[IAmBort]

I just replaced my 2013 Focus SE with a 2013 Focus ST. Obviously a terrible move financially, but damn was it worth it! Even though many people complain about the shifting on the ST, it is still much shorter and smoother than the SE. That thing would turn into a bronco (the horse, not the car) if I let off the gas in 1st or 2nd or didn't revmatch perfectly when downshifting. The car felt so anemic, needing to downshift a gear or 2 to accelerate at all. I love how now I am able to just push the gas in and easily overtake anyone. Oh, and hill start is fantastic.

The only things I miss are the softer ride in the SE, which felt perfect, the lack of rattles/noises, and the new car smell that my ST never had

 

[felixthecat]

Pretty much summed it up^^^^^^ Yea pretty spendy move from your '13se,,,,

 

[suss6052]

I just replaced my 2013 Focus SE with a 2013 Focus ST. Obviously a terrible move financially, but damn was it worth it! Even though many people complain about the shifting on the ST, it is still much shorter and smoother than the SE. That thing would turn into a bronco (the horse, not the car) if I let off the gas in 1st or 2nd or didn't revmatch perfectly when downshifting. The car felt so anemic, needing to downshift a gear or 2 to accelerate at all. I love how now I am able to just push the gas in and easily overtake anyone. Oh, and hill start is fantastic.

The only things I miss are the softer ride in the SE, which felt perfect, the lack of rattles/noises, and the new car smell that my ST never had

Don't just floor the ST from low revs all the time. Yes I understand it has more torque especially from down low, but it's not good to it to load the engine up so much from below 3000 rpm and you could slip more easily into a zone where low speed preignition is more prevalent. LSPI is essentially mega knock and seems to be a lot more prevalent in turbocharged and direct injected engine applications.

A few things can help prevent it, but it's not 100% possible to prevent so far, use a good quality oil that can withstand the heat in the engine and with a low volatility/ low NOACK reading so it doesn't tend to get washed off of the cylinder walls as easily, use high quality fuels, and avoid loading the engine too harshly from low revs.

I know from time to time I've also taken advantage of the engine's flexibility and pulled from low revs and it seems smooth and stronger than my other car a 5 speed Focus SE, but it's putting a lot more stress on the power train.

At least the STs haven't been bending rods like the MazdaSpeed3s have been, though there have been cases of people melting pistons or destroying the ring lands on particular cylinders (#1 and #4 seem to pop up more often).

Otherwise enjoy the newfound performance and I don't mean to scare anyone. For that you have to read through the blown motor resource thread on focusst.org

 

[Elizabeth]

The third back car I had was a 1999 Contour SVT. I owned it from new, and kept it 13 years.. Mainly because Ford failed to make anything like it in all that time..
Then finally the MK3 Focus was around. I bought a 2012 manual tranny SE with sport package in 2011, before the ST was around.
After having the SE for over three years, I felt I needed something with some GO pedal. So I traded in the 2012 for a new, ordered, 2014 Focus ST3.
I saw the pics of the 2015, and hated the rear, and the new derived from the Fusion steering wheel. So I ordered a 2014 to get the color I wanted and the original design stuff.

I am happier with the ST. Though I sure miss the over 40mpg on the freeway that the SE got.
In the city my MPG is actually about the same!!
What is truly annoying about the ST is having to go 53mph or less to get mid 30ish mpgs.. As soon as I get up to 55 or more, the mpg drops to 29 and the higher the speed, the lower the mpgs. At 70mph the mpg is like 26.
But the ST is way faster.. And is a lot like my Contour SVT was. Just much better mpgs.

I would like to see a SVT Fusion. (or a ST Fusion) with the 2.3 Ecoboost (300+ hp, a six speed manual tranny. For under $33K base. With all the handling goodies Ford ST/SVT has be capable of. Maybe in 2017?

 

[IAmBort]

Don't just floor the ST from low revs all the time. Yes I understand it has more torque especially from down low, but it's not good to it to load the engine up so much from below 3000 rpm and you could slip more easily into a zone where low speed preignition is more prevalent. LSPI is essentially mega knock and seems to be a lot more prevalent in turbocharged and direct injected engine applications.

A few things can help prevent it, but it's not 100% possible to prevent so far, use a good quality oil that can withstand the heat in the engine and with a low volatility/ low NOACK reading so it doesn't tend to get washed off of the cylinder walls as easily, use high quality fuels, and avoid loading the engine too harshly from low revs.

I know from time to time I've also taken advantage of the engine's flexibility and pulled from low revs and it seems smooth and stronger than my other car a 5 speed Focus SE, but it's putting a lot more stress on the power train.

At least the STs haven't been bending rods like the MazdaSpeed3s have been, though there have been cases of people melting pistons or destroying the ring lands on particular cylinders (#1 and #4 seem to pop up more often).

