[jcp123]

Originally Posted by MetroMPG

I have read that the ST Focus and Fiesta are quite tail-happy.


Only tail-happy FWD car I've had the white-knuckle pleasure of rescuing from fishtailing (it was actually downhill oversteer - similar cause as lift oversteer) was one with rear tires that were a lot more worn out than the fronts.



Which is why most tire shops will install new tires on the rear of a FWD vehicle if you're only getting a pair of new ones.

I have zero firsthand experience in either car. I know the Focus RS Drift Mode is really aimed at excessive tail-happy behavior. More for fun than real Motorsport. The Focus I had was more buttoned down than that, very euro-refined with lots of compliance to soak up bumps instead of skittering over them, and aimed at being pretty neutral. Shame I didn't have the glorious Bay Area roads of my youth to compare it and my SVT Focus.

Originally Posted by niky

Gospel. I do the blink blink thing A LOT when I'm coming up to traffic. I'm also a big advocate of leaving space and marking escpae lanes. Rather lose a single place in traffic than both bumpers!

Some of the truck drivers here are absolute idiots. (they don't get the training they do in more civilized places).


Focii are absolute sweethearts to lift-oversteer. It'll kick out just enough to keep you entertained, before the Control Blade geometry changes as it loads up and gives you back your grip.

Echo. Nasty. Toyota's small cars are usually under-damped. Add to that a simple rear torsion beam and oversteer can be snappy and stuttery.

In a car I do try to tap-tap the brakes to give warning. Truckers (myself included) will toss on the hazards.

Underdamped would be an understatement. The incident in question happened at better than 12 years of age, deep into the 200k miles. And if the general condition of the car is anything to go by, I'd be absolutely shocked (sorry/not sorry about the pun) if they had been replaced.