The Fiesta ST and the Focus ST are both strictly manual transmission cars, so anybody not familiar with driving a stick shift was barred from participating. Not that you needed to be great about shifting, because the course was designed so that once you got into second gear, you could just leave it there up until it was time to get back to the staging area.
The course instructors and operators were also very picky about who got and stayed behind the wheel of the fleet of ST’s. The rule was that if you stalled it out more than twice, you were outta’ there. That was in addition to the rule that if you hit a cone, they would strip you of your driving pass, and you were going home. The ST track was a timed course, and we would do two laps in each car. First would be a slow or at least non-competitive lap that would allow us to learn the course’s twists and turns, and the second would be pedal to the metal time.
While waiting for my turn to drive, I spotted a certain couple of train hobbyist/car enthusiast/wearers of dorky couture fellows, still decked out in their identical ugly car shirts getting into their respective STs up ahead. The younger of the two went first and did ok in the Fiesta ST he had grabbed. The elder gentleman with whom I had been discussing vintage British cars earlier in the day, got behind the wheel of an adorable little black Focus ST and off he went. The guy in the black Focus was hot-rodding a bit too much and ended up losing control of his car and running over not just one, but five cones after flubbing the final hairpin turn in the course. When he made it back to the staging area, the instructor marched over to him, got him out of the car, and took his driving pass lanyard from around his neck, then told him to leave. These people were not joking about booting our butts out of there. Even though he got kicked out, the guy with the ugly car shirt left with a big ol’ smile on his face, so at least he had fun plowing down those traffic cones.
When it was my turn to go, I was nervous. I wanted to have a good time, but I absolutely did not want to hit a cone and get kicked out…. And I sure didn't want to hurt or damage the beautiful little STs they were going to let us play with. First up was a ride in the very same black Focus that had been used to trounce those five traffic cones. It was my first go-round at this course, and being in the same car that had just lost a previous driver his privileges, I was perhaps overly cautious, and turned in a track time of 36 seconds on my second lap. It was fun, but I was holding back out of wariness. To give some perspective, the instructor, who is a professional racer, got a track time of 29.011 seconds, and the guys who ended up on the leader board and taking part in a shootout challenge between the two of them both had times of 29.something, and they were both motocross racers who actually use the Canterbury grounds for racing on a regular basis. I’m just an amateur, so I really couldn't compete with that, but I still had a blast.
When I was up to drive the Fiesta ST, I got my time down to 34.something seconds, still being very cone wary. I think if I had a few more laps to practice, I could have shaved it down to at least 31 seconds, but I’ll never know.
So, I did pull down a better time with the Fiesta than with the Focus, but I think it was a matter of increasing familiarity with the course over the laps I accumulated. If I had driven the cars in the opposite order, the Focus would have scored an even faster time. The Fiesta ST was the main reason I wanted to go to Canterbury that day, because I had never driven one before. I was wondering how well it stacked up against its awesome older sibling, the Focus ST. Maybe you are too?
First, the Fiesta is clearly smaller. You don’t even need to see specs to realize that. It appears taller and narrower, and a bit shorter too. It isn't actually taller though -its narrowness just seems to accentuate its height. The Fiesta didn't feel as firmly planted on the pavement as the Focus. The Focus was much more willing to let me toss it into a corner, whereas the Fiesta protested a little, especially around that last hairpin turn where the ugly car shirt guy had lost control. The Focus bore the G-force and clung to the ground to get me through the corner, whereas the little Fiesta acted like it wanted to slide off the rails. I felt a repeated lurching sensation from the front end of the Fiesta and heard a “wubbb-wubbb-wubb-wubb” sound as the front tires continually slipped and regained traction around the bend -the instructor on the course had warned us that the surface we’d be driving on that day was among the worst she had ever driven on in terms of traction and grip.
Power-wise, here’s how the two stack up. The Focus ST features a 2.0L EcoBoost engine paired with a 6 speed manual transmission for an output of 252 HP and 270 lb-ft of torque. The Fiesta ST has a 1.6L EcoBoost engine and a 6 speed manual for a haul of 197 HP and 202 lb-ft of torque. Of course, the Focus weighs in at 3,223 lbs, whereas the Fiesta only has to move 2,720 lbs with its horseys. This means, the Focus ST has its own weight to bear of 12.78 pounds per horse, and the Fiesta ST carries 13.8 pounds per horsepower rating. Both can be had with comfortably bolstered Recaro racing seats, and there’s no reason why buyers should not spring for those seats. If you don’t plan on needing racing seats in your ST, then you probably ought to just be shopping for a regular Focus or Fiesta, if you ask me.
Like I said of the course driving, my experience was that the Focus had a better feel to it in terms of handling and grip. Its wider stance gave it an advantage over the Fiesta when cornering. In terms of dimensions, the Focus has the following: Length: 171.7”, width: 79.1“, and height of 58.4”. The Fiesta, in contrast is 160.1” long (11.6” less in length), 67.8” wide (11.3” thinner) and is 57.2” tall (1.2” shorter).
MSRP on the Fiesta ST is, of course, lower than on a Focus ST. The Fiesta ST starts at $21,400, whereas the Focus starts at $24,495. Of course, that’s before we add on stuff that we want, like those Recaros. I went to the Ford website and spec’d out one of each car as I would want them for myself. First, I built a Fiesta ST in a blaring shade of green called “Green Envy Metallic Tri-Coat”… In fact, here’s a picture of a Fiesta in that same color that was on display at the Challenge.
I added the Recaro package for $1,995, which not only got me the racing seats, but also heated side mirrors (This is Minnesota, after all, and I’ll need those). I then sprung for the 17” Rado Gray wheels with red painted brake calipers for an extra $375 -might as well have the little bugger look the way I want it to, you know. I tossed in a navigation system with some other electronic goodies for $795, though I could manage just fine without it, too. I added the officially licensed removable Thule roof rack for $485 (thank God it’s removable for when I don’t want it there) so that I can haul my kayak around when I want to, and ended up with a total MSRP of $25,940.… not bad, actually, when you consider I got the car exactly how I wanted it.
I was bummed that my Focus ST couldn't be spec’d out in green. Still, I loved the little black one I drove, and even though I am opposed to owning another black car due to the increased likelihood of getting speeding tickets with one, I’d take a Focus in black. So, I started out with a wicked looking Tuxedo Black Focus ST with an MSRP of $24,495. I added a very expensive equipment group that gave me leather Recaro seats plus just about everything else for interior goodies including ambient lighting and Sony premium sound for the whopping price of $4,840, though there was a discount involved in the addition of that package, as I discovered later. I added an engine block heater for $35 (Minnesota, ya’ know) and 18” Rado Gray Alloy wheels for $375 extra along with a $55 set of locking lug nuts to ensure nobody steals my fancy rims. Then I chose a matte black set of racing stripes to contrast the glossy tuxedo black body for $495. Grand total brought me to $29,805. That’s getting up there for a little compact hatchback if you ask me, but considering what I’d get for the money -an absolutely sinister looking little monster capable of going from daily driving to the track in the blink of an eye- it’s worth it. Anyway, there would probably be some added incentives that would knock that price down a bit. I was a little bummed Ford didn't offer a removable Thule roof rack for the Focus like they had for the Fiesta, because there’s still the matter of my Kayak to be dealt with, but I’d still take the Focus ST over the Fiesta ST based on the driving experience I had at the ST course. Both are fantastic little cars, but I prefer the feel of the Focus ST, and the room inside, too -after all, I do own a pack of very large Great Danes, and every now and then, I have to fit one or two in the car with me.
Really, you can’t go wrong with either car. I give them both a thumbs up.
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