Skip Ahead: Intro: 00:00 Exterior: 01:05 Interior: 02:38 Infotainment: 03:56 Features: 05:14 Practicality: 06:19 On the Road: 09:52 Acceleration (0-100 & 1/4 mile): 11:53 Focus ST v Golf GTI Drag Race: 15:22 On the Road: 16:42 Verdict: 21:50

I’m still frustrated that we aren’t getting these in the US. Beautiful car

Firstly, this is one of the best reviews I've watched in a while. Fantastic job to you and the team. I'm not a GTi fan as there's tons of them from where I'm from and given that it got its butt kicked by a Ford makes me smile in disbelief. I would surely opt for the manual. The exterior is gorgeous, especially in that color.

Love the speedo overlay while doing the drag races & acceleration tests........... Top vid, amazing review.......... this channel will go FAR for sure💪👍👊

What a great review. So much information exactly how a review should be done. Anyone who's thinking of buying the Focus ST needs to see this review👍

I like watching reviews of cars I will never buy

Great review & loving the new channel. It’s a small thing but the time codes are sooo handy!

Once again a great review Paul,you covered all the bases,being a avid Golf driver it was great to see the great GTi on test.Looking forward to driving the new 8 GTi.

Keep up guys with these good reviews

Love the channel! Keep it up! Nice to hear an accent from this part of the world. Cheers from NZ!

Great content, this channel will be big soon!

Another wonderful video Paul As always Thanks big fan. 🏁.

Great review! Have given me a lot to think about in terms of transmission option and ride comfort. Subscribed.

What a great channel, just stumbled across it. I'm glad I did.

I really liked this format, especially the thinking behind the choice vis a vis competitors. Indeed, I'm always keen for similar types of thoughts during all car reviews - thinking through the pros and cons of a car for different types of buyer, including as compared to both new and second hand competitors (since 2nd hand is always a factor for any price point). PS: Congrats on getting this car!

I love your honesty in your reviews, keep it up :)

The best Ozzie car reviewer ever! The only Australian car journalist to take it to the Brits! Keep killing it sir.

Bought my '17 ST three weeks ago. First time I drove stick and managed to get it off the lot and haven't looked back. So much fun to drive!

I feel like I'm watching Seth McFarlane doing a car review 🤣👍.

Fantastic review!

Another excellent review! The car does look pretty decent. And the anti-lag that got my attention!

The best and most in depth mk4 Focus ST video I’ve seen on KZfaq so far in my opinion. And I’m coming from the UK as well. Very good review lads.

Very good review , cheers

Very , very good review , cheers

Excellent comprehensive review. Well done! (I'm getting one of these as a lease car... :-))

Gratz to all the team at CarExpert, note to Alborz, very clever, very clever indeed - no doubt the mudguard is not happy :)

Paul gives the best car reviews

Great review, love the detail and quality 👌 Those exhaust tips look strangely black already 🤨

Brilliant video cheers steve 😀 👍

I could be wrong but this is the first Automatic Review in English that is on KZfaq? I’ve had mine for about 3 weeks now. Couple of things I thought I’d mention. I get pops and crackles whilst in Sport and Manual shifting selected. Road Noise isn’t such a problem when you have the music at a reasonable level and I drive on bumpy roads often in my area. And I also found the cornering in the car is a lot more precise than the current GTI/R.

Quality video. Keep it up.

How good is that Thanks 😊 Paul 💙

great video all the way from South Africa

it's almost 1am here, I really should go to bed asap, but still a lot of unfinished work and suddenly I realise there's a new review from CarExpert ... and I go like 😳🥺😭😫🤬😱🤯 and - at least - with my last breath I hit 👍.

Great review 👌👌

Excellent video mate, you have a very amiable personality. I actually recognised where you were instantly when you were talking about the sat nav, because I happen to attend Citylife church which is very close to where you filmed the first segment haha. Are you still with CarAdvice too?

been loving the new channel came over from your other channel, just one criticism the hardness test I feel like you can put the explanation of it in text rather than saying it every video, other than that loved the reviews. :)

I went from the manual Mk3 FL ST to the MK4 St with Auto. I am not regretting this. It is my daily driver to work, etc. therefore the auto is great. Yes, DualClutch would have been better, I still favor this auto over the manual now. There is room for improvement in the auto gearbox, but for me it's simply good enough. And my STs love(d) the unlimted parts of our Autobahn :)

Great review Paul. I’ve not heard from you since listening to Pricie on 2GB. The car sounds like it’s great, but I’ll take heed of your comments about it not really being a comfortable daily driver. Any chance of a comparison between the latest ST and an I30 sedan?

