This one is INCREDIBLY rare! All of the weather seals on the bottom of the doors are still in place! 😂

Fun fact, I got myself a 2017 focus ST-3 in May 2023. This video was a helpful tool in convincing me to get it. Thanks!

Focus’s have always been known for their steering and handling. Happy to see they’ve continued

Even as a Fiesta owner, I "get" the image thing, but we're not all the same, honest!!

I've had mine since new 5 years now, honestly couldn't be happier with it as my sole car. It still makes me smile, both looking at it and driving it. Just wish I had more opportunity to use it this past year!

I love my ST3, late 2017 model and I picked it up last year with a genuine 8000 miles on the clock. Fully loaded, Impact Blue colour, and just the right mix between 'sleeper' and performance looks, especially for a 40-something like me! I also thought the Mk3.5 was a lot better looking than the Mk4 (I seriously considered this), so opted for that and chose to save myself over £10k in the process. What I have done, though, was have an Mfactory helical limited slip diff fitted and, whilst that was going in, upgraded the transmission to have the Focus RS clutch and flywheel. Then, I have had PumaSpeed "breathe" a little on the car (upgraded air induction, intercooling, iridium plugs, stage 1 remap, etc. - nothing crass, no dumb popping, banging or loud blow off valves) and now it is giving 290bhp and 386 lb ft of torque. It feels unleashed, and the diff was definitely the best investment as it dials out most of that torque steer to the point you don't really worry about it. Also sharpens up handling, turn in, and evens out brake and tyre wear

The 2.5T engine was awesome. I had a Mondeo with that engine in it, and other than the expensive cambelt job, it was a dream

had an 18 plate focus st3 for a year now and i must say its the best car i`ve ever owned, love it

I had one for a while, I had it remapped (the increased turbo boost was wicked) and have to say it was the most fun car I've driven to date by a long way, better than my current Golf R, and the infotainment system voice control was excellent! I'm hoping to get the fun back with a mk4 MX-5 which is on its way....

Purchased a Race Red St like this 1 and never regretted buying it. Just a lovely car to have and to use.

Love my deep impact blue Focus ST. I was looking at Fiesta ST's but I had similar opinions on the "boy racer" view as there are so many kids locally with them. The Focus feels more powerful, a lot more grown up, abit more refined and has more room for the mrs and kids. It delivers in every aspect. Great review

I’ve owned one for almost a year now! 2015 ST3. These are sooo amazing! Comfortable, fast, great economy, and they look so good. Especially the one in this video with the aero. I believe these will be appreciated long term, especially here in the US since Ford pulled out most of their cars. I want to keep mine forever!

I love my 2016 ST1 I just turned 40,000 miles. It still puts a smile on my face every day. 😎👍

Currently watching this while in my 14 focus st 😂 just bought my focus last June and absolutely love it. Pretty cool to see what the Europe version of the ST looks like! Great review, man!

Well I wasn't expecting such a glowing report on this car but I'm glad it did as these ST's are one of my favourite looking hatches and also a great price too.

Had my 67 plate for 6 months. Done 7k and loved it. Really good balance between power and handling that always remains on the side of fun. Hard to beat as a value, fun daily.

I just got the mk3.5 (Stealth Grey - actually turns some heads!) - coming from an older Mercedes I'm hugely impressed. It's really clean-styled inside. The bodywork and angles are really aggressive but not over the top. It feels amazing to steer and such a joy to drive. It can be a little devil though when you hid the back roads, it wants full throttle. It tells me so, every time i do. :)

I absolutely love my focus, it has such a sense of fun around it while being livable. It comes alive in the backroads as if it wants to be driven and when you turn the torque vectoring system on the cars ability to turn in is unbelievable! It feels so tight and precise thanks to the chassis and recaro seats. I have no complaints about this car, but after watching this video I wish it wasn't winter so I could clean it out

After driving a 18' focus st3 for over 2 years, ive come to really appreciate this car and how well it performs. I have a heavy performance background. Grew up racing, my father and his father are Porsche mechanics, as well as myself, and have driven a ton of performance cars both brand new and old, from Ferrari to Ford. This isnt a car to scoff at, i love this car, and its performance rating is well above its price range.. as a road vehicle that performs similar to a track car but still all the comfortably of a well made hatchback, this little hatch has checked a ton of boxes that enthusiasts can get behind.

