2018 Ford Focus RS Review

Name: 2018 Ford Focus RS Review
Brand: Ford

Price: $43,990

2018 Ford Focus RS 4dr Hatchback Exterior

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Ford Focus RS model years

Ford Focus RS for Sale

Edmunds' Expert Review

by Carlos Lago^{Carlos Lago has worked in the automotive industry since 2008. Along with an extensive background in performance testing and evaluation, he has produced hundreds of car-related articles and videos.}

Pros

Huge turbo power from a small engine
Clever all-wheel-drive system improves handling in the wet or dry
Remarkably civil at low speeds

Cons

Sport front seats might feel constricting to the wider-bodied
Ride quality is quite stiff
No automatic transmission available

What’s new

For its last model year, the Focus RS comes standard with some formerly optional features, including the navigation system and the power Recaro front seats. A mechanical front limited-slip differential and forged 19-inch wheels are also standard this year.

Vehicle overview

The 2018 Ford Focus RS has everything you'd expect from a sports car, including a high-output engine, super-sticky tires and stout brakes. Certainly, the RS is a blast to drive. Yet this hatchback also delivers a decent amount of utility.

Continue reading Edmunds Expert Rating below

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2018 Ford Focus RS
Base 4dr Hatchback
$43,990
fair price
$832 above market
- 15,040 miles
- No accidents, 1 owner, personal use only
- 4cyl manual
- Carvana - Philadelphia (265 mi away)
- Home delivery*
- AWD/4WD
- Back-up camera
- Bluetooth
- Navigation
- Keyless Entry/Start
Close
Located in Philadelphia, PA
At Carvana, we go miles beyond the extra mile. That's why we provide you with a convenient, fast, and hassle-free car buying experience that puts you ...
AutoCheck Vehicle History Summary
Accident Free Vehicle: Yes
Personal Use Only: Yes
History Provider: AutoCheck
Title Details: Clean Title
Salvage Vehicle: No
Frame Damage: No
Theft History: No
Lemon Status: No
Free History Report: No
Features and Specs:
22 Combined MPG (19 City/26 Highway)
Listing Information:
VIN: WF0DP3TH2J4127775
Stock: 2003274450
Certified Pre-Owned: No
Listed since: 01-24-2025
Price Drop
2018 Ford Focus RS
Base 4dr Hatchback
$39,295
fair price
$794 above market
- 47,809 miles
- No accidents, 1 owner, personal use only
- 4cyl manual
- Russ Milne Ford (576 mi away)
- AWD/4WD
- Back-up camera
- Bluetooth
- Navigation
- Keyless Entry/Start
Close
Located in Macomb, MI
Focus RS Limited Edition. One of only 500 built for 2018! Color options for 2018 in the Limited Edition models were only Race Red or Nitrous Blue. Fac...
AutoCheck Vehicle History Summary
Accident Free Vehicle: Yes
Personal Use Only: Yes
History Provider: AutoCheck
Title Details: Clean Title
Salvage Vehicle: No
Frame Damage: No
Theft History: No
Lemon Status: No
Free History Report: No
Features and Specs:
22 Combined MPG (19 City/26 Highway)
Listing Information:
VIN: WF0DP3TH0J4126656
Stock: P682
Certified Pre-Owned: No
Listed since: 10-30-2024

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The Focus RS fits squarely under the "hot hatch" category of cars, meaning it combines the utility of a hatchback commuter car with serious performance. But it also goes beyond more common hot hatches such as the Volkswagen GTI or Ford's own Focus ST. The RS' turbocharged 2.3-liter inline-four makes 350 horsepower and 350 pound-feet of torque, while its all-wheel-drive system can selectively bias power to individual wheels. It even has a drive setting that allows a tail-out "drifting" style of cornering easier.

This year marks the final run of this generation Focus RS. To send it off, Ford is providing a run of only 1,500 cars for North America, each outfitted with performance-enhancing options such as a front locking differential and lightweight forged wheels. We suspect this RS is going to be prized by enthusiasts for a long time to come.

