Hot on the heels of a 2012 redesign, the 2013 Ford Focus carries over with a sporty new member of the pack and minuscule changes otherwise. This entirely front-wheel-drive 4-door lineup continues in sedan and hatchback flavors, ranging from the base S sedan to the hatch or sedan SE, SEL, and top-shelf Titanium trims, with the new turbocharged ST available only as a hatchback like the carried-over electric BEV trim. Last year's redesign is a big hit, but the Focus still seems a bit fuzzy around the edges with sometimes unpleasant road noise, limited rear legroom, complicated tech and some disappointing materials for the sticker price.

Nevertheless, the 2012 improvements were an impressive lot, including tech upgrades, materials upgrades and a pleasing style throughout. The new driving dynamics can't seem to get enough accolades from very happy drivers who called the 2012 edition fun to drive and even engaging in an almost unprecedented showing of review love on CarGurus and elsewhere. Ford focuses that winning combination in 2013 with a performance-tuned ST hatch with aggressive looks to match, and early drivers are very much impressed.

A great deal of electronic compensation makes the 2013 Ford Focus ST a refined speed demon requiring little work to outmaneuver any field of cones on dry, even pavement. Any other driving conditions will expose the wild side of these 252 horses and 270 lb-ft of torque singing from the centered dual exhaust pipes. The ST's turbocharged 2-liter inline-4 is basically the same 2-liter inline-4 used in every other gas-powered Focus, save for the turbo of course, but it also differs in that only a 6-speed manual is available, whereas the rest of the lineup is offered with a 5-speed manual or 6-speed dual-clutch auto-manual. For all this the ST only chews through about another 2 mpg with an estimated 26 mpg city/36 highway.

The dominant engine is a 160-hp naturally aspirated 2-liter inline 4-cylinder capable of a zip-to-60 sprint in 8.3 seconds when paired with the manual, losing just 0.4 seconds off that time with the remarkably smooth automated manual. The ST achieves the same in 6.4 seconds, but won't fetch the same 28/38 mpg the naturally aspirated version gets with the automated manual, or 26/36 with the stick. An additional Super Fuel Economy option pack for the SE sedan reliably bumps that automatic's awesome rationing to 28/40.

For even more economy, the Focus Electric, also known as the BEV, affords an amazing 110/99 mpge rating out of its 107-kilowatt electric drive motor and 23-kWh lithium-ion battery. Ford estimates a max range of about 76 miles, and with the standard 240-volt charger, it requires only about 4 hours for a complete refill. For an idea of the tech in every Focus, the Electric is well-equipped with heated front seats, eco-friendly materials, dual-zone automatic climate control, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, ambient lighting, push-button start, a 9-speaker premium Sony sound system with HD radio and Sync with special electric car considerations included in the MyFord Touch system, adding among other things the ability to manipulate certain car functions from your cell phone.