Ford Focus ST 2020 Review - tested on road, ‘circuit’ and launched!
Introducing the all-new Ford Focus ST! The sporty brother to the family-friendly Focus rolls in with a 2.3-litre four cylinder turbo with 280hp, but that extra power doesn’t come cheap, coming in with a price tag of £32,000 - the same as a Civic Type R! So should you choose a Type R instead? Watch Mat’s latest review to find out!
Subscribe to Mat’s Channel - / matwatsoncars
Instagram - / carwowcars
Facebook - / carwowuk
Twitter - / carwowuk
Awkward haggling is a thing of the past with carwow. Choose your perfect car with our configurator tool and let the country’s best dealers compete over you. Compare the five best offers by price, location and dealer ratings and choose the one that’s right for you - no hassle, no haggling, just a great deal.
Visit our site to save money on your new car - bit.ly/carwow-UK
Oder auch in Deutschland Geld beim Autokauf sparen - bit.ly/carwow-DE
Mat looks like the most suspicious person leaving an airport during an alarm
r/rareinsults
Abdul 'The Doc' Chaudhry r/ahshitherewegoagain
Yes
Chav car
Going for secretive escape.... in the bright orange car!
4:05 launch control WASN'T enabled ....you had to press "OK" on the steering wheel first !
You had 69 likes, but I had to do it. Sorry. 🤷
@Jonathan Bowen after bouncing off the rev limiter for what seemed like an eternity. I cant believe he left it in the video, what car person wouldnt see the needle hitting the red...
I hope you are not being serious.
@@HeavyHanded he's being serious, the launch control keeps the revs around 3k. This went straight up to the redline.
@@xIcarus227 r/woosh
Finally, litres/100 km. Feels like home. And I know what he's talking about.
I feel you bro
I'm Indian and all I've heard growing up is km/litre..
What planet do you live on then?
What planet do you live on then?
Yeah MPG is confusing 🙄
Matt on a date: hey girl would you like to see my stick of truth? 😉
hahah, he dates guys ! 😉
Hahahaha
Ikea Uppsala does he?
@@benshaw6130 yes. nothing wrong with that though
@@adamuppsala1931 he doesn't 😂.
Finally l/100km ..
yeah convert to l/100km in every video please
Meanwhile there's another comment pleading for an Mpg unit lol
Well in England we use MPG and mph
@@JPGamingVideos yeah you use both metric and imperial system it's weird
@@f0XxXxXxX What's your problem? I'm 5 ft 12 cm tall, weigh 80 kg 6 oz and my car does 65 km per gallon. What is not clear about this?
The launch control wasn’t activated It shouldn’t rev up to red line
Yes, it starts the car from 3000 rpm.
this guy knows...what car launches from redline....
This is exactly right. He has to enable the launch control, he was bumping off the rev limiter...its painful to watch.
Give yourself a pat on your back
@@chrisnevergrowold330 zx
Me: “I quite like this car”. Matt: “The petrol one starts at £32,000”. Me: “Never mind”.
I get that price is high in my country Croatia where the minimum wage is £350 per fucking month, but isnt that price normal for uk buyers ?
You can get a second hand one for 20 thousand pounds
shit value compared to the superior i30N performance
pssst, fiesta st mk 7. get 1 used
@HairiestBoy st 180 already has 200hp in the form of overboost on the turbo for 12 seconds. get a stage 1 tune and you're running 212 hp at least. car can easily take stage 1 tune. really brings it alive. best bang for buck u can get.
Been watching your videos for ages and ive always ignored the ads up until now... but ive just ordered myself a brand new golf R through the carwow website and i couldnt be any happier Thanks Carwow
So happy for you.. lovely looking car
Nobody: Mat: Slip streamin' a Ferrari with a Ford Focus
Ford vs Ferrari?? Guess you were at the wrong circuit. You should've been at LeMans....
Lol
This European Ford Focus is completely unrelated to the Canadian Ford GT, apart.from the badge.
Ford beats ferrari
50 year old burn! Nice!
Yawn
That was a very entertaining review (no surprise there)! You're such an inspiration for me, man! Great job!
Launch control wasn’t activated 😂 6500rpm clutch drop 😂
At work, saving this for later when I’m having a poo. Can’t wait x
Painau Chocolate I'm having a poo watching this 🤜🏻
15 minute poo 👌🏼👌🏼😌
I’m literally having one
@@owenalp1977 You gotta pump those numbers up. Those are ROOKIE numbers LMAO😂😂
Supercharged HEMI hahaa good one man
I'm so envious of the selection of hatches available in Europe.
