[JDL]

Hey guys-

I'm in the market of trading in my ST and looking for an AWD alternative, whether it be a WRX, STI, or RS. How does everyone like their RS so far?

 

[shineboy]

Might be a better response on the RS site....

 

[Bryman13]

There's a couple other threads on here that may answer this question for you.

 

[dianebrat]

Love my RS, best decision I've made in a long time, but yes, head over to the RS site, there's even an "Ex-ST owners" thread.

 

[CurrentlyPissed]

You are going to have a hard time finding anyone to admit they regret their $40,000 purchase. Whether they tell you the truth or not.

 

[dianebrat]

You are going to have a hard time finding anyone to admit they regret their $40,000 purchase. Whether they tell you the truth or not.

Plenty of threads on focusrs.org about folks that either don't feel the car is worth it, or that they don't feel it was worth buying, I strongly suggest folks head over and talk a bit over there.

 

[CurrentlyPissed]

I totalled my ST from a deer 2 weeks ago. And strongly considered getting an RS instead I got another 16' ST. The fact that I can't get my D-plan on the RS really buggs the crap out of me. I ended up getting a ST2 Magnetic gray, machined wheels, with stripes for only $23k with incentives and my d-plan. The RS2 we have would've been 42k MSRP for me.

I myself as a worker for Ford, and love the RS. Can't justify the purchase for a 19k difference.

 

[Recycler]

This may help to understand https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sou...nwBC-Z9Ue2TE4RNyA&sig2=mz4UNk6A7TjlrGQrZwEaKQ

 

[gixxersixxerman]

I plan on going to the rs forum myself.. until i can get one out the door for around 35k its not worth it to me.. 45-50k that some of these guys paid puts other cars id like on the list of consideration.. not a Focus. I wont knock anyone that bought one, unless you paid over 50k then i think thats crazy.. But it comes down to what the car is worth to the person that buys it. Many have said its worth it and bought it.. to me it would have to be at or around 35 to make it worth it.

 

[cbdallas]

A different point of view is: It depends on what, if anything, you sacrificed to get one. I'd have to lop off an arm and offer it to Ford, but some guys can just toss this kind of cash on the finance desk without breaking a sweat. Driving away in an expensive car may only feel expensive if doing so takes you down a few notches, financially. If $45K cars are an everyday thing for you, it's probably be more 'worth it' than if you're picking up extra shifts and eating Ramen to do so.

 

[PoonRacing]

I come from 2013 stage3 ST for almost 3 year than sold it and got upgrade to the RS (pay MSRP). as for now RS is stock and feel no faster than my stage3 ST and everything feel similar. you are paying for the name and the AWD system are where the money at. If money is not an issue I say go for it.

 

[dianebrat]

I plan on going to the rs forum myself.. until i can get one out the door for around 35k its not worth it to me.. 45-50k that some of these guys paid puts other cars id like on the list of consideration.. not a Focus. I wont knock anyone that bought one, unless you paid over 50k then i think thats crazy.. But it comes down to what the car is worth to the person that buys it. Many have said its worth it and bought it.. to me it would have to be at or around 35 to make it worth it.

You're not going to see a limited production halo car that low, there's not going to ever be a glut of them since so far demand has far exceeded supply.

 

[kshatt06]

A different point of view is: It depends on what, if anything, you sacrificed to get one. I'd have to lop off an arm and offer it to Ford, but some guys can just toss this kind of cash on the finance desk without breaking a sweat. Driving away in an expensive car may only feel expensive if doing so takes you down a few notches, financially. If $45K cars are an everyday thing for you, it's probably be more 'worth it' than if you're picking up extra shifts and eating Ramen to do so.

 

[nickbaldwin86]

I would get one if I can get it under MSRP... as I did my ST. tell then I have no issues keeping up with a RS in my ST. at least with the driver that is in the RS that I play with time to time

 

[lflouie]

Most of the replies center around cost which is a factor but if you're into driving then price becomes secondary. Coming from a stage 2 Sti, the RS is a nice upgrade and really out handles a stock STI.

The STI and RS are substancially more car than a front wheel drive ST, even when the ST has been modded. The AWD setups and power delivery are impressive...oh, and did I mention the cornering?

Like everything in life in boils down to priorities, funds, preferences and availability.

 

[suss6052]

Most of the replies center around cost which is a factor but if you're into driving then price becomes secondary. Coming from a stage 2 Sti, the RS is a nice upgrade and really out handles a stock STI.

