I love it.. an WRX STI owner actually humble and not afraid to notice there's some better things about the RS. Most of the WRX owners I talk with about my RS just whine with butt hurt. They're both good cars. I don't know why people get so polarized and act like children... "mine's better" "no, mine's better"
Nor Easter Great 👍 comment I totally agree. I own a 08 STI and yes I keep a extra EJ motor in my garage when it blows ..! because I beat the shit out of it 😂 also just bought a 18 wrx for a daily driver. I love the Rs and And all gens of golf R’s and Evo’s .. all 4banger turbo production cars are special. Can’t we all just get along 🤙
I have to disagree with you having more tech in these cars. No need for adaptive cruise or lane keep in these cars only to drive the price up even more. Just pay attention to what you're doing. Ford's packages suck by sticking a bunch of stuff that some people don't want with a bunch of stuff people do want. Less is more in these types of cars!
I bought the base ST to reduce weight but id still rather have bought a nice car with all of the features. If you can have a sporty car thats comfortable to daily, why not.
Casey Rodriguez I have a ST3 and it has plenty of normal features to suite my needs. I work in the auto industry and seeing some of these features only enables bad habits from people like texting. They allow you to not have to pay si much attention to driving and doing other things you shouldn't be doing. The RS is a driver's car and doesn't need a bunch of garbage options weighing it down and taking away from the experience. My old Evo 8 and Evo 9 didn't have hardly anything and was just fine cause it was a driver's car. You didn't care about all the other nonsense it didn't have cause of the sheer fun it was to drive.
chibbs1975 Id still rather have gotten the ST3 because id rather have to turn those features off than not have them at all. My biggest gripe is the analogue climate controls. Id much rather have a digital climate control that never has to be touched. Im likely going to trade it in at some point for a newer ST3. I didnt want the Sony equipment originally but the replacement stereo mounts are hideous and cheap looking in the base model.
Casey Rodriguez there is not a option on my ST3 that I'd want to turn off, but it has plenty of options to hold me over. I don't care about power seats, but I have them. I wanted HID's so the ST3 package was my only option since mine is a 2014. If I were to buy a RS today, I'd order a RS1 package with forged wheels and navigation if that can be ordered separately from the RS2 package.
chibbs1975. Actually Ford lets you choose and option to put on, unlike Gm that you have to choose a package if you want a certain feature. Don't really know about Dodge.
Tim, have you turned off ESC after selecting drift mode? I've read about that just selecting drift mode does not turn off ESC completely and you should turn it off after manually.
My past car was a fiesta st150 with standard wheels wrapped in toyo r888r tyres and every pot hole was brutal my RS in comparison sails over them like they were not even there and that’s me driving the same road every day for the past 6 years.
good video, but the review is just spot-on, technical & definitely a must-watch video review of the new Focus... btw I kinda hate the RS in black, seems dull....
1:16 good luck finding one for $36k. Every RS I have seen has been marked up at least $5k over sticker; most are going for around $46k. After tax you will probably be close to $53. I bought my STI for $35k out the door with tax (used 8k miles).
777aterial I bought my 2016 STI for the same price with 9k miles on it and I love it. I don't care if it needs more power or of it's slow or whatever the fuck people complain about. I love my STI in crystal black silica :)
cradlerofdeath I just did one too with a 100 mile radius of my house. The cheapest was 42k asking. We are talking about new not used. It said the average sale price was 42k. If you want to see it as proof I can PM you. Most were around that 46k value.
I'm addicted to this car. NORMAL PEOPLE HAVE BLOOD CELLS THAT CARY OXYGEN AGROUND THE BODY *ME: FOCUS RS CARRYING BLOOD CELLS AROUND MY BODY IN ITS TRUNK.*
After a year now, it appears the Ford RS is less reliable than the STI. There are multiple reports of head gasket failures and engine problems associated.
