Disabled Account

Just been reading EVO Magazine back issue (March 2003) group test for the untimate "Superhatch" - 8 page road and track test........

Sadly they rated the Focus RS LOWEST of the group:

VW Golf R32.........5 stars
Subaru WRX........4.5 stars
Seat Leon Cupra R.........4 stars
Alfa 147 GTA.........4 stars
BMW Mini (Schnitzer version)......4 stars
Audi S3........3.5 star
Ford Focus RS........3 stars

Quote:
On the B660 The Focus had all the composure of someone who's necked a bottle of Tobasco and tried to wash the taste away with a pint of Red Bull. Like strapping yourself to a rodeo bull..Involving and absorbing, yes, but only because you are utterly focused on not falling of the thing. You simply cant enjoy driving the Focus RS fast, when your fighting to to keep the car away from the verge/hedge/ditch/on-coming traffic.

M7 COS

Who wants a boring mundane drive?

The Focus RS sounds like fun to me!!

Are all those models comparable in price?

Surely the Golf, Alfa and Audi are all more expensive?

Phil

iTrader: (1)

Doug, the only thing 'wrong' with the Focus is that is has Quaife ATB as standard and makes the handling twitchy apparently, but then think of a Quaife ATB as an upgrade to any other car - people can't recommend them enough

Disabled Account

Seat Leon Cupra £16,995
Focus RS £19,995
Subaru WRX £19,995
Mini £21,500
Golf R32 £22,340
Alfa £22,500
Audi £24,800

M7 COS

Did they take servicing, cost and depreciation into account or was it purely on the driving experience?

NathR

Flying - I don't do many motorway miles hence the slightly lower MPG.

M7 - Yep, significantly improved!

About the bad reports, can't really be arsed to go off on one but Phil has hit the nail on the head, it's all down to the diff, which is sposed to be an upgrade, I bet it wouldn't handle anywhere near as good without it but wouldn't give as much torque steer, I know what I'd rather put up with. Most of these journo's aren't exactly proper drivers anyhow are they?!

Disabled Account

M7 COS, no the test was pure performance on track and road.....Focus RS did well on the track (Bedford Autrodrome)....not quite as quick as the Subaru


Which means that, for all its straight-line pace and sense of purpose, we're finally forced to declare the Focus RS a dud....All the hype cannot disguise the deeply flawed chassis in this car. Yes it flies on track, but this is a road car and here it borders on the dangerous in the UK.

NathR

LMFAO, whatever, deeply floored chassis?? Thats the Focus's strong point throughout the range, let alone after all the developement on the RS.

M7 COS

Isn't that a bit strange for the fuel consumption to improve after chipping?

What is it? Bluefin?

I thought the Focus chassis had been raved about since it was first released?

M7 COS

And do we mean flawed and not floored?

tonyk

I am a subscriber to evo magazine and all they really like is taking the ferarris to ponder about in scenic conditions in france or the italian mountains, they have lost the thing that made me subscribe to evo in the first place, ie they tested cars like evo`s, scoobys etc.. now its just take the supercars somewhere for a drive.

Disabled Account

Phil, ref the ATB diff -

They liked it on the track: "you can sense the diff maximising drive to impressive effect.......theres a real sense of grip....Focus RS feels planted through the faster sections"

But on the road they we're not so keen: "Its as if the turbo lights up so quickly it catches the clever diff by surprise, tugging the steering wheel in the opposite direction to the one you'd expect".

M7 COS

Does the RS suffer from torque steer quite badly then?

Disabled Account

Re reading the article, it seems to me that the torque steer is the ONLY thing they did not like about the Focus RS.......problem is, they did not like the torque steer big time - enough to rate the car lowest of the seven on test

They concluded:

"If this is the best Ford's sharpest and most intuitive engineering brains can come up with, I dispair"

==============================================

M7 COS

Is there not any aftermarket suspension mods. that might improve the situation?

I know on Fiesta's Fiesta Frenzy lower trailing arms lessen torque steer even with 250+ BHP Fiesta's.

swerv

Oh dear why do you believe what you read in motoring magazines, most of them haven’t got a clue, I stopped reading evo ages ago.

I don’t own a focus rs or intend to but I have driven them over different type of roads and I can say they are excellent, I felt the torque steer they are complaining about and its not that bad in reality, if I was in the market for a hot hatch the focus rs would be top of my list with only the Alfa coming close in terms of desirability.

Not sure about you trading the st170 for an rs for everyday use, the st170 comes with a better interior imo



But the rs is the better car.

AndyRST

PMSL @ torque steer.

I think people have forgoten how to drive a powerful FWD car. They get used to Traction control, active diffs, electronic this and that. When it comes to a car like the Focus RS and its designed for road + track use and the grip is good, its requires a good driver to take control of this car.

Too many of these "car journlists" are expecting some sort of skyline electronics to sort this surge of power and grip out for them without actualy having to do anything other than nail the throttle

M7 COS

You've hit the nail on the head there I think!

RSBen

Excuse me but how do you know my financial status? !
I am not in the same position as you because I drive a 3k Cossie which is worth fook all as trade in so would need to borrow the full amount for a FRS which I would have "NO CHANCE" of affording so

Happy New Year

MAD ANDY

lol ok fair enough, point being though we would "both" have to lend money to do it, and its often easy for people to say "I would do it if I was you" etc and in reality they are often in the same position sort of

anyone seen the video of the Focus RS v WRC on ford site?

http://www.ford.co.uk/ie/focus/foc_e...ce/foc_films/#

Kev.H

money for mine is in the bank and in my CTR just waiting for the new shape to see how prices plunge and my job to be safe dont like these scare stories about handling but I also dont like the stories i read about the twitchy back of the CTR but will it put me off buying one er NO

MAD ANDY

dont think this will make any difference tbh. Sure a new Focus LX, Ghia, Zetec etc will affect the price of an old Focus LX, Ghia, Zetec etc, but there wont be a new Focus RS hence the old Focus RS wont be affected Yeah good point about the job protection though, I'm still on probation after starting with a new company and leaving an old where I went through 8 redundancy situations due to company buyouts... and my new company has just been bought out!

AndyRST

Well i think the new focus ST will make the price of the Focus RS drop

Im told the new focus chassis is based on a volvo and the new Focus ST could have a volvo turbo engine in it now what would that do to Focus RS prices

Wouldnt be hard to chip a ST Turbo and have more power than a Focus RS.

IMO wait until theres proper news about what engines will be in the NEW focus as this will govern the prices of the current Focus RS

MAD ANDY

-new- focus st?? didnt even know there was one!!! I saw there is a new focus sport but thats it DOH!!!

flyingfocrs

New Focus ST due in the stealerships late 2005 early 2006.

RSBen

Fair comment


Is that a twin exhaust I spy ? ? ? Looks good
Not sure on colour though

Kev.H

i think the new st will have a V6 lazy easy power which doesnt cause hassle

Phil

iTrader: (1)

Focus prices are going to nosedive now the new model is about to roll out. I read on Pistonheads that one dealership is offereing brand new base models for £6.5k (obviously I can't confirm it is true!)

I think the ST170 will take a bit hit so if you are going to do something, do it now!

The RS price shouldn't suffer anywhere near as much.

flyingfocrs

Yep twin exhaust.
I actually like the colour. There's another pic that shows the seats have trim to match the exterior.

AndyRST

I think both prices will drop around £2k BUT i think theres a fair few people out there that like the shape of the old focus over the new focus so this may help in keeping the prices up on the "sporty" models i.e ST and RS.