ST Handling pack optional extra

[Jadewoo]

So are we to believe that the track pack delivers a very comfortable refined ride compared to a normal ST? If so that’s the first time ever. If I buy some KW’ coil overs they will improve the ride and comfort of our ST200 PP ? They certainly do not on the Focus ST. Has the OP driven a ST200?

It's the most comfortable car I've driven in year's,tyres are set to 36psi ,the cars stance looks spot on,go test drive one,you'll be surprised just like I was,I was worried that the suspension would be too harsh for my wife,even she agreed on how comfortable it is,Ford have really sorted out this suspension, the car gets a lot of attention mostly positive but I've had 2 boy racers trying it on of which I totally ignored,Add in Sync 4 which is way far more advanced than 3,B&0 ain't that great as ive had the real mc coy system in my Audi cars ,the panoramic roof adds a touch of luxury whilst making the interior that more airy,ST puddle lights are another nice touch,so are the illuminated door sill plates,pity it has no interior ambient lighting that would have been the icing on the cake

Mine has ambient lighting (and glove box candle!) - so did they take out a standard feature to give you somehting else?? Seems odd as can't cost that much.

[Jassyo06#]

So are we to believe that the track pack delivers a very comfortable refined ride compared to a normal ST? If so that’s the first time ever. If I buy some KW’ coil overs they will improve the ride and comfort of our ST200 PP ? They certainly do not on the Focus ST. Has the OP driven a ST200?

It's the most comfortable car I've driven in year's,tyres are set to 36psi ,the cars stance looks spot on,go test drive one,you'll be surprised just like I was,I was worried that the suspension would be too harsh for my wife,even she agreed on how comfortable it is,Ford have really sorted out this suspension, the car gets a lot of attention mostly positive but I've had 2 boy racers trying it on of which I totally ignored,Add in Sync 4 which is way far more advanced than 3,B&0 ain't that great as ive had the real mc coy system in my Audi cars ,the panoramic roof adds a touch of luxury whilst making the interior that more airy,ST puddle lights are another nice touch,so are the illuminated door sill plates,pity it has no interior ambient lighting that would have been the icing on the cake

Depends what your comparing it too I guess and wonder what cars you’ve driven in last 10 years to think that ? I am pretty certain I wouldn’t rate it anywhere near comfortable, and neither would Ford, that is never the aim. Watched a youtube and it seemed rock hard, bouncing and jiggling all over the place, looked anything but comfortable, even though the kid constantly tried to talk it up (mostly nonsense) driving along a 30-40 mph with the owner sitting next to him. It’s also only automatic. Ford have totally lost it imho and are desperate. Personally much prefer the pre face lift interior by a distance. Where is the rev counter? And still no numbers on the speedo. Sync 4 has been problematic since it came out, you cannot compare that system to anything in a new Audi. Puddle lights (with ST logo) etc have been on ST since it came out, sunroof, no thanks. Where do you get 36psi from?! No wonder you get tram lining and budget for new tyres very soon. Never go over Ford recommendations as they are already high.

I've owned 4 Audi's since 2015,2 S3's,1 RS3 Saloon,1 TTS VORSPUNG all had strong suspension set ups with adaptive Dampers the Puma suspension handles just as good minus the front wheel character's
The 12" screen has a resolution comparable to any new Audi,Audi's software has had its own problematic issues,the dashboard binnacle in the Fiesta ST3 is more stylish in sport and track mode than on the fl Puma, but overall the fl Puma looks better.i am not biased if the Puma's suspension was too harsh I'd say so,I have stenosis of the lower vertebrae,hence the Fiesta ST3 was gotten rid after only 18 months,yeah I did think it would eat front tyres quickly ,so did the Fiesta,I'll probably change them to Michelin pilot sport 5 when it's time to change

[4251]