Had the Diesel ST3 for 4 years and it never let me down, yeah I did at times regret not getting the petrol but the performance, handling and fuel economy as a family and motorway commuter always put those regrets to the back of my mind. Being made a permanent home worker made me sell Bertha and I decided to get the Fiesta PE ST which is great fun to drive especially on the back roads, the focus always felt more planted tho!

6 years ago In my 40s I bought a '14 Red Focus ST1 as a 3rd car to make a 50 mile one way commute a little more fun. I still have it. Lots of power, good torque and fits my age perfectly.

I had a stealth grey one from 2015 to 2018 and loved it couldn't fault it apart from the lack of noise. But was good looking fast comfortable and good technology.

Moved from 2014 Fiesta Mk7 ST-2 MP215 to 2018 Focus ST-3. Both cars fantastic. The Focus is more grown up than the Fiesta. Both are fast cars on A and B roads. The ST-3 gadgets are amazing for this price point. The torque steer ain't so bad. In my view it adds to the excitement of the drive. Don't mash your foot to the floor like a gorilla and all will be OK! I was gonna contact you to offer mine for a review opportunity around Herefordshire, seems like I was beaten to it by this great red beauty! Pleased to hear the Mk3.5 ST has gone in to your list of favourite hot hatches OF ALL TIME! Great review and fantastic channel. Keep it going.

I have a black st3 which I did 50k miles in. My other half now has it as we needed a 7 seater. On the odd day I get my backside back in it I fall in love with it all over again. I have owned many cars which were more expensive and more powerful but the ST is the only car I have ever truly loved. I don’t think I will ever sell it.

Yep couldnt agree more, a great alternative to many classes in its range and it tops them all quite easily.

Picking up my all black Focus ST3 tomorrow…can’t wait.

I love your videos JayEmm partly because you inform me and partly because you’re a likeable guy. Pete 🇬🇧

the estate version of this car is a hidden gem, especially given how stupidly priced the new 2.3 focus is id have this any day

I have a less exotic diesel mk3.5 as my first car and I'm a little happier to hear you mention difficulty seeing/knowing where the front is as in my first year I scratched that front passenger's side corner on a dashed wall trying to do a U-turn in a space maybe only a couple of feet wider than the car's turning circle. I use the reflection of the headlights to know when I'm close, when the outline is clear cut in the shape of the light, you're quite close, but that didn't work well when the ground sloped up to the wall.

I have a white 2018 st3,had it for a year and I still love it.just put a hardline rear motor mount,wheels and tires and a bov that's it.A very fun comfortable family friendly car!

👏👏 Spot on review - I've got an artic white ST2 MK3 (2015 on a 65 plate). I find myself agreeing with all of your driving/performance observations.

Glad you like it - I bought one of the last production February 2018 ST3s new as a daily. Even then there were still excellent discounts, and I got just shy of £4000 off list price. Coming up on its 3rd birthday, totally standard car apart from an OBD port delete for security, and I can't think of anything I'd want to change it for. Mine has the backup cam, sunroof, and the door edge protectors that you liked - those were an option, and were exceedingly cheap like you implied at only £75 extra! A no brainer. Late 66 plates onwards had the Sync3 infotainment which is acknowledged as being even better (faster, with android auto/apple carplay) than the Sync2 in your test car, and can even be hacked to the current Sync3.4 (seen it done, but not tried).

Mr. JayEmm, this is a fantastic review. Job well done.

I have a 2018 ST1 over here in America, and let me tell you that is IS a truly amazing all 'rounder. I actually use it to drive rideshare, and I've put about 47,000 miles on it since I bought it last year. All I had to do was delete the Sound Symposer and it was essentially perfect. Despite the heavy use, the only reliability issues have been a busted evap can and a small brake leak that I still need to get to, and the latter was almost certainly the result of poor road conditions where I live (I live near Chicago). Outside that, it's only needed oil changes and tires/brakes (which I can claim on taxes lol). It gets a downright amazing 27 to 30mpg average fuel economy, the interior gets me lots of compliments even from people who don't realize it's a sports car, and it's a great conversation piece for people who realize it's sporty and has a manual transmission. All this and yet it's a blast when I want it to be and the torque delivery is amazing even when just puttering around in taxi mode. Only downsides are it's a bit on the small side when I have to carry more than two customers at a time, and once every blue moon I get a complaint about the ride quality (which tbf is a bit harsher than a Chevy Cruze or Mazda3). Those trade-offs are miniscule considering how much fun this thing is to drive and that I got it for just $17,200 with 36,000 miles on it. Ford struck absolute gold with this car.

