Ford Focus RS: PH Fleet
Winter roads are here; is the Focus RS in its element in the elements though?
Before I get to that though, some quick practical observations. I know it's actually against the rules to write about this car and not slag the seats off for being mounted too high but I've not found myself as irritated by it as some. Which is odd because my reflex action when getting in any car is to try and slam the seat down to the floor.
Bigger practical problems as I see it are the pitiful luggage space from the raised boot floor and the appalling visibility. I guess the latter will be true of any current Focus; the latter probably won't be but for those with family clutter to shift around the RS is severely limited. Another vote for the Civic if these things matter to you!
Anyway, there are more interesting things to talk about! With long-suffering snapper Sim shivering behind his Nikon I was keen to see how the Focus dealt with the kind of roads that it should, by rights, devour. The kind of roads the Subarus and Evos of a few years back would have ruled supreme; the ones with odd cambers, evil bumps, mixed surfaces and - at this time of year - not a whole lot of grip.
I have to say, I wasn't quite as relaxed in the Focus as I expected. Even with the dampers decoupled into the softer setting the chassis is pretty aggressive, the body control excellent and damping very good but the general set-up perhaps a little too sharp on properly bumpy roads. Combine that with really fast, pointy steering and I was surprised how nervy I felt.
I think the weight has a lot to do with it too. To keep that mass in check the spring and damper rates have to be pretty fierce and generally do a good job. But over rapid fire bumps or on roads with unhelpful cambers you feel the inertia through quick direction changes and it just doesn't flow in the way a lighter car like a Megane or Civic manages. Generally it's good at hammering the road into submission but if the surface fights back the Focus suddenly feels a little on tip toes. I know I'm a bit of a Subaru fanboy but on the same roads and in similar conditions my (supposedly outdated) WRX STI long termer felt a lot more confidence inspiring, and that wasn't exactly a cushy car in terms of spring and damper set-up or significantly lighter overall. That lack of visibility and the top-heavy feeling from the seating position (there, I said it...) are, I suspect, factors in why the Focus has you backing out of it where in a rally rep you'd be getting on it.
It's much better on smoother, wider roads. And massively entertaining on the slithery roundabouts that punctuate the mid-section of my drive down from the north. I love the way the front end is so pointy and that adding more throttle simply encourages the rotation into the corner before tracing a diagonal line out of it. We're used to hot hatches that can be adjusted by coming off the throttle. But the Focus responds to more positive applications, the more so at this time of year. You can see it in the pictures Sim shot from up on the moors; it's not going massively sideways or likely to inspire further outbursts from our sweary Australian friend. Just very obviously not understeering, in keeping with the promise made by development boss Tyrone Johnson.
I learned more on how it does this from a chat with a nice chap from GKN Driveline, which supplies and helped develop the Twinster all-wheel drive system for the Focus RS. If you're into your geekery and want to know more about how it works differently from the Haldex-based systems used by most rivals it's a really interesting chat (well, I thought so). I'll be posting the GoPro'd conversation in its entirety soon.
FACT SHEET
Car: 2016 Ford Focus RS
Run by: It's basically the PH office bike...
On fleet since: September 2016
Mileage: 16,855 (delivered on 10,919)
List price new: £35,315 (Basic list of £31,000 plus £745 for Nitrous Blue paint, £1,000 for Luxury Pack, £595 for forged alloy wheels, £1,145 for Recaro shell seats, £465 for SYNC2, £85 for door edge protector and £100 for colour coded brake calipers
Last month at a glance: Can the Focus brighten up the winter gloom?
Previous reports:
Three months with a Focus RS then; best make them count!
First service and a meeting with the ancestors
The world's gone mad. Too heavy, too much power.
Are you saying that a 80kg passenger and some luggage in the civic type R ruins the driving experience for you as now the mass of the car isn't optimised for the damping? Are you really that good that you can notice the difference on a 8/10 B road blast?
Also of note:
2002 E46 M3, 343hp and a curb weight of 1549kg
2016 Mk3 RS, 350hp and a curb weight of 1547kg (don't know where 1599 comes from)
One is a hero, with never a mention of its weight in any review (also note, the 2002/3 autocar review of the m3 hilariously mentions that the seats are mounted too high because of the electric motors)
The other is too heavy and has seats that are too high even though you can order ones that are low and supportive and save you circa £1100!
Are you saying that a 80kg passenger and some luggage in the civic type R ruins the driving experience for you as now the mass of the car isn't optimised for the damping? Are you really that good that you can notice the difference on a 8/10 B road blast?