It's the most comfortable car I've driven in year's,tyres are set to 36psi ,the cars stance looks spot on,go test drive one,you'll be surprised just like I was,I was worried that the suspension would be too harsh for my wife,even she agreed on how comfortable it is,Ford have really sorted out this suspension, the car gets a lot of attention mostly positive but I've had 2 boy racers trying it on of which I totally ignored,Add in Sync 4 which is way far more advanced than 3,B&0 ain't that great as ive had the real mc coy system in my Audi cars ,the panoramic roof adds a touch of luxury whilst making the interior that more airy,ST puddle lights are another nice touch,so are the illuminated door sill plates,pity it has no interior ambient lighting that would have been the icing on the cake

Depends what your comparing it too I guess and wonder what cars you’ve driven in last 10 years to think that ? I am pretty certain I wouldn’t rate it anywhere near comfortable, and neither would Ford, that is never the aim. Watched a youtube and it seemed rock hard, bouncing and jiggling all over the place, looked anything but comfortable, even though the kid constantly tried to talk it up (mostly nonsense) driving along a 30-40 mph with the owner sitting next to him. It’s also only automatic. Ford have totally lost it imho and are desperate. Personally much prefer the pre face lift interior by a distance. Where is the rev counter? And still no numbers on the speedo. Sync 4 has been problematic since it came out, you cannot compare that system to anything in a new Audi. Puddle lights (with ST logo) etc have been on ST since it came out, sunroof, no thanks. Where do you get 36psi from?! No wonder you get tram lining and budget for new tyres very soon. Never go over Ford recommendations as they are already high.

I've owned 4 Audi's since 2015,2 S3's,1 RS3 Saloon,1 TTS VORSPUNG all had strong suspension set ups with adaptive Dampers the Puma suspension handles just as good minus the front wheel character's
The 12" screen has a resolution comparable to any new Audi,Audi's software has had its own problematic issues,the dashboard binnacle in the Fiesta ST3 is more stylish in sport and track mode than on the fl Puma, but overall the fl Puma looks better.i am not biased if the Puma's suspension was too harsh I'd say so,I have stenosis of the lower vertebrae,hence the Fiesta ST3 was gotten rid after only 18 months,yeah I did think it would eat front tyres quickly ,so did the Fiesta,I'll probably change them to Michelin pilot sport 5 when it's time to change

It’s all opinions and I would never rate a Puma ST as “comfortable ride” even with the standard softer ST suspension.

It certainly will eat front tyres using 36 psi ! I wouldn’t fit PS5not a great tyre. The Goodyear Assy 6 is a far better tyre.

[Jassyo06#]

Depends what your comparing it too I guess and wonder what cars you’ve driven in last 10 years to think that ? I am pretty certain I wouldn’t rate it anywhere near comfortable, and neither would Ford, that is never the aim. Watched a youtube and it seemed rock hard, bouncing and jiggling all over the place, looked anything but comfortable, even though the kid constantly tried to talk it up (mostly nonsense) driving along a 30-40 mph with the owner sitting next to him. It’s also only automatic. Ford have totally lost it imho and are desperate. Personally much prefer the pre face lift interior by a distance. Where is the rev counter? And still no numbers on the speedo. Sync 4 has been problematic since it came out, you cannot compare that system to anything in a new Audi. Puddle lights (with ST logo) etc have been on ST since it came out, sunroof, no thanks. Where do you get 36psi from?! No wonder you get tram lining and budget for new tyres very soon. Never go over Ford recommendations as they are already high.

I've owned 4 Audi's since 2015,2 S3's,1 RS3 Saloon,1 TTS VORSPUNG all had strong suspension set ups with adaptive Dampers the Puma suspension handles just as good minus the front wheel character's
The 12" screen has a resolution comparable to any new Audi,Audi's software has had its own problematic issues,the dashboard binnacle in the Fiesta ST3 is more stylish in sport and track mode than on the fl Puma, but overall the fl Puma looks better.i am not biased if the Puma's suspension was too harsh I'd say so,I have stenosis of the lower vertebrae,hence the Fiesta ST3 was gotten rid after only 18 months,yeah I did think it would eat front tyres quickly ,so did the Fiesta,I'll probably change them to Michelin pilot sport 5 when it's time to change

It’s all opinions and I would never rate a Puma ST as “comfortable ride” even with the standard softer ST suspension.

