The fact that Ford did not have an available 2013 Focus ST press car didn’t discourage Edmunds’ InsideLine from testing the hot hatch in the U.S., as the online magazine went ahead and spent $29,185 to buy a Tangerine Scream example from a local dealer to add to its long-term fleet.
After completing a quick break-in to settle in the mechanical components of the car, InsideLine then took Ford’s 252-horsepower hatch to the track.
What it found there was that the new Focus ST is slower in acceleration but handled better than the 263hp turbocharged MazdaSpeed3.
Some performance numbers (both from Edmunds’ respective tests) worth mentioning include a 0-60mph sprint of 6.6 seconds (Mazda: 6.3 sec), 1/4 mile in 15.0 seconds at 93mph (Mazda:14.4 sec at 99.2mph), 60-0mph braking in 112 feet (Mazda: 119 feet) and a skid pad lateral acceleration of 0.93g (Mazda: 0.91g).
A video of the quick test follows right past the break.
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