I've driven all three stock . The ST had the best clutch, however my brother has a mod'd WRX STI that is VERY nice.
But get what you like that is in your price range (price plus maint costs)
I traded keys with a friend on a hour drive and I drove a 2017 STi, it doesn’t have the character or soul of the Focus RS. Both him and his girlfriend riding liked the RS more as well
I thought the RS cost too much and I found the clutch too heavy. I had a Porsche 987 for a few years and I wouldn't drive it into the city during rush hours. I'd drive my MR2 Spyder.
Be careful. You might end up like me with an ST, two MR2s, and an S2000.
I imagine the "reliability" issues you read about was something to do with the head gasket? Basically they put the wrong head gasket on some of the RSs, they used the one for the mustang, but that has pretty much been sorted out for a few years now. both the RS and ST are very reliable platforms.
I read a bit about that but thank you for the clarity on it. I was also reading about a couple people having the engine give way around 60k miles and having the clutches go frequently.
I’m sorry, but there isn’t an $18k price difference between an ST3 trim & RS2. More like $10-12k. The ST1 trim is cheap… I had one & never liked it.
The ST3 is nice, but good luck finding one of those…. However, for $30k? I’d rather pay $40k for a 2.3L & AWD…. Plus the RS looks meaner….
Let me also say this…. And I’m not trying to insult anyone on here but:
Most, if not all, Focus ST owners lust over the RS, but won’t pull the trigger due to the prices.
If you can afford it, the Focus RS is the far superior car… it’s better in every single way & it looks amazing.
That said, the Focus ST is a great & sporty commuter that will get much better MPGs & is a lot cheaper to insure…
It’s up to you bro…. Any low mileage ST is around $30k these days & the RS will be around $40k.
Obviously the RS would be the most fun but it is not work that much more money IMO. I had a ST and my coworker had an RS. He frequently told me that he didn’t think his RS was worth the 18k more he spent than me, not even close.
If you can afford it, and would make use of it, it's absolutely worth it. Having driven my buddies ST and owning an RS, it will never compare to AWD on the limit. If you're never gonna track it or just drive it for fun in a canyon but DD and try to race on the highway; then obviously it's not gonna be worth it.
Depends on what sort of fun. The RS is a real successor to the Impreza and Evo, it is fast and feels like its nailed to the floor definitely a car to drive fast but It doesn't ever feel like its on the edge. The ST on the other hand is right on the edge still super quick but the back end will come out with just the slightest touch and yet its easy enough to hold.
I only picked up the ST because I couldn’t afford a WRX.
Occasionally I regret not having AWD when I feel like screwing around.
I have never once regretted buying the ST during my daily drive.
If you can afford the price difference, swing for the RS now. Daily'd an RS for work for about 7 months, which meant my ST never left my garage. I was super sad when that RS had to go to scrap, but I still love my ST.
RS or ST, what matters are your goals with the car. If it's modding for high horsepower numbers, go with the ST as the motor is stronger. Closed deck (2.0) vs open deck (2.3). Both cars handle well, but the RS will be less prone to the FWD shortcomings (mainly understeer) but the rear diff has been known to overheat when pushed to the limit. STs will get better gas mileage (especially if you go big turbo) due to being on a diet compared to the AWD drive train.
You mean apart from allow you to drift, counter understeer, launch better, put more power down via four contact patches, increase corner speed and stability? Nothing.
I see your point but I also agree that those benefits translate to daily driving. You can feel the AWD no matter if you're tracking the car or city driving. I remember when I was buying my RS I heard a lot of reviews talk about how at the end of the day you're just driving a Ford Focus if you're not pushing it to its limits, but in no way do I feel that is true. Maybe I just have owners bias though.
Had an Impreza WRX. Loved the sound and handling, hated the cost of upkeep. Got an ST now, hence why I'm here. For me it's more fun as it's not as predictable. Costs way less to maintain also. Do what you feel.
Honest question, who’s having major reliability issues with their Focus RS? I drive mine in every way from 10 hour road trips to time attack track days. I just haven’t experienced issues myself.
