Did I mention the ST’s seats? They’re terrific. To sit in, that is. Fabric-covered Recaros of classic design, the way they nail the sweet spot between comfort and support is a constant joy. The OTT buckets in the RS Focus are a nonsense by comparison.

And then you have to let someone clamber into the rear. So you tip the backrest, slide the base forward, install the passenger, flip back the backrest and find the seat’s stuck, jammed up against the dash. The only way to restore it to its original position is to push the backrest down onto the cushion and awkwardly manhandle the seat rearwards until it locks. What a complete pain.