Let’s talk let’s talk let’s talk. You are doing a review so clearly your talking 👊🏻

Anyone know what the model name of the gearbox is? Would like to get some more info on it. Maybe ford or tuning companies can fix some of the issues with it in the future 🤔 would also be interesting to know how much NM it can take if the car gets tuned.

Great Video, watched alot manual ones and waited for a automatic one. I actually ordered one automatic back in october, i had 4 Cars now all manual, but if you driven an automatic before in dense city traffic or traffic jam on the highway, then you dont want a manual, thats why i got an automatic.

I really don't get this trend today with verifying if there's soft plastic on the top of the doors in front and especially in the back. Do you touch that surface? does this affect the performance and the handling of the car ? Does this affect the safety of the passengers ? Why is it disappointing if you have hard plastic there ? I'm really curios ?

You’re obviously around the Heathcote area & honestly all back roads outside there, are pretty ordinary Paul. I’m from Bendigo & I know those back roads very well, so your literally on service road territory around Knowsley & Eppalock.😖🤪 Great review👍🏼😎

As there is little to no info on gearbox, how "long" is the last gear ? What is the real rpm on highway ?

What about the suspension compared to the golf gti? Is it that much firmer? Is it too much?

The interior is SOOO much nicer than my '18

Top review paul, i’ve driven a previous model and the ride was stiff as well

I like the car! as Borat would say "Very Nice" So just with the auto, would you not "stall" it against the torque converter because its an Auto & not use the 2 step (Launch Control) even if it did (Needlessly) have it??

Great review mate. Not sure if I would want to live with it as a daily. Plus, Ford worry me a little in after sale support. Any word yet on the new sports Corolla ? I know it wont be suitable for a Race Track, but will be easier to live with long term and has decent performance ?

Excellent review Paul and Team. Camera work really tops. Given that this car originated in the UK or even as built in Germany, automatics are not of special interest to drivers of 'so called, performance cars' in these countries or indeed greater Europe in general, and thus the limits of said automatic seem apparent for this very reason. In Australia, the reverse is the case with ordinary car purchases with autos ruling the Aussie roost. Even performance cars are not immune. The Focus ST looked especially good in that shade of blue. Performance is pretty much as expected, which is really very good. To finish. In Australia, city stuff along with long drives and really very long hauls on roads not dissimilar to yours' to the dragstrip are largely the rule. Driver's bums can only stand so much of the rough rides and noise into the cabin can be a real a negative. You're right. Quieter tyres might not be quite as fast or enable grip at the limit but as handling seems a wee bit skittish on those currently used, maybe the lesser tryres would a case of 'less' meaning more overall livability. Which begs the question. Why didn't Ford Australia try a fix. At Ford's Aussie Test track abeam the You Yangs this bespoke testing ground would have certainly helped, but nothing beats long run in the bush. After all Hyundai Aust did it with their i30's. Aussie really is like a 'Tale of two Cities but differs because ours' is in truth, a Tale of Big City, Commutes, city 7 town shopping trips, and motoring on through the Australian bush, the Outback, through deserts and beyond.

I reckon this is the only Focus review that highlights the 180 degree rearview camera.

Can you talk a little about the headlights? I hear they're better than matrix LEDs. I know I've been going on about head lights a lot but driving in dark rural roads I think this tech is great. And what are your thoughts on this vs Megane RS?

I really like the looks of this car. Nice that it comes with those exceptional Pilot sport 4s's

wow theyve really improved the design since i bought my 2016

hi a question have you or can you test the 2019/20 MG6 trophy 1.5ltr turbo .thank you

Nice video

Bought one a few months ago. It had been sitting at the dealers as an unloved demo car. Previously I owned a 2016 ST (Mountune fitted). When I first drove it, it was like getting into the old ST, but with more oomph. It's nice, I guess as the type of car, its pretty limited to being a fast car with the electronics added (definitely more than the 2016), though mine doesn't have the premium sound system or the overtake warning stuff. It is a decent car, though I think (like the ST 170 that started this family of cars) it could do with the extra power the Mountune kit (now not part of the deal in Australia) gives it. I don't find the ride too bad, the difference between normal and sport modes is huge, normal mode will sit in 7th gear on the motorway, same motorway in sport mode only sits in 6th. Sport mode hangs on the gears longer and unlike the one tested here, mine pops and snorts (in whatever mode) especially on overrun.

I am going to test drive the Ford Focus ST this week and the Renault megane RS Trophy by the way it would be great if you could do a review on the Renault megane RS trophy

The gearbox on the auto remind me of the gearbox from the PSA group, similiar behavior as in the mondeo diesel, from 2015 i think

An American car not available in the US. Crazy.

If it was a DSG, I would go with automatic. My 2017 ST obviously is standard. But I would love to see the ST/RS come back to Canada and would love to see it with the DSG.

Ford Australia website doesn't say the Focus ST manual or automatic being available here yet. When is it coming out?

