With the Focus RS already approaching 15,000 miles - a lot even despite it being delivered on 11,000 - there's loads of stuff to discuss this month. Some of it's good, some of it's bad, some of it just plain baffling.
More on this coming soon...
Let's start with the latter in fact. Just a couple of weeks after the first report, the 12,500-mile service indicator light illuminated. And wouldn't be turned off. So it went to Ford for its annual health check, but we thought it worthwhile to ring around a few dealers to see what it would actually cost an owner. There are a few PHers in that owner base and it was high time we did some proper consumer journalism... Shop around would be our advice! For an oil and filter change (nothing RS specific, to put it another way) the quotes ranged from £175 to a frankly ridiculous £423. Beyond being way too expensive, having such variance makes it stressful for a customer worrying if they have the best price; a Civic Type R - you knew it would come up at some point - is £190 wherever you go, the fixed minor service price for a petrol Honda.
With the car freshened up, it entered into a couple of fascinating fast Ford comparisons. The first was with the old five-cylinder RS, a hero car of mine and still very highly regarded if values are anything to go by. While the focus - sorry - was on the Mk2 for a Hero piece, a video was also cobbled together to pitch the two against each other. Without wishing to spoil either of those, it was interesting to note where the fast Ford has come in a few years. When up and running the old car didn't feel any slower (thank its 130kg weight advantage for that) and it did rather serve to make the new car look a bit plain. The Mk3 countered with a more responsive, revvier engine, more advanced suspension and an interior that seems from another century. It was a great day though, one we'll bring you more from soon.
The other was an impromptu back to back with the revised ST in our trip to Wales Rally GB. Perhaps the biggest discovery of that weekend is just what a thoroughly decent hot hatch the ST is; with so much attention being paid to the RS, the ST's pleasing combination of refinement, speed and entertainment has largely been forgotten. It didn't quite deliver the highs of the RS on Wales' more testing roads, but then neither did it frustrate like the blue car can. It scores evenly (and highly) across the board, without ever being terrible or exceptional. Nice car.
Now the benefit of a long-term loan is that more time can be spent homing in on just what appeals (and what doesn't) about a particular car. There's plenty for both columns in the RS! On the road the way it can just consume tarmac is incredible, the front end nailed on line and the car doing everything it can to help you in, through and out of a bend. While we've discussed its limitations on track, as a B-road weapon it's pretty damn good. And when you're perched so high the view out is pretty good too...
What's your left hand doing Matt?
Where the RS struggles is in combining those more exciting elements with the everyday stuff that hot hatches should do so well. Thus far, at least. There isn't that much space in it, the ride is wearing and it's not all that economical. It's a tricky car to categorise in fact; it's not as refined as something like a Golf GTI, but not as thrilling as a Civic Type R or Megane. That could be the perfect compromise for some, but for now it feels caught between the two schools without the best bits. Let's see.
Next month the keys are with Autocar for a bit - we are meant to be sharing it, after all - and we really need to try a car with SYNC3. Because SYNC2 is rubbish. And there is that Mountune kit too...
FACT SHEET
Car: 2016 Ford Focus RS
Run by: Matt (for now...)
On fleet since: September 2016
Mileage: 14,737 (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: So just how good is the new Focus RS? We've got three months to find out!
[Images: Mitch McCabe, Ben Lowden, Chris Teagles]