4 days before my 42nd birthday (actually ON Shredder's birthday), I took possesion of my new car. The idea was to buy something sensible, cheap to run, fun to drive, and reliable. I've run out of time and energy to be tinkering with my runabouts, and I'd like to concentrate on one job at a time for now.



This thing is so nice. It is unearthly quiet, it's torquy and responsive, its handling is so fun and it's very tossable, and the seats make everything else feel like you're riding on a couch. It uses more gas than and it's not as well equipped as a Titanium, and it cost more to boot, but the turbo transforms the car into hooligan status and the refinement isn't ruined by the sporty ride and vice-grip seats.

The other choices were the Hyundai Veloster Turbo (too small, too cheap), the Hyundai Genesis 2.0T (more power than the Focus and RWD, cheaper too), the Scion FR-S (too small), and the GTI (way too much money). Actually the Focus was way too much money too but it grabbed me squarely by the nuts and told me I was taking it home.

I'll get better pictures of it when the summer tires are back on.

Matt looks nice, can't tell from the pic, is it a hatch?

We have wrestled with the dilemma of getting an appliance and giving up on trying to run so many old Volvo's when I struggle to get stuff done. Biggest problem is getting something useful ie:hatchback yet FTD, we've thought about a Focus but thought it was too small, have driven a few Matrix's... Matrices, ugh the plastic!! Would really like a Golf/Rabbit but VW reliability is a concern. Thanks for posting, gives me some more food for thought, I just need to get a grip on reality and do what needs to be done.

So more power, less money...I guess the Hyundai just didn't grab you by the nuts? I know the last hyundai I drove the seats DROVE me nuts.

Geez, I leave and the club starts buying fancy whips. You're welcome.

Hey, Jim. Yeah, the ST only comes in a hatchback, or a wagon option if you live in Eu. The passenger space in the Focus isn't great, I'll admit: to let Amber sit in the back my wife's seat needs to be pushed more forward than most would prefer. Neither of us are very tall, though, so we can live with it until the kid is big enough to get out of her booster chair (her feet will be in the footwell under the front seat, not requiring as much space between front and back seats.) We don't do many long trips so if it's a problem we can always take the Highlander.

Yeah, Athal, that's about it. If Hyundai left the exterior alone in 2013 or if they had the current engine in the 2012, I'd have been more tempted. The R-spec was about $6500 less than my car, but I figured mine would depreciate at least that much less over a reasonable length of time.

BTW, you were left in the dark intentionally, because you would have sent me a hundred "interesting" options from Japan and I would have been tortured and tempted and probably succumb to a horrible decision.

Awesome! Can't wait to see more pics Matt. And I can't wait to have a ride in it sometime. Is it just me, or does the front end/grille look kinda Aston-ish? Are your summer rims the same as the winters?

Matt, my apologies for referring to appliances while discussing your car. Had no idea what an ST was until I did some reading just now... HOLY CRAP, that looks fun!!! Doubt Lisa would ever spring for that much, but if you're going to downsize why not have a blast doing it.

Greg, yeah it does look Astonish in the front doesn't it.

ETA: Just for S&G, what were the dealers like for negotiating price to MSRP??

Negotiating? Ha! Nope, they're not doing that as far as I know. I do know that they're making just about exactly 2600 bucks on my car, plus the 2% dealer holdback on the basic car, so they're making over $3000 profit at each dealer. Problem is, they're only getting in one or two at a time and they're generally spoken for long before they arrive. I put a grand down on the car just so that I could be sure of a test drive!

The regular Focus has a couple of vertical bars that break up the grille, and an opening in the hood above the blue oval. I think the ST (and the electric Focus) look a lot better. I immediately thought Aston as well.

Have you seen the new Fusion? It's pretty good looking, I think. Ford's doing some pretty nice stuff, and the quality is only taking a beating because of the My Ford Touch, which hasn't given me any troubles yet.



Oh, and no Greg, the winters are 16" alloys from the basic Focus SE. It looks absolutely castrated the way it is. The wheel weights right behind the spokes needed to get shaved down a little to fit over the front brakes, too.

Thanks for the update, looked around on focusst.org (or something like that, lol) and gathered that there aren't many deals being made on the ST's. I agree on the Fusion, and the Focus, redesigns as being much improved and quite sharp looking.

I keep looking at used V50's as the styling/size/utility really works for me. Unfortunately Craig and I were discussing them one day and he mentioned that Paul told him they're overcomplicated and unreliable. That and now that they have discontinued them makes it a 7 model year bastard child. Maybe a 07-09 Rabbit, CR actually rates them as average/above avg for reliability. If we did a Focus I would love an ST, but I hate buying new cars...

Hey Matt,

Happy belated birthday...

And congrats on the new car...

I would choose a Ford over a Hyundai any day... and especially with what Ford is doing, their quality is by far the best of the "domestic" brand names. And Hyundai has made vast improvements, but only in comparison to themselves. They are on par with average or slightly below average for quality of product. Whereas Ford is leader of the pack when it comes to the domestic brand name, when it comes to quality, fit and finish, design, styling, and so on...

The technology going into the new Ford's is amazing, and extremely functional, put into the mix their new engine choices, and you have a superior product, no wonder Ford was the only company out of the Detroit big three that declined the assistance...

And as per the comments above regarding their Fusion, couldn't agree more its a sharp looking car...

looks like Ford has taken design cues from some of their previously owned manufacturers (Aston, etc...). Just see what they are doing with their Lincoln cars:
http://www.lincolncanada.com/app/li/en/vehicles/mkz.do

Again congrats on the car...

Engine pictures:



































Things to take notice of: Nice high intake ports, serious approach to the valves. Injectors directly into combustion chamber, entering beneath the intake valves. Injectors spray away from intake valves, into pocket in piston, taking advantage of piston heat to vapourize fuel. Exhaust manifold integrated with cylinder head, entirely jacketed by cooling water. Turbine unique to motor, bolted directly to cylinder head. Dual mass flywheel, apparently for twin plate clutch (unverified). Timing chains, balance shafts, coil-on-plug, throttle-by-wire dual variable-timing camshafts. Vacuum pump on the back of intake cam for power brakes. I don't see a water pump so like many modern engines it may be an electric pump (practically required for post-cooling of the exhaust system.)

Ain't it goofy looking?

Dumbest engine ever.

How the hell are you supposed to get any compression with the giant hole in the side of the block???

Oh wait, I see it now. Anyway, did I mention that the radiator also has automated thermostatic shutters? My god, what have I done???

Bentley had those in 1935...

True that. So my car is the new Bentley, is that what you're saying?