Ford Focus RS review – performance and 0-60 time

As all fast Fords have done, the third generation Focus RS punches above its weight. The Focus RS can go fast and is relatively cheap. It produces 345bhp and 347lb ft of torque, that's enough to propel it to a maximum claimed speed of 165mph.

We recorded a 0-60mph time of 4.7sec with the Focus RS which you can only get with a manual transmission but it is worth it because you get launch control for an easy start off the line. The car does well even when people drive it hard so don't worry about being gentle with this one.

We did more than just a Ford Focus RS 0-60 test. We also found that the car goes 13.5 seconds for 1/4 mile and 104.2mph and 5 seconds to go from 30mph to 70mph in third gear, which is as fast as a Mustang with a V8.

The Ford RS is very heavy. It weighs a lot more than other cars. The RS tips the scales at a hefty 1524kg, which is 162kg more than a Focus ST. This might be because the 4WD drivetrain, but without it, the RS would not be as quick.

The RS might not corner well for a hatchback, but it does pretty well for itself. It has a 0.98g around the skidpad and understeer is only slight at that benchmark, which for this car isn't too bad.

People who bought this for track will be happy with how it handles on the bends. To be honest for a regular driver, the RS does well for itself and for regular street use.

The Ford Focus RS is a good car for people who want to try something different and for those who want to go fast without having to pay too much for it. The RS is relatively cheap as far as performance cars go and with 345 bhp this thing can really get going for a hatchback.

Although it is a very heavy car for its size, which makes for an interesting drive and it can be hard to get used to the weight balance.

The RS has suitably large brakes to go with its 345 bhp engine. The front discs are ventilated 350mm items clamped by four-piston calipers while the rears are 330mm ventilated rotors, again with four-pistons. The car can be brought to a stop from 60mph in just 114 feet for fantastic stopping power.

The comfort for this hatchback is surprisingly good for a performance car and it has plenty of room for four people who might want to do some track days with this one.

The RS's interior isn't luxurious but for the price, for what you get for this vehicle it's pretty good. If people want to pay for luxury, then they can get that with other cars but the RS is for people who want to go fast and not look a lot into a car for commuting or for daily use.