The STI and RS are substancially more car than a front wheel drive ST, even when the ST has been modded. The AWD setups and power delivery are impressive...oh, and did I mention the cornering?

Like everything in life in boils down to priorities, funds, preferences and availability.

Cost isn't everything, but for the price there are a few direct competitors and a few non traditional ones, as well as a myriad of other cars coming into reach if one were to take the mark up into consideration.

I wanted one badly enough to go through the process of trying to find one, the one I saw had been sold, and I was told I could order a 2017 at MSRP, but I ended up not going forward with that plan, not because the price was necessarily going to be too expensive, but because at the time I was not certain if some time after I ordered the car that I would regret the purchase without at least considering the alternatives.

I would have really needed to drive one before committing to spending the money, which is a real problem for something that has only been delivered 1674 times this year through September, or about 1 per every 5 focus STs sold in the same time period, and the limited stocks available at dealers within 100 miles or so of where I live.

I won't say it is not worth the money at the sticker price, or if you're really in love and can afford the mark up, but personally I couldn't do it at this time.

Yes the AWD is amazing and technically advanced compared to other FWD based systems on the market (cough, haldex, cough), and it's blisteringly quick around VIR being over a second faster than a Mustang GT Performance Package car tested the previous year (1.3 seconds). Ford Focus RS at Lightning Lap 2016 ? Feature ? Car and Driver

But with the wrong tires it can be bad on our poor roads, if I lived somewhere where the roads are good, the weather temperate, and I had significantly deeper pockets to the point where I could have a complete fleet of vehicles (not just 1-3 as now), I'd have added an RS to my collection of a daily driver/winter beater, summer daily and nice day options.

However, once you transition to Michigan’s far-from-perfect public roads, housebreaking the RS proves to be the frustrating stuff of a ride-and-handling engineer’s worst dreams. This RS vibrates like a paint shaker on two-lane roads; it borders on unlivable when respecting posted speed limits. Crank up the velocity to criminal levels, and the RS actually settles down a bit. The ride evens out and the steering stops favoring the road’s topographical features and starts to better hew to the driver’s desires. But it’s a lot to ask of a driver—say, his or her license—when a good car is at its best only when doubling the speed limit. The dampers are adjustable, but the stiffer of the two settings is seriously overdamped for public roads. This track weapon never feels settled, and neither do its white-knuckled passengers. Going with the base tire won’t fix the brutal ride on rough roads, but it will quell some of the tramlining.

2016 Ford Focus RS Tested with Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 Tires ? Review ? Car and Driver

So on balance I'll let someone else have the one I was going to order and went for the Mustang GT, not because it's necessarily a faster car, or if it was less expensive (the one tested by Car and Driver for the Lightning lap in 2015 certainly wasn't much cheaper than a loaded RS), but because of the feeling I had while driving the car.

I'm sure I would have enjoyed the RS quite a lot as well, but I'd have wanted to put 18" wheels on it with bigger side walls than the standard tires to give the car a fighting chance of surviving on our bombed out roads.

I do fully understand where the money went and it was into the engine and drive line as well as the chassis modifications to stiffen the body shell.

 

[Stoked]

I had an ST that felt close to what this car feels like speed wise, I also have a Mustang that's faster than the RS is (probably not in the corners but I'm going to find out! Lol). There will always be faster cars, and I don't think that's the point really. If you're looking for this car just because you're wanting something fast, save your money, buy a ten or 15 year old sports car and mod it, or if a 13 or 14 ST for what they're going for now and toss a couple bucks at it. You'll have a faster car for less. The RS is something you buy and spend this kind of money on because you want an RS. What that means to you is personal to only you. Simple as that really...my two cents anyway....

 

[cbdallas]

Saw my first RS in the wild yesterday. Pangs of jealousy, until I think of what he probably paid. Come on, Ford. Offer a simple Haldex AWD on the ST.

 

[brian60]

Saw my first RS in the wild yesterday. Pangs of jealousy, until I think of what he probably paid. Come on, Ford. Offer a simple Haldex AWD on the ST.

Wouldn't be very "simple" unfortunately since the entire rear end would need rebuilt around it. The 13-15k difference between the ST3 and the RS MSRP is to account for the "most advanced AWD system in the world" (source: Jeremy Clarkson - The Grand Tour )

 

[Stoked]

Take it into a corner balls out and yes...it starts to all make sense. lol