Ford Focus RS 2016 Review - A Road Legal Rally Car - Joe Achilles
Vložit
- čas přidán 14. 11. 2016
- Help me get to 10k SUBSCRIBERS - / joeachillescars
I was lucky enough to spend a week ripping around in this new Ford Focus RS. I decided to start this review with any negative issues regarding this car, please be patient though as my tone soon changes when we uncover what this Hot Hatch is really like when going fast...
The Hot Hatch sector is becoming ridiculous now, most cars offering well over 300bhp, luxury car levels of tech, more practically you could ever need and all for around £30k! I really want to get my hands on a Seat Cupra next, thats a hatch I've heard great things about...
IF YOU'RE OVER 5ft 11" DON'T OPTION THE RECARO BUCKET SEATS!
If I was 10 years younger (circa 24-28), the RS would probably be top of my list, I would have it in Stealth grey and with the far superior standard seats.
Thanks Tim (Shmee150) for making a cheeky guest appearance, for anyone who hasn't lived on planet earth for the past 5 years here's a link to Tim's channel - / shmee150
Thanks to MangoVFX for my intro - / mangovfx
Follow me here -
Instagram - / joeachilles
Facebook - / joeachillescars
Twitter - / joeachilles
Website - www.joeachilles.com
Cheers Joe - Auta a dopravní prostředky
What a coincidence, I can't believe that was you!!
+Shmee150 I know mate what are the odds!!!!
Joe Achilles that was hilarious 😂
I thought he was in your car for a minute, I would have put money on it given how friendly you two have become?
Almost identical spec but definitely not Tims
lol please tell me that was impromptu...
Went from a RS to a m140 to a golf r and now back to an RS can’t get enough of it put a big smile on my face every min I’m in it.
I have never loved a car as much as I love this one. For me it is simply the perfect all-in-one package
the shmee makes an appearance !! nice one lads !!!
No lie joe... this review is what persuaded me to buy mine, awesome job!!!
Great review and honest. I like the way when you make a criticism, such as the ride position of the Recaro seats, you show some footage which demonstrates it clearly, then refer back to the original seats which offer a much better position. It's things like this that help people make informed buying decisions.
Andy Jackson Thanks buddy! Yeah I like to be as honest as possible, obviously it's from my point of view so that doesn't agree with everyone 👊
Great review, this channel deserves more followers. Keep this up!
London town looking beautiful and better than I remember. Must be in the very monied areas.
Great review! Love the amount of detail - you really covered every detail that needs to be covered!
I think this is the best review I've ever seen on this car, nice one! That Shmee150 diss at 0:26 was funny though, lol.
Thanks buddy :-)
Great review mate, one of best I've seen recently.
Hi Joe. A lot of RS reviews out there. Yours must be one of the more balanced, grown up and informative. As an M135i owner too, see where you are coming from! Well done.
+Mark Homer Cheers Mark appreciate it, I've never been called a grown up before haha. Great that you have a 135, such awesome, understated and underrated little cars 👌
Hi Joe, really look forward to your YT reviews now, as you seem to have found a good balance in the content by actually informing people about aspects of the car that they would genuinely be interested in, especially if they were thinking about purchasing these cars. I started watching because of my interest in the BMW 'M' world (got an M2 or order myself) and now that you are covering different manufacturers as well (love the Focus RS), the content is improving every update. A Golf R review would be great and also a manual M2 (I ordered the DCT). Cheers !
Cheers Rod! Really appreciate your kind words mate, subscribers like you that keep me motivated, I literally pump all my spare time into these vids haha. I would love to get my hands on a R, plus other "affordable" stuff... Too many CZcamsrs reviewing cars that are out of everyones reach, also cars that in reality cant be used to their full potential on public roads without a jail sentence looming.
Great idea with a manual M2, I will ask BMW.