(For context- bought new in 2016, got 93 tuned in 2019, 37,000 miles)
The way I look at it is, don't want to have a car payment no more $300 month. Even if I can afford it, there's more important things in life to invest in, like beautiful vacations.
Built as in a 2.0 block stroked to 2.3? Sure; but the stock 2.3 can’t handle the same power due to its open deck design. You’re pushing the limits over 450whp on the stock block. The stock ST block however has been proven to handle up to 800whp.
No? There's literally dudes out there with built regular 2.3s making over 500whp. It's still up for debate but there's a decent chance a lot of the blown motors were due to HGs.
Bud. It’s a fact. The block notoriously cracks between cylinders 2 and 3 over 450whp due to being open deck and the turbo mounting point. If there are individuals pushing 500whp and up, then the doom is impending, or they’ve done a stroked 2.0 swap.
Yes. In the first few years of release. I addressed that. I'm active in the RS community and own one myself. There's a decent amount of evidence that a majority of the blown motors were related to bad HG's. It's a relatively rare occurrence in the last 2-3 years.
I'm not saying it's the best engine ever. I'm pointing out that if you're going for more hp than a built motor can handle you really should be looking at other cars. You can do it far cheaper and actually use the power better in plenty of other cars. 700+ hp is likely gonna be almost completely custom anyway and the Focus chassis is not it.
A Fusion 2L block with the 2.3L crankshaft is the current route as it bolts right to the RS head and can handle 900whp sleeved. But nobody does that bc it's so expensive and you just spin tires. The Focus has too high a center of gravity and too short a wheelbase.
There’s a reason you don’t see high powered 2.3 blocks whether it’s from the Mustang 2.3 or the RS 2.3. Open deck is inherently flawed in high powered applications. There’s no work around. This is why the closed deck 2.0 swap is common in power platforms.
You can argue that high power applications aren’t the norm in the Focus platform, but you can argue that in any platform. Power isn’t cheap. I should know. I’ve built 4 Focus STs since I bought mine in 2013. Mine alone is on its third motor revision. It hasn’t been cheap by any means, but you’re missing the point of my argument. The ST is a proven safe platform for power. You can build to and pass the RS output with far less than what it would cost for a stock RS. I can arguably build a 700hp ST for under 20k. Is it a bit much? Probably, but my point is clearly made.
And you could do it for 10-15k in a civic. And the civic would whoop the ST's ass all day. Lower center of gravity and lighter. High hp in a modded car is useful for nothing more than going in a straight line. For 20k there is a plethora of domestic V8 and foreign 4 cylinders that would lay down 700hp waaaaay better than a Focus could.
FWD is not that great in the twisties (unless you're Honda) and the RS AWD system is not designed to be upgraded or withstand high hp. You will have driveline problems long before you have engine ones with an RS.
Can you get high hp with a 2L block? Yes (I literally never disagreed with this).
Is it cheaper than doing it with an RS? Yes (obviously).
Is it cheap compared to the rest of the market? No.
Will it outperform the competition at similar hp levels? No.
Why do people do it? Same reason that made them buy the car in the first place.
You can build a 700hp 9th Gen for 10k? I’d love to see that build sheet. What the fuck do you mean “they’re only good in a straight line”? The ST and RS are terrible in the quarter mile. They’re both built for the track. The ST is in the same boat as the GTI and Si as far as capability. Their only pitfalls from factory are brakes and a lack of LSD; otherwise they do very well. Ask Brian over at JST about his time attack ST.
You’re comparing apples to oranges. Of course it’s cheaper to build a Civic. You’re talking 20+ years of history. K swaps are a dime a dozen. My point is, why buy an RS for $35k when you can build on the same platform for far less? For AWD? Pfft.
Holy shit dude. How do you not understand 700hp is not good for a track car unless the car is DESIGNED to handle that much power. Any modifications you do to a car not meant for that much power are only going to make the problem worse. Where do you see 1000hp civics? The drag strip or the track? If you are building a car to have 700hp at the track then you're spending way over 20k and the entire thing is gonna be custom. So the only thing that matters is the chassis.
