Dream Weaver

Everyone in this thread keeps harping on about Monaco's lovely smooth roads being the proving ground, and that on the average UK B road the RS Focus, or indeed a high powered ST/FWD car will chuck you off the tarmac at the first sign of a bump or a wet patch.

So, for those that haven't been listening, or haven't seen my thread about our little jaunt in the Dales on Sunday here it is again.

BOB T. and I, plus a load of other ST's, an RS4, Impreza WR1, Cayman and some VXR's did a huge run out round the Dales on the most demanding, rutted, off camber, bumpiest, wettest, slippiest roads available to man and anyone in England.

We all managed to navigate the route at decent speeds (within the law obviously ) and I can only speak for myself, but I had no traction issues, no torque steer, and no chance of being chucked off the road.

I did get full on air 3 times, and bottomed out my Eibachs twice, winding me on the first occasion, so we were defo having fun.

We had mud, water, dryness, cow ****, and even snow/ice on the tops but we all made it round in one piece.

The ESP system is sublime on tight bends, similar to how Plato was saying about the RS on Fifth Gear - you plant it out of a bend and it just gives you a little lag before it picks up, hits the turbo and flies off, lovely.

I have a bad habit of driving with one hand sometimes and keeping my left hand on the gear lever - if I had masses of torque steer evident this would have made me crash, but nothing happened. You just point it where you want to aim for and go.

In the bends the chassis is fluid, allowing easy changes. No understeer or high drama, just lovely lift off oversteer to bring the backend round to follow the front.

stilover

We heard. We just choose to ignore.

Dream Weaver

I wonder why 4WD fans are doing selective listening, worried?

stilover

Pardon?

New_scooby_04

iTrader: (4)

Who said that?!!?

I'm not sure worried is an appropriate term. It's not a competition....or is it?!?!

But most of us on here have modified cars anyway, Focus ST owners included, and these would give the new RS an awful lot to think about!

Devildog

Subaru didn't sell the Spec C in the UK. What was the time (if any) for a current UK Sti?

Devildog

LOL

You are comparing a modified car to a showroom spec RS. hardly a like for like comparison

stara

guys guys, this is a subaru forum, stop sucking the RS focus off, it's good but get a grip ffs. praise it by all means, but don't slag off the impreza in the same post, it upsets proper impreza fans on this subaru forum. Dreamweaver, we get it, you like focus's (or is that focii), calm down.

rabbos

I'm the same - and I have the TC off 99% of the time.

A remapped ST is probably one of the best performance daily drivers.

The RS is an evolution of this car.

R4LLY

iTrader: (1)

s3 anyday

New_scooby_04

iTrader: (4)

It's definitely NOT a fair comparison! That's the point, it'll be hard to compare like for like on here as there are very few standard car owners it would seem!

In terms of like for like, I'm sure the RS will compare favourably with the new STi; it's certainly better looking! But a better all weather, all roads point to point machine, I think not!

ScoobyJawa

And this is the Other Marques section. Not all of us own impreza's our entire life, I've had one, but theres life beyond it

stara

the other marques in the subaru forum yes, if you used to own one great, just have a little respect for the guys who still own and love their scoob and don't slag their motor off, not much to ask now is it.

ScoobyJawa

But its ok for the motors some of us now own to get slagged off in here? - jeez man, grow a set (assuming you are a bloke!!), if you like your car who cares what people say about it!

Dream Weaver

Some folk get personal about their cars though

Subarus are excellent, although its a shame they have ruined the latest Impreza by making it the ugliest car on the road but in general they are superb at what they do.

But that doesn't mean everything else out there can't match (or better) them.

Pete

I,ve been lucky enough to own a fair few performance cars in my 42yrs of life. 22B/RB5/P1/SPEC C/V3 STI/TOMMI/MAK/EVO 8 MR ANDDDDDD YES A FOCUS RS MK1 to name but a few, missing out all my cossies etc, don,t want to bore you all...

And i have to agree with Dream Weaver, my Focus RS was RR @ 263 BHP/257FT/LB on Bluefin etc, ok not HUGE power i know and still abit off the current model to be launched.

However, i NEVER once felt in danger in my RS over bumpy/wet/greasy roads etc, yes there was a TAD of torque steer, but nothing that wasn,t/isn,t controlable, infact it was great fun, if you like, compare ot to using your DCCD, you can make your Subaru skittish too remember if pushed hard..