Thanks Joe
Mate you've smashed it. Said everything that was needed to be said of the RS. As a Ford owner and a huge fan of RWD. I'd be pretty confused to which I'd choose between the M140i.
But they're two cracking great cars 👌🏼.
+Sideway Sid Thanks buddy! Yeah I thought I'd be as honest and fair as possible... We need to spend a day testing the drift mode in one soon... 🤔
Santa Cruz mountains). My new 2018 focus RS is as good or better. Need more time and provided. Love this car.
Love the honest opinions of all your reviews keep up the awesome work! Had my BMW M135i delivered back in July so happy with it and thank you for helping make an informed decision. Cheers Max
Haha yeah I try to be as honest as possible, whats the point otherwise! Glad you got a M135 :-) Cheers
Very nice review. Clearly deserve more subscribers
Thanks buddy :-)
Love the intro featuring Shmee!
Sam Reedy Cheers man, Tim's a good man 🖒
Haha, good to see Shmee150's cameo at the beginning. Good honest review
+hdmk213 haha total coincidence 😉 Cheers man I try to be as honest as possible
Spot on as usual bud. Cracking review on a great car 😎👍
Russ Clark Cheers buddy 😎
I've heard the standard seats are better on any car than Recaro! Great review Joe I'm sold!
Great video Joe .. awesome in depth RS test drive
Thanks Time appreciate it :-)
Great review mate! Loved to hear your opinion on this one.
+Finn T. Thanks man 👌
Good unbiased review. One of the best actually. So true about the suspension. Mine drives me crazy just driving around. But when you drive it hard, it's brilliant. And yeah, with the ecoboost, you get either eco or boost, but not both. Keep your foot out of it most of the time and it'll get the advertised mpg. Love the car!
Great to hear you approve as an owner, so many people are so sensitive when you mention negatives... All cars have negatives, but this one has many more positives that out weigh it's few negatives 😊👌
Brilliant Review totally enjoyed it
Fantastic review of this car, really balanced and honest review
Pooiepirate Cheers man 👌
great review thank you. you gained my respect and my subscription.
Brilliant video Joe, I did suspect it may have been Tim's car but I bet a weeks use was fun!! keep it up!
+Jordan L Haha no this wasn't Tim's, I wouldn't abuse his car this I did this one 😂
Love almost everything about this car. Just the look throws me off a bit, like you mentioned.
Very nice impartial review detailing all the pros and cons without the hyped nonsense. Good work!👍🏻 I love how it looks but echo the seating woes especially coming from a Megane Trophy.
Cheers man!
Great review Joe! 2 weeks in ownership and I can't get over how this thing corners. Made my E90 m3 seem numb.... its got to be right up there with the best handling cars.
Cheers man, yeah it loves being tossed into corners :-)
Very good review by the way
One on my favourites of yours Joe and I'm a BMW nut. Great works cheers for that. Qudos too for the in film correction on the seats, good man.
Interesting you mention to finance BMW PCP pretty solid vs Ford Options. If buying cash RS > M140i you think?
Happy Motoring, Chris.
great review as always.
+Graham Gardner Cheers man 👍
Once sat in one and didn't find interior THAT cheap to complain about. Height of the buckets felt good, not too high (I'm 187 cm). But it could just be like that cos I got only 5 mins in it.
Cracking vid and review, deserve A LOT more subs!
Cheers man! Yeah the seats felt okay when I first sat in the car, I just couldnt get a good driving position as my torso was too high and the steering column doesn't have much reach adjustment. Coming from mostly German cars the interior does stick out, Ive driven modern Hyundai's that have a better layout and nicer plastics. Cheers man
really pleased to see your chanel growing mate! great video. If you ever want to do a review on my 640d drop me a line. 1 small point, where was the drift mode?!? haha.
+Mike Holt Cheers Mike, me too mate 😊 Thanks for the kind offer, I'm flat out till Jan but will keep you posted buddy 👌
Great Vid! Thanks to you I'm 29k down but an M140i up in early January!