It certainly will eat front tyres using 36 psi ! I wouldn’t fit PS5not a great tyre. The Goodyear Assy 6 is a far better tyre.

What psi,would you recommend, Goodyear Assy 6 was my second choice, but ill make it my first now as I've always liked Goodyear tyres

[FP2022F1T]

So are we to believe that the track pack delivers a very comfortable refined ride compared to a normal ST? If so that’s the first time ever. If I buy some KW’ coil overs they will improve the ride and comfort of our ST200 PP ? They certainly do not on the Focus ST. Has the OP driven a ST200?

It's the most comfortable car I've driven in year's,tyres are set to 36psi ,the cars stance looks spot on,go test drive one,you'll be surprised just like I was,I was worried that the suspension would be too harsh for my wife,even she agreed on how comfortable it is,Ford have really sorted out this suspension, the car gets a lot of attention mostly positive but I've had 2 boy racers trying it on of which I totally ignored,Add in Sync 4 which is way far more advanced than 3,B&0 ain't that great as ive had the real mc coy system in my Audi cars ,the panoramic roof adds a touch of luxury whilst making the interior that more airy,ST puddle lights are another nice touch,so are the illuminated door sill plates,pity it has no interior ambient lighting that would have been the icing on the cake

Mine has ambient lighting (and glove box candle!) - so did they take out a standard feature to give you somehting else?? Seems odd as can't cost that much.

Yeah mine has ambient lighting and glovebox lighting too, must be a Ford thing if they’ve removed it

[FP2022F1T]

Depends what your comparing it too I guess and wonder what cars you’ve driven in last 10 years to think that ? I am pretty certain I wouldn’t rate it anywhere near comfortable, and neither would Ford, that is never the aim. Watched a youtube and it seemed rock hard, bouncing and jiggling all over the place, looked anything but comfortable, even though the kid constantly tried to talk it up (mostly nonsense) driving along a 30-40 mph with the owner sitting next to him. It’s also only automatic. Ford have totally lost it imho and are desperate. Personally much prefer the pre face lift interior by a distance. Where is the rev counter? And still no numbers on the speedo. Sync 4 has been problematic since it came out, you cannot compare that system to anything in a new Audi. Puddle lights (with ST logo) etc have been on ST since it came out, sunroof, no thanks. Where do you get 36psi from?! No wonder you get tram lining and budget for new tyres very soon. Never go over Ford recommendations as they are already high.

I've owned 4 Audi's since 2015,2 S3's,1 RS3 Saloon,1 TTS VORSPUNG all had strong suspension set ups with adaptive Dampers the Puma suspension handles just as good minus the front wheel character's
The 12" screen has a resolution comparable to any new Audi,Audi's software has had its own problematic issues,the dashboard binnacle in the Fiesta ST3 is more stylish in sport and track mode than on the fl Puma, but overall the fl Puma looks better.i am not biased if the Puma's suspension was too harsh I'd say so,I have stenosis of the lower vertebrae,hence the Fiesta ST3 was gotten rid after only 18 months,yeah I did think it would eat front tyres quickly ,so did the Fiesta,I'll probably change them to Michelin pilot sport 5 when it's time to change

It’s all opinions and I would never rate a Puma ST as “comfortable ride” even with the standard softer ST suspension.

It certainly will eat front tyres using 36 psi ! I wouldn’t fit PS5not a great tyre. The Goodyear Assy 6 is a far better tyre.

Agreed 36psi is high as 19” with pilot sport 4S is recommended 32F 26R checked when cold, always go with recommendations seems to handle a dream at those settings.

Just had 2 new pilot 4 sports on front in July will probs replace rears on next service and rotate

[4251]

I've owned 4 Audi's since 2015,2 S3's,1 RS3 Saloon,1 TTS VORSPUNG all had strong suspension set ups with adaptive Dampers the Puma suspension handles just as good minus the front wheel character's
The 12" screen has a resolution comparable to any new Audi,Audi's software has had its own problematic issues,the dashboard binnacle in the Fiesta ST3 is more stylish in sport and track mode than on the fl Puma, but overall the fl Puma looks better.i am not biased if the Puma's suspension was too harsh I'd say so,I have stenosis of the lower vertebrae,hence the Fiesta ST3 was gotten rid after only 18 months,yeah I did think it would eat front tyres quickly ,so did the Fiesta,I'll probably change them to Michelin pilot sport 5 when it's time to change

It’s all opinions and I would never rate a Puma ST as “comfortable ride” even with the standard softer ST suspension.

