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| Ford Focus ST- the yellow bubblebee |
I love cars, I have loved them all my life. Since watching
and helping my dad fix and revamp my mother’s prized Volkswagen Beetle and a friend’s beloved Chevrolet Nomad,
I have had an unusual passion for cars.
Don’t get me wrong, I am in no way a petrol head and I have
a very basic (read ‘minimal’) knowledge of how the internal combustion engine
works. When you open the bonnet all I can tell you is where the water and oil
go, but I love driving and am always looking for new driving experiences.
Another lifelong love is Ford. From mum’s old Ford "bakkie" and the family
Sapphire, to the two Fords I own today, I will always be a huge fan of the
brand. Ford is, and always will be, my first choice.
So you can imagine my excitement when I was given the
opportunity to drive the new Ford Focus ST!
Now I am not going to give you all the technical details of
this vehicle. I am not going to talk about ratios and conversions. Those are
the things I, as an average girl, skim over when reading other reviews. All I
want to talk about is the experience. This is a stereotypical chick review of a
cool car.
Looks
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| Ford Focus ST- yellow bumblebee |
The ST we were given to play with is bright yellow. Now I am
not generally a fan of yellow cars but I will admit the Sporty ST certainly
suits the vivid yellow. It is a very sexy beastie with sharp lines and an
almost aggressive stance.
Inside
The interior is sleek and refined. The seats hug you like a
lover and everything you need is within easy reach. It is so modern, it’s
almost like a cockpit and I must admit I found it a bit intimidating at first.
I gave up trying to adjust my seat when I couldn’t find the lever. I’m also a bit confused as to why the start
button is to the left of the steering wheel rather than the right, as would be
the natural assumption. A good read of
the manual or a crash course at the dealer is needed to truly enjoy all the
luxuries.
Driving
Ford has really impressed me with this car. Although the pedals are very sensitive, they have
balanced them out, unlike other new cars I've been in where only the brakes
were super sensitive. After a few jerks I got used to it and after that
driving, braking and even changing gears was as smooth as silk. My route took me through a bit of traffic,
but achieving clutch control was no strain at all.
All this said, it was once I reached the highway that the ST
got to truly shine. She responded so
enthusiastically it was like she read my mind. Overtaking slower vehicles, the
ST responded quickly and smoothly like a Ford should. I like a car that I know
will respond, so that I can confidently nip past cars and through gaps and the
ST did not disappoint. I asked and she gave 110%. There was no lag at all in
the power and she responded just as quickly when I eased off the accelerator,
so that I could smoothly slow down once I’d gotten into the gap.
The side mirrors come with the omni-vision section which I
feel should be standard with all vehicles, but especially one of this size.
The sound system is fantastic, crystal clear and powerful.
All in all, a great experience.
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| Ford Focus ST- the elegant white lady |
Would I buy it? Yes, just not in yellow.
Would I recommend it to friends? My guy friends, yes,
but to be honest, I think most of my female friends would be just as
happy with the regular Focus and the ST would be wasted on them.
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| See? Much better in white. |