Nothing special really... I m more envious of your cheap gas/cars/taxes and being able to mod cars...
@@carlogigante5239 so true
I wouldn't be. Wanna trade V8s with cheap fuel for plastic shitty hatchbacks ?
There overpriced and lose 60% in 3 years no need to feel envious.
Really? Would you pay like to pay $45k for this?
Bloody hell that cat is straight out of Pet Sematary
What are you doing here?
DRAG RACE: Hyundai i30N, Megane RS, Ford Focus ST,...? Great video!
Add in a Golf and Civic?
@@adamw7340 add cupra.
Cupra beats them all
Yes it would I think.
Why does everyone want to see drag races with cars not designed for drag races?
The fact that the exhaust is not fireing cracks everytime makes it more "real" to me...also the power-punched steering wheel @11:05 is a dream
Loving you're recent reviews, hilarious at times 👍
y all really steppin up the quality of these revievs, really nice
I was waiting for a new focus ST video since it was announced, so pleased to see it pop up in the suggestions
Words cannot describe how sad I am that this car is no longer available in the US. I absolutely love my 2017 ST, and I would die for a more refined one with more power.
You guys seem obsessed with SUVs, trucks and gas guzzlers so im not suprised
I am from sweden and here we use x liters per 100 km and not x miles per gallon. And I think this was the first video you used x liters per 100 km to rate the fuel economy! Keep doing that so your viewers outside Great Britain in Europe can understand:)
The only reason why he did it was because he was not in the UK. The channel is aimed at British viewers.
I love the Focus ST! I've driven a 2016 ST-3 in Race Red and it's an absolute blast! 250bhp doesn't sound like alot but it's absolutely insane! Love them. Noise is good too on the interior, the induction noise is awesome! But, still has the silly central exhaust and doesn't pop and crack. Other than that, love it, and yes, torque steer is a little bit of a pain.
Bees are great, they're chill dudes. But wasps... WASPS. Nah, they can die. They sting you just for the pleasure.
They're all chill dude. You're just too agressive
@@jojodroid31 na, he's right wasps are absolute assholes. 🐝 on the other hand are chill dudes.
Wasps are pollinators like bees are. Do not kill.
I like how the ST finally became worth buying and now I can’t get it lol
Dude that is so minimal on torque steer it’s hardly worth complaining about. It’s a FWD hot hatch with 280 bhp of course there’s going to be some torque steer. It’s all part of the fun and character.
No worse than the 2006 Focus ST I would say.
Torque steer is part of the fun
Crikey he moans about Torque steer I had the original mk3 ST and that was a fukker! the 3.5 was better. Test drove the new mk4 last week and its a mild twitch now! and actually perfect imo.
You really do have a very unique way of reviewing cars. And yes...I do like it. Well done! 👍🇳🇿
good first review Matt, already applying for the CarWow magic discount plan, with best colour option of Magnetic!! 2.3L Mustang engine, got plenty of headroom for some good tuning options from Bluefin and Mountune.
Unfortunately, I must for once say that this was quite far from the best Carow review. Hopefully, Matt and team will get a second chance in more suited surroundings to drive this ST again.
why do you think your the main character?
@@muhxmmxd223s it doesnt matter, he is right, this review is shit, but he said it politely.
Matt seems to have a thing against Fords. He always seems like he's doing it because he has to and he's always just nitpicking. I'd rather have one of these over an A Class for example any day. But Matt makes out like ones an exciting Bugatti and ones a Transit.
The difficulty you experienced with the car wandering in the lane on the motorway is because you don’t have “lane centering” turned on. I checked your dash display and you have “lane departure” turned on, but there is another icon with a steering wheel displayed between 2 lane markings that is not illuminated. It will illuminate in the space between the lane departure & cruise control green icons on your dash. Turn it on and it will perfectly keep you in the centre of the lane. I just did a motorway trip in Australia (obviously not in an ST) and the lane centering was brilliant.
Not surprised he missed this too. He really screwed up this review in so many respects.
Didn’t like this review..just a hater
i love the MatWatson, he's such a big willy, but very entertaining!! Good review.
Love 💓 the the Ford Focus st from Australia 🇦🇺
I love the design, especially in that colour.
Will the diesel version be the STD?
There is a Golf STD....
Older models of the st had a diesel engine, making it the STD
@@Elias_g1 GTD*
@@ryanscott99 My bad
Yeah apparently there will be a STI too.
