RS as a daily driver

1406 Views 27 Replies 18 Participants Last post by mattyice, 2 d ago

Blivit

Discussion Starter · 16 d ago

While perfectly capable, I know many here do not do it.

I was an ST owner. I was rear ended in my 2013 ST 2 weeks ago and it was totaled. Prior to that I owned 2 SVT Focus's, I have a non daily supercharged mustang and my wife drives a 2020 Explorer. So, I'm a Ford guy.

When the RS came out, I told myself I was going to buy one but dealer markups etc were too much at that time.

I am looking at used RS's now and can find them within my price range. However, these are usually 2016s with 60k+ miles. Obviously previous owners drove them and I would then do the same. I don't drive a lot but would be driving whatever every day. I live in central Florida so no real bad weather.

Not super interested in collectibility or whatever but with the 2.3 at higher mileage are these things ok? I know to check for the head gasket recall.

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Tudor80

· #2 · 16 d ago

Blivit said:
While perfectly capable, I know many here do not do it.

I was an ST owner. I was rear ended in my 2013 ST 2 weeks ago and it was totaled. Prior to that I owned 2 SVT Focus's, I have a non daily supercharged mustang and my wife drives a 2020 Explorer. So, I'm a Ford guy.

When the RS came out, I told myself I was going to buy one but dealer markups etc were too much at that time.

I am looking at used RS's now and can find them within my price range. However, these are usually 2016s with 60k+ miles. Obviously previous owners drove them and I would then do the same. I don't drive a lot but would be driving whatever every day. I live in central Florida so no real bad weather.

Not super interested in collectibility or whatever but with the 2.3 at higher mileage are these things ok? I know to check for the head gasket recall.

My personal experience only. I daily drive mine in NL. Is a 2016 with the headgasket recall done at about 24000 miles - ask ford dealer proof by the way. Now almost 78000 miles and no issues except consumables including clutch and flywheel. The car is stock 100%. Roads are good here in general so RS being stiff over bumps does not really matters but on bad roads you will jiggle a bit. I service mine at 6000 - 7000 miles. I let it warm up and cool down properly and drive it normal and hard sometimes for fun. I plan to keep mine forever so it is a collectible

but I also want to drive it to the Moon and back and change whatever needs changing when is time (including engine if the case) so no garage queen. I guess do your due diligence and should be fine, including previous owners service history and accidents, was it tuned or stock (probably very important). Consumption wise, it drinks as much as it wants

, I can get anywhere between 20 - 30 miles per gallon on average but i honestly dont look too often. Oil consumption not an issue yet, do not need to top up between changes.
Is a blast to drive, fast enough in factory specs, old school awd rally car mechanical/analog feel, looks fantastic, and for the rest is a Focus as you know it. Not perfect but awesome.
Do test drives as a final step in your decision process!
Good luck.

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Wiley Marmot

· #3 · 16 d ago (Edited)

I looked at RSs (right mileage and price) for a year before I bought mine in Feb of '21. Low/er mileage RSs are still out there, but becoming rarer by the day. Quite a few Forum Members have some serious miles on their RSs and have reported no particular mileage related issues. that I can recall

FYI: The '16s and perhaps the earliest '17s came with the first version shocks and struts and have a well documented and deserved rep for not having the most grocery getter, family friendly ride quality. Part way through the '17 model year; Ford started putting the Rev (revision) 2 shocks and struts on the RS with revised damping characteristics that tamed quite a bit of the ** ride quality. Also, the '16s only came with HID head lights. If you've got your heart set on LED HLs then look for a '17 or '18.

Good luck and keep us posted on your "America's Most Wanted"!

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braap

· #4 · 16 d ago

Wiley Marmot said:
I looked at RSs (right mileage and price) for a year before I bought mine in Feb of '21. Low/er mileage RSs are still out there, but becoming rarer by the day. Quite a few Forum Members have some serious miles on their RSs and have reported no particular mileage related issues. that I can recall

FYI: The '16s and perhaps the earliest '17s came with the first version shocks and struts and have a well documented and deserved rep for not having the most grocery getter, family friendly ride quality. Part way through the '17 model year; Ford started putting the Rev (revision) 2 shocks and struts on the RS with revised damping characteristics that tamed quite a bit of the ** ride quality. Also, the '16s only came with HID head lights. If you've got your heart set on LED HLs then look for a '17 or '18.

Good luck and keep us posted on your "America's Most Want4ed"!

Aw shiet, 17s/18s have upgraded headlights? How did I not know this the whole time?

