[onewhippedpuppy]

Originally Posted by ramonesfreak

No VW, even my lemon, ever left me stranded. While the focus may have more impressive performance numbers, does that matter in real world conditions and is it worth it considering the focus is butt ugly and has a comparatively cheap looking and feeling interior...

The internet is full of VW horror stories. My BIL has been stranded multiple times by his VW products, but like a beaten spouse he stands by them faithfully.

You need to update your misconceptions. VW interiors have been trending downmarket recently while Ford is greatly improving. A recent Passat rental is one of the most disappointing cars that I've driven. I would rate the Focus interior as the equal of the GTi, and I've looked at both. Styling is subjective of course, the GTi has looked the same for approximately a decade. I like the GTi and consider it to be the only real competitor to the ST, but it doesn't have the charm or character in my opinion.