Watson bro......i don't know how can i interpret u. You just awesome.....great....i love u man....i feel that its not just a automachine review its a whole pack of ur skills,innocents,humour and you man sageous on every factor....i loved u guy....without any lade. procrastinate you are awesome
Cheers mat yet another great car review Also my dad wants one of those
How low is the drivers seat? The new focus looks lower than a normal hatchback so I’m interested, is it anything like a 1 series?
Hey Ford, it sure would be great if I could get this car in America!
Ikr... I'd trade my 17 in a heartbeat if they would have brought it here. As I'm sure many other people would
They could atleast give us a fusion st lol
Too bad only Karens are buying crossovers and SUV's right now and ruining the demand for CARS in the US.
@@alexledford4747 right? I love the escape but now feel like a mom because of the demographic that buys them
Sean Fanelli I'm currently looking for one of the AWD/Ecoboost Escapes just so I can do fun crossover mods 😭
Matt has definitely become my favourite motor journalist
You are by far the best car journalist on all internet platforms!
I would rather have the Ford ST,it is just a nice small cute hot hatch although the tech is a bit slow and uninteresting but i can use my phone's OS instead.Great ride from Ford!
Guess you mean the Fiesta ST?
Golf R is a better choice in my opinion
@@asdfqwerty7288 The Golf R is much more expensive, not really a comparison. It starts at more than 36k with very little kit. On top of that, this is Ford so discounts will be through the roof as usual. I already see dealers in Germany taking orders for this ST starting from 26k EUR. That's a ridiculous price for this car.
You would buy a car with systems not good enough? The car doesn't even have a digital dash.
@@asdfqwerty7288 A boring car but fair enough. I'm gobsmacked the focus doesn't have a digital dash. Talk about behind the curve.
Great intro! Had a TGT vibe 🤣
Drove one for a few days and it was lovely to drive!
great video! thanks Mat and team
Mat: I wonder what the new rs is gonna be like... Ford: er... there isn’t one Mat: go cry in a hedge then
4:09 I could watch this all day
sounds perfect, not like those fake exhaust noises. i like it, and the turbo sounds are awesome
Hmm loving that yellow 😘, I wonder how well the old version with a good remap and qualife Diff would Fair ?
“They passed they carwow stick of truth” 😂😂
Thank you for being the first ever video in which I've heard the word 'grillage' 😄
What does it mean?
Matt! You just get better and better! please consider starting to review other stuff.
looks very good,always loved ford(coswsrd)and subaru,ihope its a good engine and no problems with gear.
Just so you know, after test driving this and the GTI, this is a far more driver focused car. I'd say the golf is a good boy hatch for everything, but the feel of the focus a lot better
The front radar thing looks like another Transit blanking plate.
Mat you are a breath of fresh air over the boring car nerd reviewers. Nice work fella.
Getting a 2017 ST On tuesday, getting it tuned and remapped to 300 BHP I can't wait!
6.9 l/100km = 41 UK MPG. C'mon Mat, where's geek mode when you need it?
@Salt & Pepper Yes, 1 UK gallon is equivalent to 1.2 US gallons. They are different.
He was using american mpg i guess cuz it is 34 US mpg
@Salt & Pepper yep. 1 US mpg = 1.2 UK mpg. The UK and rest of world use the imperial standard for a gallon. US use something fucked up, like most of their measurements 😂
You would think using imperial units in 2019 is ridiculous enough, then you find out US an UK gallons are not the same. It's honestly moronic.
@@tommy4862 Yea. I find Fahrenheit the most ridiculous. Rest of world - 0 C water freezes, 100 C water boils. US - 32F - 212F...😑
If only Audi could take a note out fords to book Real air vents and exhausts🤯👍🥇
William Bonsor audi designs their cars though in europe
@Ridwan Rahman def not a competitor in price
Audi, BMW and Mercedes.
William Bonsor never compare the shitty ford to an Audi, bmw of Mercedes. Ford doesn’t even come close mate. You’ve seen what happened to the focus rs. Fucking slow, gay looking interior like you. 🤮🤮🤮 lot of problems if you google Ford Focus 2017 problems. And yes I did have one and it drove like shit. Finally moved on to 140i much better.
@@iMortalHQ don't blow your top buddy, and stop comparing a mainstream car to a premium one. There's a reason the S3, 140i and the A35 are 10-20k more expensive spec for spec.
When will you be reviewing the Ford Focus ST 2020? Looking forward to it! Thanks!
Jurriën em this is the newest one and there will be not a newer one next year.