It certainly will eat front tyres using 36 psi ! I wouldn’t fit PS5not a great tyre. The Goodyear Assy 6 is a far better tyre.

What psi,would you recommend, Goodyear Assy 6 was my second choice, but ill make it my first now as I've always liked Goodyear tyres

The Ford recommendation is the only spec to use, and only go above it if your fully laden. You can always come down 1 or 2 psi for ideal pressure as the Ford spec will be slightly on the high side to bias it towards slightly better emissions for the wltp certification. Pressures are decided based on the footprint on the road being even from edge to edge, too high like yours will have the centre of the tread only in proper contact with the road lowering grip and wearing the centre out. I have kept a close eye on the PS4s FP’s fitted standard to ours and have found the 32 26 slightly too high as expected with slightly centre biased wear. I run 31 25 cold pressure set at about 8 deg ambient in winter and 16 deg in summer. That’s based on a couple of people in the car. They vary day to day by ambient temps and atmospheric pressure so it’s best to have a reference point.

The tyres you have fitted are the best uuhp available according to “tyre reviews” they beat the PS4s comfortably. The PS5 is a more comfort based replacement for the the PS4 (not s) but hasn’t proved much better, 4s is a far better uuhp tyre. The PS4 and GY assy5/6 are slightly more comfort biased uhp tyres with the GY’s coming out on top and usually matching the PS4s closely for grip etc even though it’s a uhp not a uuhp. Goodyear Super Sports are their uuhp tyres and it is also excellent, I have them on my Cupra 310 4drive, but I will sacrifice a very small amount of dry grip to gain a small amount of nvh when I replace them. Uuhp tyres only come into their own when on track or looking for a ban.

[geno]

Curious to hear from you who have had both the michelins sport/primacy and the goodyear tyres.
How would you compare them on road noise, softness and durability?
Thinking of switching the original continentals to michelins next year. I liked the noise/durability since the rubber compound on michelins were a bit more durable than most at same softness.

(Not the intention to "hijack" the thread, but partly on topic to previous posts to hear some experience from the shoes of the little puma. )

[4251]

Curious to hear from you who have had both the michelins sport/primacy and the goodyear tyres.
How would you compare them on road noise, softness and durability?
Thinking of switching the original continentals to michelins next year. I liked the noise/durability since the rubber compound on michelins were a bit more durable than most at same softness.

(Not the intention to "hijack" the thread, but partly on topic to previous posts to hear some experience from the shoes of the little puma. )

There’s Michelin and Michelin, no two versions are the same. And currently their Primacy range is outclassed by a few competitors, wear differences are minimal these days and Michelin no longer dominate that either. The PS4s is a dated tyre now and matched and also beaten these days in it’s class, eg Conti Sport 7. We are still waiting for the PS5s which is available in some sizes in US. Tyre reviews on YouTube is your go to place to learn about tyres. TBH the average joe (us) in his Puma isn’t going to be able to tell much difference between uhp/uuhp tyres on the road. Just avoid cheap Chinese tyres. That said they can make half decent winter tyres. Was going to bin a brand new set fitted by the previous on my mk4 Focus but found they were canny in snow, will wait until spring.

[geno]

Thanks 4251.

Yeah. Need to investigate more in detail next spring, especially about the summer tyres. I had a set of M&Ms on my former car and liked them a lot so they set the bar
As living in Finland makes it important to have proper winter tyres i was really impressed with the x-ice north tyres. But undecided on the summer tyres. Goodyear could be an option to check out. A decent brand and fresh set is better either way, but i know i'm not getting continentals. I did hear a big difference in road noise from before and getting older you want less of that from the tyres but also durability to save money in the long run.