphy trim; and it does appear like they ran out of ideas when they got to the back and called it a day.
But that flat tailgate is 6 inches wider than the previous gen, allowing for very-much minivan-like access to the cargo area, which Hyundai says is the launchpad for adventures, no longer just a simple cargo bay. There’s room for 14.6 cu-ft of adventure gear, or just groceries, behind the third row, 40.5 cu-ft behind the second row, and a max of 79.6 cu-ft with all seatbacks folded. And if you can’t fit everything back there, Hyundai has integrated a cool grab handle into the C-pillar for helping you load stuff up top.
The cockpit of this adventure vehicle feels much more like a luxury car than a rugged utility. Maybe that’s the Land Rover influence again. But really, it’s mostly on-brand from what we’ve been seeing from Hyundai lately. That’s especially the case when you escalate things to top Calligraphy trim. Its $12,500 over base and comes with features such as quilted Nappa leather seats, Eco-suede materials, dual wireless phone chargers, a sweeping panoramic curved dual screen display that we’re more accustomed to seeing in Genesis, with sturdy captain’ chairs with lots of adjustments in the second row. Two-place seating in the standard third row means a capacity of six; lesser trims come with a second-row bench upping that number to seven.
The cockpit of this adventure vehicle feels much more like a luxury car than a rugged utility.
The 2.5-liter I4 turbocharged engine returns, but now as the standard powertrain, getting slightly detuned to 277 horsepower but with the same 311 lb-ft of torque as last year. All-wheel drive is an $1,800 option for all trims except in the off-road inspired XRT where it is included. A 231-horsepower Hybrid is optional. This is a lot of vehicle for the standard four-cylinder to move, even if it is turbocharged, but that seems to be the way things are heading these days. So, we’ll just have to accept the tepid jog to 60 of 7.0 seconds. To be fair, it’s still plenty quick for running errands with the family.
It uses a dual-clutch eight-speed transmission rather than a traditional automatic. Gear changes were smooth with some power drop with each upshift. We reached 95 mph at the end of the quarter-mile in 15.4 seconds. This bigger Santa Fe felt very stable at speed going down the track. It was more in its element in our handling course, with sharp and responsive steering, great balance, and lots of feedback; all making it easy to keep momentum going through the cones. We saw plenty of nosedive with a soft brake pedal in our panic braking runs. But results were quite good, with stops from 60 averaging 111 feet.
Government Fuel Economy Ratings with all-wheel drive are 20 City, 28 Highway, and 23 Combined; rounding up our 22.6 mpg of Regular average puts it right on.
An ever increasingly wide bandwidth of options has the base Santa Fe starting at $35,365 and reaching all the way up to $47,915 for top Calligraphy; the Hybrid is available in SEL, Limited, and Calligraphy trims only.
Love it or hate it, the 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe has made a bold step in style, but it still has plenty of substance to back it up. So yes, it is a better Santa Fe, and now with a definite upmarket push, it lands as an even greater mid-size utility value.
Specifications
As Tested
- Engine: 2.5-liter I4 Turbo
- Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto
- Horsepower: 277
- Torque: 311 lb-ft
- EPA: 20 City | 28 Highway | 23 Combined
- 0-60 mph: 7.0 seconds
- 1/4 Mile: 15.4 seconds at 95 mph
- Braking, 60-0 (avg): 111 feet
- MW Fuel Economy: 22.6 MPG (Regular)