Yep like that,Been waiting for your opinion Matt cheers steve
Seems a pretty good car tbf, the mk3 drove nice but the interior let it down, a good improvement. The torque steer didn't "squirm in his hand " tho, he took both hands off the steering wheel and floored the throttle, Matt what did you expect a fwd 280bhp car to do?
That kind of power through the front was seen as lunacy just ten years ago
This guy is amazing
Great video So Matt. One question: Which hot hatch would you buy for everyday usage, going to work, no track days, dropping the kids to school in comfort, then enjoying a proper solo blast on bumpy B roads. I) i30n performance 2) Focus ST with performance pack 3) Megane R.S with sport chassis 4) Megane R.S with cup chassis 5) Megane R.S trophy I've excluded VW, Seat, albeit great cars, i find them too boring to drive, and excluded Type R as I need room for 3 in the back seat (and the halfords looks!). Pick one please!!
go for either i30n or focus st, but since u wrote this couple of years ago u prob already made a dicision
Hi Mat. Could you please do an updated review of the Ford S-max, preferably S-line model? Maybe even a comparison with Peugeot 5008. That would be great.
Can't wait for the rs version!
Hi, Can you please share the app name used for checking 0 to 60 in the vehicle ? Thanks a lot !
Drag race- car performance 0-60 on android
Ford keeping it real with the air vents and exhausts... Love that, keep it up 👌
it was really cool to see matt randomly show up on a ad on Dave
No offense Mat, I really like your content but I don't think this review is very good. I think you made some mistakes that you usually don't make. It feels like the review is just incomplete. To start it off, you didn't test the 0-100 time. You just can't review this type of car without doing that. I understand you did the 0-50 and it's appreciated, but you could've tried 0-100 on the highway, or at least showing something like 40- 130 under hard acceleration when entering the highway. Secondly, I mentioned the 0-50 time. While we again appreciate it, you didn't launch the vehicle. When it launches the revs should hang around 3k RPM, they certainly do not hang around the redline. Launch control isn't always active in this car, it needs to be set up. Thirdly, the sound 'test' was just cringy. You are in a tunnel cruising at a good speed, we can't hear the engine properly, nor the exhaust. You didn't even give it a good rev so it can pop and crackle. Here's a video which actually puts the car through its paces, and it actually sounds quite good in my opinion: kzhead.info/sun/eM6CkZVsgnmXaJs/bejne.html I also wish to mention that you just didn't highlight any of the car's strong points. Most reviewers praised it for how fun it is while also maintaining its composure if you're driving it in a normal fashion for example, or they praised it for the extremely sharp steering. I personally don't feel like I learned much about this car from your review, that's all. Were you unenthusiastic about this car? Again, I love your content and the highlight of this video was the humor which was freaking hilarious and spot-on. But I'm confident you can do a better job next time. Cheers, thanks for the video!
S You probably like the Ford, so you 've noticed. There were other reviews like that...
Torque steer brings soooooo much excitement in short bursts when there’s not enough road to floor it. Don’t like when a car feels too tame and easy to drive.
I rented a 2019 1 Series (not the ugly new one) last weekend and the car's ability to goad you into taking corners at ever increasing speeds, only to suddenly almost completely lose control if you push it just a smidge too far, was rather endearing. And this was with the traction & stability all switched on.
Loving the ad for a Kia Picanto I’ve got under the video. Fitting
Matt is the best car reviewer ever, in my humble opinion.
Thought Matt was gonna say someone left a bomb
Well thats what the police clearly thought lol
@The Catmother lol for real?
Islamists are everywhere these days.
@@saratov99 And their dirty underwear is like a bio-bomb, much worse than a normal bomb
Usually really like Car Wow reviews but that was naff! Such little consideration of the engine! How does the anti-lag system work? So much left uncovered, although, we got an overview on insects...
He really rushed this review, I learned almost nothing from it.
The same mini cooper right infront at the start line is jus there when Matt finishes the circuit! 😜
led taillights with with indicator bulbs,nice job...
Fun Fact: The tiny hatchback wagon version of this has more boot space than a full-size Ford Explorer.
@@danielleroux6490 I'll try, but it probably won't work
Matt you should be on TOP GEAR
With car throttle
It's really a shame that the US isn't getting this. For the first time ever I was going to buy a Ford. Instead I bought a KIA Forte5 SX, which I love!
I just went to stage two on a 14 Fiesta ST and upgrade the shocks with sticky Michelin tires, and it’s a little Rocket on tight mountain roads, I’ll take anyone on. The Fiesta Flash 🤙🏼
Like for the Intro 🤙🏼
Fords are looking so good now since audi took over their design and engine business.
really?
they did? if so, nice... although the interior design is still, meh...
