Long-term tests

Ford Focus RS: 5,450 miles

SECOND REPORT: The lowdown on how we managed to find a fix for Ford’s ‘high’ and mighty hot hatch

By:Sam Hardy

31 Jul 2009

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Pros

The hot Ford’s 2.5-litre five-cylinder turbo really is one of the best engines in the world. There are no holes in its power delivery – simply stacks of punch right up to the redline and storming on-boost response. It sounds amazing under acceleration, but softens to a murmur on the motorway, too.

Cons

The lack of steering lock is a bugbear we had with our old Focus ST, too. It means you have to be careful turning left out of tight junctions, or you can find yourself on the wrong side of the road. What’s more, it makes car park manoeuvring and three-point turns tricky. Thankfully, on a B-road it’s quick and well weighted.

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At last, I’m enjoying seat-of-the-pants motoring! There’s not much wrong with the Focus RS – in fact, I’d go so far as to say it’s the best long-termer I’ve been privileged to run at Auto Express. And when that list includes a VW Golf GTI, Focus ST and Mitsubishi’s latest Evo X, this is praise indeed.

But one criticism which has been levelled at the 301bhp hot hatch is that its Recaro driving seat – amazingly comfortable and figure-hugging though it may be – is mounted just too high.
It’s something we grumbled about on the ST, too, and is due to the relatively high H-point of the seats – effectively the location of the driver’s hip relative to the vehicle floor. This is fine for, well, less-focused Focuses, but not great for a performance car. However, to lower the seat on the ST and RS would have meant those models requiring separate crash tests, at great expense to the blue oval.

Thankfully there is a solution. Ford dealers will be able to drop the seat down if you ask them nicely. It’s a pretty simple job that involves repositioning the bolts that hold the chair in place, and it takes no more than 20 minutes. The change doesn’t lower the seat by much more than an inch or so, but it makes a difference, putting you closer to the road and giving the RS an even more sporty feel.

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I’m still loving the driving experience – and so, it seems, is the rest of the office, judging by the state of the tyres! After several group tests the fronts were worn, so I got ATS Euromaster to fit a new pair of Continental Sport Contact 3s. I had called Kwik Fit, but it had trouble sourcing them. In contrast, ATS had a pair ready and waiting within 24 hours. Total cost was £485.55 – not cheap, but the grip they generate is excellent. And when you’ve got 301bhp on tap, that’s crucial.

New rubber or not, you certainly have to modify your driving style to get the best out of the RS. You can’t be a hooligan or the car will torque steer. However, go into a corner reasonably slowly, feed in the power smoothly and it’s remarkable – the clever diff hooks up, you can feel the RevoKnuckle suspension system keeping the front tyres’ contact patches flat on the road, and the traction is amazing.

The engine is brilliant, too. I’ll never tire of its warbly growl under acceleration or the deep-chested response from low revs. As well as the RS’s ability to put a smile on my face on a twisty B-road, I’m enjoying its motorway manners. I’ve travelled to the Cotswolds and Stoke recently, and each time it’s returned 30mpg at a steady high-speed cruise.

In fact, overall economy is still hovering at around 24.5mpg, which is remarkable given the car’s performance. Only the relatively small tank lets the side down.

I’m loving the brilliant keyless entry system, too, as well as the iPod interface – simply plug your device into a USB port in the centre armrest and up pop your playlists on the centre console.

Niggles? Well, just like the ST I ran back in 2006, the RS has a real thirst for screen wash. Because the jets douse the headlights, too, the filler needs topping up every two weeks at least. And as with its lower-powered brother, the RS doesn’t have much steering lock.

Also, if you’re someone who dislikes attention, a Focus RS is not the car for you! I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve been stopped at garages – and even outside my house – by other drivers. Clearly, this is one fast Ford that’s gone straight to people’s hearts. I don’t mind the attention, although now that my seat has been dropped, I can at least keep a lower profile if I want...

Extra Info

As with Sam, I thought the RS’s seat was too high, so I’m looking forward to trying out the new, lower-slung driving position. However, I’m not quite as big a fan of our fast Ford as he is.

I love its characterful five-cylinder engine, and I agree that if you are delicate with the throttle, traction isn’t too much of an issue. But I drove the RS on track recently, and it feels very heavy – as a result, it works its brakes and tyres incredibly hard.

Owen Mildenhall
Senior road tester