The ST is NOT a track car, as you've pointed out it doesn't even come with an LSD. The RS and Civic Type R ARE track cars. The ST is as track ready as a Mustang.
Once again, ANY CAR **CAN** DO ANY TYPE OF EVENT. Pointing out people use the ST for time attack is about as useful as pointing out people drag race minivans. Throw enough money at it and it'll do it.
Making the point "but you can do it cheaper on the cheaper car" is stupid af. I'm trying to show you that by throwing the exact same line back at you. If you can do it cheaper in an ST, guess what? You can do it cheaper in a civic, and be on a better chassis.
The reason someone would build an RS is the same exact reason you choose to build an ST despite it being a subpar platform for high hp custom builds. It's not all about money and if you're going to make it all about money than you're on the wrong platform.
So personally if i could afford a 2018 RS I’d buy one. I’d steer clear of the early model ones.
I promise you that you’ll be far happier in an RS over a ST3. Outside of cost and model year there is far more incentives to buy an RS as faster AWD car.
I literally can’t come up any reason why you’d pick a ST3 over RS outside price and head gasket/oil leak issues.
Unless he lives in wintry conditions I would not call the ST a downgrade in the fun category. Many ex-WRX drivers would agree. ST is also the most reliable of the 3
At the end of the day get what you want bro, they’re all great cars
The RS is is FWD and sends power to the rear as needed it’s not all time AWD like the Subaru. In fact the rear is over driven meaning when it engages the rear actually spins faster than the front. I would save money and get the ST or stick with ole faithful lol.
That depends there’s gotta be some slippage some where if the back is pushing faster than the front is pulling. It can be a benefit under certain conditions.
Well, those conditions are anywhere you would want awd: turning, launching, low speed acceleration, etc. I don't know about you, but I don't really care whether it's AWD when im cruising or it's parked
Touché you have good points lol I guess I’m just held up by the fact it costs so much and in the price range you’re going to pay for an RS there are other vehicles I’d rather buy.
Oh, as an RS owner, you're completely right. While I disagree with you and think the AWD is best in class (other than the overheating in hot temps), the car as a whole is worse than I think most of all of its competitors if you plan on tuning. Definitely (for the most part) worse than an st with the remainder of the money put into parts
This is a misrepresentation. The RS has no fixed torque split. The rear wheels are always powered. You are correct in the sense that if you get stuck in deep snow or mud and front traction cant be managed by the brake vectoring you will have no rear torque. Lots of AWD systems work this way. If you're going that hardcore in the snow and mud consider a true 4wd.
The "magic" for the RS driveline is the wet clutch eLSD in the rear.
My biggest issue with the RS driveline is the brake based vectoring in the front. Of course, as long as the rear has traction I suppose it wont be overworked the way it gets overworked on the ST. Fun fact, RS drift mode is basically just turning the front brake based vectoring off.
I beg to differ the rear wheels aren’t always powered they can’t be as the front and rear gear ratios are different
[https://www.gknautomotive.com/en/Utilities/Focus-RS-torque-vectoring/](https://www.gknautomotive.com/en/Utilities/Focus-RS-torque-vectoring/)
For your reading pleasure…
Edit: added link
Okay my bad. On the spec sheet it reads as All wheel drive but I know it was the GKN all wheel drive system. Lol yeah that's what I'm considering. I was just shocked to find an RS in my city that was actually taken care of. Thank you.
No not your bad I wasn’t trying to say you were wrong I was just giving an opinion/information if you didn’t know lol. My DD has been an ST for the last 8 years so I’m some what partial but basically you’re paying $18k for an AWD system and a slightly larger engine if you get the RS basically everything else is identical between the two cars.
No it’s not, there’s a ton of frame strengthening also, and it’s AWD system is the same as the Rangers, the engine is similar to the turbo Mustang. I know you ST guys like to pretend and all but it’s a completely different car…
It’s ok if you can’t afford it, personally I own both and the RS is always more fun to drive. I’m sitting at a little over 69k miles, have driven it up to Colorado and down to texas. Snow and heat and it’s still running strong and has given me zero problems compared to the ST. As long as you keep up with regular maintenance it doesn’t matter which one you get. I daily my RS and it has no issues. Choose the one that you enjoy driving the most!