Bought one new in 15, got 36k on the clock now because I use my transit a lot but i love it, I can do dad stuff then when I'm on my own I can hit the lanes and drop it a couple of gears and it makes me smile everytime.

I own a 2013 MK3 ("prefacelift") Focus ST1 in the US since new (Race Red as well!) and it is still an excellent car. We never got the auto door guards over here - great idea. The CF gearshift knob is a Ford OE item/accessory - was fitted as standard in US spec Mk3.5 ("facelift") ST3s, along with CF door trim "spears", CF center guage pod and CF handbrake level grip.

I've had mine since new in 2014, and I love it. Two notes: It has a larger turning circle than a limousine, for some reason, so get used to doing three point turns, AND, if you are too aggressive from a standing start, the front wheel hop will almost put the engine in your lap. I have an ST3 with the sunroof and full HID headlamps, unfortunately those headlamps delaminate, the clearcoat yellows and flakes off after a few years. No fun... OK, so, that was three notes.

Great review. I always remember owning the mk2 focus st and a Ford salesman trying to sell a mk3 as I sat in on at the showroom. The 2.5l sounded better suspension was softer so more comfortable and very easy to tune 270+bhp on stage 1. Oh yeah and 3 doors which wasn't available on the mk3. Needless to say he didn't get the sale and must of found it harder to sell than the mk2. I will concede though now I have a family the mk3.5 looks awesome much better and I did almost buy one!

Great indepth review. Bought one last year and it's great fun little car.

I drive a Ford Focus hatchback STLine manufactured in 2011 and I too love my Focus as well. Excellent car. I'm fascinated by the car. I am seriously thinking of buying a real ST. I know that it will not disappoint me.

Thanks J, good review! Fords also fit the taller driver, which is very useful for some!

I’ve had my ST-3 for 5years, I love it and you don’t see many of them 👍

I recently bought my third car, a 2013 Focus 1.6 Ecoboost 150, and it's a nice car with sharp handling and a good equipment level (Leather seats, cruise, bluetooth audio, electric driver's seat controls etc.). My plan is to upgrade to a Focus ST 3.5 like the one i the video in a couple of years. Unfortunately cars here in Norway are ridiculously expensive, and even a 2013 ST is still north of 20K pounds. Got to save some money and wait until the facelifted cars get a little cheaper!

Owned my 2016 ST for two years. Really do love it. Way more civilised than my previous FN2 CTR, and although the engine isn't as special as the K20 it does pack a much bigger punch. Torque steer does make you wrestle with it, even in the dry, but it's all part of the fun! I'm getting 40mpg on a run and 28 day to day. Fitted a Direnza short shifter to reduce the long gearlever throw. Worth it for 50 quid and dead easy job.

i picked up a mk2 st225 last week, such a great car, and the sound is amazing

I was set on getting a hot hatch and couldn't decide between the ST, GTI, Mazda speed3, or hyundai veloster. a 2017 ST showed up in my area with 20k miles on it and I went for it. 5 years later I'm so glad I did, it's such a fun car (even rowdy in its own way) but keeps a baseline level of practicality. Really sad to see Ford discontinue the line here in the US, but that's made STs a sort of cult collector's item now at least in the states. I love watching people review these cars because they almost always walk away with a grin.

I've had one of the last made of these from new and I'd echo most of what Jay says here. I would guess the jittery ride is almost certainly down to those 19" wheels (stick to the standard 18" and the ride is very acceptable for a car which handles and steers so crisply). The torque steer can be all but eliminated by having a Quaife LSD fitted which selected Ford dealers will do (it's a Ford Approved Mountune accessory and came standard on the last of the Mk3 RS cars) - this also makes it hugely confidence inspiring when cornering and improves the steering feel even more. The also Ford Warranty approved MP275 performance upgrade makes it properly quick too, quite a few cars will already have this as you could order it from new - and it makes no difference to the insurance and its recognised as a model in it's own right by most of the insurance companies. IMO this is a real performance bargain and considerably cheaper than the admittedly brilliant RS which overshadowed it at the time. Worth checking out Autocar's review / road test of it too, echo's almost exactly what Jay has observed here. Great review Jay as always.

