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Ford Focus RS vs Volkswagen Golf R

92K views 330 replies 89 participants last post by  SpyderDrvr 
#1 ·


How do you think the Ford Focus RS will stack up against the Volkswagen Golf R? Let us know who you think the winner is in each of the following categories:

1. Interior Style
2. Interior Quality
3. Exterior Style
4. Power / Performance
5. Handling
6. Fuel Economy
7. Price
 
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1
#2 ·
1. Interior of the RS is ok as it has the interior of the facelift ST, I'm ok with that, the Golf surely is more refined but who cares in a performance car
2. Same as in point 1
3. The RS is looking way better, more aggressive, more performance. The Golf looks like as if my Granny would buy it
4. Golf R? *lol*
5. The RS will handle much better and has the funnier AWD System and steering. Just compare the ST and the GTI...
6. Who cares...
7. The topnotch Focus was always cheaper than the Golf here in Europe, I guess it will be the same with the RS, more fun for less money.
 
#6 ·
If they are the exact same price I'm pretty sure it's Golf R for me. I've been eying the R for a while as it has what I want with a more "grown up" feel. The RS would definitely be an awesome car but I'm waiting for more info before I make the absolute decision.
 
#8 ·
1. Interior Style: Golf R
2. Interior Quality: Golf R
3. Exterior Style: Focus RS in this one... I think the Golf R is cool... its just bland in comparison.. Not a whole lot differentiating it from a tdi golf lol.
4. Power/Performance: RS. Next Question.
5. Handling: Even further. R f'n S.
6. Fuel Economy: We don't know. Make it a push because Just Aint Care.
7. Price: I think it will be damn close on price. Push again.

RS- 4
Golf R- 3.

And if you put the weight more on performance... it will go the way of the RS Heavily. In terms of performance: RS > STi > Golf R >
 
#9 ·
1. Interior Style: RS
2. Interior Quality: Golf R (sorry but it hard to beat interior quality of the VW/Audi)
3. Exterior Style: RS
4. Power/Performance: My bet is on the RS
5. Handling: RS
6. Moot point IMO when getting into cars like these
7. Price: I think it's gonna be close but the RS will be less IMO

Bottom line for me: I don't care what the Golf R can or can't do. FoRS all the way for me!!
 
#10 ·
LOL
I love the comments about the fuel mileage, don't be so quick to dismiss it. It's all relative to your situation. For me personally it is in the buying decision. I drive close 30,000 miles per year and need a good size vehicle. Recently I sold my Pontiac G8 GXP, 400+ HP sedan because my company changed the fuel reimbursement plan and I went to the Focus ST. So anything above 15mpg is great for me, and both of the above mentioned cars should do that.
The VW may be more refined, but I cancelled my order for the previous generation of the R when I saw it's infotainment system, too small. Hopefully the new RS will have the next generation of Sync and perhaps Apple's car-play.
 

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#11 ·
No it won't have Sync 3 and RS isn't about funny gadgets with big screens it's about being king of b-roads and pure driving experience. But I don't blame you for that as it's the first time you'll get hands on the RS [emoji6]

Gesendet vom Moto X
 
#12 ·
I think it really comes down to what you like. The ST is way too soft for me and the Golf R is not what I call my ideal hot hatch either. Ford specific emphasis on "fun to drive" is where the R and the RS will differ. I never liked how VW set up their vehicles, with the exception of the R8, I just hate vehicles that are prone to understeer, and when pushed VW vehicles tend to fall apart over 85%
 
#14 ·
1. Interior Style RS
2. Interior Quality R
3. Exterior Style RS
4. Power / Performance RS
5. Handling RS
6. Fuel Economy R
7. Price TBD

For me 1 was close but I prefer Fords infotainment which is breaking the tie. Has Ford confirmed its not sync 3 or are we saying that based on the images that are out there?


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#18 ·
I noticed a lot of people on here are saying the RS has more power and handling. But these are the numbers on paper. Not too long ago a new stock GTI was dynoed and put up number far more than that of what was on paper. I did not read it here, but found it on the Googles: Dyno run hints VW GTI power might be significantly underrated


If this is the case with the R, then its going to put down some serious power and perhaps more than the RS. According to the article, its putting down 20% more hp and 17% more tq. So if that were to be the case with the R, then were looking at about 335hp and 325tq.

This is to be taken with a grain of salt. But I've had my eye on these two for a while and its going to come down to between these two when the time comes to buy which will be as soon as the come state side.
 
#22 ·
I see no light for the Golf R when it comes to HP in stock tune.
The R may be pulling up to 335 HP in stock tune, but behind closed doors Ford speaks about 350HP for the RS in stock tune on the paper, which would be already more than the Golf can do on the dyno and when the ST legacy continues, the RS will pull a minimum of about 370 HP on the dyno when they state 350 on paper.

I guarantee you that the RS will have more power than the R, on paper as well as on the dyno!
 
#23 ·
I think it's obvious we won't know for sure until it's out and tested. However if you look at how well the ST stood up to the R in power and handling it's reasonable to predict the RS will be superior in those ways. Their AWD system looks to be much more sophisticated. Plus don't forget on the VW GTI and R stability control can't be disabled.


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#25 ·
I started getting anxious for the RS and forgive me, but I did start looking into a gti last week online, until I saw how high priced a gti with performance pack and options can get! almost 34k if you add the DCC, lights, and driver alert system!! I was shocked how high the price can get, especially compared to the fully loaded ST theres literally almost a 4-5k gap! This got me wondering, if the RS comes out guns blazing with a base msrp of 35-37k, what will VW's strategy be??? With GTI's speccing out to close to that price, how will they compete? Will they lower the price of the GTI, or simply try and make the Golf R faster?? There will always be the GTI die hards who will argue the better build quality, reliability, which isn't nearly as amazing as they claim. I'm really curious what the market will do if Ford actually pulls off the RS with a very competitive price, less than 37k would be INSANE.
 
#26 ·
I think they overlap but the VW is going to appeal to someone wanting a more luxurious vehicle. For them the price is justified. So there are people that will cross shop but there are also a lot that will go one way or the other and won't think the other one makes sense.


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#31 ·
Conservative is the word and again that's appealing for some and not for others. BMW interiors are also very conservative. But this just proves my point. The Golf R is going to appeal to a different audience than the Focus RS.


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#33 ·
It certainly does seem slightly more "upscale" than the focus, but when you compare the standard features, even on the gti-focus st, the st blows it away on bang for buck.

I'm really curious though what the competitors are going to do if ford blows them out of the water price and performance wise. Honestly, I understand the "luxury" argument, but I would imagine most would compare the features on both and go with the ford. The interior isn't like comparing a kia to a caddilac, the ford interior isn't insanely "worse" or "cheaper" than the vw. The 39k+ price was already a tough sell, I can only imagine it'll be harder to sell once the rs drops.
 
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