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01-29-2017, 02:08 PM | #1 |
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Focus RS test drive
I got a 5 mile test drive in a Focus RS yesterday. The car had 9 miles on it and I added 5 more. I did not go past half throttle nor push the car hard in turns at all, but still was able to get a good feel for the car on both city and highway roads.
Impressions:
Why was I even looking at the RS? Two reasons mainly: 1) it's a more practical daily driver with the hatch, 4 doors, and AWD (with 6MT) than the 2D M235i RWD with the small-ish trunk; and 2) I thought it might have a little less boring appearance than my M235i. After the test drive, I'm convinced that it would be more practical, but not so convinced that it would be any less boring looking, compared to mine. The color is not boring, but it's still a Focus. Most non-enthusiasts would not give the car a second look, other than that paint job. The thing that made me realize that there's no way I would trade mine for the RS is the amount of depreciation I would lose. Almost $20K in less than 2 years! Their initial offer was MSRP plus $3K mark up for the RS, and $32K for mine. No way. They came back with MSRP for the RS ($43,300) and $32,500 for mine. After taxes and fees it was my car plus $12K out the door. If it was my car plus $5K, it would have been a tough decision. It was a no-brainer at $12K. Edit: I should add that mine has 7500 miles and is in near-showroom condition, so it should get the highest possible trade value.
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01-29-2017, 04:01 PM | #3 |
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Mark up LOL
MSRP LOL Also, if you didn't get past part throttle or push it in turns, you really didn't get to DRIVE the car. |
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01-29-2017, 04:44 PM | #4 |
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$43k for a focus? I had to google/Ebay it to believe it.
Are there any cars that aren't grossly overpriced at this point? I've never seen anything like it. The wonders of low interest rates, eight year car loans, and leases. Doing for the car industry what all that BS did to mortgages and student loans. Debt slaves. |
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01-29-2017, 04:47 PM | #5 |
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The RS is a nice car but I had higher hopes for it. It seems to on par with the WRX and EVO. Which I was hoping it would be better than those two.
Depreciation does suck. Best to try private party for your car if you really want to get the RS. Heck, I'd even look for a CPO RS. Might be able to get the RS for a better price. Markups for ANY car are ridiculous. Dealers do those because they know people will pay it just to have the car. Its money that goes straight to the dealers pocket. I wish it was illegal for a dealer to charge any markup. Its not like they will lose any money if they sale it at MSRP. |
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01-29-2017, 04:50 PM | #6 |
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And this is why I always buy cars at least 4yrs old. I got my 2011 E90 December of 2015 for 19k with 65k on the odometer. Plenty of fun left in the car and nowhere near the ridiculous MSRP.
I'll own a GT-R soon, when they dip into the 30s.
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01-29-2017, 05:03 PM | #7 |
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I just did a quick autotrader search for "used" Focus RS. Found one with 1K miles for $37K. Two pages worth nationwide.
I think I'd wait a bit; prices should fall back to earth soon. I bought a new 2005 STi (2nd year in the US) and had dealers fighting for my business. Wound up with a very substantial discount (and a hootful of car). |
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01-29-2017, 06:47 PM | #9 | |
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And yes, I didn't really "drive" the car if you mean test its limits. I'm one of those guys who follows the manufacturer's break-in recommendation, so I wasn't about to abuse a car that someone else was going to buy. The base price was $36,120. This car had $6500 worth of options. Wheels and tires were $1900; paint was $700; Recaros were $2800, and moonroof was $900. Ha ha... well, it is a 350/350 4-cylinder, so it's not like it's a chump engine. And the exhaust looked a lot like the MP exhaust - two good size pipes coming out of a decent sized muffler. I guess the pops between shifts is what sounded better than mine. I liked the sound of it for sure. It's nothing at all like a 4-cylinder Honda with a fart can muffler.
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01-29-2017, 06:55 PM | #10 | |
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Also, no replacement for displacement the straight six and sound will always feel and sound better. It just disappointed me how all they did was swap out the ST interior and replaces the badges with RS. |
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01-29-2017, 07:00 PM | #11 |
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I still can't get past the looks of the car. From my perspective, it looks like a silly putty egg, especially in that blue color.
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01-29-2017, 07:03 PM | #12 |
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picture of the RS exhaust:
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01-29-2017, 07:07 PM | #13 | |
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Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. IMO, it's a lot better looking than the bland GTI - you're talking hatchbacks, so there's only so much you can do... The color has to be seen in person. Then again, if you like subtle colors, it's not for you. My last car was a Screaming Yellow '05 Mustang, so that's where I'm coming from. Nitrous Blue is right up my alley. If they made one in yellow, I would like that as well.
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01-29-2017, 07:25 PM | #14 | |
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What I am saying is MSRP or mark up on any car = LOL to me. I would never pay either. Maybe if I were Richie Rich & $ doesn't matter I would. Definitely not on an M2 or Focus. |
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01-30-2017, 10:09 AM | #17 |
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Short answer is that the RS is half the price of the AMG, and judging from that picture, they look very similar. Don't know much about the Audi except that the engines both output about 350 lb/ft torque.
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01-30-2017, 10:14 AM | #18 |
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Did my review sound negative? I was comparing it to my M235i, and the only area I felt that still had a ways to go to catch up was the interior. Everything else was pretty darn good.
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01-30-2017, 11:57 AM | #19 |
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I almost dropped the hammer on the rs. There weren't any going under 50k in socal. The focus can be driven fast easily. The Rs is a great car but the markups severely damage it. People say they wouldn't pay x price for x car. After kinda taking a step back I don't really agree. For 35k the focus rs is about as balls out as it can get.
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01-30-2017, 01:54 PM | #21 | |
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01-31-2017, 03:02 PM | #22 |
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I had a friend kind enough to let me borrow his ST for a drive from Houston to Austin and back the same day. It's about 3hrs if you're cruising and mostly just straight. I will say even then I had a great time with the car. I made a point to take some of the windy turns around the park that also featured decent elevation changes mid-apex. I respect the car, and think they're cool. I bet an RS would be even better, but to me at least not for that price. But I can't fault you because I've paid way more than friends would for speakers based on my perceived value.
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