I had a MK3.0 ST Estate for the extra space and it came in very handy when I moved house (I owned both properties for a while). A bit of a wolf in sheep's clothing rather than the other way around with some of the 'hot' versions. Sold after a few years to fund a project and cheaper runaround, it would have been better just to have kept it!

Had preface lift mk3, loved it superb car , swapped it for BMW M140 last year still miss the quick turn in of my ST tho chassis as well, only front drive car i had driven that over steered like rear drive car ,handling wizards at ford working their magic as always

Throttle response is improved immeasurably by unrestricting the airbox (putting a proper cold air intake in place of the stock one), and a better intercooler, which come at a cost, but, far less than forking out for an RS (and less boyracer looking, which put me off the RS frankly - I am 48 you see!). Mine has 293bhp with a Pumaspeex MAXD-OUT 280+ retune, Milltek Sport catback, M-factory helical LSD, RS clutch and flywheel, Airtec intake, Pumaspeed R-Sport intercooler. I love fast Fords, and the ST is restrained in design. I test drove a lot of cars before opting for this one: a Merc AMG A35, Golf R, Cupra Leon and Mk4 ST (hated the way that looked though!)... have already tried a few of the smaller BMWs... i loved the Ford for its dynamics, handling, steering, and I just love the blue collar hero image frankly. Badge snobbery never interested me. Of all the cars I test drove, this made me smile the most. I also got a very low mileage example (8k miles only after 3 years). To add: I saw it as a project car to have fun with. Target of around 300bhp. Just have a downpipe and Stage 2 tune left, and it'll probably turn out around 310-315bhp. Even with 293bhp and with the help of much improved throttle response and the diff, 0-60 I have clocked at 5.2 secs on an accurate unit. That is a 1.3 sec improvement over stock!

I love Focus STs. We had a mk2 before they got a certain image, epic car. Got to say, you say you aren't a Ford person but I have yet to see you dislike one. For the money I think they are great value, and for driving ability they compete above their price point

Owned one (PE62 EHC) for, literally, one month before it was stolen in April 2017. Mind you I do live in Liverpool. Nice car, it'd only done 10,000 miles when it got nicked.

Great car all round, so much fun to drive , lots of gadgets especially the st3 , feels bigger than it is , just bought mine 2 months ago, easy to change simple things like bulbs etc I bought the 2.0tdci version with 185psi ,plenty of power & torque ,doesn't feel like a diesel though .

Had my mk3 for 2 and half years now. Only used on weekends and barely sees 2k miles a year. I just can bring myself to sell it as this review perfectly puts it. It just does everything perfectly. I don’t think a golf r or s3, m340i will give me the same driving engagement. Looks like it’s staying for life

For someone who's not a Ford fan, you've had a lot of positive Ford videos lately! 🤣🤣🤣

I have one of these ST3 in black, with 19'' wheels, all the extras & the rare moon roof, love it & more important so does my wife. I had the (Asbo)Focus 2.5 ST & the Fiesta ST prior, my wife hated both, this is leagues over those (apart from the 5 cylinder burble). I'm all for trying different cars, fancied the golf r next, but my wife has told me we are keeping the Focus. This is my favourite review, mirrors exactly how I feel & more importantly how my wife feels about the car & driving it.

I loved my Mk2 ST3. The Mk3 just leaves me cold, regardless of how well judged a drive it might be, there's no "want" factor.

Thank you nice vid. Me drive a June 2016 RHD white Ford Fiesta ST 2 door. 94000 km on odometer. I am 56 years old daily driver. Greetings from Pretoria South Africa.

Great video and completely agree. As someone approaching 50, much as I like the Fiesta ST I just couldn't buy one due to the image but the Focus ST seems to have a much more mature owner base.

The Quaife LSD made the torque steer run away and never come back. A 91 (US) octane tune generated 326 ftlbs. of torque. Grandkids stow crayons in the little cubbyholes. Makes long trips the most fun I’ve had driving in 59 years behind the wheel.