Edmunds' Expert Rating

7.6 / 10

Trim tested

Each vehicle typically comes in multiple versions that are fundamentally similar. The ratings in this review are based on our full test of the Ford Focus RS (turbo 2.3L inline-4 | 6-speed manual | AWD).

NOTE: Since this test was conducted in 2016, the current Focus RS has received some revisions, including the addition of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto in 2017 and newly standard features for 2018. Our findings remain broadly applicable to this year's Focus RS, however.

Scorecard

Overall	7.6 / 10
Driving	8.5
Comfort	7.5
Interior	7.0
Utility	7.5
Technology	7.0

Driving

8.5

There's barely a mark against the Focus RS in terms of performance. Its torquey engine delivers solid power. Combine it with the trick all-wheel-drive system and powerful brakes, the RS is a backroad beast. But the RS' brakes, when cold, are grabby, and cold tires have low limits.

Acceleration

8.0

A robust wallop of midrange power helps you forget the turbo lag under 2,500 rpm and the power drop after 6,000 rpm. Using launch control, the RS tears away from the line with a bit of wheelspin. The shift linkage isn't the most positive but it is quick. The sprint to 60 mph takes 4.9 seconds.

Braking

8.0

The powerful and predictable Brembo brakes have a firm pedal feel and trustworthy feedback, but they can be a bit grabby when not up to temperature. Very heavy braking results in some rear-end instability, which is odd for an all-wheel-drive performance car. Spirited real-world driving produces no noticeable fade.

Steering

8.5

Just off-center, the steering feels darty and takes some getting used to, but everything starts to feel more natural once the wheel passes the 10 or 2 o'clock position. Accuracy and feel are good, especially from a front-drive-based AWD performance car. The steering weight changes with drive mode but is never unduly heavy.

Handling

8.0

Quick and clean or fast and ultra-aggressive, the RS can cover ground any way you like. The optional tires are temperamental and need heat to work properly. Some bumpy transitions result in the RS oscillating and hopping, likely a result of the all-wheel-drive system binding up under power. But grip is still impressive.

Drivability

9.0

The RS benefits from a wonderfully flexible motor. It's happy being driven sedately as well as aggressively. The clutch takeup is easy. Despite the serious level of performance, the RS remains friendly and true to its humble Focus roots.

Comfort

7.5

The seats, like the ride, are going to be a love-it-or-hate-it affair for most buyers. The seats are aggressive and supportive or tight and unnecessary, and the ride is either passable for its capability or unduly harsh and unforgiving. Either way, no one will have much room in the back seat.

Seat comfort

8.0

These are possibly the most aggressively supportive seats on the market, and certainly in the class. We found the optional heated and power-adjustable leather-trimmed seats mostly comfortable and hugely supportive, even for long distances. Breathability is only fair, however.

Ride comfort

6.5

The RS has two suspensions modes, "stiff" and "are you kidding me?" — the latter of which is the default setting in Track mode. Thankfully, settings can be selected independent of drive mode. It's best in its standard setting, which is acceptably aggressive. The Track setting is simply too much unless you're actually on a racetrack.

Noise & vibration

5.5

It's hard to tell if there's any wind noise at high speeds because the huge amount of tire noise drowns everything else out, including the radio. At lower speeds, the cabin is vibration-free and seems to be well-insulated, letting in just enough engine growl and pops from the exhaust.

Climate control

7.0

The vent size and placement could be better since the center vents are too narrow and the side vents are a bit too low. The interface is also a bit too low for quick changes and it looks dated, but the system does a good job of maintaining cabin temperature.

Interior

7.0

The interior of the Focus RS is polarizing. The tall and tilted driving position provides good visibility but can feel awkward. Along those lines, some will find the layout busy, dated and ergonomically unfriendly. Others will see it as endearing and honest to the character of the RS.