Hahaha great to hear man, sorry about your bank balance though!
I'm currently M235 owner. I had the opportunity to test drive the focus RS last week and totally agree with your opinions here. My car fitted with miltek exhaust actually sounds better than the focus RS. The pops crackles sound more authentic than rs not even mention the 6 pots engine sound. The rs magic 4wd pulls you into a corner like no others. However the car doesn't feel fast to me initially and really need to drive at the limit to feel the excitement. I recon the normal ride setting is still harder than new type r plus mode which I drove before that. Thanks for telling me that M2 is softer which I will have next!
Schmee !!; Focus Rs rocks btw
great video, more of please.
Great review, nailed the pros and cons. I have an ST and with a $2500 add-on, is a lot of fun; say mountune or similar,.opens up 3rd gear. But it is still a fun daily car and can be had for &10K less all day. It does have to kneel to the RS for straight up performance though.
Your reviews just get better and better.
I sat in a Focus RS at a local dealership recently, and I agree, for a car with such a high level of performance, the seating position is almost unforgivably high. Don't take this the wrong way, but some of the shots of you driving almost looked awkward with you having to seemingly stoop down to change gear...I wouldn't have that problem though as I'm only 5"9.
+James Wingrove Cheers man! Haha I wouldn't take that the wrong way, I look like something out of Mario Kart, looks like I'm sitting on the car instead of in it 😂😂😂🖒
Nice vid, keep up the good work Joe! (think I'll hang on to my M235i a while longer, AWD and a stick shift would be nice though)
Cheers man! Yeah the M235 is still one of my all time favourite cars :-)
Thanks for an actual review of the car and not just going over the features.
I drove the RS yesterday. I loved it. Similar to and Evo, not quite as sharp, better interior but it was way fun! The biggest complaint is the ride quality. it was very harsh. It might be the harshest suspension I've ever driven- even in comfort mode. I do distance driving and I'm not sure I could deal with this as a daily driver. As a secondary car, the RS is FANTASTIC. I drove the S3 right after and it wasn't nearly as smile inducing, but the ride quality alone showed how bad the RS is.
However it shouldn't be necessary, you can always replace the suspension with the KW suspension, that doesn't have that issue. I plan on doing the mountune upgrade as well when I am finally able to purchase one.
What the fuck do you mean by "the ride quality alone shows how bad the rs is" ? I mean seriously its probably its only flaw buddy
Great review! I own a RS1. I absolutely love it. Like you said its shortcomings disappear when driven hard which
I do all the time. As a DD better options. But for myself I wanted fun and excitement first and this delivers big time.
A harsher ride, cheaper interior I can live with. Less Lol fun and excitement not so much. This car should be less to maintain
Over the long run as it's German rivals. I owned a BMW and have one word: Warranty. Don't own one without.
I've tracked it 3 times and oh my incredible. Oh I paid 36,500 US. Substantially cheaper than any M car in the states
Great review
you're on the way of being the next Chris Harris :)
Hahaha thanks man, even If I was to become 10% Harris I would be happy :-)
Your review makes me a happy man! The one I have on order negates two of your gripes...the look (Magnetic with standard silver wheels) and the seating position (lovely warm standard Recaros). Also I found the pedal layout near perfect for H&T down shifts...aside from the overly assisted grabby standard brakes that is.
Having covered 57k on the very same seats in my Fiesta ST I know they're good on road or track...my only hope is that when 'making progress' the car has same sense of energy and urgency and adjustability that my ST has. From your comments it seems I've made the right choice!
Keep up the good work Joe, nicely produced, I know how much effort it takes to pull it all together!!!
Also, well done on the 'touch points' thing. So many are obsessed by the quality and feel of parts of the car they will never ever touch!
What matters to me is my connection with it. Everything else can do one.