I have a Diesel st2.. of the best cars I have ever owned. Awesome👍🏻

Nice. I have a blue 2016 ST3 and really enjoy it. People think they can be unreliable but just change the oil regularly and don’t put any silly maps on them and they are fine. Perfect mix of fun and practical daily driver. Also good value compared to competitors. Quick enough, although not compared to things like S3’s and Golf R’s, but possibly more fun if out and out acceleration from the lights is not your aim. Great on twisty roads.

You totally forgot to mention the 185bhp diesel version, still available in ST1, 2 or 3 guise. I bought a '67 St3 petrol in 2019 and absolutely love it. Upgraded from a mk6 Fiesta St that I had for 9 years.

James is kinder about the torque steer than a lot of other reviews. I did consider one of these instead of a BMW 235 (coming fron a Clio RS200), but even newer, they still had squeaks & rattles

Great review of a great fun car!!!!

I’ve a 2017 ST3 estate in tangerine scream. Best car I’ve ever had. I looked at a 5 door in stealth but not big enough to fit the pram in the boot. Now the pram has gone the dog fits in lovely. Think the performance is similar to the 5 door. Maybe a bit of a second here and there but as an all rounder I think it’s unbeatable for money. Run’s on 18s and the ride is ok. Word is the 19s are a bit more brutal.

This shows the value of a different perspective. All I’ve seen of these was the EVO reviews which weren’t exactly complimentary. It was 3/5 car and I’m sure they preferred the diesel when they long term tested each.

Excellent Review !!

I need those Rims state side... Gorgeous!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have owned or driven just about everything and honestly the Focus ST to this day is one of my favorite cars ever, nothing can beat small and light, nothing, you can put 2,000 horsepower in a big pig of a car but it will still be a big pig of a car, but a small and light car with decent power will always be king.

The mk3.5 st really is a brilliant all round performance car, very few common faults, great performance, practical and a reasonable price. It handles way nicer the earlier mk3, looks great too

Dig the review, as always! I haven't always thought this way, but while I believe the Focus ST to be a truly great car for the value, I believe the Fiesta ST, even with its smaller displacement, power figures, storage capacity, etc.... I think the Fiesta ST is a better car. (It's more fun, though less practical) Seriously, if you're reading this and considering purchasing a FoST, do yourself a favor and also drive a FiST as well. (No, I don't own either, but have driven both on a few different occasions) Awesome video! From a fan from across the pond.

Brilliant review mate, glad you like it! I’m getting a stealth grey ST3 soon, can’t wait 🔥

Had the focus st 2016 plate. Loved it. Then got the chance to own an RS. Love both cars.

Nice to not hear it farting as it goes down the road :)

My favourite FORRD FOCUS ST

As an owner: Great review.

The car is pristine lol, cars are bargains in the uk but you would adore Spanish mountain roads

These do look like a lot of fun. I always preferred the days when the Focus also came in 3 door form... Such a shame they stopped making them. Still a cool looking car.

Had my 67 plate in grey for nearly 2 years now and it's never missed a beat. Had it remapped and the same resonator delete modification this one has. The rest delete makes the car sound like how it should do from the factory, it was far too quiet for me for what is a sporty car. It's still nice and quiet when you back off. Perfect balance. It's still great fun when I want it, it's nice and quiet when I want it, super comfortable and I can get the kids and all their crap in if I ever need it. A good friend of mine has an M140i, which is stupidly quick, absolutely bonkers. He says the ST is a much better driving experience. And it's far cheaper. Couldn't recommend it enough, although it's worth mentioning the infotainment system and interior is far superior on the 2017+, models- same as he newer mk4 models.

I've got a MK3.5 Focus but it's the EcoBoost. Half the power of the ST but I've done a few bits and bobs to up the performance and a few cosmetic upgrades as well so it does the job. Crucially it's been a brilliant car. Pretty much nothing ever goes wrong with it

Just bought a mk3 st3 13 plate 30k on the clock absolutely buzzing to pick it up next week. Wanted a fiesta but fell in love with the focus styling wheels and interior those leather seats are superb.

My main issue with the Mk3 is I don't like the splat thing the tail light does, and the facelifted Mk2 is my very favourite Focus as far as appearances go.

The shift knob is a Ford item- I have the same one in my Fiesta ST and got it from Ford Motorsport.

Nice informative video Jay. Ford Focus ST3 nice cheap hot hatch.