I race my 14 focus ST and daily drive it and have 40k miles. Its been completely problem free. Ive ran through tires, brakes and oil. Its the first car ive had that eats rear brakes because the Stability system is constantly making adjustments if i forget to turn it off. Subarus are reliable. STI's not so much. My STI friends spend more time fixing their cars than my VW friends.
I had a wrx and once I put around 70k miles on it everything started to fall apart I'd advise against it.Loved driving my subaru but was far from problem free.
The bit about interiors made me laugh! The Japanese know that in Japan most buyers rip out the interior and will do weird shit to it anyway and the boffins at ford know that in 20 years time people will be "upgrading" their one liter 20 year old Focus to the RS Spec stuff from all the ones which got stacked by some "Lad" with a strange haircut!! (Its the same in EVERY country!!!)
You didn't get the others because your own cars were such junk didn't handle, terrible build quality, unsafe (still Mustang NCAP 3...) now there is market convergence its not a thing.
I simply don´t get drifting. Why don´t you go to a wet or snow or gravel surface and "drift" all that you want? And you don´t need a special car for doing it, and also, don´t burn your tires.
lol this host is a joke. the Ford is roughly the same price? bwahahaha ever heard of price as tested? Obviously these are car ppl, the sti is way more affordable than the focus which is more like 45k$ with the markup from every single dealer. get your shut together. btw the golf R is way better than both. same price very tunable up 500+hp and loads better interior than the sti and focus.
Full on manual with a pedal clutch is obsolete tech. A manual shift with an automatic clutch is smoother, faster, more reliable, and you don't need a clutch pedal but still have direct control of shifts like with an old school manual. There are various other methods available as well such as automatics with a computer controlled simulated manual mode, paddle shifts, CVT, et cetera. Clutch pedals have no place in a 21st century car.
Casey Rodriguez An automatic clutch is used with a manual transmission. It is not an automatic transmission. It does the clutch work for you as you shift gears with the stick. Some racing vehicles use them. Sometimes you can retrofit them using after market parts but it is expensive to install them. It would be much cheaper as a standard option from the manufacturer.
***** I wouldnt be interested. I prefer to be involved in the process. Soon you guys will be arguing that AI can take corners faster so why even drive at all.
Casey Rodriguez You are involved in the process. You shift gears as normal with your hand. The only difference is you can give your foot a rest and you always have a perfect shift.
Sorry but i would never buy a ford of any kind. How can you even compare an RS with WRX/STi? Its not always about which car puts out more power, theres so much more to that. The Impreza is a way better looking car and you can make just as much power if not more with a simple tune or modification.
I think my ST sounds and looks better than an STI. Did you forget the RS can be tuned too? The RS has more features, it can be RWD, you wont look like a douche driving it, You wont constantly run into your car everywhere you drive... The STI is boring. The only thing it offers is a 50/50 set up which plenty of manufactures offer now. Id buy an AWD 3.7L Vtec TL with a 6spd before i bought the STI.
Well i didnt know that you can split the LSD fully to the rear wheels thats pretty neat... and obviously any car can be tuned but nothing sounds better than a subaru Impreza!!! who told you the STI only offers 50/50 set up??? LOL The STI offers up to 20/80 differential. I have a 2010 WRX and 2015 FRS. My WRX is pushing aprox. 320HP and 360Torque to the crank.(thats plenny power for me) however its not my car of choice. I will be much happier once my FRS gets the turbo installed this winter The RS is probably a little beast no doubt but in my opinion it still looks like a girls car, its too small and looks ugly from the rear. Also because its ford I have a feeling these cars are going to have some mechanical /electrical issues down road
***** If the BRZ would have been boosted stock id own one right now. It was too slow for me. I wanted it really bad, and then i drove it, and walked away. I was going to buy a new wrx but by the time i started looking, i didnt feel like spending that much plus my insurance is pretty spendy. Dealers around here were asking more for 2013 than a new 2015 at the time. I know the STI can transfer power front to back, but I could justify spending that money. The EJ25 just isnt reliable enough for me. Ive put a lot of miles on my ST and its been driven very hard. Ive had no issues. Ford eliminated a lot of stuff. Theres no MAF, no header, its all fly by wire, the engine bay is fairly empty and clean. They did a good job on these cars. The only draw back is the direct injection which requires me to walnut blast the intake valves, but the intake mani is simple to remove and it isnt something ive had to do just yet.
drifting part starts from 6:35
Thanks
What the hell? You don't need to countersteer in drift mode? That just doesn't look right
It's because theres still some power going to the front tyres so if you counter steer like normal you'll come straight out of the drift.
