Why the Ford Focus RS is Overrated

The first Ford Focus RS entered the market back in 2002 and quickly became a favourite of the motoring world.

To this day, you’ll be hard pushed to drive down a British street and not see at least one Focus whether it’s a RS or just a base model! Now, we aren’t saying that the RS is a bad car by any stretch but over the years it has definitely gained a reputation for being something that it just isn’t quite…

Hot or just not?

First of all, let’s talk about the ‘street cred’ of the Ford Focus RS. This is a car that costs upwards of £30,000 but struggles to lose the stereotypes of the boy racer car which accompanies the Fiesta ST. To someone who doesn’t know their cars, it’s incredibly easy to mistake the RS for its smaller brother at times as well! Is it really worth spending a rather large amount of money on a car that’s not going to turn heads for the right reasons?

Interior Aesthetics and Practicality

This is more of a complaint with the entire Ford range rather than specifically the Focus RS but the interior is boring to say the least. You would have thought that with the price tag, a little more effort would be put in rather than just a set of racing seats. Instead you are presented with a lot of plastic and not a lot else. The lacklustre interior doesn’t stop in the front, because of the extra drivetrain features on the rear axle you only have a maximum of 260 litres boot space with the back seats up. Not exactly the most practical of boot sizes if you want to get a full week’s shopping.

Fuel Consumption

Ford’s claimed MPG for the RS is 36.7 but according to multiple owners, you are lucky to reach anything over 30! It’s unlikely that you would want to keep this car as a weekend drive but with fuel figures like that, it’s a more probable outcome.

Security

Another point to consider these days is the security of Ford with many owners choosing to use wheel locks to prevent thieves from using electronic devices to override the keyless entry system. It appears as though Fords are the main target and are the easiest to break into and simply drive away. So, if you are thinking about buying a Focus RS, it might be wise to have a garage or a driveway with security posts if you don’t want to fuss around with wheel locks and what not.

The Final Verdict

Now before anyone gets offended, we aren’t saying the Focus RS is a bad car but it simply is not the godly car that many claim it to be. Like any other car, it has its faults but it is definitely one of the best hatchbacks that you can buy at the moment. If you’re looking for a fun car to channel your inner Ken Block then head on down to your Ford dealer and grab one.

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