Focus RS - Best bang for Buck?

messymess

galwaytt wrote: »

...true. Oh, and your money would be going to the garage. A lot.

Are you eluding to something other than the standard servicing costs associated with changing the fluids, filters (and tyres)?

I realise that there's going to be a higher cost of ownership with a 911 turbo compared with a focus RS. But the point I was attempting to make was that if I had 50k to blow on a car it certainly wouldn't be a ford focus. I don't care how well it performs, it's still a fwd focus!

Atomic Pineapple

djimi wrote: »

For €50k Id fly to Tokyo to hand pick an R34 GT-R Skyline Wouldnt obviously be a new car but I know which Id sooner drive if given a choice...

You'd need another €50k to run it for 2 years

Henry Ford III

djimi wrote: »

For €50k Id fly to Tokyo to hand pick an R34 GT-R Skyline Wouldnt obviously be a new car but I know which Id sooner drive if given a choice...

Really?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZL8uPemi3k

djimi

Henry Ford III wrote: »

Really?

I dont care if the Focus was capable of breaking the speed of sound Id still sooner driver the GTR!

djimi

draffodx wrote: »

You'd need another €50k to run it for 2 years

Id probably need the €50k just to get insured on it tbf

Henry Ford III

djimi wrote: »

I dont care if the Focus was capable of breaking the speed of sound Id still sooner driver the GTR!

Fair enoughski.

The point is that a STG£25k car is as quick (and arguably more enjoyable) than a STG£60k car in a real life situation.

djimi

Henry Ford III wrote: »

Fair enoughski.

The point is that a STG£25k car is as quick (and arguably more enjoyable) than a STG£60k car in a real life situation.

Its just personal preference; Ive loved Skylines for a very long time. Its not the new GTR I want; its the R34 Skyline (1999ish), and nice and all as the RS Focus is (and regardless of performance) to me it just doesnt compare to a Skyline.

cpoh1

As one of the few on here who has actually driven a mk2 focus RS while in the uk visiting a good mate i can comment on how they perform real world. When we had the car (he was about to upgrade from an evo 9 to the RS so got the car off the dealer for the weekend) it varied from pretty wet to a little damp the second day. It does torque steer in the wet and it is difficult to handle when redlining in 1st and second on anything but the smoothest of roads. It is rapid fast in a straight line but i would imagine on anything but track it is very difficult to drive fast on the limit due to torque steer (in the wet) and understeer (bad but worse in the wet). The evo was miles faster on a back road than it, and a little faster in a straight line when it was drier. In the rain it was no contest. They guy didnt buy one but did get a new GTR skyline instead.

I find comparisons between the RS (a bastardised family car with serious performance corners cut - fwd etc.) and proper performance cars like the evo, skyline even the megane R26R pretty insulting. Its a car designed and made to make money for ford through clever branding and is never a car that a true petrolhead would be interested in.

Henry Ford III

cpoh1 wrote: »

As one of the few on here who has actually driven a mk2 focus RS while in the uk visiting a good mate i can comment on how they perform real world. When we had the car (he was about to upgrade from an evo 9 to the RS so got the car off the dealer for the weekend) it varied from pretty wet to a little damp the second day. It does torque steer in the wet and it is difficult to handle when redlining in 1st and second on anything but the smoothest of roads. It is rapid fast in a straight line but i would imagine on anything but track it is very difficult to drive fast on the limit due to torque steer (in the wet) and understeer (bad but worse in the wet). The evo was miles faster on a back road than it, and a little faster in a straight line when it was drier. In the rain it was no contest. They guy didnt buy one but did get a new GTR skyline instead.

I find comparisons between the RS (a bastardised family car with serious performance corners cut - fwd etc.) and proper performance cars like the evo, skyline even the megane R26R pretty insulting. Its a car designed and made to make money for ford through clever branding and is never a car that a true petrolhead would be interested in.

Bizzare.

1/. Any powerful fwd car will lose traction out in the wet if provoked. The trick and skill is to judge how much power to input.

2/. Why is a Megane R26R not a "bastardised family car"?

See the Autocar video on the previous page. A Focus RS is very quick indeed on real roads, and arguably more fun to drive than a Skyline GTR (and less than half the price).

Horses for courses really.

Atomic Pineapple

cpoh1 wrote: »

I find comparisons between the RS (a bastardised family car with serious performance corners cut - fwd etc.)

Same as the Lancer Evo, Megane and even the Skyline then :pac:

All family cars made into "performance" cars.

cpoh1 wrote: »

and proper performance cars like the evo, skyline even the megane R26R pretty insulting.

Is a 320bhp 4 door saloon really a performance car?

cpoh1

Henry Ford III wrote: »

Bizzare.