Ease of use

6.5

The RS is still a Focus on the inside. Quibbles arise over the usability and large real estate that Ford's Sync 3 infotainment systems demands. The menus in the instrument panel are slow to browse, and the climate controls are pushed low and are less convenient to access.

Getting in/getting out

6.5

The pronounced lateral seat bolsters prevent front-seat occupants from simply sliding in to the RS. The optional leather accents make it a bit easier, but it's difficult to make an elegant entry or exit. Rear passengers have a much easier time provided the front seats are far enough forward.

Driving position

7.0

The seating position in the RS seems unnaturally high. The flat-bottom steering wheel is of actual use since your knees are close to both it and the dashboard. It's not difficult to adjust to the unique seating position, and there's good visibility. Some editors found the shift lever too low.

Roominess

6.5

Even though the driver sits tight to the steering wheel and the dashboard and the seats hold you firm, the cabin doesn't feels cramped or claustrophobic. Rear passengers won't have much legroom if the driver or front passenger is over 6 feet tall, but headroom and shoulder room won't be an issue.

Visibility

8.0

There's plenty of glass and visibility out of the cabin. Only the view out the back seems a little pinched by a small rear window. The slightly awkward seating position does provide a commanding view of the road ahead. The blind-spot mirror inserts are of questionable value.

Quality

7.5

The RS is generally well screwed together with tight gaps and no discernable rattles or squeaks. But some of the plastics, especially the piece around the touchscreen, are hard, which looks and feels cheap. The RS is still clearly based on an economy hatchback.

Utility

7.5

The Focus RS trades none of its hatchback practicality for capability. Oversized items are easily swallowed, and even though the trunk floor is a little high and there's not a lot of room for larger car seats, this is a usable, everyday performance car.

Small-item storage

6.5

Though there are plenty of places to put things, most of them seem not designed to hold anything specific. Most are slightly too large or too small for a given object and made solely of hard plastic. The rear storage bins outboard of the rear seats are a good example of odd sizing.

Cargo space

8.0

There's plenty of room to load larger items, even if the floor of the trunk isn't very deep. The rear seats are a 60/40-split, making it easy to load in items over 6 feet long. Our only issue involves the cargo cover, which is a bit finicky to remove and reattach.

Child safety seat accommodation

6.0

The LATCH anchors are where you'd expect them but they're difficult to access through the cushions. Larger car seats also might prove to be a bit of a struggle without moving the front seat far forward.

Technology

7.0

Not only is the Focus platform aging, but its tech is also getting a little gray around the temples. Patches to make the RS Apple- and Android-friendly are available but the interface and presentation hold it back. The audio system receives high marks for its power and clarity.

Audio & navigation

7.0

The touchscreen is set a bit too far back and is too small for the information it can display. It's a fairly old system for the class. The firm suspension also makes hitting the virtual buttons difficult. The audio system is strong and crisp, which it needs to be to overpower the tire noise.

Driver aids

7.5

Stability control and tire-pressure monitoring are standard. The selectable drive modes have varying degrees of traction and stability management built in, but the stability control system can be fully disabled independent of the mode.

Voice control

5.0

Because of the high levels of road noise in the RS, the voice recognition system had a difficult time responding to requests. Requests other than tuning to a radio station usually resulted in looking at the center screen prompts to decipher your options.

2018 Ford Focus RS models

The 2018 Ford Focus RS is a high-performance hatchback that is available in one fully loaded trim level. As this is the last year of its production, there are only a handful of options to choose from. The RS employs a turbocharged 2.3-liter inline-four (350 hp, 350 lb-ft of torque) that is connected to a six-speed manual transmission. A torque-vectoring all-wheel-drive system is standard.

Standard features include keyless entry, 19-inch wheels wrapped in summer tires, a Quaife limited-slip front differential, LED lights, RS badges throughout, a high-mounted rear spoiler, carbon-fiber interior accents, dual-zone climate control, heated front seats, a rearview camera, and Ford's Sync 3 infotainment system.