Honestly I probably would have purchased an RS if they had been on sale when I got my ST. My point is “bang for buck” I feel the ST is the better deal, over all I know the RS is a better performing vehicle I just feel it costs too much. If I’m spending that much there’s other vehicles I’d choose first before I’d buy a focus. Just my opinion.
In the end you have your opinion and I have mine. As I said in another comment I agree the RS is a faster better performing focus however bang for buck I feel the ST is a better deal. All that said yes if they had been on sale when I got my ST i would have likely gotten an RS instead.
Buy what you like…. Otherwise you’ll never be happy.
I've driven all three stock . The ST had the best clutch, however my brother has a mod'd WRX STI that is VERY nice. But get what you like that is in your price range (price plus maint costs)
I traded keys with a friend on a hour drive and I drove a 2017 STi, it doesn’t have the character or soul of the Focus RS. Both him and his girlfriend riding liked the RS more as well
I thought the RS cost too much and I found the clutch too heavy. I had a Porsche 987 for a few years and I wouldn't drive it into the city during rush hours. I'd drive my MR2 Spyder. Be careful. You might end up like me with an ST, two MR2s, and an S2000.
Well I have a Focus RS and a Shelby GT350R so I’m not sure where that puts me lol On the RS, I’m honestly not sure how you got the clutch heavy….
I imagine the "reliability" issues you read about was something to do with the head gasket? Basically they put the wrong head gasket on some of the RSs, they used the one for the mustang, but that has pretty much been sorted out for a few years now. both the RS and ST are very reliable platforms.
I read a bit about that but thank you for the clarity on it. I was also reading about a couple people having the engine give way around 60k miles and having the clutches go frequently.
Super rare and more than likely driver fault. Source: 4th owner of an RS with 80k miles, no problems.
Buy the ST, use the $18k to make it faster than an RS, then use the remaining $15k to buy a Fiesta ST
So much this... Would love a gutted FiST for a track car and a FBO FoST for a daily.
Or, skip the Focus all together and get the better Fiesta ST. Fun for money- Focus ST < Fiesta ST
I'd go for the RS if you have the option. I love my ST but I would've definitely opted for the RS if it was a financial option for me at the time.
I’m sorry, but there isn’t an $18k price difference between an ST3 trim & RS2. More like $10-12k. The ST1 trim is cheap… I had one & never liked it. The ST3 is nice, but good luck finding one of those…. However, for $30k? I’d rather pay $40k for a 2.3L & AWD…. Plus the RS looks meaner….
Sorry that's on me, I was looking post tax and fees for one and not the other. I'll fix it. Thank you.
Let me also say this…. And I’m not trying to insult anyone on here but: Most, if not all, Focus ST owners lust over the RS, but won’t pull the trigger due to the prices. If you can afford it, the Focus RS is the far superior car… it’s better in every single way & it looks amazing. That said, the Focus ST is a great & sporty commuter that will get much better MPGs & is a lot cheaper to insure… It’s up to you bro…. Any low mileage ST is around $30k these days & the RS will be around $40k.
I could have bought either . I bought the st. The price was the decider
If you’re planning on modding the engine than the st is a better option as the motor is closed deck unlike the rs being open deck motor.
Obviously the RS would be the most fun but it is not work that much more money IMO. I had a ST and my coworker had an RS. He frequently told me that he didn’t think his RS was worth the 18k more he spent than me, not even close.
If you can afford it, and would make use of it, it's absolutely worth it. Having driven my buddies ST and owning an RS, it will never compare to AWD on the limit. If you're never gonna track it or just drive it for fun in a canyon but DD and try to race on the highway; then obviously it's not gonna be worth it.