1/. Any powerful fwd car will lose traction out in the wet if provoked. The trick and skill is to judge how much power to input.

Exactly why i dont rate the RS as a real top of the range performance car. Its a car made with serious performance shorcuts made. Nothing bizarre about a FWD compromised car not loving with real performance cars like the new GTR.

Henry Ford III wrote: »

Bizzare.

2/. Why is a Megane R26R not a "bastardised family car"?

The R26R was built with zero compromise by renault, feck all weight, rollcage, a cracking N/A engine and great feedback from its chassis and steering setup. The focus is a mainstream product built to sell not for out and out driving pleasure.

Henry Ford III wrote: »

Bizzare.

See the Autocar video on the previous page. A Focus RS is very quick indeed on real roads, and arguably more fun to drive than a Skyline GTR (and less than half the price).

Horses for courses really

I dont trust any of the uk house magazine reviews after driving the car myself. Its quite obbvious after driving the car that these reviews are your typical british journo bigging up one of their own similar to their tripe with some lotus variants over the years.

I have also yet to see a review of the mk2 focus on a poorly surfaced backroad in bad weather conditions like when i drove it. It just cant live with cars like the evo9 and skyline in my book.

draffodx wrote: »

Same as the Lancer Evo, Megane and even the Skyline then :pac:

All family cars made into "performance" cars.


Is a 320bhp 4 door saloon really a performance car?

The new GTR was made from the ground up with performance in mind. The evo from the 7 on was built first as an evo model and the technology later transferred to the normal lancer. Im not saying manufacturers cant do it, look at the E46 and E92 M3 where BMW made a popular coupe into a successful and quite simply outstanding performance machine. The megane is in the same bracket as the M3.

The key difference is these guys didnt cut corners like ford did with the focus. I cant emphasise enough how distinctly average this car is to drive in comparison to an evo 9 and especially the new GTR (bar possibly in a straight line where it is fantastic). I dont care how fast it will potentially go on a smooth dry track, it just doesnt feel right to drive on a uk backroad (let alone an irish one!).

Draffodx do you really think a 320bhp 4wd rally specifically designed rally stag is not a performance car? The thing handles like nothing i personally ahve ever driven bar the GTR.

Atomic Pineapple

cpoh1 wrote: »

The new GTR was made from the ground up with performance in mind. The evo from the 7 on was built first as an evo model and the technology later transferred to the normal lancer.

Draffodx do you really think a 320bhp 4wd rally specifically designed rally stag is not a performance car? The thing handles like nothing i personally ahve ever driven bar the GTR.

The GTR is not part of the Skyline range.

Well it depends what an individual defines as a performance car. Personally I would love an Evo, but someone else would say its a tiny engined mid range saloon with a turbo bolted on while they go shopping for 911's.

Thats my point, performance is subjective.

cpoh1

draffodx wrote: »

The GTR is not part of the Skyline range.

Well it depends what an individual defines as a performance car. Personally I would love an Evo, but someone else would say its a tiny engined mid range saloon with a turbo bolted on while they go shopping for 911's.

Thats my point, performance is subjective.

It sure is! And I suppose thats my point. Compare the RS to something like a 911/GTR/evo9 and it will always come up short. Compare it to a golf gti, mazda mps or something like a focus st and its a decent jump in performance. My main issue with it though is that fors used the RS badge to sell a car that has no business wearing it. This car will never be remembered like the rs's of old.

conneem-TT

cpoh1 wrote: »

The R26R was built with zero compromise by renault, feck all weight, rollcage, a cracking N/A engine and great feedback from its chassis and steering setup. The focus is a mainstream product built to sell not for out and out driving pleasure.

Draffodx do you really think a 320bhp 4wd rally specifically designed rally stag is not a performance car? The thing handles like nothing i personally ahve ever driven bar the GTR.

The Megane R26R has a turbo 2l but it is quite an amazing car, I have seen first hand what it can do on a track.

The latest Evo has gotten a bit soft IMO and has gone a bit wayward compared to the previous versions. The EvoX is over 100kg heavier than the EvoIX :eek:

cpoh1 wrote: »

It sure is! And I suppose thats my point. Compare the RS to something like a 911/GTR/evo9 and it will always come up short. Compare it to a golf gti, mazda mps or something like a focus st and its a decent jump in performance. My main issue with it though is that fors used the RS badge to sell a car that has no business wearing it. This car will never be remembered like the rs's of old.

But the thing is, apart from it exuberant style comparison tests have shown that the Focus RS does not offer a real jump in performance from the Scirocco R, Megane RS, Curpa R or Mazda MPS.