I love it.. an WRX STI owner actually humble and not afraid to notice there's some better things about the RS. Most of the WRX owners I talk with about my RS just whine with butt hurt. They're both good cars. I don't know why people get so polarized and act like children... "mine's better" "no, mine's better"
Nor Easter Great 👍 comment I totally agree. I own a 08 STI and yes I keep a extra EJ motor in my garage when it blows ..! because I beat the shit out of it 😂 also just bought a 18 wrx for a daily driver. I love the Rs and And all gens of golf R’s and Evo’s .. all 4banger turbo production cars are special. Can’t we all just get along 🤙
I'm sad that when that polarizing happens it not routinely Americans supporting American industry. Remember what Japan said when they surrendered?
Ride quality is high performance not lacking.
Bet BBC won't be happy about having 'the Stig' in the title
nazhif1 does it matter for them anymore? lol
Ben Collins, was the Stig.....fuck um!!
Was one of many Stigs, the reason the character was masked was so they could use any racing driver they could get a hold of
And yet the video is still up with the same title
one of the best reviews I've seen, well done Roadshow
Tim, I like your work a lot. Keep it up!!
Thank you!
I have to disagree with you having more tech in these cars. No need for adaptive cruise or lane keep in these cars only to drive the price up even more. Just pay attention to what you're doing. Ford's packages suck by sticking a bunch of stuff that some people don't want with a bunch of stuff people do want. Less is more in these types of cars!
I bought the base ST to reduce weight but id still rather have bought a nice car with all of the features. If you can have a sporty car thats comfortable to daily, why not.
Casey Rodriguez I have a ST3 and it has plenty of normal features to suite my needs. I work in the auto industry and seeing some of these features only enables bad habits from people like texting. They allow you to not have to pay si much attention to driving and doing other things you shouldn't be doing. The RS is a driver's car and doesn't need a bunch of garbage options weighing it down and taking away from the experience. My old Evo 8 and Evo 9 didn't have hardly anything and was just fine cause it was a driver's car. You didn't care about all the other nonsense it didn't have cause of the sheer fun it was to drive.
chibbs1975 Id still rather have gotten the ST3 because id rather have to turn those features off than not have them at all. My biggest gripe is the analogue climate controls. Id much rather have a digital climate control that never has to be touched. Im likely going to trade it in at some point for a newer ST3. I didnt want the Sony equipment originally but the replacement stereo mounts are hideous and cheap looking in the base model.
Casey Rodriguez there is not a option on my ST3 that I'd want to turn off, but it has plenty of options to hold me over. I don't care about power seats, but I have them. I wanted HID's so the ST3 package was my only option since mine is a 2014. If I were to buy a RS today, I'd order a RS1 package with forged wheels and navigation if that can be ordered separately from the RS2 package.
chibbs1975. Actually Ford lets you choose and option to put on, unlike Gm that you have to choose a package if you want a certain feature. Don't really know about Dodge.
Several other reviewers have the same concerns about the seating position. They suggested going with the stock seats.
Where is Cooley On Cars?
Its been 2 weeks or more now :L
Tim, have you turned off ESC after selecting drift mode? I've read about that just selecting drift mode does not turn off ESC completely and you should turn it off after manually.
Best thing about this car is it will put some pressure on Subaru to improve the STI.
Can't you use left foot braking to mitigate the turbo lag?
I need to buy this... DRIFT MODE!!! We will never see this again in the auto industry
My past car was a fiesta st150 with standard wheels wrapped in toyo r888r tyres and every pot hole was brutal my RS in comparison sails over them like they were not even there and that’s me driving the same road every day for the past 6 years.