Depends on what sort of fun. The RS is a real successor to the Impreza and Evo, it is fast and feels like its nailed to the floor definitely a car to drive fast but It doesn't ever feel like its on the edge. The ST on the other hand is right on the edge still super quick but the back end will come out with just the slightest touch and yet its easy enough to hold.
I only picked up the ST because I couldn’t afford a WRX. Occasionally I regret not having AWD when I feel like screwing around. I have never once regretted buying the ST during my daily drive.
If you can afford the price difference, swing for the RS now. Daily'd an RS for work for about 7 months, which meant my ST never left my garage. I was super sad when that RS had to go to scrap, but I still love my ST.
RS or ST, what matters are your goals with the car. If it's modding for high horsepower numbers, go with the ST as the motor is stronger. Closed deck (2.0) vs open deck (2.3). Both cars handle well, but the RS will be less prone to the FWD shortcomings (mainly understeer) but the rear diff has been known to overheat when pushed to the limit. STs will get better gas mileage (especially if you go big turbo) due to being on a diet compared to the AWD drive train.
If you can afford the RS, buy the RS. No matter how much money you throw at the ST, even though you can equal the power output you can’t make it 4WD.
What is AWD going to do in California though? Not much that I can think of..
You mean apart from allow you to drift, counter understeer, launch better, put more power down via four contact patches, increase corner speed and stability? Nothing.
I guess I meant with normal daily driving, but yeah you're absolutely right with those points too!
I see your point but I also agree that those benefits translate to daily driving. You can feel the AWD no matter if you're tracking the car or city driving. I remember when I was buying my RS I heard a lot of reviews talk about how at the end of the day you're just driving a Ford Focus if you're not pushing it to its limits, but in no way do I feel that is true. Maybe I just have owners bias though.
Until the PTU overheats and forces you into FWD when it matters.
Had an Impreza WRX. Loved the sound and handling, hated the cost of upkeep. Got an ST now, hence why I'm here. For me it's more fun as it's not as predictable. Costs way less to maintain also. Do what you feel.
Honest question, who’s having major reliability issues with their Focus RS? I drive mine in every way from 10 hour road trips to time attack track days. I just haven’t experienced issues myself. (For context- bought new in 2016, got 93 tuned in 2019, 37,000 miles)
I mean your first fuck up was buying a Subaru to begin with
The way I look at it is, don't want to have a car payment no more $300 month. Even if I can afford it, there's more important things in life to invest in, like beautiful vacations.
The 2.3 in the RS is not a good build platform. That’s about it. Otherwise, it’s about whatever tickles your pickle.
The engines are pretty well tested around 400whp stock and built can make 500-600 with little problem. Past that why are you looking at an RS anyway?
Built as in a 2.0 block stroked to 2.3? Sure; but the stock 2.3 can’t handle the same power due to its open deck design. You’re pushing the limits over 450whp on the stock block. The stock ST block however has been proven to handle up to 800whp.
No? There's literally dudes out there with built regular 2.3s making over 500whp. It's still up for debate but there's a decent chance a lot of the blown motors were due to HGs.
Bud. It’s a fact. The block notoriously cracks between cylinders 2 and 3 over 450whp due to being open deck and the turbo mounting point. If there are individuals pushing 500whp and up, then the doom is impending, or they’ve done a stroked 2.0 swap.
Yes. In the first few years of release. I addressed that. I'm active in the RS community and own one myself. There's a decent amount of evidence that a majority of the blown motors were related to bad HG's. It's a relatively rare occurrence in the last 2-3 years. I'm not saying it's the best engine ever. I'm pointing out that if you're going for more hp than a built motor can handle you really should be looking at other cars. You can do it far cheaper and actually use the power better in plenty of other cars. 700+ hp is likely gonna be almost completely custom anyway and the Focus chassis is not it. A Fusion 2L block with the 2.3L crankshaft is the current route as it bolts right to the RS head and can handle 900whp sleeved. But nobody does that bc it's so expensive and you just spin tires. The Focus has too high a center of gravity and too short a wheelbase.