Also of note:
2002 E46 M3, 343hp and a curb weight of 1549kg
2016 Mk3 RS, 350hp and a curb weight of 1547kg (don't know where 1599 comes from)
One is a hero, with never a mention of its weight in any review (also note, the 2002/3 autocar review of the m3 hilariously mentions that the seats are mounted too high because of the electric motors)
The other is too heavy and has seats that are too high even though you can order ones that are low and supportive and save you circa £1100!
IME more profile on the tyres, softer damping giving more grip on real roads and less of an obsession with meaningless lap times would make most cars 'better'
Dan's long-term STI did have the quicker steering-rack than on my 2012 model tho - is that a big enough change for the STI to take the fight to the RS? All I can say is that from my experience, the RS moves the game on.....significantly.
Dan's long-term STI did have the quicker steering-rack than on my 2012 model tho - is that a big enough change for the STI to take the fight to the RS? All I can say is that from my experience, the RS moves the game on.....significantly.
Out of interest when deciding on the RS did you ever consider/test drive the CTR?
Out of interest when deciding on the RS did you ever consider/test drive the CTR?
Am still very much considering going to drive the CTR to see if I could fall for it within a 30 minute test drive. Four wheel drive is a big positive for me as I live close to the mountains, but I would be happy to fit chains on a FWD car if it was special enough (hence umming and ahhing over a Trophy). The change was because I felt the genre had come on so far from the 2012 Scooby that I'd be mad to miss out on some fun motoring in a practical package.
I just count ourselves lucky that somehow extreme hot hatches have become a thing! It's probably difficult to make a bad buying decision in this sector right now....
Am still very much considering going to drive the CTR to see if I could fall for it within a 30 minute test drive. Four wheel drive is a big positive for me as I live close to the mountains, but I would be happy to fit chains on a FWD car if it was special enough (hence umming and ahhing over a Trophy). The change was because I felt the genre had come on so far from the 2012 Scooby that I'd be mad to miss out on some fun motoring in a practical package.
I just count ourselves lucky that somehow extreme hot hatches have become a thing! It's probably difficult to make a bad buying decision in this sector right now....
Watch this space!
Dan
Dan's long-term STI did have the quicker steering-rack than on my 2012 model tho - is that a big enough change for the STI to take the fight to the RS? All I can say is that from my experience, the RS moves the game on.....significantly.
You are bang on about the confidence gained by knowing the RS will rotate into the corner on the throttle and this - and the lack of understeer - do open options no other car of this type (other than perhaps some of the more aggressive Evos) have offered before. It's very accessible too, which is what I was saying about the behaviour on those roundabouts I hit on my commute.
It's simplistic to say the Subaru is old-school and the Focus new-school and they each have strengths - and quirks - of their own ready to be exploited as you gain familiarity and confidence in the way they do things. And they're both fast, fun and interesting to drive, especially at this time of year. I love the way they give you so many options for tackling the same corner. Your points are both interesting and bang on in their observations too and really interesting to hear given your direct experience of both cars. Thanks for sharing!
All I can say is on the specific test route I use a lot - up around Saddleworth Moor - I had less confidence in the Focus than I would have done in the Subaru in the same conditions. It wasn't to do with the traction or behaviour on the throttle but more the spring/damper settings, the twitchiness of the steering, the sense the weight wasn't being contained and also a lack of confidence from not being able to place the car as accurately. As I say, I was backing out where in the Subaru I'd have been flat on it.
I am being picky because I like the RS a lot and it lays down a formidable challenge to everything else at its price point, Subaru included. World would be a much duller place without it!
Cheers,
Dan
With these cars, most of my driving is on the road. In 4 and a half years driving the STI I have only once had that delicious moment of all four tyres scrabbling for grip and yet still moving forwards. Once! In the RS, I have felt the outside rear just over rotating a few times already. I am not a driving god either behind a keyboard or on the road, but I do actively go looking for that kind of thing when on a spirited drive. I think the sheer accessibility of the Ford is what has won it a place in my heart. Plus I live close to a large gravel car park!
By the way, mine is on 18 inch Team Dynamics wheels and winter tyres (Michelin Alpin PA4s) at the moment. I think the smaller wheels have smoothed out the secondary ride around town somewhat, but I can't really tell a difference when pressing on in terms of performance from the tyre. Maybe I'm not trying hard enough....!
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