Focus RS

[PastS1Owner]

£28940
350PS
0-60 4.7 Seconds

Seems a great car for the money... Audi need to lower the price of the S1 IMO.

 

[gingers3]

ive had a preview of the focus , it looks a nice thing , only down side they ll be every where

 

[RMJ891]

I still think they're for different people. I would never buy an Astra VXR, Focus RS, Megan RenaultSport: this is partly because I'm an idiot brand snob of the variety that always gets the latest iPhone, but also because they still have cheapy, non-premium interiors and generally less refinement.

I also think, to an extent, there's nothing wrong with being an idiot brand snob, because there is some truth in the premium image. There's no actual reason to buy an A4 over a Mondeo, but the former just feels like a nicer place to sit.

 

[DTYME83]

Or better still to the exception of the focus (which at the end of the day is still just a ford) none of them are 4wD or rear wheel drive which means they will suffer from torque steer lol

 

[PastS1Owner]

The Focus RS is 4WD

 

[DTYME83]

I acknowledged the Focus was 4wD @skinman

 

[PastS1Owner]

So you did, its too early in the morning

 

[Bainie]

I had an Astra VXR a few years ago , build quality was superb imo , and the cabin was a great place to be . Proper recaros , wouldn't swap my S3 for one, but certainly would have another, and they are definitely aimed at the same customers imo .. Torque steer is always banded around, I had a tuned Vectra VXR , which had a lot of bad torque steer press, but it is all down to how you drive it , was never a problem for me with over 300bhp going through the front wheels ..

 

[DangerS3]

If we're talking comparing them just for the drivetrain alone then yeah, the S1 with some options comes out very close (on the face of it) for a 4wd hatchback.
IMO this will be more comparable to the S3 though due to the size, especially as the base prices aren't too dissimilar as well.
With the silly finance/leasing deals that are about at the moment you don't need to be a well paid person to attain a nice car, re: the 1000s of Mk7 Golf Rs OTR driven by chavs near me.

This is a list of hot hatches I made on another forum a little while back for reference (price was adjusted for the RS as I was guessing)

Octavia VRS hatch £24k
Audi S1 £25k
265 Megane £25k
Leon Cupra £25k
Focus ST-3 £26k
Golf GTI £26k
Astra VXR £27k
280 Cupra £27k
275 Megane £29k
Focus RS £29k
Golf R £30k
Audi S3 £31k
Merc A45 £37k

So the typical VXR driver that's branded about, has essentially paid more for it than a Golf and an Audi.

 

[Bainie]

VX retail prices and what you pay are a mile apart though , I bought mine brand new , just after they came out and got over 4k off . No way anybody would pay 27k for an astra ..

 

[DangerS3]

VX retail prices and what you pay are a mile apart though , I bought mine brand new , just after they came out and got over 4k off . No way anybody would pay 27k for an astra ..

Yeah but I'm not going to compile a list of book prices and then ring up every dealership to see how much they'll be prepared to knock off lol, also one dealer may knock off £4k, another may just knock off £500 and give you a set of car mats.

But I agree, £27k is rediculous, BUT it's in keeping with other hot hatches.

Rewind, what 7 years, and most hatches weren't much over the £20k marker, if at all.

 

[DTYME83]

Yes prices are ridiculous and you don't seem to get much for your buck these days, everything is an optional extra, but at the end of the day it is what it is. The S1 appeals to me because it is a small car and I love small cars, especially when they have an insane amount of power.
DTYME83

 

[Bainie]

A quick google and you can get one for 22k , just Vauxhalls strange pricing , so a typical vxr driver has not paid more, thats my point, but then take depreciation into account and they probably have ! I am no badge snob , owned lots of different cars over the years, mostly hot hatches in the last 8 . S3 is the best yet I think , but just because I own one doesn't make it the best car on the road in my eyes ... I don't see the S! as belonging in that list either , it should be with Clio / Corsa / Polo etc ...

I paid just under 16k for my Astra , sold it a year later of just under 15 , not bad for a vauxhall .

Back to the focus , I would not have one over an S3 , but thats on looks , don't like it tbh ...

 

[RMJ891]

Thing is, if it were a rental car, I love driving anything (I'm renting a 7 seater Picasso soon and am excited for that just because it's something different, and I love driving!). I would be delighted to have a VXR or a RenaultSport of any kind for a weekend, I bet they're masses of fun.

But when it comes to owning... I wouldn't be so sure.

