Had an itch i needed to scratch for a while now and went to test drive this earlier



here it is after the drive outside the showroom they do look good








So as im a scooby man i asked to take this out.. Rb320









Instead took this new arrival out with the same engine ( sti ppp )not an rb but 30k less miles and 5k cheaper




Verdict

- as much as i wanted to like the rs i left a little dissapointed, now that might be because im accustomed to 4 wheel drive grip and lots of power but even in a straight line doing 30 second gear would scrabble for traction and foot down in third there was a lot of torque steer and you just couldnt apply the power. Now dont get me wrong it sounds brilliant, build quality is nice and looks stunning but would i want to pay 4k more than the rb 320 or 9k more than the 2.5 sti ppp which frankly would wipe the floor with the rs in any given situation.
Still cant decide what to go for yet and need to sleep on it but as much as i hate to say it i think the rs would dissapoint me especially as it rains 50% of the time.. Opinions?

 

I like the looks of the RS but as you say mate we buy these for the power / performance ect so buying the rs will only end up being a let down imho.

 

Like the look of rs but they are over rated IMO, raced one and took over it in 4th gear in my 340ish blob wagon and was pmsl, I thought they was faster tbh.
Would go for the rb320 if you can afford it and don't mod it and get warranty from garage as some will say the 2.5s are not that strong engines, or you could buy the ppp one and spend some money on engine rebuild and get some big power out of it with the money you save from the rb320.

 

I think you are right in saying teh RS will dissapoint. Especially if its a daily driver, you want to be able to use the power it has. As you say if its raining more than 50% of the time, then that reduces the amount of time you have where you have the chance to enjoy the car.

I'm not saying I drive like a hooligan in the wet all the time, but a I am quite partial to blasting down the odd B-road at 5:00am, and most of the time its at least damp. Plus making fast getaways from busy junctions is a daily chore in rush hour which spices up the journey a little.

 

Agree with whats been said really i had to pull out of a couple of busy junctions in the RS and had to wait for a big gap, as soon as i was in the scoob i was out and round the corner.
How true is this on the 2.5 engines though as thats a worry, i always thought i liked the 2 litre better but i think that hawkeye has sold me today there was so much torque and the power seemed more usable.

 

Well there is loads of threads on the 2.5 engine failures, think its if you start modding them as to why I said get the rb and leave it standard and get warranty. Do a search on here to find out more on the failures and why.
If you like the hawk, there's always the jdm models which are far superior inc the spec c but are hard ish to find and the have the 2.0 in them, if your patient then one will come up

 

Was under the impression the problems were from 2008 onwards?

 

I thinks the rs is just a week end toy and looks stunning but the impreza would be a better daily driver and safer in the winter unless you drive like miss daisy lol.

 

Nope all 2.5s

 

I picked an RS up in August as I need a hatch so saloons no good to me. I was all set to go for an MY11 STi Hatch but eventually went for the RS for the following reasons:

-The 2.5 ringland issues & lack of support from Subaru had me very concerned
-Lower tax £275 vs £475
-5 pot engine note and the pops & bangs on overrun)
-Better interior especially with the optional half leather recaro’s (its no german car but still ahead of the agricultural and cheap feel of the STi)
-Better depreciation (hatches I were looking at were £10k down in less than a year with minimal miles). Suprising given the amount in circulation compared to Hatch STi’s. Means a higher like for like initial purchase price but I know what will be worth more in 2-3yrs time when I look to change cars.
-Came in Frozen White rather than that horrible pearlescent white
-A few more gadgets (must admit I do quite like the reversing camera)

The traction is an issue on wet & damp roads at this time of year. I can spin the fronts in 3rd. But I was never under any illusion that it would be any different and wasn’t in the market for a 0-60 traffic light gp car. That said pulling off in first it seems fine even when wet. I believe the torque is limited in the lower gears.

I was a little concerned that the OTT looks of the RS would attract the usual boy racers to have a go at every opportunity but tbh that has been few and far between. First week I had some guy in an XC90 try to show off to his mrs off the lights but that has been about it. Had more hassle in my FN2 CTR.

 

Why when a standard RS is 301bhp and yours is remapped to 340bhp and probably a fair bit lighter?

 

Some great points there and as much as my head is saying dont buy it I keep thinking about it. Think I need another test drive.

 

Sure there were 3 or 4 on here who bought them and have come back to the subaru fold cos they found them not as good or useable as the scoob.

