[coxeterj]

I thought id write a quick post on a Friday afternoon to pointing out one of the many reasons the RS3 shits on the Focus RS. Apart from the vile interior on the Ford did you know the intercooler was too efficient and prone to condensation build up. Fords solution to this was to raid the parts bin and get a bit of transit van bumper trim and stick it over the grill. 

 

That people is one of the many reasons the RS3 costs 15k more than the Focus (with options).

 

I can't help but chuckle each time I see a Focus RS.

 

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Edited by coxeterj, 07 April 2017 - 03:30 PM.

[poolmeds]

haha!

 

I sat in a focus RS at goodwood last year and I genuinely thought it was a prototype because I could not believe that was the actual dash that was in the RS..... it was hideous.

 

I know Audi are premium and known for their interiors but I have had renaults and my wife has a little twingo but i have never seen a more cheap, plasticy, appalling interior.....there is this big cubby whole in the middle with a large plastic hard panel in the centre console.......it really is laughable.

[coxeterj]

The press love to knock fast Audis but they never pick up on the flaws their 'pet cars' have. After a few laps of spirited driving the Focus's rear differential overheats and stops functioning.... making it front wheel drive. Ford are working on a fix for this but the press don't publicise it! As for the naff interior....

[Spackman]

Also they didn't pick up that the press RS's had a diff that was never released on public cars. Orders for the RS have slowed quite a bit aswell there's a fair few now on dealers forecourts and forum users are saying some dealers haven't taken orders for months at a time, people have realised that with fords 3 year max PCP deals for Ford RS money you can get a faster more stylish better sounding and far better interior with either the A45 or RS3

Edited by Spackman, 07 April 2017 - 07:03 PM.

[coxeterj]

Also they didn't pick up that the press RS's had a diff that was never released on public cars

You mean one that did what it was meant to? Sounds like Ford cutting corners!

There's one for sale near me and they keep lowering the price. It was an ex demo optimistically priced at 34.5k. Can't stand Ford dealers, I was thinking about getting a Mustang for a bit.... one trip to a Ford dealer put an end to that idea.

Edited by coxeterj, 07 April 2017 - 07:12 PM.

[tim100]

I test drove most of the 'hot hatches' before going for the 8V, including the Focus RS. With all the hype, 'game changer' comments from the press and universal 5 star ratings, I was ready to put down a deposit. When I saw it in Nitrous blue, I quite liked it, but when I drove it I was seriously underwhelmed. Interior and seats(buckets) were horrible. Driving experience-rubbish. Engine sound-rubbish. Dealer experience-rubbish. It made me realise that a nice interior, great build quality, brilliant auto box and a brilliant engine and exhaust sound, all add up to a much much nicer experience-NO comparison. Only the A45 came close in the final decision really-that was a great drive, (although I did also like the Civic Type R-in the dry the handling was spectacular).

[mfurse]

Not sure where the diff rumour came from but it has always had clutch packs which control wheel speed....If you want to know the depth of engineering they went to on the RS watch this series: http://www.autoblog....umentary-video/

I thought the RS actually drove well but nowhere near the praise the press lavished on it. Ford should have made it 3K more expensive and made the interior better and added the mountune components by default - would have felt more "special".


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[coxeterj]

Not sure where the diff rumour came from but it has always had clutch packs which control wheel speed....If you want to know the depth of engineering they went to on the RS watch this series: http://www.autoblog....umentary-video/
I thought the RS actually drove well but nowhere near the praise the press lavished on it. Ford should have made it 3K more expensive and made the interior better and added the mountune components by default - would have felt more "special".
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There are loads of articles on the issues online. Here's one:

https://www.google.c...-ford-focus-rs/

[SW43]

That article is all 'bets' and speculation though - and we criticise the hell out of journalists for reviewing our cars on the track. It's clearly a decent car at proper decent money. If it won't do 100 consecutive laps sideways send it to the knackers yard aye?

[coxeterj]

That article is all 'bets' and speculation though - and we criticise the hell out of journalists for reviewing our cars on the track. It's clearly a decent car at proper decent money. If it won't do 100 consecutive laps sideways send it to the knackers yard aye?