Otherwise enjoy the newfound performance and I don't mean to scare anyone. For that you have to read through the blown motor resource thread on focusst.org

Good to know! I'm glad someone told me before I floored my way into a blown engine. [ohcrap]

I heard that fuel economy is better when staying in the highest gear possible when going up hill. Would you consider that too much load on the engine that could lead to pre-ignition? Supposing that I am not flooring it, but the gas pedal is pushed in a good amount.

 

[IAmBort]

The third back car I had was a 1999 Contour SVT. I owned it from new, and kept it 13 years.. Mainly because Ford failed to make anything like it in all that time..
Then finally the MK3 Focus was around. I bought a 2012 manual tranny SE with sport package in 2011, before the ST was around.
After having the SE for over three years, I felt I needed something with some GO pedal. So I traded in the 2012 for a new, ordered, 2014 Focus ST3.
I saw the pics of the 2015, and hated the rear, and the new derived from the Fusion steering wheel. So I ordered a 2014 to get the color I wanted and the original design stuff.

I am happier with the ST. Though I sure miss the over 40mpg on the freeway that the SE got.
In the city my MPG is actually about the same!!
What is truly annoying about the ST is having to go 53mph or less to get mid 30ish mpgs.. As soon as I get up to 55 or more, the mpg drops to 29 and the higher the speed, the lower the mpgs. At 70mph the mpg is like 26.
But the ST is way faster.. And is a lot like my Contour SVT was. Just much better mpgs.

I would like to see a SVT Fusion. (or a ST Fusion) with the 2.3 Ecoboost (300+ hp, a six speed manual tranny. For under $33K base. With all the handling goodies Ford ST/SVT has be capable of. Maybe in 2017?

That's strange that you could only get 30 mpg in your ST under 55. When I first got mine I went on a 3 hour drive and averaged 30 mpg while averaging 75 mph. My mpg in daily driving is way down though from my SE, from 32 mpg to 25. Though it's probably because the ST can consume way more gas at WOT, which can be hard to resist.

An ST Fusion would be really cool. It's the only car left that Ford hasn't made a performance model for. It would be like a poor man's Aston Martin.

 

[Elizabeth]

That's strange that you could only get 30 mpg in your ST under 55. When I first got mine I went on a 3 hour drive and averaged 30 mpg while averaging 75 mph. My mpg in daily driving is way down though from my SE, from 32 mpg to 25. Though it's probably because the ST can consume way more gas at WOT, which can be hard to resist.

An ST Fusion would be really cool. It's the only car left that Ford hasn't made a performance model for. It would be like a poor man's Aston Martin.

Remember this is Winter here, and the average temps have been about 15F.
I only got the car in November.
This Summer the situation may change for mpgs.

 

[A Focused Family]

We went from a 2006 Focus SES ZX5 to the ST. My wife loves it.

 

[Wildsailor]

Remember this is Winter here, and the average temps have been about 15F.
I only got the car in November.
This Summer the situation may change for mpgs.

I noticed this year that when the temperature gets low (about 5 F or less) I have been running my heated seat and my heated backlight. When these are on my mileage plummets from an overall average of about 32 to 28 MPG on my Focus SE Sport. I was alarmed at first that something was wrong with my car but about two weeks ago I turned the seat off to see if this part of the drop and it is. At temps warmer than this I never noticed because my heated seat is not in use.

With the low numbers you are experiencing I am wondering if you have your heated seat on the whole time? If you do maybe try turning it off to see if things improve.

 

[mac100289]

I went from a 2007 focus zx3 5-speed coupe, to a 2014 Performance Blue ST. No car payment to a car sucked, but well worth it.

 

[Kotlkn]

From a 2013 Oxford White Focus SE with DCT to 2014 Oxford White Focus ST3. Most people didn't even realize I got a new car until they got inside.

 

[IAmBort]

From a 2013 Oxford White Focus SE with DCT to 2014 Oxford White Focus ST3. Most people didn't even realize I got a new car until they got inside.

Nice, a stealth upgrade [cheers]

I went from silver to silver and in the same year, but going to sedan --> hatchback is easy to notice. No one was surprised to see my new car though since I had already told everyone about it beforehand.

 

[sneblue]

Went from ZY 2003 ZX3 2.3L Duratec to TB 2014 ST1. it's a different beastie that is for sure. i miss my short throw shifter, but don't want to screw up my warranty...

 

[IAmBort]

Went from ZY 2003 ZX3 2.3L Duratec to TB 2014 ST1. it's a different beastie that is for sure. i miss my short throw shifter, but don't want to screw up my warranty...

Do you know about the Magnusson-Moss Warranty Act? If something goes wrong with your car that would normally be covered under warranty, the dealer has to prove that your mod caused the failure to deny you coverage. As long as you have a good quality short shift kit that was installed properly, it's a pretty low risk mod.

 

[sneblue]

Thank you for the ammunition. I have had some fairly negative experiences with warranty situations, and was feeling pretty cautious. But, maybe if i do the montune kit that is "blessed" by the Ford Racing Parts people that would be less trouble. Also, maybe driving the ones at ST Octane Academy will push me over the edge ha ha. they are supposed to have the 25-30% kit.

