I haven't driven a new Focus yet so I don't have a point of comparison. I had the one previous generation for 6 weeks, then 3 or 4 others for a day or two each. I found them generally crappy, but the NVH levels in particular were consistently so bad it really amazed me that the company signed off on that powertrain leaving the drawing board/test center.

I took the wife's Fiesta SES (5-speed manual) in to the shop for a recall and got a loaner base model Fiesta (6-speed dual clutch auto). And OMG the differences were huge. I couldn't stand the base model. It felt different, the motor performed differently, the handling, the lack of basic options like cruise (sure it had power windows/locks)... but just made it horrible to drive.

We rented an "intermediate SUV" for our FL vacation, since we will be putting on allot of miles and wanted to give the Pilot a break. Drove it down to South Florida on Saturday and heading to Key West in it tomorrow sans kids.

2013 Ford Escape SEL AWD w/2.0 EcoBoost turbo

After putting ~800 miles on it so far on and off the highway I find myself actually enjoying driving this car. The engine has balls and the AWD grips nicely. The leather seats are comfy and the controls are smartly placed but there is quite a bit of wind noise in the cabin at highway speed.

The SYNC system isn't the full-blown version like what was in the Explorer SEL I rented for a work trip a couple of months back. It has the main LCD panel in the dash with the climate controls right under it, with normal push buttons. The gauge cluster is all analog except for a small LCD screen high center that shows some useful info like distance to E, tripometer/odometer, average fuel consumption, etc.

Passenger room, including leg room is comfy both front and back seats but the storage space in back is tiny. We had to pack in a very minimalist fashion for 2 adults, 2 kids and plus we shoved two small dogs in back.

Fuel economy isn't all that impressive - on the highway @80mph average we got 22mpg. Still beats the Pilot though.

Overall, it's not a bad car at all - definitely one of the more enjoyable rentals I've had. And the more I stomp on it when it's just me in the car and neither of the boys the more I like it.

Ford is putting an Ecoboost in damn near everthing

I'm pretty impressed with it; no noticeable lag no matter the RPM range or gear I'm in when accelerating hard.

Ford Focus ST...Great Little Hatch.

The dual-colored Recaros were a dumb move for Ford.....Pretty much limits it to age 25 and under

If you say so?

I like them...and I'm 27

Guess your Logic is a few years off. Cars an absolute blast to drive...Seats wouldnt sway me from buying a car I liked.

My dad even likes it...Alot actually and he is 58.

Yeah, black and yellow seats.......Might be ok in a Lamborghini, but in an econo hatchback it just screams rice.

Your dad might like it for the first couple months, but after that he'd be like mmkay, I'm getting a little tired of this gaudy shit

I don't think you have to get the black and yellow Recaros. According to Ford's website all black is available as well.