Cheers Mark, I'm really glad my honest review hasn't upset current or imminent RS owners, sounds like you have gone for the best options, definitely the way to go IMO. I'm no expert with heel n toe, I'm sure speeding more time in the car would help me get around the pedal spacing too... Cheers and enjoy!
brilliant review Joe, i share alot of your points for and against this car... having said that i couldn't help but order it with the signature bucket seats, i'll take that stealth is your favourite colour though we can definitely agree on that haha.
Cheers man! Yeah if I was under 6 foot I would consider the buckets, for my frame they didn't offer anywhere near a decent driving position. Love the Stealth :-)
This is the review I’ve been looking for. I don’t want to hear about the frigging boot space and aircon settings for Christ sake
Good video Joe. Interesting what you say about the seats - one I tried had those Recaros and hated how high you sat (not that I was going to buy one but intrigued). Agree - cracking car on the limit - friendly and playful. If I was 10 years younger, I'd have probably bought one. Take my hat off to Ford - it's a good car.
Cheers man! Yeah I believe all of the press cars had the buckets, the standard seats are literally ten times better and sit on the floor! Agreed re Ford, good on them :-)
nice one joe
Good vid mate 👍👍
Cheers guys, hopefully see you soon....
Joe - I'm a new subscriber - what a great video - live in the US and this car is commanding (still) a strong premium - getting close to M2 territory - assuming you have a M2 review somewhere on youtube ?
Cheers man! I certainly wouldn't buy over an M2 if similar money! Yeah plenty of M2 vids on this channel :-)
Car is beautiful, video also.
CarReviews EU/BALKAN Thanks 👌
Cracking video Joe! No ones really mentioned the harshness of the RS's ride which i thought would be the case... And i know it's a weapon of a car but it is 31,000 for a Ford Focus..
Cheers man! Yeah the ride is really firm, sticking with the standard (much lower and more cushioned) seats would improve that a little. Yeah its lots of cash for a Focus, but it feels great when you really push...
Hide Myass Yeah thats true with many reviews these days though, everyone seems to afraid to be negative... I don't see the point, say it how it is haha
Cracking vid
Bet that guy at 6:13 waiting at the junction was thinking to himself "tut, bloody boy racers" haha
+ian7675 Haha yeah most definately, and I was last in the group
Yep ! Hellllllowww Shmeee :-)
I look forward to a Golf R review. I have a feeling you would chose that as a better everyday driver over the RS as well. I am looking to buy a new car next year and at first was hooked on the Golf R, however the M2 now has me obsessed.... Although all wheel drive would be very useful in my state which is cold and snowy half the year.
+rodzack Yeah hopefully get my hands on one soon... 👌
I know what you mean about the seating position. It does make quite a bit of a difference.
great review I hear topgear are looking for a new presenter
SASraceCAM haha I could do with a Top Gear size wage 😂👌🖒
Hit the nail on the head with it, a better car to drive fast but to live with everyday I prefer my m240i.
Test drive the RS and loved it, was a toss up between an RS and the m240i and I'm happy with my choice
+midi Cheers man. Yeah totally agree, a brilliant car to go flat out in, M240 better overall package 👌
I took one for a test drive wanted to hate it. I loved every minute. which is why it's now sitting downstairs in the garage. I got a cobb accessport in the post which lets u do launch without activating it and loads more power.
I agree on seat position
Great vid as always, but the car itself fails to tickle my pickle.
+Burnham76 Cheers man
great intro 👌
+Can do Life Cheers man
Tim burton aka shmee what a legend 🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩
Top Take - don't pay for the optional Recaro bucket seats - unless you want to install an after market seat lowering kit - spend your money on the Mountune FPM 375 upgrade - supplied, fitted and warrantied by your Ford dealer :-)
I just come off watching shmee in his vid driving an RS!...lol.
Great car especially considering the money. In Aus they are 9k cheaper than m140. The boy racer image and interior would keep me from putting my money down though. Nicely reviewed Joe
+Wade Beaumont Cheers Wade!
