DocWalt's 2016 Focus RS

[DocWalt]

I picked up a 2016 Focus RS in Nitrous Blue recently. It's got the RS2 package, forged 19" wheels, & Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires. I'm really enjoying it so far, it's quick, rides pretty well, handles pretty well, and really attracts attention (from both genders )

Picked up with just under 8 miles (rolled over as the pic was snapped)


The blue REALLY changes in different lighting. It looks really bright here, but isn't as bright in other lighting. It's pretty neat














The least inspiring looking 350hp engine I've ever seen... It sure motivates some movement though


The bit I've driven the RS, it seems like a great driver's car. It really gets up and goes, has great torque with the 2.3L engine, even off boost. Cornering is a lot like my Evo X was, direct and easy to manage. The limits are quite high and the car's balance is pretty awesome so far. Definitely less oversteer than the BRZ, but it's pretty awesome just driving into a corner and exiting at WOT with the AWD system shuffling power around to make the car go where you want it to. The exhaust noise from outside is also pretty awesome. The cracks & pops in sport exhaust are VERY loud, and the exhaust isn't quiet for a factory exhaust. The exhaust is way too quiet inside though, there's a LOT of sound deadening, which is great for any sort of highway driving.

Interior quality is miles better than the Evo X. Seats are great like the Evo but otherwise the interior is miles better, there's actual style and it's awesome actually having meaningful gauges... The Sync 3 system is great so far too. Sound system is a bit flat, even with the sub. I'll have to play with the EQ (unfortunately only 3 band) and see what I can improve. Unfortunately I have a weird squeaky noise from the passenger A-pillar, sounds like it's rubbing on the dash. Completely unnoticeable with the windows down.

The paint color is simply astonishing. Just sooooo good, in my opinion. The paint quality is also pretty fantastic, super smooth. Unfortunately it's still a cheap car and there's a couple of small areas on the hood (splotches I guess) where the blue is a lighter color. Not sure what happened during painting to cause that, but it's a four stage paint so it'll be next to impossible to match perfectly so I'm unsure if I want the dealer to try fixing it.

The gas mileage is pretty abysmal, the interior is smaller than I expected because the front Recaro seats are so thick, the build quality isn't great for a car this expensive, but man, the way this car drives... They really got it right, I really hope it holds well, I'll be putting it through a lot of abuse.

[rocknrace03]

Congrats dude. I'm excited that this car is on the market. I'm hoping that this will spark a few more companies to build something awd/turbo and get us back to the evo/sti competition days and keep the automakers on their toes.

[DocWalt]

Thanks man! I'd also love to see some more competition among the manufacturers. This is pretty much a direct competitor for the Golf R, price wise anyway, the R is a tiny bit quicker (typical VW way underrating the engine) but the RS is likely WAY faster around a track... The RS is definitely quicker than any stock Evo or STI straight line or cornering, so Subaru's gotta get with the times and build a souped up FA20DIT for the STI

[saxon]

great pick up, starting to see these pop up everywhere now.

not sure ive ever heard any girl talking about a focus..

the interior to me felt blah, the same blah as an evo so i cant agree with you there

the exhaust sounds great and they make a healthy amount of power stock

the factory certainly tuned the differential to be a lot more aggressive compared to a golf R which is absolutely a bonus

again nice pick up, sorry i had to give my 2c

[DocWalt]

I've discussed Focus STs with female friends in the past, so... I dunno man, lol. The RS is definitely a bit of a dick magnet, to be fair.

Evo X interior is incredibly cheesy plastic with no sense of style at all, IMO. Great seats, completely worthless everywhere else. That is my abiding memory of the interior of the car. Definitely more usable rear seats in the X too, the Focus is much tighter back there than I was expecting.

I was in good company yesterday

[Shipman]

Your photos are so big that it takes forever to load your threads.

[DocWalt]

Yeah, I've noticed... Sorry, I thought I was grabbing the resized links I was making, but apparently not.

[rocknrace03]

Originally Posted by DocWalt

Subaru's gotta get with the times and build a souped up FA20DIT for the STI

I'm hoping they will, but it may take a while. one thing i've learned during my internship with SOA is that the Japanese culture is very conservative. It may take them some time to fully let go of the EJ series engine.