Aside from a moonroof, the Focus RS' options list mostly consists of tire options. Available Michelin Pilot Cup Sport 2 tires dramatically improve tire grip at a significant expense of tread life, while the Winter Wheel and Tire package provides smaller diameter (18-inch) wheels shod with Michelin winter tires.

Cost to Drive^{Cost to drive estimates for the 2018 Ford Focus RS 4dr Hatchback AWD (2.3L 4cyl Turbo 6M) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $3.84 per gallon for premium unleaded in New Hampshire.}

Monthly estimates based on costs in New Hampshire

$217/mo

$158/mo

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Ford Focus RS Reviews

Owner Reviews

4.8

21 reviews

5(81%)

4(14%)

3(5%)

2(0%)

1(0%)

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Most Helpful Owner Reviews

I couldn't wait

MikR, 10/08/2017

2017 Ford Focus RS 4dr Hatchback AWD (2.3L 4cyl Turbo 6M)

I fully intended on waiting until I had a good amount of miles on my RS before Writing any reviews but I don't need anymore miles than the 2000 or so that I've already put on it, I have already come to my conclusion.. For lack of a better word This car is Epic! Of all the Magazine reviews, YouTube videos and Car Forums the hype is, in my opinion, much more conservative then what I have … experienced in this 4 cylinder, Turbo charged, 350 - HP / Ft.lbs of Torque, All Wheel drive Beast! The power is seemingly limitless, the acceleration will throw your head back and put butterflies in your gut every time, especially with Launch mode activated, it is insane! Handling? Pshh I have taken curves at speeds that I have never attempted before, and I push all my cars to my limit. The Brembo brakes are so tight I thought my neck was going to break when I punched the brake peddle at 85 mph. The steering is super tight, the suspension is rock solid and the Michelin sport cup ll tires are sticky and grip like a cheetah on sandpaper. Okay, so I'm sure my review sounds incredibly sensationalized, possibly fabricated and maybe even a little ridiculous. Well I assure you, I am just a regular guy and a genuine owner of a 2017 Shadow Black RS2 pkg. Focus RS. I bought into the RS hype but I prepared myself for the possibility of being underwhelmed. Welp I'm not, quite the contrary, I am pleasantly shocked! How do they put so much power and performance in a four cylinder for around 40k? I don't really know but I know that I am glad I got one before they stop making them next year (2018) As for the durability and reliability, I obviously can not speak for that, I only have about 2000 miles on it so far but I bought the 100000 mile extended warranty. And aside from driving it like I stole it, for which it was made and intended, I will maintain and baby it like it was a 2 million dollar Bugatti. And hopefully it will last a long long time. But I'll definitely make some updates as time and miles pass. So.. if you're looking at the Hyperhatch class, you're probably checking out the Golf R, Type R, WRX Sti ( And so many more in the European market. Lucky! ) these are all super cool cars and I can't see you going wrong with any of them. But I can only speak for the RS.. If you're considering the Focus RS.. Yeah, It's freaking Awesome! It's a great time for the sports car enthusiast. Enjoy!

