Youd expect sloppiness with an old muscle car, but a hot hatch is a different creature. A staff favorite and 10best winner, the 247hp eurospec st may be a gti imitator, but it acts as if its running the monte carlo. Hot hatchbacks are great for the driving enthusiast who wants a true performance car thats exciting enough for spirited driving and practical. Compare the ford fiesta st, ford focus st, and volkswagen golf gti side by side to see differences in performance, pricing, features and more. Thats not to say they are not powerful, but both hatchbacks sit below a more powerful hothatchback in their respective lineups. So i was used to the high quality german build of vw. Ford focus st the best car to drive, and strikes the best balance between fun and family. The focus st and volkswagen golf gti are performance hatchbacks, so they are focused on powertoweight ratios instead of raw power. Vw golf gti vs ford focus st which hot hatch is best. Jun 12, 2018 a great driver even in base trim, the ford focus is one of the brands best sellers.
Originally designed by fords british and german design teams, it is now available in sedan and hatchback. Like the gti, the focus st is a distinguished performer that happens to carry the shell of a massmarket compact. Like its competitors, the mazdaspeed3 has a slick 6speed manual transmission and room for a weeks. Which hatch is the hottest, the reigning champion vw gti or the new ford focus st. The ford focus st lines up against the original hot hatchback, the volkswagen gti. The mk 7 vw gti and ford focus st are very comparable hot. Back then the focus st was the newcomer trying to challenge the golf gtis dominance of the market. Gti lighter, shorter on a 2 door option, nicely loaded with options the gti comes. You can add features like heated leather seats, a heated steering wheel, a power moonroof, premium audio and navigation to both cars, but the vw offers more in the way of safety and driverassistance technology. This car feels at one with you, like a glove with giant wheels and an engine. Oct 31, 2016 under the hood, these two models both have turbocharged inline fourcylinder engines. Feels strong across the rev range and well matched to the sixspeed manual. The golf gti may be a bit more refined, but the focus st is more fun and engaging to drive. For the most part i could keep up but somehow he was losing me in the corners.
Volkswagen golf gti v ford focus st headtohead ford. Engine remains unchanged from the old model, but thats no bad thing. The 2017 gti is appealing as both a racer and a daily driver thanks to the impressive fuelefficiency ratings. Editors james riswick and mike monticello debate the merits of each hot hatch, including their. You can add features like heated leather seats, a heated steering wheel, a power moonroof, premium audio and navigation to both cars, but the vw offers more in the way of safety and driver assistance technology. Anyone test drive, or at least look at, the 20 ford focus st. The fost was the least impressive out of the group for me. The gti was chosen as one of automobile magazines all stars for 5 of the last 11 years. Is fords updated focus st a match for the best allround hot hatch, volkswagens golf gti. Oct 04, 2012 yeah, the new 20 ford focus has 252 bhp, butlike all three cars herewrongwheel drive. Enter the 20 ford focus st, a car that ford says will run circles around every other hot hatch available in the united states. According to car and driver, you can expect a 060 time of 5. In fact, the focus st is a trim level within the focus lineup, but it has three packages that act as trims themselves.
Ill throw my 2 cents in here, i test drove the ford fiesta and focus st as well as the gti on the same day. If yes, please provide commentsimpressions comparing it to the gti. This is good news for taller performance enthusiasts. Car and driver, focus st vs gti comparo ford focus st forum. The gti was chosen as one of car and driver s top ten for 12 of the last 12 years. To keep things fair and stay within the sweet spot of a 3year old used car, well compare the 2017 models.
Startstop isnt accounted in present epa fuel mileage tests. How does the ford focus st compare to the volkswagen golf gti. I consider myself a decent driver but the my car seemed to roll heavily in the corners while the focus seemed much flatter. I couldnt resist and charged the windy roads after him. The focus st doesnt offer an automatic engine startstop system. Compare ford fiesta st vs ford focus st vs volkswagen golf. So when it comes to fun, the gti still holds the crown. Focus mk2, golf mk6 and volvo c30 all look equally dated to my eyes. The drivetrain warranty covers parts of the car such.
Two of hothatchdoms greatest meet to determine the new pocketrocket king. So on my way home from work a focus st was in front of me and he decided to punch it. The new 2015 wrx grew one inch in length over the outgoing model. Ps i did a search and didnt find what im looking for. The focus st was refreshed in 2015, the golf gti in 2016.
The improvements to its nimbleness and handling especially deserve special recognition. Jun 28, 20 parked next to the gti is a tangerine scream ford focus st. I purchased a brand new focus st when they first came out. Ford focus st vs vw golf gti comparison cj pony parts. Read the headtohead matchup and see photos at car and driver. As niche vehicles, the focus st and golf gti dont have a ton of trims or options. Compare rankings and see how the cars you select stack up against each other in terms of performance, features, safety, prices and more. Ford volkswagen car and driver motortrend kelley blue book. Compare ford focus st vs volkswagen golf gti carbuzz. Deciding between the focus st or gti is tough, as each of these cars offers a lot for the price.
The focus st and the gti can both get pretty luxurious on the upper trims. Aug 30, 2018 the 2018 ford focus st and 2018 volkswagen golf gti are hot hatchbacks that combine realworld practicality with sports car performance the focus st is only available with a manual transmission while the gti is offered with a manual or dualclutch automatic transmission. Nov 23, 2012 read the headtohead matchup and see photos at car and driver. Parked next to the gti is a tangerine scream ford focus st. What is not so good about the gti is water pumps fail often and are expensive to fix. We recommend testdriving both to see which one feels better for you. Sep 29, 2019 because here is the focus st, in the bleak midseptember of the peak district, against three formidable rivals. Ive been driving vws for the past 10 years and im done yes, im an angry tdi owner. The engine is automatically restarted when the driver gets ready to move again. Also checked out the current gen wrx but didnt get to test drive it. Mar 18, 2019 the focus st and the gti can both get pretty luxurious on the upper trims. Compare msrp, invoice pricing, and other features on the 2016 chevrolet spark ev and 2016 ford focus st and 2016 toyota prius and 2016 volkswagen golf gti.
May 20, 2015 is fords updated focus st a match for the best allround hot hatch, volkswagens golf gti. St if performance is your goal gti if comfort and refinementtotal package is your goal. Nov, 2014 in this comparison test, the redesigned 2015 volkswagen golf gti versus the 2014 ford focus st. If i were buying a 7 or 8 year old car, how nice the interior looks would be near the bottom of my priority list. While small cars have been overtaken by suvs, pintsize vehicles with. Four pocket rockets vie for the title of best hot hatch see all 59 photos. Why is volkswagen golf gti 2015 better than ford focus st 2014. Make no mistake, the focus st is fun to drive and its quicker. Check out all the vital info sidebyside from pricing to performance specs.
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