What??
😂 good one
Since when?
My heart is bleeding after you're "launch control" Start D: I mean, you sit in like 500 different cars and you don't know how to use LC? and it was such a good Video...
Love to see you do a review on the new Volvo S60 T8
This felt like an episode of the grand tour, love it
Torque steer? It just adds that bit of a tocuh of old hatchabks. Me like.
Me too
All part of the package
It's 34 us gallons, but 40 uk gallons... That's actually pretty good for a sports car
Let's all do our part: call or write Ford US Customer Relationship Center and tell them what their American customers want. If we all contact them, maybe they'll realize it's a profitable business decision to bring the Focus ST 6 spd manual transmission to the US/North American market. Wouldn't hurt to ask for the Fiesta ST and/or the Puma ST 6 speed manual as well! Ford Motor Company Customer Relationship Center P.O. Box 6248 Dearborn, MI 48126 Ford U.S. Phone: 1-800-392-3673
Thank you! Finally, i have been waiting for a proper review for the last weeks. Keep it up!
I'm a wildlife photographer!! Ford shut up and take my money :) LOVE IT.
I like Fords a lot, had a new Fiesta and have driven the old ST but the prices are just ridiculous. You can get a well specced 2018 Golf R for £7k less, and use 5k of that spare to get it up above 500bhp. I just don't get it
But if you let the focus depreciate, then it's gonna be significantly cheaper than the golf R. Companies don't price their product to compete with used products. Now if you compare it to a Golf GTI, the value for money on the ST if way better considering the recaro seat, adjustable dampers, B&O speakers, more power etc. that comes as standard as opposed to it being an expensive option (or not available) on the GTI.
What I personally don't get is why you're bringing the used car vs new car as an argument. Everyone and their mothers knows that you're getting a better deal used. Once this car's gonna be used the value will plummet just like almost every other car, what's the deal?
@@xIcarus227 Ford dealers enjoy pushing their prices as hard as possible. The price won't plummet far enough, we bought a used 19 fiesta st alongside my new fiesta and it had only dropped a few ks with a trade in porsche. Ford are massively overpriced atm, new and used.
@@dreamcrusher112 I'm sure it depends on specific dealers too, but my acquaintances' experiences with Ford dealerships have been very positive and everywhere you look people are saying they're getting big discounts. My father for example got a Mk3 Focus almost fully specced for 22k EUR. That's a hefty discount from the 28k he should've paid. Ford's list prices are aggressive, but their discounts are good like I mentioned before. I'm getting the feeling you got unlucky with the haggling honestly. About their used cars: they've started retaining value quite well somewhere in 2014 when people started figuring out that the MK3 Focus and the rest of the lineup are actually quite reliable cars (in Europe). But I think you're saying they're overpriced because of their second hand performance cars. Some of them lose value real quick (1 year old full option Mustangs for 30k in Germany) but most of them generally don't. Both RS generations have retained their value massively, and even the last gen STs are still quite expensive. But I definitely disagree that Ford are overpriced. The most overpriced brand in this segment would be VW, easily. The Golf R (since you mentioned it) is basically a big exception, that thing dropped value so fast I don't understand what happened. But most of VW's lineup, new or used, is a blatant ripoff.
S hasnt the eco boost engine got a woeful reliability rep
This is the most entertaining car channel on youtube. Others should just give up. Try for the 2nd position
I was reminded how much I liked the 2.5 Focus when one sonorously blasted passed me yesterday. This new one is a bit pants in comparison. Expensive too when you look at finance options - the Merc A35 is a far better choice for a few dollars more.
0-100 km/h is equal to 0-62 mph
No shit
Well no?
... and not 0-60 😆😜
The interior looks like my Transit the steering wheels the same and the cruise control sat nav everything, nothing wrong with my van then
ford interior is all super similar and basic-ish but i like that. it reduces the cost of the car and was a big reason why i didnt go for the wrx over my focus ST
da big dog LOOOOOOOOOOL
I saw you on the french highway with this car!
Mat my friend, you are looking great!
Rid the world of Mosquitos please.
This. Ten thousand times this
Rid the world of Ford please...
@@steeldevil98 but then there would be no escort/sierra cossie, mustang, GT, F150 Raptor, F650, fiesta ST, focus Rs/St, etc. And we wouldn't want this now would we? 🙅🏻♂️
9:59 Same thing has been said about Matt
Yeah I agree Matt that lap was quick
Does anybody know what changes ford did to the 2.3 from the old rs before putting it into this st? Thanks for helpful knowledge guys