You've got to review the Golf R, make sure it's a DSG though
Whyyyy ... Golf R manual or you might as well drive a Hyundai Sonata
What do you like best out of the a 45 amg and the focurs rs I can't deside what one to buy
Great review I would love a spin. Reports are that it isn't really that quick in a straight line for all the power. 1/4 mile times don't seem to be much to write give about. What do you think compared to m140/240? Did you do any speed runs?
Cheers man. Yeah its no record breaker in a straight line, my M135 would smoke it in a straight line. I managed 100mph in around 12.3 seconds, thats 1.5 seconds slower than a M135 and 2.5 off the 140/240... Still a quick car but others have moved the game on.
Cheers Joe, but at £30k I'll stick with the Bavarian number. Good video mate.
Cheers Dave, great seeing you last week, you're in the next video hahaha
Joe, What a great peace of Ford engineering. I have a new 66 plate Ford S-max sport thus kicking out 180Ps and 400Nm of torque and a 0 to 60 in 9.7 seconds and for a 7 seater family wagon its great.
Alan Butterfield 9.7 seconds?!? God that's really really slow, you need to upgrade !
+Alan Butterfield Yeah they make some great cars 👌
Alan Butterfield Disappointing cheap insults Alan, not very mature are you? Should be ashamed of yourself
Alan Butterfield 9.7 seconds is slow in anyone's book, there's no excuse, I don't care it it has "sport" written on it, it's slow. Live with the fact that every single person watching this channel is faster than you, wear a flat cap next time you are in it.
Bob, Lets just drop this argument and I have deleted the comment I made about you..
What a car!
I Really wish you could have the option of a 2 door. looking forward to a review of the Golf R, as it's that or the 135i for me. Cheers Joe.
+Rich Hoban They might do a 2 door special edition or something, personally I love the 5 door freedom (says the man with a 3 door M135 and 2 door M2 haha)
I was going to say Joe. M2/135 they ain't a touring, ha. It must be me being 35, and used too growing up with nearly all hot hatch's being 2 door.
does the launch control melt the clutch like in the old Ferraris?
Fantastic review! Great car, but I agree, it looks too tacky.
+gmer16 Cheers man
Great vid! 130 miles to a tank is ridiculous! How big is the tank?
+Rajesh Camadoo Cheers man! Haha yeah I know, it cost me a small fortune to fuel for the week.. Think it's 55 litres ish
It'd be interesting to see what you make of the Type R. Had mine for 10 months and its quick and relatively comfy (way too stiff in +R mode) but FWD, when damp it spins when pushing on right up to 4th gear. Not much torque steer or understeer though, also great seats. Love the vids btw!
( I have a Golf R on order, nearly canceled last week and ordered a 240!)
+step0601 Yeah I'm super keen to try the Type R, interesting move going from the Civic to the Golf... Be keen to hear your thoughts. Cheers
step0601 hey pal. I had 2014 golf r traded in for m235i before I test drove the new type r. Yes the type r plus mode is hard because you never been in the ford rs. Gurantee 95% people will think it's overkill. These 3 car are merits in each own. However from type r to golf r I am not so sure what you after here? Bit more traction and nicer interior? I like the type r racing atmosphere and Sharp responding.
The Civic is great, aside from the laggy throttle and sounding a bit flat. Its just a bit too extreme for a daily driver and I'm not so keen on the attention it gets, good and bad. AWD, comfort and subtlety is the appeal of the Golf. Maybe I'm just getting old! (42!) The one thing I do love about the Civic though is its rarity. Only seen 4 on the road since it was launched.
great choice step0601! the civic is great but even u dont want looks the golf r is perfect :)
After watching you hoon the Rs I'd love to see you take a WRX Sti for a spin
+Ian Townsend Yeah I would love to get my hands on one 👌
Great video Joe!
Just a quick question, you mentioned that it has torque steer, but then you say the harder you push it the better it gets? In my head that is a bit of a confusing contradiction, I must have missed something...