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Blivit

Discussion Starter · #5 · 16 d ago

Thank you. Lots of good info. I do my own work maintenance and modification (when possible) wise and I've never really had an issue with any of my other cars.

@Wiley Marmot I wasn't aware of the headlight difference, thank you. Either would be fine. My st had the hid's which I thought were great compared to my 2001 mustang lol.

There is a 2016 near me with 72k miles that had the hg recall done and is modified. It's the lowest priced one I have found online so I am a bit hesitant but it has things done to it that I would want to do anyway.

Atomicinternet

· #6 · 15 d ago

I have an ST and RS.

There is no rear seat armrest/cupholder in the RS.
The ST rides smooth, the RS does not.
The ST is fast, but the RS hooks up and goes in any weather.
The ST has the door numberpad unlock, the RS does not. Not easy to add either.
The ST has a full size spare, but you can get one to fit in the RS. Just don't stick with that goop/compressor combo. At least get a patch kit.

Aside from those obvious differences, I choose the RS for every trip because it's more fun. The only time I don't is on long road trips because stiff suspension.

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dorenkamp

· #7 · 15 d ago

Original owner on a stock ‘16 RS w/ 101k miles and I can’t imagine NOT daily driving! Been super happy with reliability and comfort.

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RS2SC

· #8 · 15 d ago

Have owned two Focus ST's 13 and 15 along with two Focus RS's a 2017 NB and my current 2018 RR. Not a mod junkie so all of my rides have been factory stock. While I loved my Focus ST's there is no contest in speed between the RS and ST in stock form. Yes the ST does have the more comfortable ride but with the PS4S's on my 2018 I find the ride quite nice and I have some of the worst roads in the nation here in NJ. I want to get a 2018 ST soon for my daily driver but my 2011 Focus SES's just keep going with no issues. My wife's auto SES has 260K miles on the original drivetrain amd my manual 2011 SES has 125K mile on the original drivetrain. I will drive a Focus until my dirt nap comes. Love these Focus cars.

As far as a daily driver would certainly use it daily in my younger days without a problem. I am 66 now and don't have the desire to drive it every day. Those days are over and anyway my daily drivers back in the day were performance Mustangs.

I was just down in North/Central Florida for two weeks and had a blast. Only wish that I had that weather year round so appealing.

If you are on the fence about an RS do it you will not regret it. Just make sure you do your homework and have an Oasis pulled from Ford on the RS you are looking at so you can take a look at the maintenance history of the car along with a carfax. Also your eyes will see a lot so look. Under all Focus RS's check for leaks mostly on the 16/17's. My 2018 never has leaked in 25K miles thankfully. Have fun they are great cars.

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thirdgen89gta

· #9 · 15 d ago

Wiley Marmot said:
Also, the '16s only came with HID head lights. If you've got your heart set on LED HLs then look for a '17 or '18.

What different head lights are these? Every U.S. Focus RS I've ever seen has the exact same head lights with the LED strip. My 2016 had the LED strip, my 2017 does, and the 2018's look no different.

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thirdgen89gta

· #10 · 15 d ago (Edited)

That said, I've daily driven my RS since I got it, both m 2016, and later 2017 after the 2016 was T-boned.

Be prepared to lose about 5mpg on average, the AWD and extra weight, plus the drag from the body-work does reduce MPG. Most owners average out around 20-22mpg, while an ST averages around 26MPG.

That said, what you gain is well worth the loss, the AWD and extra power is much appreciated.

A RS is basically like a fully bolt-on Focus ST in terms of power.

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hydrostream

· #11 · 15 d ago

I daily drive mine. I take my kids around in their car seats. I take road trips in it with the whole family. I've used it on a 4 hour commute. I've driven it up and down the West Coast. It's a Ford Focus and does Ford Focus things. 95,000 miles and it hasn't let me down yet.

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GiuseppeRS16SG

· #12 · 14 d ago

Daily driven mine since I picked it up September 2016, currently at 122,000 miles. I am in the northeast so I drive it through all seasons. I will note my stock motor blew down through oil pan at 91,000.. I had all bolt on parts upgraded, stock turbo and was tuned on the aggressive side for 70,000 miles, I was pushing the limit of the stock motor. Currently running the Mountune N1 long block motor tuned on conservative side. Other than that for the chassis I had to replace front struts at 102,000 miles, my rear struts are starting to get a little squeaky so replacing them soon. Still on original clutch. The RS will hold up with good general maintenance.

