Performance from the Focus ST is a rush, as you might guess; but it's surprisingly well-engineered, with none of the coarse or twitchy tuner-car feel that affects the likes of the Mazdaspeed3 and Mitsubishi Ralliart. As for the rest of the Focus lineup, choose the manual gearbox and you'll have one of the best-driving small cars in the segment. You have to rev the engine to get to its perky side, but it's smooth, with a nice linkage. The PowerShift dual-clutch automatic transmission in general does a good job keeping the revs up when you need it—but it can be rough at times at low speeds—and there's a Sport mode or you can control shifts on your own with a little +/- button on the side of the shift knob. The Focus handles as well as—or better than—the most deft handler in the class, the Mazda3, with a suspension that doesn't crash and bang over rough transitions. Ford's electric power steering system provides nice weighting and it performs well, providing precise control but not transmitting much feel of the road.
Inside, the Focus can feel more like a European sport sedan than a budget-priced hatchback. Add the upgraded sport seats of the Titanium model and you'll find even better support than the already impressive base front seats. Whether you choose the sedan or hatchback, you get back seat accommodations that are virtually the same, with just enough legroom and headroom to fit even those over six feet. With the leather upholstery, there's no skimping on look and feel in back; you won't get mid-size comfort, but there's enough comfort back there for most six-footers. Our most significant complaint concerns the instrument panel design, which seemingly cuts into front passenger knee space especially.
The Focus still is offered in a cost-conscious $16,995 Focus S base model, but the true focus is toward those well-equipped, tech-loaded upper trims like the SEL and Titanium. A loaded Titanium can hit $28k, but these models include MyFord Touch, an upgraded ten-speaker Sony sound system, HD Radio and Sirius Satellite Radio, sport seats, a sport suspension, and sport wheels with summer performance tires.
Active Park Assist, which helps you steer into a parallel-parking space, is optional in upper-level Focus models and is one of several segment-exclusive tech features. MyFord Touch, with text-to-voice capability and WiFi capability, is also available.