Great review - thanks Tim and Stig!! I would love to see more Hot Hatches in the US. Maybe Chevy will turn one out with a Cruz SS 2.0L turbo...
GM can't match this class.... Good job Ford...
Lane Keep Assist = Stay the fuck off your phone and drive...
It comes in handy for sure. When I'm tired
good video, but the review is just spot-on, technical & definitely a must-watch video review of the new Focus... btw I kinda hate the RS in black, seems dull....
I looked up "hipster beard" in the dictionary and there was a pic of Tim ;-) ha ha
This one cost pretty much twice as much in Norway compared to the US. Would perhaps stick with the older WRX or STI.
Did the car have the Recaro Seats? Is that seat higher than the standard seat?
RS comes stock with Recaro seats. The Focus St has them in the ST3. You can adjust seat height.
Nice review. Subscribed :)
Awesome video! Although those Subaru tail lights almost ruined it...
“Drive it like you stole it” 😂😂😂😂
On the Ford Focus? Not In the Ford Focus?
I like Tim's style.
like the alloy non black wheels
You don't want lane assist on a sport car. C'mon.
Why? You push a button and its off.
I miss my mk3 rs 2017 now
Silver wheels in some shots and black wheels in others?
RIP all the Focus RS manual transmisions in the US :'D
I have one.. Have yet to ever put into drift mode
You are perhaps the only person in the world willing to use the stiffer suspension settings on the road
I have a focus ST. Its always stiff.
8:10 the look in his eyes... lol
U got the 2013 STI against the 2016 RS ofc there's going to be qualities issues u should try the 2016-17 STI against a 2016-17 RS
The interaction between the two of them seemed a bit awkward. Lol
And why was the previous generation STi shown in the video instead of the current Gen sti?
Oh well...
1:55 Maybe because Mr. Stevens owns his 2nd STi hatch, and the current gen is not available as a hatchback?
You are correct. Gotta be a hatch. And John C, they're pretty darned close mechanically.
is this rio dam???
It's an iconic American hydro powerplant. If it's no longer that vauxhaull checking it's tears torque in a Canadian sand that's alright.
1:16 good luck finding one for $36k. Every RS I have seen has been marked up at least $5k over sticker; most are going for around $46k. After tax you will probably be close to $53. I bought my STI for $35k out the door with tax (used 8k miles).
777aterial I bought my 2016 STI for the same price with 9k miles on it and I love it. I don't care if it needs more power or of it's slow or whatever the fuck people complain about. I love my STI in crystal black silica :)
Used for 35k OTD? You definitely got ripped, I bought mine brand new for 34k OTD
Thomas Niewiara traded the sti for a Chevy ss with the LS3.
Actually if you use truecar like I did 2 dealers were gonna get me a Ford Focus Rs at msrp but I backed out so what you're saying is nonsense.
cradlerofdeath I just did one too with a 100 mile radius of my house. The cheapest was 42k asking. We are talking about new not used. It said the average sale price was 42k. If you want to see it as proof I can PM you. Most were around that 46k value.
I'm addicted to this car.
NORMAL PEOPLE HAVE BLOOD CELLS THAT CARY OXYGEN AGROUND THE BODY
*ME: FOCUS RS CARRYING BLOOD CELLS AROUND MY BODY IN ITS TRUNK.*
Came for the stig. No stig now im upset. Great review tho 👍🏽
That is the stig.
$36,000 for a focus RS? Where the hell have you seen that? Cheapest I've seen is $41k
Used
Checking in 5 years later - just paid 39k for 21k mile rs2
Why is he driving two different Focus RS? The one he starts off in has black alloys and the drift clip has silver.
After a year now, it appears the Ford RS is less reliable than the STI. There are multiple reports of head gasket failures and engine problems associated.
i would still get the subie just for the reliability since it would most likely also be my daily driver
EJ25 and reliability? lol.