For my needs i think a Fiesta ST would fit the bill, and i don't care about what others may think of me. Not sure they have an image problem here in Denmark either btw. BUT: A sporty Focus in red gets a hell to the yeah from me. Very tasty looking car, and if you have even a small family, it's for sure the better car of the two.

I feel this review was spot on, so well done James! I Agree with the looks beating the RS but then I prefer a slightly understated car. Needless to say I have a '16 ST3 in black with STage 1.5 modifications and I love it. Please see below for further thoughts on this matter. Torque steer is NOT an issue if you get the Collins Performance Anti Torque steer bushes fitted (front WB rear bushes) at about £75+fitting. Your point about the LSD is also important. The car does not need it for road use (with aforementioned CP ATS bushes fitted) and I believe that adding an LSD can add more wayward steering pull on uneven road surfaces, though more traction is to be gained generally speaking. But for circa £2000 fitted is it worth it - nah! It is a very comfortable car with enough torquey grunt as and when required. Space could be a little constraining for a family larger than 2 but I guess that is what the estate would be for. Styling wise I much prefer it to the MK4. Economy is about right too - I get 28-36 MPG depending on driving style and journey type so not bad. Steering is great (my wife has a MK7.5 FiST, again STage 1.5) and so I agree again that the FoST is not as nimble as the FiST but as you say, it is a slightly different machine that definitely has more pace. I too am not a 'pop and bang' fan so the standard noise to me is great. As mine is lightly modified (Mountune exhaust, MP275 etc) the acceleration note is wonderfully gruff but won't drone when cruising. You really should try one with the MT lightly modified setup as a comparison. As for creaks and rattles - mine had two until I applied the 'RS' fix that can be found online. No more rattles! I feel very fortunate to have access to both cars. The FiST is under powered compared to the Fost but then that is not the point as it handles so well, so sublimely well. The FoST has far more pace but isn't so chuckable as the FiST and has poorer fuel economy, but is still huge fun and more practical. Both these cars were bought as they were the closest 'newest' most analogue type cars I could find (in 2018) without all the post 2017 'nanny state' bells and whistles on. I hate to think what will have to replace them in about 10 years time ........

The boot floor is raised to accommodate the sub that comes with the upgraded speakers. Well worth it imo. I have this same car with 15k on the clock. Happy to see it should wear well. The steering is great because it has a quicker rack than the base car, less than 2 turns lock to lock.

Subwoofer/Sony + nav is an option. Door protectors are an option. 19s with sill plates and tinted windows are an option.

Always preferred the wagon version of these, and the battleship grey colour (can't remember what it was actually called) they did was awesome.

Funny you just released this review! I just went to test drive one today, seriously hesitating between this and a Seat Leon cupra R from 2012, especially since the latter one had more options. Maybe you can weigh in? Anyway thanks for the great content and ever amazing shirts!

My grandad owned a Focus. He thought they were very good. He used it for shopping and taking the dog out, so yeah they are good all rounders.

Great road test

Had one of these for 4 years and by all counts it was fantastic but ultimately got rid of it due to the ride. It is quite harsh and sometimes brutal -- still a great car especially for the money in the USA.

I originally wanted an RS but I dont think I will be able to afford one for a little while the ST has come to my attention as its a lot more affordable than the RS. So Im glad that those cars are great

The focus st mk2 is a legend

Get a mountune roll restrictor and the torque steer goes away,but makes a bit of vibration when the ac is on.Not too bad though.

rented a 500 sport series when my car was being worked on. Wanted to drive those cars that I though were much faster, handled better etc. The focus does one thing really good, it drives great, feels very very sporty, miles better than the BMW. Breaks you get used to, theyre big because their used for stealing also, hill toe is a no go. Love the ST, only car that Ive really not done anything too, dont want to mess up how it feels. The BMW on the high way though was very soft, maybe apples to oranges but BMWs look great and faster than they really are. M3s are bad ass though

Here in the US, here in Detroit, these were really affordable. I borrowed one from a family member and drove it around for about a week. Really an enjoyable car. IMO a much more preferable alternative to the Civic Si in terms of outright speed and driving dynamics. More fun than the GTI. Loses a bit to the WRX in the winter but I’d have the Ford the rest of the year.

I don't think I missed it but I didn't notice a description of how comfortable the ride was.