I've had mine for a month now and agree with most comments. However, whilst I haven't used the gearbox in manual mode, it's been quite OK so far. The tyres are very noisy on some surfaces but do have a lot of grip I have to use extra Lumbar support (as I do in all cars) and the seat cushion is a bit hard Ride in normal mode is very choppy on some surfaces. It needs a comfort mode! Goes like the clappers...................

Pauly, what watch is that you are wearing? Looks pretty good. Great comparison too.

We need this in the states. Come on now!

Great review I wonder do they sell this automatic version in the Uk? 🇬🇧

How does this guy not have more subscribers 😮. Love the depth👍 Should review the Type R has the best seats in the business. This guy has a look of Elon musk😁

Great review mate! Shame the plate mount is terribly big.

Try doing the 1/4 mile in race mode with the transmission in Manual mode and use the paddle shifters on the steering wheel.

If it wasn’t for all that wheelspin, I think the ST could get a 5.3 - 5.4 sec run to 100kph. It is pretty quick!

Wow surprised by your review of the rear seats. I have 2 sons that are 6"5 and 150Kg. They both love the Focus and fit behind me when I am driving. BTW I am 6"1

Hello, has this Car an OPF Like in Germany?

I wonder if the 3 cylinder 1.5L ST-Line would be a better buy for some people that where going to buy the auto? Sounds like the ST should be had with the manual and be bought by people that drive away from the suburbs. Can the ST run on E10? The ST-Line says 95 and E10 in instruction manual and fuel filler (different engine I know) I know you miss out on some emotion with the auto but it should be mentioned you score a more functional autonomous cruise control with the auto. Manual probably doesn’t have AEB either.

cracking review mate, yes i thought that when test drove the new ST manual last August, not comfortable in comfort mode (too much vertical bounce), and long distance travel, with lack of comfort/lumbar support on the Recaro's was the reason I sold my 2015 MK3.5 Focus ST (keeping the wife happy also). Be interesting so see who many auto's sell, it was popular in the last ST's diesel model, not available for the MK4 diesel this time (weird), but not as dumb as not selling the Focus ST in US/CAN! 🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️

Have one of these in Manual, upgraded from the 2017 STD, absolutely amazing... don't expect much in the way of mpg in the first few thousand miles though (but who buys a car like this to be economic) xD

Paul if you're still reading comments can you explain the difference between the static led headlights we get on this car VS the dynamic (adaptive) headlights overseas models can be optioned with?

I’ve the previous ST and I’m torn between the n30 fastback or the new ST but it will definitely be a manual either way for me!

Good review, but I think the acceleration and the drag race part can put it in another episode

fishermans friend should honestly just come as standard in all cars now, as part of the central storage compartment

Can it be tuned to mustang specs ?

The start was filmed in the car park at the state basketball centre off Eastlink, right around the corner from me ☺️ It’s a shame there’s no RS anymore due to Euro emissions reasons, would loved to have seen a new one of those (manual of course)

Nice video is the new ST available in estate? Thanks

Awesome review. I have had the MK3 Focus ST and the MK7 Fiesta ST. I now have the MK8 Fiesta ST. In NZ, we are only getting the Auto Focus ST. Took one out on a test drive and was a little disappointed. I couldn't see or feel the $25k price difference over the Fiesta (NZ pricing). Maybe the MK8 Fiesta ST is just an absolute bargain?

I love sport hatch I have C30 T5 R design I'm not sure why Volvo stopped production.

i much prefer an exhaust with no artificial cracks and pops. This focus is just amazing though. It doesn`t sound like a ricer car. It actually is pretty elegant

Nice review :-) Luckily the wife insist's on not wanting to drive an automatic :-) this one has to be manual. This decision is made even easier back here in Germany, they charge 2000 € for the auto over the manual.

Beautiful car

Paul,how does the ride compare to a Mk7 Fiesta ST.

So what do you recommend?

I'll stick with my ST250, love driving it everyday

Amo este coche, una lastima que en México no lo hay.

Great review, good looking car pity here in South Africa the Ford Focus has been discontinued. VW has formed a cult here.

Is this the same gearbox ford had a class action against them for reliability ? Does it really mater if it's quick but has a unreliable gearbox that ford won't fix.?

I thought these cars were quick, I did a 12.5s quarter in my manual 300zx and it didn't seem fast at all

FINALLY AN AUTOMATC ST!

Great video mate, to bad most of the other hatchbacks look much better (Objectively speaking)

Does Ford have an official position on warranty coverage for track use, like Hyundai do with the i30N? If not then they should probably pull back the marketing on things like "track spec brakes / tyres" etc...

1 more question when you going too road test the Ford Mustang. 💙

No launch control? I have that goody in my manual Mk4 ST.