IT'S ALL MINE!!!!

Well, here we are, my friends...
And here IT is!

"IT", of course, is my brand-new, personally owned and insured, completely MINE, car.

"IT" is a 2013 Ford Focus ST; it's Tangerine Scream (above ^); it has full leather Recaro seats (front bucket seats, AND the rear bench is even done by Recaro!); it has a Navigation System which comes with Ford SYNC; it runs with a 2.0L, 4-cylinder, turbocharged engine which has 250 HP 273 lb-ft of torque, and is harnessed to a 6-speed manual- MANUAL- transmission (and doesn't even come with an Automatic option!); it has 18" alloy wheels with Goodyear Eagle summer performance tires; I got a moonroof; and I'm very very happy with it.

Now, I haven't really been driving a whole lot in a while; and this is a brand-new car, with a sporty clutch- a clutch which I'm not used to- so I am having some.... rough starts. Jumpy shifts. Harsh changes. You know- it's annoying, and frankly a little embarrassing- and I really want very much to just drive it a lot and get more used to it... But, considering the fact that I don't have a left foot, so I'm using a metal shaft with a piece of carbon fiber on the bottom to operate the clutch, I think I'm doing rather well. Not having an ankle means that my knee controls all the movement for the pedal, which does mean that my leg has been bumping into the dash around the steering wheel, making the pedal that much more difficult to operate smoothly, but it does work.

So, let's have the review (the BRIEF review):
The seats are, as just about every single other person who has reviewed this vehicle has also said, possibly- almost certainly- the most comfortable seats I've ever sat in in a car. They are incredibly supportive; they're comfortable, but firm enough to keep your body aligned and sitting properly, so your back doesn't get sore; it wraps around you, hugs you- hips, back, and shoulders- so that you don't shake or bounce around. They are really superb.
The clutch disengages suddenly, and the pedal doesn't quite seem to move smoothly- although I'm not at all sure if that's the pedal itself, or the way my leg is working (my knee isn't as functional as it should be, and, well, I don't have my own foot)- but the gear shifts are crisp and swift, and when you get it right the clutch is very smooth and solid.
The steering is excellent- tight and controlled, but not excessive. The turning radius is a little wide- pulling into parking spaces may take a few points, and there are times when you think "I should be able to just get in there..." but it doesn't turn *quite* hard enough- but it doesn't affect normal driving, only parking and tight spaces, and I can live with that. There are turn assist lights. (turn the wheel to one side, and a light illuminates next to the headlight to show you what is on the ground where you're about to turn)
I do also love the suspension. It's tight, because it's a sporty car- I do definitely notice that the car finds roads much rougher than other cars do, it sort of shakes as you're driving- but it isn't a hard knocking. The suspension is firm, much like the seats, so that it's tight but controlled. It's firm bouncing, not rattling. It's not like hitting hard rocks or potholes; it's bouncy and shaky, but not in a frightening way. It's tight to preserve the sportiness of the car, and it does so very well; but it's also soft and comfortable enough for a daily driver, and soft enough that it isn't harsh or at all concerning.
The Ford SYNC system is a little annoying; there is no way to change the annoying female voice, and perhaps most frustrating- definitely most frustrating- is that you can't interrupt her. Automated phone machines will stop if you speak- if the answering machine starts to give you a list, and you interrupt it to say an option it has just said, the voice will stop and it will take your answer; however, the Ford SYNC system *will* finish its full monologue, with its annoying voice, and if you do say something before it finishes its list, it will not record your choice; it will play its "beep!" (like a phone's answering machine) and then wait for your choice. However, the range of options and choices which it controls is impressive and useful. If the machine allowed you to interrupt its long, long lists of choice options, I would honestly be very pleased with its inclusion into this package.
The car has HID Headlights; I like them very much. They are very bright, and very *white* (as opposed to the blue-ish color most HID headlights appear to be) and they show the terrain ahead very well. There are ambient interior lights; these lights are in the foot wells for the driver and passenger, in the cup holders in the front, and in the interior door handle inset and the door pocket. The ones in the door are my favorite: when the door is open, they change from their standard color, to RED, to show that the door is open! =D Also, there are 7 colors to choose from for the lights- white, light blue, blue, green, orange/amber, red, and purple. The lights are very useful, and I really like the way that the interior looks with them on- it looks much cooler. =)
The instruments are simple, but effective; they aren't jumbled, or cluttered, but neither are they excessively plain. They are clear and easy-to-read; they are well-lit and useful. The Navigation system also gives you heads-up directions right next to the speedometer- the next turn is indicated by a simple arrow (either pointing left, straight, right, or in a U), the target street's name, and the distance to the street. 2 trip odometers, the distance to travel until your gas tank is empty, the current trip's time, the Settings, and Vehicle Information are available in the center of the instruments; they are navigated through by a steering-wheel-mounted 4-way/OK-button pad. The instruments include: the Tachometer, the central information screen, the Fuel gauge, Water Temp, and Speedometer; above the central console- the Navigation screen- there are 3 gauges: the Oil Temp, Oil Pressure, and Turbo Boost indicators. (I believe these were included simply to increase the car's perceived sportiness) The central column has the Nav screen at the top; beneath it is a single CD slot, with a Power button (for the radio/CD/general entertainment system's sound) and an Eject button at each end; then, the Volume knob, surrounded by left/right Skip buttons, and up/down Seek; further out, there is a horizontal Seek to the left, and Sound to the right; below that is the automatic, Dual-Zone climate control system's controls.

I honestly don't really know what else to say right now.
If any of you have questions, go ahead and ask me, and I'll answer them- if they're substantial, or numerous, enough, then I'll write a whole post to answer them; if it's a simple question, I'll simply answer your comment.
And honestly, you should ask questions; anyone who wants a sporty, stable, comfortable, dependable, *good* car should, absolutely, consider this option. Now, I battled for quite a while over getting this, or getting a Subaru BRZ/Scion FR-S. (it's the same car) However, I settled on the Focus ST because I wanted an entire package. I didn't want to expend a lot of time and money, *after* buying an entire, *brand-new* car, to make the interior comfortable, nice, and just.... a nice place to be. I didn't want to go and blow a good deal of money to make my new car into a complete package- I wanted it to be a good car when I got it. Sure, something I *can* put work into, to make a 'serious' car- IF I decide to- but which, stock, is a good, sporty, nice car.
The Focus ST was my choice for that; I saw it as the best option. And now, having sat in it, driven it, and looking forward to owning it for the near future, I'm quite sure that I did make the best choice!