I drive my RS daily 100+ miles. Have over 6000 miles since I got it on sept 9th, the only issue a nail in a tire.
I race my 14 focus ST and daily drive it and have 40k miles. Its been completely problem free. Ive ran through tires, brakes and oil. Its the first car ive had that eats rear brakes because the Stability system is constantly making adjustments if i forget to turn it off. Subarus are reliable. STI's not so much. My STI friends spend more time fixing their cars than my VW friends.
jrzez haha yeah tell em!
I had a wrx and once I put around 70k miles on it everything started to fall apart I'd advise against it.Loved driving my subaru but was far from problem free.
Hottest hatch was the RS200, change my mind
lol 36k, more like 45k up here where i live
Plus it's a American car and I support American industry.
the ford focus rs is the best Drift car you can get
Sierra cosworth came out in 1983 not 90s
It came out in 1986. Rs500 in 1987
PotatoViking The video of the 500bhp Sierra cosworth that they raced on track in 1983.The video is on here mate.
isnt he the stig?
Vincent van Gogh
Lane keep? You can't do that yourself? *smh* America... First all these autos now need tech to keep those autos in the lane itself too...
You want to see "Adaptive Cruise Control & Lane Keep Assist" on a Focus RS?!?!?! Hand in your 'GearHead' card!!!
it's 2,3 L not 3,2
Shouldn't it be:-
'Drifting with the Stig IN the Ford Focus RS'
?
That was the easiest drift lesson ever!! Just make a tighter circle.... Full power Full power.... There you go see you're drifting... LOL
The bit about interiors made me laugh! The Japanese know that in Japan most buyers rip out the interior and will do weird shit to it anyway and the boffins at ford know that in 20 years time people will be "upgrading" their one liter 20 year old Focus to the RS Spec stuff from all the ones which got stacked by some "Lad" with a strange haircut!! (Its the same in EVERY country!!!)
it doesn't send all the power to the rear wheels. only 70%. and all of that can be sent to the rear outside wheel. Good review though.
Not fully correct. Tyrone himself let it slip that you could possibly get up to 95% on the outside rear...
Lsd would fix that
It has an electronic LSD.
A race car driver that wears wrestling boots. Hmmmm.
You didn't get the others because your own cars were such junk didn't handle, terrible build quality, unsafe (still Mustang NCAP 3...) now there is market convergence its not a thing.
I will stick to my Subaru sti 459 bhp 2.1 forged
tthats the not the stig hes not wearing his white suit ;_;
i dont know why they are so crazy about civic hatchback? focus will eat that expensive over design shit!
Yeah, probably not.
haha - he owns an 'sti' lol
This car is less than a fokin bmw i3
drifting a bubble car
Parlaci della tua Subaru
Stig Stig Stig Stig Stig Stig Stig Stig Stig Stig..................................
Thank you for your support.
Ford souvage
Arrgghh greedy stig!!
Dear American car reviewers:. PLEASE stop talking like a news anchor.
"Understeering while oversteering" thats 4WD u dummy
I simply don´t get drifting. Why don´t you go to a wet or snow or gravel surface and "drift" all that you want? And you don´t need a special car for doing it, and also, don´t burn your tires.
Just shows all of you not to sit on youtube and read peoples crap comments about this car, Stig word is final. Shutup and sit down. :p
That Focus interior is better than the new Subaru? You've either never seen it, or you're high.
you ever seen a rs interior?lol
lol this host is a joke. the Ford is roughly the same price? bwahahaha ever heard of price as tested? Obviously these are car ppl, the sti is way more affordable than the focus which is more like 45k$ with the markup from every single dealer. get your shut together. btw the golf R is way better than both. same price very tunable up 500+hp and loads better interior than the sti and focus.
Sam Cassidy
really Sam? I bought mine for 1700 below msrp.
lol from what dealership? there online threads galore of people not being able to find a dealer that marks them up.
