Ford Focus

Like just about every British car enthusiast, I love hot hatches. That's why for me, the Ford Focus ST is probably one of the best all-round motors Auto Express has ever had on its test fleet. It's great to drive, reasonably priced and very practical.

I've spent a lot of time with EK06 OHF recently, but the enjoyment has been overshadowed by a question nagging away at the back of my mind - would I rather have a VW Golf GTI? And after some soul searching, I've finally found my answer. In terms of driver enjoyment, the Focus is tops. On every journey, its 2.5-litre turbo engine amazes. It's powerful yet flexible, the burbling exhaust note is glorious and the handling is sublime, too - the ST will put many a sports car to shame.

Yet thanks to its rear seats and hatchback, you can use it to carry people and luggage. I moved flat recently and the Focus proved its worth, carrying all my stuff - it could well be the only motor I'll ever need! The ST has a slightly shallower load area than the normal Focus, due to its big exhaust system, but the upside is there's no boot lip, which meant I could slide heavy items straight in, easing the strain on my back.

Mission accomplished, I was feeling pretty sure the ST was the best hot hatch in the world - until a friend asked what I was currently driving. When the words "Ford Focus" came out of my mouth, a look of disappointment spread over his face. Explaining it was the sporty ST model, capable of 150mph, didn't matter. The damage was done.

Would things have been different if I had said "Golf GTI"? To find out, I asked 100 people at random whether they would rather have an ST or GTi, showing each of them a picture of the motors. Three to one said the Golf, and I think I agree. The Focus is a brilliant driver's car, but when it comes to that key hot hatch ingredient - desirability - it can't match the VW in my view.

As my survey found, it's partly due to brand image, and also because the ST looks slightly garish. The boy racer touches - such as the tacky instrument binnacle for the turbo boost gauge - make it feel less special than the classy Golf, even though it's undoubtedly well built.

So far, some steering wheel shudder seemsto have been the only niggle. However, the car does still pull to the side occasionally and generally feels busier on the road than the VW. And that only serves to reinforce the fact that given the choice, I'd rather have a Golf GTi. Well, probably...

Second opinion
With Mat hogging the keys, I hadn't driven the ST much - but a quick weekend trip proved it's still as much fun as ever. However, the steering felt vague and it was wandering under power. It all pointed to a tracking problem, confirmed by my local garage - the front left wheel was misaligned by four degrees. Now all the wheels have been tweaked, it feels much more positive. Not that I'm blaming Mat, though!
Sam Hardy, motoring writer