 

Its one of many articles..... Just google 'Ford RS overheating'. Plus a lot of cars that have been put on the dyno do not produce anywhere near the power they are meant to.

Edited by coxeterj, 08 April 2017 - 08:21 AM.

[SW43]

I agree that our RS3s are 'better', that's why I've got one!

[coxeterj]

I agree that our RS3s are 'better', that's why I've got one!

 

 

Had Ford made a nice interior and sorted the issues the RS has I may have been tempted... If I owned one I would vomit every time I got in and saw the dash! 

[SW43]

Definitely agree about the interior. I had those seats in my Clio 197 10 years ago. And the dashboard is all over the place. But other bits of it appeal to me!

[red14]

Interesting comments. There are a few RS units around here and they do look good and sporty (in a boy racer way) from the outside. Quite fancied one until I saw the inside!! However the inside is where we all have to live and it has always baffled me that so many manufacturers get it wrong. For traditional old farts like me I like what I see in the Audi, instruments all in the right place and it takes no time at all to acclimatise to switches etc. Audi were clever enough to make their interiors broadly similar through the range too so upward (or downward like me) mobility was a smooth transition. Others cracked that code a while ago too such as Porsche in the 996 forward - for example.
I'm not necessarily a fan of moving to virtual switches on a tesla slab, but that's another story.


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[fuzzy4000]

Never even considered the RS, the interior is not a nice place and it looks a bit "boy racer", but the RS3 has it's own issues. The squealing brakes and the questionable after sales service from a lot of the dealers (going by my own experience and what I've read on here). Of course all journalist reviews are subjective and not very "real world". Two or three days driving a car like you stole it, at tracks and the best roads you can find would give a very different opinion to using it every day and looking after it as your pride and joy. I love my RS3, the sound of the engine in dynamic with the sunroof open, is all that I need to put a grin on my face. It's a tad anti-social in the town centre, in dynamic, but who gives a sh*t!!!!

[135i king]

I drove the new RS on Wednesday and can't see where anyone that's drove one would slate it..

Yes the interior is AWFUL but the drive was spectacular, the more you pushed it the better it felt. Gearbox - great. Engine note/exhaust sound could be improved and fortunately you can get the mountune kit for that which keeps the car under manufacturers warranty (I don't see this an option with any other hot hatch?). Brakes were fine in the short time I used it, certainly no squealing. The handling was fantastic, you can accelerate in the corner and you feel the back end come in to play and it's a bliss.

There is a reliability issue with these cars and out of warranty I'd never consider one but that's years away so not something to worry about at the present.

Would I have one over an RS3 8V if money wasn't an issue.. No chance.

However I'm in an 8P and at not much of a cost to trade up for the new RS I'm very tempted. The residuals are usually good on the RS too and they will stay that way for a year or 2 id guess.

[coxeterj]

I drove the new RS on Wednesday and can't see where anyone that's drove one would slate it..
Yes the interior is AWFUL but the drive was spectacular, the more you pushed it the better it felt. Gearbox - great. Engine note/exhaust sound could be improved and fortunately you can get the mountune kit for that which keeps the car under manufacturers warranty (I don't see this an option with any other hot hatch?). Brakes were fine in the short time I used it, certainly no squealing. The handling was fantastic, you can accelerate in the corner and you feel the back end come in to play and it's a bliss.
There is a reliability issue with these cars and out of warranty I'd never consider one but that's years away so not something to worry about at the present.
Would I have one over an RS3 8V if money wasn't an issue.. No chance.
However I'm in an 8P and at not much of a cost to trade up for the new RS I'm very tempted. The residuals are usually good on the RS too and they will stay that way for a year or 2 id guess.

I could completely understand why you would buy one. Don't get me wrong they have a cult following for a reason but they are cheaper for a reason!

[135i king]

Yeah it goes without saying, you get what you pay for.

I just have to decide whether or not I could live with the interior on the daily mundane duties.

[coxeterj]

Just think on a damp miserable morning when in a foul mood you will greeted by the following:




And those dials.....

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And you will remember you have a bit of transit van stuck over the grill

Edited by coxeterj, 08 April 2017 - 12:51 PM.

[135i king]

😂😂