 

It’s a hard one as you can never fully drive a car on a short test drive unless you are good friends with the dealer.

I like the fact you can drive the RS as an ordinary car but hit the throttle and it’s a different beast and makes me grin every time I give it beans as makes so many noises. It is by no means a perfect car and if you like to hoon around in the damp & wet then it’s probably not for you. Also they only come in 3 door trim. Likewise the initial purchase cost will be higher due to the better depreciation (mine 60 plate with all the options cost me £22k at nearly 2 yrs old and would have cost about £28.5k new – you would have lost that money in 6mths on an STi) but as an overall ownership package for 2-3 years I think it makes more sense.

I looked around for a while and went for one with slightly higher miles than I originally wanted but did well as fully loaded (leather recaro’s, LUX pack 2 and the Bluetooth/USB kit) and the owner had already fitted the eibach lowering springs and was going to knock money off for 2 new front tyres but ended up giving me a set of used once RS500 alloys (basically the same as the RS but in gloss black) fitted with Michelin Pilot Cup Sports.

If you want more power there are plenty of options to easily and relatively cheaply achieve 400bhp with a shed load of torque. Best owners forums I found is focusrsoc.com. Have a look on there they are all friendly.

 

I've driven an RS a few times, nice enough cars but to me they're just a newer xr3i/rs turbo.. I'm more a cosworth equivalent man if you know what I mean!

People say the fancy fwd system is the bollox but I just found it as annoying as I'd imagine.

 

Going for another test drive in an hours time ...

 

Make sure you check the engine properly. Don't take their word for it as I bought from the same garage last year. 10 days out of warranty head gasket went. Phoned them up and they said they new of hardly any hg failures on 2.5 s ever. Just be wary. Ask for an independent check on it first as mine cost over 1k to fix as I got all upgraded parts and arp,s fitted. It's also unusual they have taken you out as he wouldn't let me test drive unless I wanted to buy. I said well I ain't going to buy unless I drove. Bit of a stalemate. Also he put £20 of bp ultimate in which the 2.5 hates with a passion and also something which may of led to the hg issues as I started to get hesitation from it. I got a good deal for the car or so i thought until I ended up with the big bill a few months later. Still the best car I've owned and I love the pull from the 2.5. Especially as mine is running the tsl upgrade so 340 hp

 

Oh and if it was my money it would be the rb320 all day long. Absolutely stunning car. Also very easy to find out its history as the owners club is excellent

 

i wouldnt buy a pram from graham walker!! looks like his showroom , crap after sales and cars not that good and overpriced! i was stitched up once from there !

 

Never been a fan of the Focus RS, looks 500hp but goes disappointingly, and no matter how you gloss up the fancy fwd Renault copied wishbones it should have been 4wd!

Ford didn't even bother to produce a bespoke engine(I know the RS is a tuned Volvo ST lump)

Apart from the body kit which is OTT what is special about it, really?

It just seems its been marketed not made

 

Did someone nick the wheels?
http://i610.photobucket.com/albums/t...ps6eb89d11.jpg

 

What happened? I know matty quite well from there as ive had a few cars off him always done what ive asked and seems a decent bloke.

Just been out in it again and might of been a little damp yesterday ( i know it will be crap in the wet ) but its not dissapointing it goes quite well. I would say rolling its as quick as my 300bhp blob and probably go past it at higher speeds has a lot of torque like the hawk.
It feels special when you are in it, cant say that for the scoob.

Eh?

 

Didn't know that at the time until after

 

So what are you doing then? When you say you know him well is that away from the garage or just by buying off him?

 

I had an RS for 18 Months, only sold through lack of use and a friend asking to buy it.

Did get the modding bug tho, ended up with JMS400R kit, miltek exhaust, and H & R springs. yes in the wet its a FWD car so can be expected to struggle, in the dry it was in another league tho, before the 400 conversion i was running the bluefin stage 1, so around 340, had several scoobs struggle to keep up around some twisties.

 

How did it drive with 400bhp? I can easily spin the wheels in 3rd when its damp and probably in 4th if it was really slippy. I do like the lowdown torque but then my last car was an FN2 CTR

 

No only through buying but ive spent many hours in the place.

 

depends how you drove it, in the wet of course, 400 bhp through the front wheels was easily dangerous, but could easily press on if needed.

 

Just got off the phone, ive bought it.
Il get me coat

 

Congratulations I love the look of these, but not sure I would ever want to own one- if I had one given to me for free, I certainly wouldn't say no.