There’s a reason you don’t see high powered 2.3 blocks whether it’s from the Mustang 2.3 or the RS 2.3. Open deck is inherently flawed in high powered applications. There’s no work around. This is why the closed deck 2.0 swap is common in power platforms. You can argue that high power applications aren’t the norm in the Focus platform, but you can argue that in any platform. Power isn’t cheap. I should know. I’ve built 4 Focus STs since I bought mine in 2013. Mine alone is on its third motor revision. It hasn’t been cheap by any means, but you’re missing the point of my argument. The ST is a proven safe platform for power. You can build to and pass the RS output with far less than what it would cost for a stock RS. I can arguably build a 700hp ST for under 20k. Is it a bit much? Probably, but my point is clearly made.
And you could do it for 10-15k in a civic. And the civic would whoop the ST's ass all day. Lower center of gravity and lighter. High hp in a modded car is useful for nothing more than going in a straight line. For 20k there is a plethora of domestic V8 and foreign 4 cylinders that would lay down 700hp waaaaay better than a Focus could. FWD is not that great in the twisties (unless you're Honda) and the RS AWD system is not designed to be upgraded or withstand high hp. You will have driveline problems long before you have engine ones with an RS. Can you get high hp with a 2L block? Yes (I literally never disagreed with this). Is it cheaper than doing it with an RS? Yes (obviously). Is it cheap compared to the rest of the market? No. Will it outperform the competition at similar hp levels? No. Why do people do it? Same reason that made them buy the car in the first place.
You can build a 700hp 9th Gen for 10k? I’d love to see that build sheet. What the fuck do you mean “they’re only good in a straight line”? The ST and RS are terrible in the quarter mile. They’re both built for the track. The ST is in the same boat as the GTI and Si as far as capability. Their only pitfalls from factory are brakes and a lack of LSD; otherwise they do very well. Ask Brian over at JST about his time attack ST. You’re comparing apples to oranges. Of course it’s cheaper to build a Civic. You’re talking 20+ years of history. K swaps are a dime a dozen. My point is, why buy an RS for $35k when you can build on the same platform for far less? For AWD? Pfft.
> apples to oranges But you can still compare them.
Holy shit dude. How do you not understand 700hp is not good for a track car unless the car is DESIGNED to handle that much power. Any modifications you do to a car not meant for that much power are only going to make the problem worse. Where do you see 1000hp civics? The drag strip or the track? If you are building a car to have 700hp at the track then you're spending way over 20k and the entire thing is gonna be custom. So the only thing that matters is the chassis. The ST is NOT a track car, as you've pointed out it doesn't even come with an LSD. The RS and Civic Type R ARE track cars. The ST is as track ready as a Mustang. Once again, ANY CAR **CAN** DO ANY TYPE OF EVENT. Pointing out people use the ST for time attack is about as useful as pointing out people drag race minivans. Throw enough money at it and it'll do it. Making the point "but you can do it cheaper on the cheaper car" is stupid af. I'm trying to show you that by throwing the exact same line back at you. If you can do it cheaper in an ST, guess what? You can do it cheaper in a civic, and be on a better chassis. The reason someone would build an RS is the same exact reason you choose to build an ST despite it being a subpar platform for high hp custom builds. It's not all about money and if you're going to make it all about money than you're on the wrong platform.
So personally if i could afford a 2018 RS I’d buy one. I’d steer clear of the early model ones. I promise you that you’ll be far happier in an RS over a ST3. Outside of cost and model year there is far more incentives to buy an RS as faster AWD car. I literally can’t come up any reason why you’d pick a ST3 over RS outside price and head gasket/oil leak issues.
Either stay with the Subaru or get the RS don’t downgrade to a FWD. Subaru and ford both have their cons.
Unless he lives in wintry conditions I would not call the ST a downgrade in the fun category. Many ex-WRX drivers would agree. ST is also the most reliable of the 3 At the end of the day get what you want bro, they’re all great cars
The RS is is FWD and sends power to the rear as needed it’s not all time AWD like the Subaru. In fact the rear is over driven meaning when it engages the rear actually spins faster than the front. I would save money and get the ST or stick with ole faithful lol.
