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Just wondering what everyone thinks of this new Focus RS. I am personally excited to see it come to the US. I have an '02 Civic EX as a daily at the moment when I'm not in my '10 GS.
We have been on the lookout for a replacement for the Civic as it currently has 172k miles. We are wanting 4 doors and AWD just in case of winter storms. I glanced over an Ecoboost Mustang as a daily but no 4 doors. So, when they announced this it was perfect. Also, this would be a great little car for the wife to bring out to the track with me in the GS.
Thought about an Evo and an STi as well but don't love either of those cars.
I'd buy a regular WRX and have a PROVEN car in the winter and one that will last 200,000 miles before I'd buy any Focus. Resale alone is worth considering a WRX over a Focus of any type. To my eye, neither car looks all that good. At least you get the Subaru reliability with the WRX.
Oh yeah I'm not expecting the RS to be priced like a Civic. That is my one hesitation with the Focus. Everything I've read says it'll be around $35,000 to $40,000 optioned out. Not sure I can justify it. But if you compare that to its competitors like the Evo, STi and Golf R, it seems fitting. It's just that the Evo and STi are well established platforms in the US and the RS is not.
Well, a 2.3 four-cylinder engine is a slow-revving sedan engine. And then on top of that, the turbocharging loses some of the high RPM range. That engine is also available in the Mustang and so it's 1984 again. Of course the engine power is now 315 HP instead of 205 HP.
A 2.0 four-cylinder engine is more of a fast-revving sports car engine. Of course the turbocharging does lose some of the high RPM range.
Ford Focus ST
2.0 turbo
252 HP
3223 pounds weight
104.3" wheelbase
Front-wheel-drive
$24,370
Ford Focus RS (The upcoming car)
2.3 turbo
315 HP
3350 pounds weight estimated
104.3" wheelbase
Four-wheel-drive with a lateral front engine configuration
$30,000 estimated
BMW 2 Series Coupe
2.0 turbo
240 HP
3300 pounds weight
105.9" wheelbase
Rear-wheel-drive
$32,100
And then without a rear seat but a sizable car:
Nissan 370Z Base 6MT
3.7 V6
332 HP
3278 pounds weight
100.4" wheelbase
Rear-wheel-drive
$29,990
.
I'd buy a regular WRX and have a PROVEN car in the winter and one that will last 200,000 miles before I'd buy any Focus. Resale alone is worth considering a WRX over a Focus of any type. To my eye, neither car looks all that good. At least you get the Subaru reliability with the WRX.
I guess for me and my purposes I'd rather have an engine with a little more low to midrange as a daily driver instead of one you have to wind out to get the lower out of (kind of like my current Civic).
I'm okay with the WRX, STi, and EVO. I just don't love them. I dislike how the new WRX/STi looks on the exterior. Makes me think Corolla.
The Evo I would be afraid to keep as a daily if any problems arise that I couldn't handle. No Mitsubishi dealers nearby as they all have shut down.
I guess we will see how it turns out. The Focus RS will be assembled in Germany so maybe the quality and materials will be better.
For a daily I think the much less expensive fiesta ST might be a better choice. Much less expensive and according to auto journalists it's a hoot to drive.
Considering the new GTI R from Volkswagen is pricing around 36 to 39 grand these cars are not inexpensive.
02-07-2015, 07:45 PM
New Focus RS as next daily?