I ordered it in March from wiscassett ford in maine. Granted many have paid over msrp, just as many have paid msrp. Check the forums
justin doan every dealer I called within 2 hours drive of me was charging 5-10 over msrp.I Bagged the golf for 2700 under invoice.
Good job. When I bought the sti in 04, I waited 6 months for the 5k markups to subside and then paid msrp later in 04. Timing.
Yeah this car can’t drift though lmao
Full on manual with a pedal clutch is obsolete tech. A manual shift with an automatic clutch is smoother, faster, more reliable, and you don't need a clutch pedal but still have direct control of shifts like with an old school manual. There are various other methods available as well such as automatics with a computer controlled simulated manual mode, paddle shifts, CVT, et cetera. Clutch pedals have no place in a 21st century car.
Seriously? Automatics are boring and manuals still cost far less to maintain. I bought a Focus ST because it only came in a stick.
Casey Rodriguez An automatic clutch is used with a manual transmission. It is not an automatic transmission. It does the clutch work for you as you shift gears with the stick. Some racing vehicles use them.
Sometimes you can retrofit them using after market parts but it is expensive to install them. It would be much cheaper as a standard option from the manufacturer.
***** I wouldnt be interested. I prefer to be involved in the process. Soon you guys will be arguing that AI can take corners faster so why even drive at all.
Casey Rodriguez You are involved in the process. You shift gears as normal with your hand. The only difference is you can give your foot a rest and you always have a perfect shift.
***** The focus rev matches. I have perfect shifts regardless.
thats not the stig
And that is not “THE STIG" Michael Schumacher is the stig
Lol. Not true. Schumacher made a guest appearance as the stig once but the other guy was the stig 90% of the time behind the helmet
Sorry but i would never buy a ford of any kind. How can you even compare an RS with WRX/STi? Its not always about which car puts out more power, theres so much more to that. The Impreza is a way better looking car and you can make just as much power if not more with a simple tune or modification.
My RS's pushing 347hp/380tq, at the wheels, with only a filter and a tune... but I will admit the STi at least sounds better...
NMC Tacticz
having owned 3 wrx and 2 sti, I will say the focus rs handles soooo much better
I think my ST sounds and looks better than an STI. Did you forget the RS can be tuned too? The RS has more features, it can be RWD, you wont look like a douche driving it, You wont constantly run into your car everywhere you drive... The STI is boring. The only thing it offers is a 50/50 set up which plenty of manufactures offer now. Id buy an AWD 3.7L Vtec TL with a 6spd before i bought the STI.
Well i didnt know that you can split the LSD fully to the rear wheels thats pretty neat... and obviously any car can be tuned but nothing sounds better than a subaru Impreza!!! who told you the STI only offers 50/50 set up??? LOL The STI offers up to 20/80 differential.
I have a 2010 WRX and 2015 FRS. My WRX is pushing aprox. 320HP and 360Torque to the crank.(thats plenny power for me) however its not my car of choice. I will be much happier once my FRS gets the turbo installed this winter
The RS is probably a little beast no doubt but in my opinion it still looks like a girls car, its too small and looks ugly from the rear. Also because its ford I have a feeling these cars are going to have some mechanical /electrical issues down road
***** If the BRZ would have been boosted stock id own one right now. It was too slow for me. I wanted it really bad, and then i drove it, and walked away. I was going to buy a new wrx but by the time i started looking, i didnt feel like spending that much plus my insurance is pretty spendy. Dealers around here were asking more for 2013 than a new 2015 at the time. I know the STI can transfer power front to back, but I could justify spending that money. The EJ25 just isnt reliable enough for me. Ive put a lot of miles on my ST and its been driven very hard. Ive had no issues. Ford eliminated a lot of stuff. Theres no MAF, no header, its all fly by wire, the engine bay is fairly empty and clean. They did a good job on these cars. The only draw back is the direct injection which requires me to walnut blast the intake valves, but the intake mani is simple to remove and it isnt something ive had to do just yet.
It’s ugly car
You are ugly
Dear American car reviewers:. PLEASE stop talking like a news anchor.