White Ford Focus ST (Mk3), front three-quarter view

Ford Focus ST (Mk3)

2012–2018 · 2.0L turbo EcoBoost I4, 252 hp · 6-speed manual · FWD
7.8 / 10
Involvement 7.5 / 10

Why 7.8: The first proper hot Focus Ford actually sold in North America — no Mk1 SVT successor, no Mk2 RS import, just a 252 hp EcoBoost four available at a Ford dealer. Cheap now, driven hard, the same ownership profile as the Fiesta ST one size down.

DEPRECIATION HERO — BUY THE DIP — −45% CLUB 248,315 DAILY DRIVEN SEEN IN TRAFFIC BARGAIN WINDOW ALL-TIME PRICE LOW PEAK CAR · LOW PRICE
Miles actually driven8.5
Bought to drive, not to flip8.0
Track-day sightingscontext · not scored6.5
Handling · torque steer on boost, keen turn-in7.9
Power-to-weight · sweet spot172 hp/t
252 hp · 1,462 kg

Layout

FRONT-ENGINE · FWD2.0 TI46-speedmanualFRONTREAR62 %38 %approx. static weight distribution

Natural habitat

AUTOBAHN6.0NORDSCHLEIFE7.0ALPS8.5at home

Ride comfort

4.01 · F4010 · S-Classpassive sport suspension, firm and eager
DougScore 56 / 100Weekend 26/50 · Daily 30/502013 Focus ST · dougdemuro.com

Market value

Median asking price, good condition · €20k (2013) → €12k (2026), trending down · illustrative data

€11k€20k20132026€12k

The long version

Ford had not sold a proper hot Focus in North America before this one — the Mk1 SVT Focus was as close as the US got, and both the Mk2 ST and Mk2 RS stayed European exclusives — so the Mk3's 252 hp EcoBoost four arriving at ordinary Ford dealers in 2013 was a genuine event for American enthusiasts who had spent a decade watching European road tests. It depreciated the way every mainstream turbo hatch does, steep and fast, which is exactly what put it within reach of the daily-driver-and-track-day crowd that owns most of them today. Doug DeMuro's own numbers rate it a middling 56, the DougScore's usual disagreement with cars that are more fun to drive than to review, and the ownership pattern backs the paddock over the scoresheet: high mileage, real track use, no flip premium. It is the car that proved Ford would sell Americans a real hot hatch if it just built one.

Vote and browse all 345 cars interactively on the home page. More Hot hatches: Honda Civic Type R (FL5) · Toyota GR Yaris · Volkswagen Golf R (Mk8) · Ford Fiesta ST (Mk7) · VW Golf GTI (Mk8) · Peugeot 205 GTI · Renault Clio V6 · VW Golf GTI (Mk1) · Toyota GR Corolla · Renault Mégane R26.R · Ford Focus RS (Mk3) · Renault Clio 182 Trophy

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