Duurtest Ford Focus RS Mk3 door Autocar

Bekende auto sites & bladen waren in gelegenheid de Ford Focus RS Mk3 langdurig te mogen testen, waar uiteindelijk een eindoordeel op volgt en dat is nu.

De Ford Focus RS Mk3 wordt door velen gezien als de Ultieme Hot Hatch van dit moment, ook als het geen echte Ford Die Hards zijn en maakt bij een breder publiek een bepaald gevoel los.

Benieuwd wat er in Autocar’s (UK) eindoordeel staat, je leest het hieronder:

Ford Focus RS long-term test review: a car that deserves respect

Is the Focus RS the king of hot hatches – or would you rather a Golf GTI or Civic Type R?

There’s something about an RS that cuts through brand loyalty.

There’s a lot to like about the Focus RS. It has very much delivered on the considerable pre-launch hype and it’s the kind of car that? gets nods of approval from any true petrolhead, whatever their brand allegiances. You might be passionate about your Volkswagen Golf GTIs or a lifelong Honda Civic Type R fan but, when you see a Focus RS, there’s a mutual respect that transcends tribal aspects of the hot hatch world.

It can be as subtle as a slight nod ?of the head from another driver on the road or the full fanboy chit-chat at a filling station, but these kind of feel-good reminders follow you everywhere in the RS and make you feel properly involved with the legacy of the famous RS badge. Which is good, because there should be more to life with a true enthusiast’s car than the driving. You need to be invested emotionally, too.

That’s not to understate its abilities. Its Nitrous Blue paint shines brightly when clean but also looks good streaked with grime. Better still, this tells the world you’ve been enjoying your RS in the manner intended. It’s impressive in the dry, but on slithery roads the all-wheel-drive Focus comes alive and stamps its authority over front-driven rivals.

I drove the revised Seat Leon Cupra 300 recently on wet roads and even the clever torque-shuffling VAQ front axle couldn’t cope with 296bhp through two driven wheels. The Leon is fast and exciting but juddering axle tramp and lurid power understeer remind you that we may have reached the limit of what a front-driven hot hatch can deal with on a wet road. Meanwhile, the Focus’s pin-sharp front end, lack of understeer and easy throttle adjustability from its rear-biased all-wheel drive system remain standout dynamic characteristics.

Which explains the broad grin of anyone driving a Focus RS, especially one with a thick layer of grime.

Source | Autocar.co.uk