If you buy into all the hype surrounding the new Ford Focus ST, it’s the greatest thing to hit the hot hatch segment since the debut of the original VW GTI some 35 years ago. Comparisons to others in the segment, such as the Mazda Mazdaspeed 3 and the VW GTI, are inevitable, and (on paper, anyway) the Focus looks like a front-runner for best in category.

Or does it? As this video from Edmunds illustrates, the Focus ST has its strong points (handling, lateral grip), but it has its weak points as well (0-60 time, for example). While we’d certainly recommend shopping the Focus ST alongside others in the category, we’d reserve throwing cash down on one until you have the opportunity to compare all side by side.

Also, we know this is semantics, but testing a car in a parking lot isn’t our idea of “track testing.” Sure, you can generate data on a lot of variables, but what enthusiasts really want to know is how quickly a car can lap a given racetrack. With a budget like that of Edmunds’, we’d think a side by side comparison of the Focus ST, Mazdaspeed 3 and VW GTI at a racetrack of its choosing would be even more informative.