[DocWalt]

Originally Posted by rocknrace03

I'm hoping they will, but it may take a while. one thing i've learned during my internship with SOA is that the Japanese culture is very conservative. It may take them some time to fully let go of the EJ series engine.

Soon enough emissions and weight targets will kill the EJ series. I was astonished when they used it again for the STI, but I guess they didn't want the unknown of the FA20DIT in their halo car.

[DaveSTi]

Wow! So much to say about this car!

1.) holy Crap congratulations!
2.) sweet!!
3.) when are you tracking it next?
4.) it's definitely nicer inside than an Evo X, but I agree about the seats vs the rest of the interior. Would like to know how the awd system compares to the one in the X. It's been awhile since I had one, but I remember it being super advanced.
5.) what are your plans for the RS?
6.) man you have me wanting to get an R now so we can have the two hot hatches. Haha
7.) this seriously made my morning seeing that you got this car. It's the IT car right now for sure. Excited to hear more about your thoughts on it as a drivers platform.
8.) 2018 R is now on my mind with the improvements coming. Lol!

[DocWalt]

Haha, thanks Dave! I'm super stoked with the car so far.

Plan is to track it at VIR in November, I'm pretty sure. May do fall Shenandoah or an NJMP event in a few weeks. Might autocross it this Sunday, depends on the potential weather. The BRZ has nearly no tread on the tires and I don't have time to swap tires this week, I'd rather not die on a highway driving to Dover, lol.

The X drivetrain is more advanced, to some extent, because it has the variable center diff and proper front LSD. Everything that the X was doing shifting power around, the RS attempts to do all in one diff unit. The RS can pull it off due to the fact that the rear diff is over driven versus the front, so full diff engagement pushes the rear of the car around. I definitely wish the RS had a proper front LSD, there's been times where it really wiggles the steering wheel as the inside front tries to spin up while driving over crests in the road. I never really had the skills to use the X anywhere near it's potential when I owned it (I was maybe at 7/10ths?), but the way the RS drives just feels unreal. Maybe the X feels like that at the limit too. I must say, it's a VERY weird feeling being able to just keep adding power earlier and earlier in corners. Definitely going to take a bit to get used to.

No mod plans at the moment, I'll drive it and enjoy it for now.

I'd love to do a comparison between an R and an RS. That recent drag racing video is a touch silly. The R is a quicker car in a straight line, look at dyno charts to see why I'd bet the R gets its ass handed to it around corners though, the RS is pretty absurd.

[ambitiousCK]

Great looking car buddy, congrats.

[DocWalt]

^^ Thanks!

First autocross, second in class and 8th overall. Not too shabby. This thing is a blast!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNWGC93aLDA

[ambitiousCK]

Originally Posted by DocWalt

^^ Thanks!

First autocross, second in class and 8th overall. Not too shabby. This thing is a blast!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNWGC93aLDA

Sounds great, which one is more fun to drive? From previously watching your other videos i would say the BRZ due to the higher probability of oversteer. lol.

[DocWalt]

Originally Posted by ambitiousCK

Sounds great, which one is more fun to drive? From previously watching your other videos i would say the BRZ due to the higher probability of oversteer. lol.

The RS is absurd and seems completely ludicrous while driving it, but the BRZ will be faster around an autocross due to having stiffer suspension, better tires, etc.

Honestly, the last couple of events in the BRZ were fun, but not like the one event in the RS, lol. With proper tires and alignment the RS will tick all the right boxes, it's a total blast.

[schaffer]

Saw one in this color the other day in Sunbury PA. I was actually on my way to the Ford dealer to test drive another car. From what the saleman told me they are coming in pretty limited numbers.

If the price was closer to 30 and not 40 i would of looked at one. I've wanted a turbo Ford in awd for forever. Nice pickup!

[DocWalt]

Yeah, the price is pretty crappy, but it is what it is. Definitely limited numbers which doesn't help the cost

I too was waiting years for Ford to bring a proper RS to the states. So glad they finally did!

[DocWalt]

3 wheelin'

[schaffer]

So how much you want for the Brz..

[DocWalt]

Originally Posted by schaffer

So how much you want for the Brz..

I'd ask $22k as it sits (with new tires) and $17k stock. Negotiable on the modded price