 

[DangerS3]

Yes prices are ridiculous and you don't seem to get much for your buck these days, everything is an optional extra, but at the end of the day it is what it is. The S1 appeals to me because it is a small car and I love small cars, especially when they have an insane amount of power.
DTYME83

Reminds me of people comparing a Golf R to an RS3, as soon as you spec the Golf to the RS3 standard there isn't much in the price. But yeah there are some stupid extras these days, like electric adjustable and heated mirrors...this was standard on my 2002 Civic Type R haha.

I don't think you can compare the S1 to anything else IMO.

A quick google and you can get one for 22k , just Vauxhalls strange pricing , so a typical vxr driver has not paid more, thats my point, but then take depreciation into account and they probably have ! I am no badge snob , owned lots of different cars over the years, mostly hot hatches in the last 8 . S3 is the best yet I think , but just because I own one doesn't make it the best car on the road in my eyes ... I don't see the S! as belonging in that list either , it should be with Clio / Corsa / Polo etc ...

I paid just under 16k for my Astra , sold it a year later of just under 15 , not bad for a vauxhall .

Back to the focus , I would not have one over an S3 , but thats on looks , don't like it tbh ...

?????
I'm sure you can buy any car for cheaper than what I listed, but like I said, these were just brand new OTR list prices that i got from their websites. And people who see maybe something like the Golf attracting a different type of person to maybe someone who buys a VXR, well the VXR costs more. That was my point. Just because you can haggle a better price and your car will depreciate quicker is irrelevant to my initial point lol.

I wasn't accusing you of badge snobbery if you took it that way.

I personally like the RS, looks wise it's in your face like the new Type R. But the S3 isn't a shouty/look at me type of car.

Corsa VXR is like £18k, Polo Gti is £19k and Audi S1 £25k. Maybe size wise they're comparable, but that's about it IMO.

 

[josedebardi]

The Focus RS competes with the S3, the Fiesta RS (when it arrives next year) will compete with the S1. When comparing cars I always look at similar size/class first, then the rest.

The Focus is S1 money but S3 size, so it's priced about right IMO. But as said, as there is no super mini 4x4 hot hatch on the market other than the S1 it's hard to truly compare it to anything - hence it often gets compared to larger cars like the Golf R/Focus RS etc. The Fiesta RS is supposedly getting 4x4 so it will be the only true S1 contender then!

 

[Terminator x]

£28940
350PS
0-60 4.7 Seconds

Seems a great car for the money... Audi need to lower the price of the S1 IMO.

Is anything optional though? Easy to get the RS3 to £45k

TX.

 

[DTYME83]

Reminds me of people comparing a Golf R to an RS3, as soon as you spec the Golf to the RS3 standard there isn't much in the price. But yeah there are some stupid extras these days, like electric adjustable and heated mirrors...this was standard on my 2002 Civic Type R haha.

I don't think you can compare the S1 to anything else IMO.




?????
I'm sure you can buy any car for cheaper than what I listed, but like I said, these were just brand new OTR list prices that i got from their websites. And people who see maybe something like the Golf attracting a different type of person to maybe someone who buys a VXR, well the VXR costs more. That was my point. Just because you can haggle a better price and your car will depreciate quicker is irrelevant to my initial point lol.

I wasn't accusing you of badge snobbery if you took it that way.

I personally like the RS, looks wise it's in your face like the new Type R. But the S3 isn't a shouty/look at me type of car.

Corsa VXR is like £18k, Polo Gti is £19k and Audi S1 £25k. Maybe size wise they're comparable, but that's about it IMO.

Agreed. As there isn't a car in the S1's class that it can be compared to. At present it stands in its own.

 

[Simonb1975]

Think I might take a closer look at the RS though. Looks a bit shouty but to be honest I've grown bored of the whole higher build quality blah blah blah thing (Count the 'build quality issues' on the A3 (V) forums). I do love the S3 saloon as an object but as a drivers car it's a bit quack IMHO.
I thought about moving up to the RS3 but it's roughly 15BHP and 2 audi badges more than the RS for £10K. Admittedly nothing else from the above list floats me boat.

I've dipped my feet in the audi experience and for me it's a whole load of extra cash for an image and little extra substance. (He types whilst looking out the window at the S3 with a smile, lol)

 

[gingers3]

ive owned most of the hot hatches talked about on here and can say that the renaultsport megane is by far the best as a drivers car
i agree the s1 has no real competition , think its a brilliant little car
i personally think the new focus looks good , if it drives like ford say it will be a cracking car , but they will be common as muck
i fancied an rs3 but ive now driven 2 and although its a nice car not worth £45k and yes its fast but boring with it