Ford Focus RS?

So looking at WRX/Golf R/GTI type cars. The GTI offers a lot of Ballance but is no longer the value it once was as it seems pricing has risen on the Sports and dealer incentives have dropped to where they are very near comparable WRX price. The Fiesta ST has a pile of cash on the hood where you can find them for 19-20k depending on options which is a good deal but it's a smaller car for a family ride. What I'm shocked by is that Focus RS seem to be languishing on dealer lots such that they are putting decent discounts on them 2-3k advertised at some dealers in my area. Now I'm not certian you can actually get on for the price or if they have a adjustment when you get there but if you could get a base RS for under MSRP that makes them seem like a contender for my cash.
What does GRM think of the RS now that we've seen them for a year or so? I know a few have them what's the downsides? That performance for 3-4k above a WRX seems like a good option.

Or do I buy a Fiesta ST for 1/2 the price and just live with the size?

I was shocked the dealer in Countryside, IL had four of them sitting out front. Surely they are below MSRP. Front rotors were all rusted - I know it's not a big deal but they looked awful.

The consensus from those who have own them and driven them, is that they are fantastic cars, that ride abhorrently on the street.

For the price, it's hard to argue with the FiST. The Focus RS is much more.....more car, more power, and much more $$$.

I'm a fan of cheap, fun and fast, so for me the FiST hits the sweet spot. Step up to the Focus RS, and there's a bunch of tasty choices around that same price range--- I'm not sure I'd ante up for the RS instead of a BMW M235i, a Mustang GT, Camaro SS, or an STI.

Joe Gearin wrote: For the price, it's hard to argue with the FiST. The Focus RS is much more.....more car, more power, and much more $$$. I'm a fan of cheap, fun and fast, so for me the FiST hits the sweet spot. Step up to the Focus RS, and there's a bunch of tasty choices around that same price range--- I'm not sure I'd ante up for the RS instead of a BMW M235i, a Mustang GT, Camaro SS, or an STI.

Gonna second the FiST recommendation. I've been trying to come up with a 4 season car that I can autocross and doesn't bore me to death or beat me up the other 99% of the time I'm driving. So far, the FiST is the only car that's really tempted me. Disclaimer: a new FiST is pretty much the top of my car budget, so I haven't looked at anything much higher up the food chain than that, at least nothing that's new. It's sort of like the Civic hatch I loved so much earlier in life . . . only with power. As far as a family truckster goes, it seems like a reasonable ride for four average sized humans, at least in an "around town" capacity. I'm really only holding out right now for 2 reasons: 1. I'm a low mile/year driver (and I'm cheap), so I don't mind letting them depreciate for another year or two and 2. I want to be sure the "rolls over like a fat dog begging treats" stuff is just the usual internet hysteria.

The RS thing seems weird to me too. Our local dealer has had two of them sitting out for an least a month and a half, out of probably 50 total vehicles on the lot. I'm not aware of any other examples locally, and they usually aren't the type to do "market adjustments" on price, so I suspect there just aren't buyers out there.

I think Ford burned a number of people with their ordering/production shenanigans along with the dealer's apparent need to gouge their customers. So the die-hards bought them and the people who didn't want to deal with the nonsense left to buy Golf R's or wait for the new Civic.

If you can get one for sticker, do it.

They do ride rough on the street, but they get a bit better with age and once you wear out the stock tires, you can go to 18" wheels and get decent sidewalls and more width under the stock fenders.

My co-worker has a FoST and loves it, but it does suffer in the wet with the stock tires and the lack of a limited slip diff. My RS on the other hand just grips and grips even with an open front diff and summer tires. The only issues I've had with traction were in ice and snow and a set of proper snow tires would solve that.

It was amazing on the track at the recent SCCA Track Night and its been a great "Daddy" car for our family.

I'll second Stefan's comments.

The seats that a lot of people don't like took about 1000 miles to break in, and the suspension is stiff. It isn't terrible to me, but I have a relatively high tolerance for that kind of thing. My 18" snow tires made the ride better.

On the stock tires, it is a lot of fun to autocross. I'm waiting until they're worn out to step up to autocross rubber on an 18" wheel.

Fuel economy isn't good - but that isn't the point of this car. I've logged 19 mpg over 5500 miles. The tank is around 13 gallons, so cruising range is limited.

I do see a lot of the cars on dealer lots, and I assume that the dealer markup early on caused buyers to say no enough to drive up inventory.

I've taken mine on a 1000mile road trip along the Oregon/California coast.

It was awesome and averaged mid-20's.

The noisiest and most irritating part of the drive was coming back along I-5, Hwy 101 was a breeze otherwise.

I did blow a sidewall on a really bad road seam, but it kept on driving like normal and held air for about 40-50 miles and an overnight stay.

The seats require you to settle in, just Recaro stuff, wiggle a bit after you drive a bit and all is well.

