1 Ford Focus RS car for sale

Used Ford Focus RS for sale: everything you need to know

There’s one badge that tops even the likes of XR3 or ST in the Ford hierarchy: RS. Ford has applied it to numerous cars in the past but it’s best known in recent years for being attached to three generations of Ford Focus RS - and the most recent, sold from 2016 to 2018, is the hottest of all of them.

It’s the first Focus RS to go all-wheel drive, turning it into something of a road-going rally car. There’s huge performance on offer and dramatic styling to go with it, and despite the car’s short time on sale, it’s become a fast Ford legend in its own lifetime. It’s full-on appearance and performance won’t be to all tastes, but it’s sure to be popular on the used market for many years to come.

Should you buy a Ford Focus RS? 

There’s nothing too unusual about a high-performance hatchback driving all four wheels these days, but the Focus RS wears its heart on its sleeve, and is a very different experience from the German models that tend to define this sector. It’s more like older rally homologation specials than an executive express, and the car’s boisterous attitude is a huge part of its appeal.

As is the fact that it’s based on a Ford Focus, so all the fundamentals of that car are still present and correct - it’s practical, relatively compact, and is fairly easy to use on normal roads and in normal traffic. Obviously there are some compromises, with a very firm ride and an engine that is constantly goading you into using all of its performance, and that’s before you even get to other road users constantly wanting to race you…

It’s great fun to drive though, with super-quick steering responses, enormous grip, and a chassis that always wants to play - though the drift mode is best left for a private race track. All-wheel drive means it has all-weather traction too, while toys like Recaro seats, a touchscreen infotainment system and bi-xenon headlights contribute to a healthy equipment tally. Only potentially high running costs are a real deterrent - it’s unlikely to be cheap to insure, and you’ll be doing well to get anywhere near its claimed economy figures.

Most of the competition in this sector comes from Germany: the Volkswagen Golf R, Audi S3 and RS3, and Mercedes-AMG A35 and A45 all do the four-wheel drive hot hatch thing with various degrees of performance and expense. But there are two cars that are probably closer to the Focus in ethos that are both worth considering - one being the smaller, front-wheel drive Fiesta ST, which is just as fun as the RS but more affordable, and the other is the rally homologation special, the Toyota GR Yaris. The Toyota is also smaller but just as much of a hoot to drive.

What’s the best used Ford Focus RS model to buy?

There’s only one engine and transmission in the Focus RS, though some models did get an official power boost from Mountune so not all RSs are exactly equal in output. Still, the Mountune upgrades aren’t essential - all RSs are very quick cars from the factory. The vast majority on sale will be in standard specification, and there’s not much point deviating too far from this either - the special edition models will be of more value to collectors and hardcore enthusiasts, but they don’t greatly alter the driving experience.