 

[ZayK47]

It moves

The ST is just so well rounded. I was in 6th on the highway needing to pass and didnt downshift like i would in my SE. It is an amazing car.

 

[suss6052]

The ST is just so well rounded. I was in 6th on the highway needing to pass and didnt downshift like i would in my SE. It is an amazing car.

Don't rely on flooring it in 6th as you risk LSPI which can cause you to lose an engine by breaking the second ring land *typically.

Although random and somewhat infrequent LSPI (Low Speed Pre Ignition) may occur if you were to demand a heavy load from the engine (such as flooring it from around 2000-2500 rpm in 6th) which can be incredibly damaging in just a few occurrences due to the extremely high cylinder pressures faced. It is an issue mostly on turbocharged direct injected engines due to the fact that they are capable of running under such high loads at relatively low engine speeds.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Low-speed_pre-ignition

It can be mitigated, but no manufacturer currently has the silver bullet to prevent LSPI at the moment as it's mechanisms are not as well understood as normal spark knock or higher speed preignition.


It's not even about lugging the engine as that's a low speed low load phenomenon. It's only with the application of direct injected turbocharged spark ignition engines that they are capable of operating at these high brake mean effective pressures (BMEP) at such low engine speeds (RPM).

https://dspace.lboro.ac.uk/dspace-jspui/bitstream/2134/15652/1/SI Downsize_Shanghai_2013.pdf

Low-Speed Pre-Ignition (LSPI)
• Several SI abnormal combustion, knock and pre-ignition, have been
addressed with improved engine design and control schemes,
• A new mechanism, called Low-Speed Pre-Ignition (LSPI), has become a
consideration in the pursuit of engine downsizing and low speed, high
specific power strategies and the implementation of an optimized
turbocharged GDI engine with maximum efficiencies.
The Occurrence of LSPI
• The transition from normal combustion to Super Knock occurs suddenly with
no warning.
• Once Super Knock occurs, it repeatedly appears for several cycles, and the
number of cycles is variable.
• The maximum pressure of Super Knock is variable at each cycle.
• Normal combustion and Super Knock occur alternately.
• Super Knock always subsides without runaway.
• The causes of these characteristics are not clear
The normal “spark ignition end–gas knock” phenomenon can at least be
suppressed by retarding spark advance.
• A LSPI event, however, following irregular ignition, is beyond the control of
any actuator.
• One potential cause for LSPI is ignition of fresh charge by hot in-cylinder
components.
• The mechanisms of pre-ignition particularly the effects of different fuels, are
not fully understood

Low-Speed Pre-Ignition (LSPI) forms a new challenge.
• Two most dominant factors of LSPI are:
– engine load as governed by fuelling rate (energy flux) and,
– in-cylinder air/fuel ratio.

Does this mean port injected turbocharged engines don't exhibit the same phenomenon?

Yea they do, look at a ej257 motor. It needs some revs to lay into the throttle. Checkout the fj20 motor, both port/direct injected,,,,,,

Felixthecat, not the same issue. Needing to build up revs before the turbocharger spools is different than having such a high brake specific mean effective pressure and efficiency at low engine speeds.

A port fuel injected engine typically can't run to the same high cylinder pressures and power outputs at the same low engine speeds due to the need to prevent auto ignition of the fuel air mixture prior to the spark.

A homogeneous air fuel charge is more prone to knock or pre-ignition and therefore has previously limited engine outputs at these engine speeds such to generally prevent their discovery until the use of direct fuel injection.

With direct fuel injection only air is inducted into the cylinder with the intake valve open. Fuel is not injected until after the closing of the intake valve typically, although occasionally there may be some valve wetting on overlap, but it's not as common. The advantages of DI include the ability to stratify the air fuel charge (change the ratio depending on where it is in relation to the spark i.e. a rich mixture right near the spark plug and a leaner mixture near the cylinder walls), hence the concerns with fuel quenching on the walls and other effects not seen before with PFI engines.

DI has an effect that requires much higher octane fuels to sustain with port fuel injection.

 

[Godzukidan]

Traded in the 2005 ZX3 se with lots of mods for my 2016 ST. I am loving the new ST, but I also miss good ol faithful. Who ever buys the 05 will get a nice car indeed. Only had 77,400 miles and averaged 27 mpg around town. [thumb]

 

[A Focused Family]

I love the ST's, but I must haz MK1's too. Oddly...the MK1 feels more "comfy" to me than the ST does for daily driving.

ST is ABSOLUTELY an awesome road trip car though. [headbang]

 

[felixthecat]

Traded in the 2005 ZX3 se with lots of mods for my 2016 ST. I am loving the new ST, but I also miss good ol faithful. Who ever buys the 05 will get a nice car indeed. Only had 77,400 miles and averaged 27 mpg around town. [thumb]

Looks like you kept it in great condition & low miles too, who ever gets it will be getting a nice car.