I think the new RS is superb and it will be a match for alot of Subarus out there.

DON,T be blinkered guys, i love my Subaru, BUT i,m not that ignorant to think it,s the best performing car god gave us..

Just my 2penneth.........

New_scooby_04

iTrader: (4)

As an Avid Impreza fan (and owner) and a fan of the RS (the Cossie got me into performance cars) I can say that we need cars like the RS Focus to move the game on. If Subaru have any sense, they will look long and hard at the Focus and say "Right, the performance benchmark of the FWD hot hatch has just been raised and we need to respond in kind"

The way things are going at the moment though....I just don't know if that'll happen.

Pete

Agree 100% with the above ^^^^^^

stara

completely agree, i just disagree with people coming on here to antagonise, there is a difference between banter and being rude, although there are not really any antagonistic posts in this thread, you do see a lot of trolling posts in other threads... the focus is a good car and has always had good reviews even the basic models, so scoobyjawa i am happy with the size of my *****, i am not sitting here crying about the scoob, even the ford focus shaped Sti, as it is a pretty respectable car in it's own right and does not deserve 'it is a lukewarm hatch', or 'a focus RS would leave it for dead' type posts, this just makes the poster look stupid. as has been said, lots of people on here are as passionate about their cars as many RS owners, you wouldn't go on the RS owners club and applaud the subaru whilst neg'ing the focus RS now would you, it would be just rude to critcise what they are passionate about. imo the sti and the focus would be quite evenly matched, neither would leave the other 'for dead'.

New_scooby_04

iTrader: (4)

Yes, in terms of straight line acceleration: You need quite a big bhp/tonne difference to "leave someone for dead". When this happens, more often that not, it's because one "participant" wasn't actually participating!

ScoobyJawa

Thing is this sort of thing happens all the time mate - VXR vs ST, RS vs VXR, Subaru vs Evo, Pug vs Golf etc etc etc to name a few - its the nature of the net.

Glad you've got some good cahoona's though

Dream Weaver

I don't think Scoobyjawa and I have "come on here to antagonise" though, we've been here for almost 10 years!!

Just stating opinions from what we drive at the minute. I have never said the new RS will be leagues ahead of the Impreza, I just like to defend the RS and ST against those types that say the Impreza will eat them for breakfast in the "wet/twisties".

BOB.T

I've got an ST and love it, don't care who you are or what you drive, what you think of me or my car!

I know when I drive it I smile so hard I nearly severe the top of my head!

Whatever you drive, I hope you get the same pleasure!

PS, I haven't been killed to death by understeer, torque steer, a bump or anything else, yet!

superstar1

Don't know whats so funny, i've lived in the North West and South Wales areas over the last few years and could go weeks without seeing another Impreza, on the other hand, when i'm driving the Focus every other car literally is a Focus. Are you blind?
Thats why you get the Scooby wave when out in the Impreza!!

ScoobyJawa

I suggest you come down to silicon valley - the south east, M3 M4 M40 area, scoobs are as much a clitoris car as beemers Your arm would be worn out round here and you'd stop bothering!

I get an ST wave when I see another

Edit: Thats a tad unfair, beemers are far worse, but you get the idea!

New_scooby_04

iTrader: (4)

I'd get some Antibiotics for that!

ScoobyJawa

Scott W

Right you, for that comment things will be stolen from your house when we pop over!!!!

We'll bring the ST though as we won't want to lower your neighbourhood!

ScoobyJawa

Invite revoked lol

(you know I love em, hence our msn chat the other day, some people just get so defensive!)

renny

iTrader: (2)

Think we've established that there's a difference of opinion here!

I test drove a mk1 FRS and have to be honest never felt much torque steer evident - nowhere near as much as i used to experience in my old Rover Coupe turbo anyway!

Overall it was a decent car however i was put off by the harsh ride, this may have had something to do with coming from an ST220 but it was just too hard a ride for me at the time.Also,the interior left a lot to be desired.

In the looks department, anyone will have to agree the new one knocks the pants of the latest Impreza which is a damn shame. If i'm in the market for a new car when money matters sort themselves out i'll certainly look at the FRS BUT i would also look at the Impreza 330s (hoping it will have grown on me by then!)