GOAT, Performance Hatchback sold in North America

John Smith, 07/10/2020

2018 Ford Focus RS 4dr Hatchback AWD (2.3L 4cyl Turbo 6M)

Aside from being limited to just 1000 units in the United States, the 2018 has various minor tweaks from previous years. The most significant is the mechanical LSD up front. You might think the LSD wouldn't do much, considering the prior years already had torque vectoring with eLSD functionality upfront. Perhaps it may seem like an unnecessary change, done simply to do something for the … 2018 model year. I assure you it’s nothing minor. The LSD makes a SIGNIFICANT improvement to the RS’s handling, and raises it to a whole other class. Literally, the 2018 RS is in a different class than prior years for things like SCCA autocross because the performance difference is so significantly better. Other improvements, of some significance, for the 2018 model year include the higher standard equipment, with the prior “RS2” package as standard, interior carbon fiber bits, updated programing (to correlate with the LSD), updated dampers (to improve the ride), lowered seat frame rails, etc. Also, the 2018 models were all built late enough that they weren’t subject to the well known head gasket TSB a.k.a “recall” that prior model year could be, because Ford had since resolved the issue and built them with the correct Cosworth head gasket as intended, by the time the 2018’s were being built. The RS is a performance variant built up from an economy car. It shares many bits with those. So, it doesn't blow you away with a luxury. However, the RS on a twisty backroad is sure to impress. It would be hard to find any car, even a purpose built sports car, to be much more fun on that sort of road. There are so many tweeks to the RS that even owners sometimes don’t realize, which combine to add up to a performance bargain. No, this isn’t a drag car, or even a decent drag platform, and it’s not a car for “40 rolls". That said, if you like hitting the twistys, enjoy gobs of traction, like a vehicle that makes you feel like a better driver than you probably (honestly) are, this is a vehicle that can deliver that and plant a smile on your face while doing so. All of that said, the RS is over dampanded, IMO. Yes, even the 2018. There's loads of “fixes” but one of the simplest and most effective is the DSC sport controller. Look into it, it’s not hype, it’s real. They make a HUGE improvement and plug and play. They also hold their value very well, so the investment is minimal when considering the potential resell. If you have any concerns about suspension after reading other reviews about ride quality, just know that little device will help the RS ride as well as anything it was typically compared against, such as a Golf R.

Super capable Super fun

Joe, 01/16/2019

2018 Ford Focus RS 4dr Hatchback AWD (2.3L 4cyl Turbo 6M)

I’ve waited a long time for the MK to arrive stateside and the 3rd gen doesn’t disappoint. Yes the ride is firm and at times bouncy (new springs will help that). All that dissapears to nothing when you press the throttle and feel a wall of TQ shoving you against the seat. The trick rear drive unit is AMAZING. Wanna pop the back end out a little around that 90 degree turn? Press Drift …

More fun than I expected

Matt C, 11/25/2018

2017 Ford Focus RS 4dr Hatchback AWD (2.3L 4cyl Turbo 6M)

I'm typically into sports cars, I own a few mustangs and Corvettes, etc. I got the opportunity to get this RS and thought it might make a fun driver considering I live in MN so my sports cars get parked half the year. I'm not really a "hot hatch" fanatic. The cars summer handling really surprised me and the torque vectoring is amazing. Hit a tight corner fast and it is solid, push the …

We have a limited number of reviews for the 2018 Ford Focus RS, so we've included reviews for other years of the Focus RS since its last redesign.

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2018 Focus RS Highlights

Base MSRP Excludes Destination Fee	$41,120
Engine Type	Gas
Combined MPG	22 MPG
Cost to Drive	$217/month
Seating	5 seats
Drivetrain	all wheel drive
Warranty	3 years / 36,000 miles

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Safety

Our experts like the Focus RS models:

Rearview Camera: Shows what's behind you in order to make reversing safer and easier.
Blind-Spot Monitoring: Description: Signals when a vehicle is occupying your blind spot, which makes lane changes safer.
Hill Start Assist: Holds the vehicle in place when stopped on a hill, which prevents you from rolling backward.

NHTSA Overall Rating

The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration offers independent analysis.

Frontal Barrier Crash Rating
Overall4 / 5
Driver4 / 5
Passenger4 / 5
Side Crash Rating
Overall5 / 5
Side Barrier Rating
Overall5 / 5
Driver4 / 5
Passenger5 / 5
Combined Side Barrier & Pole Ratings
Front Seat4 / 5
Back Seat5 / 5
Rollover
Rollover4 / 5
Dynamic Test ResultNo Tip
Risk Of Rollover11.1%