MK3 Focus RS - Damp squib?
Discussion
Wow how times have changed
I briefly owned a Mk3 FRS about 6 months ago and sold it after a month due to being rather underwhelmed with it.
At the time the prices were strong and it sold easily without loss.
Just had a nosey on AT and at the time of posting there are 223 for sale and prices have tumbled!
I wonder if the market is viewing this car as a duffer and in time will look back on it in the same way as enthusiasts look back on the mk4 golf gti?
I briefly owned a Mk3 FRS about 6 months ago and sold it after a month due to being rather underwhelmed with it.
At the time the prices were strong and it sold easily without loss.
Just had a nosey on AT and at the time of posting there are 223 for sale and prices have tumbled!
I wonder if the market is viewing this car as a duffer and in time will look back on it in the same way as enthusiasts look back on the mk4 golf gti?
theres a guy on you tube "Fezza" or "Fezzer" I think who regularly posts short videos about life with his blue RS.
he has had a fair old list of issues to contend with with it including a new engine and problems with alignments whilst he still raves about it I do sense he will admit defeat with it one day and just get rid. you can tell he wants to love it but anymore problems and you just know itll get sold on..........he will probably end up in an Audi.
he has had a fair old list of issues to contend with with it including a new engine and problems with alignments whilst he still raves about it I do sense he will admit defeat with it one day and just get rid. you can tell he wants to love it but anymore problems and you just know itll get sold on..........he will probably end up in an Audi.
The problem with the MK 3 Rs is that it's just another model in ford's line up, it's not a limited edition production run, they'll keep making them until the model changes.
Limited numbers drive demand, the focus rs will just be like the impreza turbo 2000 in years to come, the fast model in the model lineup, which will filter down the affordability thresholds to the point they're seen as the chav motor of choice.
Limited numbers drive demand, the focus rs will just be like the impreza turbo 2000 in years to come, the fast model in the model lineup, which will filter down the affordability thresholds to the point they're seen as the chav motor of choice.
We have a St3 estate for family duties. It's the wife's daily..
It's far from a damp squib for everyday driving.
The RS looks too hardcore in my opinion? Performance wise I thought it would match its looks and be brutal?
Tempted to test drive one a few months ago. Dealer was telling me people with R8s were part exchanging and also the lease deals were mega cheap.
It's far from a damp squib for everyday driving.
The RS looks too hardcore in my opinion? Performance wise I thought it would match its looks and be brutal?
Tempted to test drive one a few months ago. Dealer was telling me people with R8s were part exchanging and also the lease deals were mega cheap.
I would tend to agree that the standard car does not have the wow factor when you put your foot down. Its a nice car in the same way all new cars are nice to get in but its not "premium" and priced accordingly. Driving a tuned ( relatively cheap good stage 1 or higher ) one however is a completely different story. It was never designed to be another Mk2 RS and i imagne the toned down looks actually appeal to many rather than the lairy looking Mk2.
I think deep down petrol heads love flawed cars, cars that are unhinged, cars that other people look at and say such things as 'I'd love one but don't have the balls to buy one'. I'd hazard a guess that the MK3 RS is probably too capable, like a lot of performance cars these days. There's nothing to get your heart racing unless your doing stupid speeds where if something does go wrong your toast.
The MK1 RS was a bit of an animal at the time with the dramatic torque steer and whilst some would hate it, I would love it and try to master it to get the best out of the car. If a car is easy to drive fast out of the box then it gets boring quickly. No idea about the MK2.5 RS but you don't see many about and that in itself make a car feel special as well, also with so many boggo diesels coming out of the factory all max powered up, cars like the Focus RS don't stand out anymore.
The MK1 RS was a bit of an animal at the time with the dramatic torque steer and whilst some would hate it, I would love it and try to master it to get the best out of the car. If a car is easy to drive fast out of the box then it gets boring quickly. No idea about the MK2.5 RS but you don't see many about and that in itself make a car feel special as well, also with so many boggo diesels coming out of the factory all max powered up, cars like the Focus RS don't stand out anymore.
WarnieV6GT said:
I think deep down petrol heads love flawed cars, cars that are unhinged, cars that other people look at and say such things as 'I'd love one but don't have the balls to buy one'. I'd hazard a guess that the MK3 RS is probably too capable, like a lot of performance cars these days. There's nothing to get your heart racing unless your doing stupid speeds where if something does go wrong your toast.
The MK1 RS was a bit of an animal at the time with the dramatic torque steer and whilst some would hate it, I would love it and try to master it to get the best out of the car. If a car is easy to drive fast out of the box then it gets boring quickly. No idea about the MK2.5 RS but you don't see many about and that in itself make a car feel special as well, also with so many boggo diesels coming out of the factory all max powered up, cars like the Focus RS don't stand out anymore.
I have owned my mk1 Focus RS for over 6 years now and when I bought it was torque steering a lot which I didn't mind but as soon as I had the full alignment done it stopped torque steering so I'd imagine alot of that would have been to do with the set up being out as some come from factory with no issues. As for the mk3 I don't mind the look of them not saying that they aren't great to look at but not awful but I'm not overly convinced by them and that's a shame as it has the potential to be a great car. The MK1 RS was a bit of an animal at the time with the dramatic torque steer and whilst some would hate it, I would love it and try to master it to get the best out of the car. If a car is easy to drive fast out of the box then it gets boring quickly. No idea about the MK2.5 RS but you don't see many about and that in itself make a car feel special as well, also with so many boggo diesels coming out of the factory all max powered up, cars like the Focus RS don't stand out anymore.
Its obviously a capable car but after going out in a mates one, him and then me driving I just came to the conclusion it didn't feel that fast and was boring from both seats.
I went into it having read all the reviews etc so was expecting something amazing. And the interior is nasty typical Ford, nothing special.
Certainly have a lot more fun in my old Subaru, and as a daily prospect my VRS is a nicer, roomier and fast enough place to be.
I went into it having read all the reviews etc so was expecting something amazing. And the interior is nasty typical Ford, nothing special.
Certainly have a lot more fun in my old Subaru, and as a daily prospect my VRS is a nicer, roomier and fast enough place to be.
My maths could be way off, but based on the number of Mk3 RS registered to-date, I'd estimate that their could be up to 6,000 delivered to the UK by the time they stop production.
Total UK deliveries of the Mk2 RS were ~4,000. I guess we'll have to wait a few years to see the true impact of that on residual values.
Total UK deliveries of the Mk2 RS were ~4,000. I guess we'll have to wait a few years to see the true impact of that on residual values.
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