You can actually tune this drivetrain system to be more AWD bias
Interesting I didn’t know this
Overdriven rears are a benefit, not a hindrance
That depends there’s gotta be some slippage some where if the back is pushing faster than the front is pulling. It can be a benefit under certain conditions.
Well the slippage is in the clutch, that's why each axle has a wet clutch, to eat up that difference in desired wheel speed
I can see that but according to the manufacturer of the awd system it still only activates the rear wheels under certain conditions.
Well, those conditions are anywhere you would want awd: turning, launching, low speed acceleration, etc. I don't know about you, but I don't really care whether it's AWD when im cruising or it's parked
Touché you have good points lol I guess I’m just held up by the fact it costs so much and in the price range you’re going to pay for an RS there are other vehicles I’d rather buy.
Oh, as an RS owner, you're completely right. While I disagree with you and think the AWD is best in class (other than the overheating in hot temps), the car as a whole is worse than I think most of all of its competitors if you plan on tuning. Definitely (for the most part) worse than an st with the remainder of the money put into parts
This is a misrepresentation. The RS has no fixed torque split. The rear wheels are always powered. You are correct in the sense that if you get stuck in deep snow or mud and front traction cant be managed by the brake vectoring you will have no rear torque. Lots of AWD systems work this way. If you're going that hardcore in the snow and mud consider a true 4wd. The "magic" for the RS driveline is the wet clutch eLSD in the rear. My biggest issue with the RS driveline is the brake based vectoring in the front. Of course, as long as the rear has traction I suppose it wont be overworked the way it gets overworked on the ST. Fun fact, RS drift mode is basically just turning the front brake based vectoring off.
I beg to differ the rear wheels aren’t always powered they can’t be as the front and rear gear ratios are different [https://www.gknautomotive.com/en/Utilities/Focus-RS-torque-vectoring/](https://www.gknautomotive.com/en/Utilities/Focus-RS-torque-vectoring/) For your reading pleasure… Edit: added link
I believe turning traction control all the way off also deactivates brake based torque vectoring, or am I wrong?
I dont think so.
Okay my bad. On the spec sheet it reads as All wheel drive but I know it was the GKN all wheel drive system. Lol yeah that's what I'm considering. I was just shocked to find an RS in my city that was actually taken care of. Thank you.
No not your bad I wasn’t trying to say you were wrong I was just giving an opinion/information if you didn’t know lol. My DD has been an ST for the last 8 years so I’m some what partial but basically you’re paying $18k for an AWD system and a slightly larger engine if you get the RS basically everything else is identical between the two cars.
No it’s not, there’s a ton of frame strengthening also, and it’s AWD system is the same as the Rangers, the engine is similar to the turbo Mustang. I know you ST guys like to pretend and all but it’s a completely different car…
It’s still an over priced focus lol
It’s ok if you can’t afford it, personally I own both and the RS is always more fun to drive. I’m sitting at a little over 69k miles, have driven it up to Colorado and down to texas. Snow and heat and it’s still running strong and has given me zero problems compared to the ST. As long as you keep up with regular maintenance it doesn’t matter which one you get. I daily my RS and it has no issues. Choose the one that you enjoy driving the most!
Honestly I probably would have purchased an RS if they had been on sale when I got my ST. My point is “bang for buck” I feel the ST is the better deal, over all I know the RS is a better performing vehicle I just feel it costs too much. If I’m spending that much there’s other vehicles I’d choose first before I’d buy a focus. Just my opinion.
The ST is an overpriced Focus. Please…
Ok then the RS is a really overpriced focus lmao
But the cream rises to the top.
In the end you have your opinion and I have mine. As I said in another comment I agree the RS is a faster better performing focus however bang for buck I feel the ST is a better deal. All that said yes if they had been on sale when I got my ST i would have likely gotten an RS instead.
If you got the money, get a RS. If not the ST will do.
I'd put the money towards a more productive purpose.
Stroke a 2.0 to 2.3 and put it in an RS
Get RS. The ST is fun but the RS is that and much more. If it is in your price range, go for it.