Also, over here in the Great White North eh, the Golf R is $10,000 cheaper, and that blows my mind actually.
Thanks for your insight and perspective on this review.
Cheers man! Good point! The Torque steer is intermittent, it doesn't happen so much on good roads, its also manageable, but you are right.... If the Golf R is that much cheaper you would be mad to go any other way! Cheers Joe
Makes me wonder Joe, how bad will it get when people tune them up with almost 100 more horse power that torque steer will be a factor too...thanks and cheers Joe!
Portobello Market/Westbourne Park Road - my Saturday morning stomping ground :) Surprised I didn't see the car as it sticks out like the proverbial ;)
+sandersonandson Haha yeah I felt like a proper hooligan driving that around the Hill 😎
Did you remember to go back for your camera after launch control?
Indeed it will attract attention from all sorts, especially car thieves. If you get one then you will seriously need to get extra security installed.
Hey Joe, just a quick question - From the cars you reviewed so far, say you had to pick one only, which would you take and why?
Hey buddy, that would be the Cayman GT4, its perfection in my opinion. Cheers
Shit - I'm really, really thinking about buying an RS - but the thoughts about spendig - hell - nearly 40.000,- euros for a (!) Focus is a thing to think about. Yes, an M140 BMW would be the "better" buy, but, man, the RS is the car with which I'm fallen in love. What shall I do? The offer is ready to sign and soon I'd have an RS with the black & blue - Edition (mechanical differential, black mirrors, roof, Spoiler and Recaro-Shell-seats).
Quilmes F. If you can afford the higher running costs and deal with the very high seating position and average interior, it makes for a brilliant car. The M140 is a far better all rounder though and far cheaper in the long run 👌
So launch control is basically just a Rev limiter?
I was thinking about getting a brand new Ford focus rs but 3 people who had 2016 Rs say that they are not as good as some people say not as fast as they say and mileage is about 50mg less then stated they say not a hot hatch not worth the price .
Awesome vehicle they are in short supply and some dealers are adding 10-15k to the sticker price.
David McDougall are they really? Amazing car but I would NEVER pay over RRP
A great video would be: World's best hot hatch shootout. Colate all the best & fastest hatches & drag/track battle the arse out of them. Also that launch control is a joke, it should just have a button saying 'launch' then you're good to go. Or keep the revs at 4k like old skool whips.
I see you were driving round Ladbroke Grove (my area) :)
DanieI Joseph that would be fun man, maybe for 2017... And yeah that was the Hill 👌
hi joe great review what do you think is faster around the track, m2 or focus rs?
Thanks man, I genuinely think the RS would be as quick around most circuits, only larger/faster tracks would give the M2 time to stretch its legs. In the wet I think the RS would pull its pants down. Saying that, the M2 would probably be the most fun...
thanks
Stock exhaust or upgraded?
All rally cars are forced to meet basic road rules but for rally cars the rules are bent a little so they're not too restrictive, you can literaly take any wrc car old or new and drive it on the road with the proper papers
High seats must be a thing at FOMOCO.... I test drove a moostang and it felt wrong but I could not put my finger on it.
RS standard seats are lower than the optional Recaros
An ad 14 seconds in, that's fucking impressive.
Joe, can you do a Review of the GTI Clubsport and the Peugeot 308 GTI, you would be surprised.
+t3chn0m0 Would love to mate, also the Cupra... Just need to find the right contact at VW, Peugeot & Seat
Now let's talk about its good points, oh we've ran out of time talking about its bad points. Just joking, good review,
I have one of these in the edition, and think they are brilliant.
Turbo lag is good 😎
The only reason I probably wouldn’t own one cause it doesn’t look like a fast version of the standard car unless u fully knew what the rs was capable of you would just think it’s a focus owner that really likes blue and put a body kit and exhaust on it which in my opinion isn’t what I like