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XRJoe

· #13 · 14 d ago

thirdgen89gta said:
What different head lights are these? Every U.S. Focus RS I've ever seen has the exact same head lights with the LED strip. My 2016 had the LED strip, my 2017 does, and the 2018's look no different.

Yeah, headlights are all the same on the RS in the US. Can't speak to other countries.

I daily mine, no complaints.

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Wiley Marmot

· #14 · 14 d ago

thirdgen89gta said:
What different head lights are these? Every U.S. Focus RS I've ever seen has the exact same head lights with the LED strip. My 2016 had the LED strip, my 2017 does, and the 2018's look no different.

Thanks! For what ever reason I thought LED HLs were an option on the '17s and '18s.

PS: Glad I didn't steal anyone's HLs off their '17 or '18! I'd have felt pretty stupid with "another" set of HIDs! 🤓

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Crystals

· #15 · 14 d ago

I put 800-1000 miles a month on my 2016 RS. Currently at 48649 miles and the head plus the gasket were replaced at 8400 miles. So far just an oil sweat issue but that's only about half a quart every 5000-6000 miles. The local dealer had a look a few days back and it only needed a new cabin filter. Otherwise no leaks except the sweating issue mentioned earlier.

If you daily it and it does not have the revised dampers mentioned above, get 18 inch wheels and 245/40 tires. Game changer for daily driving duty.

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mkitt

· #16 · 10 d ago

I daily my '16 RS. Bought it at 53K miles 3 years ago. At 91Kmiles now so about 13k miles per year. We also take it on cross country road trips. I average 2 autoX per year (3.5 hours away otherwise I'd do way more). I'm in northern Minnesota so get to play in the snow with it - great fun when one wants fun and quite stable when simply commuting. Winter tires of course.
Ride quality - well for me it is perfect as it is. OK if there were 3 settings, the additional being "touring" I would use it over certain rough pavement. My wife is fine with it as well when on road trips. We are taking it from MN to CA and back this summer. for example. Keep in mind I prefer very firm suspensions I daily drove a S2000 for 11 years - year round in MN.
If you like performance cars as dailies it works as is. If you prefer softer ride get 18's. They are a little better - my winter tires are on 18's and not a huge difference.
Bottom line RS is a great daily driver!!

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big jim

· #17 · 9 d ago

gotta get my 2 cents in here. just cuz the car has never let me down. even when the wrong head gasket was installed at the factory back in 2016.
tuned the car @ 7k miles (tunewerks)...now @ 69k
gasket fixed @ 21k
modded the crap out of it
drove the crap out of it
spirited drives up/down santa fe NM snowy/slushy mountain roads
DD and tracked in albuquerque hot ass desert
DD and tracked in northern italy
DD and autobahn in germany
i've DD and tracked bmw e30 m3 RWD / 2008 renault 200 rs FWD - loved both of these cars...but the focus rs is better all round car and more fun to drive. can't wait to install ford performance ecobeast block and tune it further. even in germany and italy...where there are gorgeous cars a plenty....the NB focus still pulls a good amount of looks:

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GmpaJimj

· #18 · 9 d ago

This is refreshing to read. People actually having success with the RS as a car, rather than..”My fender fell off!“ Well, you needed F1 tires, sooo. I’m not anti mods, but I’ll leave it there.
Theres also ”beating” vs using a car to its upper limits.
Our friends have an ST. You feel like a bobble head. There is no flow to normal operation much less spirited drives. This takes a toll on mechanics. His latest comment..”I’ve had the plugs changed, what a difference!” (105K!!! what!?) Note: we don’t talk car, he thinks my forum participation creates a wives tale mentality.
Like a woman, treat her well, you’ll be rewarded.
Just do it! You can always undo it. Only you can be the judge if a car is for you.

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mkitt

· #19 · 9 d ago

I forgot to add what mileage I see. In winter, 18-22mpg communing. In summer, 20-24 commuting. Road trips 25-28mpg. It could do better on the highway with taller gearing but didn't buy it for the mileage haha. Very satisfied with balance of performance and economy. I would not want it if 12 commute and 18 hwy. My Z06 was similar to the RS in mileage however 5th and 6th geared for 200 mph.... so super low RPM at highway speeds on that car.

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hydrostream

· #20 · 9 d ago

It has a useable 6th gear which is cool. The 6th gear in the Mustang GT I had was purely an overdrive.

At 60 miles per hour I regularly get between 30-32 miles per gallon.

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