I think they are probably great cars that dealers priced out of contention for a lot of buyers.

People who have them love them. People like me, who wanted to love them but couldn't get over the sticker shock and comparisons to interiors, power and performance of other vehicles (or be allowed to test drive one) in that price range left me very meh. If it was a $32-35k car I wouldn't have judged it's insides as harshly but it was closer to $45k with dealer gouging at the time and it's just not playing in the same league as $45k cars (IMO).

I'm not in the market now - but if I was, and they were under the original MSRP I'd take another look. It's still pretty freaking cool.

How about a FOCUS ST instead of RS ? Rides better and better fuel mileage, more room than the FIST.

The RS is becoming more common now and I have seen a few at Autocross etc and I have to say that they seem slower than what I had hoped. And yet when I saw a Golf R show up stock it seemed to really impress a lot of people.

With all the bad reviews of them as street cars compared to its price competitors and how much I disliked the Focus ST recaro seats (and I am skinny)

I would pass at this point

Stefan wrote: I did blow a sidewall on a really bad road seam, but it kept on driving like normal and held air for about 40-50 miles and an overnight stay.

Happened to me on Friday heading to work - except I could put my finger in the hole... rapid air loss.

Another reason for 18s

Yep, there are still dealers not too far from that are asking way over MSRP on their web sites, when places here in OKC have them listed thousands off MSRP.

I still miss having a V8 and will likely go that route next year unless I get some ridiculous windfall and afford an Audi RS3.

Looks like most of the ads in my area are at MSRP at this point for the RS.

I liked my Focus ST as an all around driver. It did everything right in that regard, but it wasn't enough fun as an autocross car. At least not stock. An RS looks like a lot more fun.

Harvey wrote: Looks like most of the ads in my area are at MSRP at this point for the RS. I liked my Focus ST as an all around driver. It did everything right in that regard, but it wasn't enough fun as an autocross car. At least not stock. An RS looks like a lot more fun.

I'll just leave one of JStein's autocross videos here:

https://www.youtube.com/embed/Y4T2xdV6MPE?ecver=1

the focus RS can be too flashy whereas the golf R just looks like any other golf. I think it depends on your goal with the car and what you want out of it.

something fast and unassuming with some autoX/track - golf R

something really edge and sorta flashy with some autoX - civic type R

future rally car/track slut temporary daily and autoX abuse - focus RS

something traditional along these lines- STI/EVOx

fidelity101 wrote: the focus RS can be too flashy whereas the golf R just looks like any other golf.

Slammed, with ugly side skirts and huge wheels?

BURN!

I saw an R this very morning. I thought it was some stancebro in a debadged 1.8t at first.

The Golf R/GTI is a much more civilized daily driver. The RS is much more raucous.

You have to decide which way you spend more time, at the track/auto-x or tooling around town.

I always knee jerk to the German car, I like the interiors more.

The other kicker for me even tho I do love manually rowing the gears is that the Golf R can have a SWMBO friendly dual clutch that also happens to hold a lot more power and won't need clutch upgrades. And it responds much better to a tune.

However I am not 100% sure I would go all the way to the Golf R or just get the GTI with the LSD

docwyte wrote: The Golf R/GTI is a much more civilized daily driver. The RS is much more raucous. You have to decide which way you spend more time, at the track/auto-x or tooling around town. I always knee jerk to the German car, I like the interiors more.

yeah the focus interior really bothers me, the dashboard is half the interior and never liked that era of ford interior. GTI interior is tough to beat.

There are about 3 or 4 RSs sitting on dealer lots around here and have been for months. It may be because dealers are gouging on the price, I don't know.

Stefan wrote:

Harvey wrote: Looks like most of the ads in my area are at MSRP at this point for the RS. I liked my Focus ST as an all around driver. It did everything right in that regard, but it wasn't enough fun as an autocross car. At least not stock. An RS looks like a lot more fun.

I'll just leave one of JStein's autocross videos here: https://www.youtube.com/embed/Y4T2xdV6MPE?ecver=1

I've seen them local, they look like fun, but I went to a Corvette C6 Z06 for my autocross car.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/b6SMzByDkpc?ecver=1

I drove all three of them and found the STI to be the best of all worlds.

If they put a DI motor in the STI in the next couple years I will upgrade again, the old EJ25 is the weakest point of the whole car.

wearymicrobe wrote: I drove all three of them and found the STI to be the best of all worlds. If they put a DI motor in the STI in the next couple years I will upgrade again, the old EJ25 is the weakest point of the whole car.

Yep, that's why my boss (a big Scooby head) bought the WRX with the DI motor. He ultimately sold the car after a short while as he just didn't fall in love with it, coupled with the horribly thin Subaru paint, it just wasn't what he wanted. He did say the motor was a treat though, but not enough to overcome the rest of the car.

He's hinted at looking at a Focus RS, but I suspect he's just messing with me as he just bought a pickup as that works better in his more rural area.