At present i own a 53 plate RS and love it to pieces!      The torqe steer
in my honest opinion (and as a mechanic) is not a problem and is NO WHERE as
bad as people make out.

The handling is unreal! - PERIOD!     As you prob know it uses the same
suspension geometry/angles as the tarmac WRC car.   Performance.... 0-100mph
is 14.9 according to EVO magazine which sees off ALOT of other cars on the
road!
I put my foot to the floor once on the M25 and managed to get to 155mph and
it was loaded.       Its a very stable car at speed and it honestly puts a
smile on my face EVERY time i drive it.

I have had it since new and put 4000 miles on it but now its time 4 it to go

So if you know of anyone.......       53 plate FRS  with a private plate
RS53 ***     ,  4,000 miles      IMMACULATE condition    only used weekends
then email me!

MC.

I've had mine for a couple of thousand miles now, and although a hardened
rwd fan, I absolutely love it. Sure I find it advisable to pay attention
when applying lots of throttle in wet or damp conditions, but no more so
than I used to have to do in my old e34 M5.

It is certainly quite quick - one test I do to benchmark my cars is from a
standing start at a set of traffic lights to passing a lay-by on a dual
carriageway. My M5 used to hit 120 without being brutal off the line and the
Focus can hit 115 with less traction and no more brutality (speedo error may
vary of course). I have had rolling "comparisons" with a wrx sti type uk and
an evo gta (the slightly detuned one) and there was literally nothing in it,
although it would be a different matter from a standstill of course.

What I like about it most, is that it *feels* quick - when I first got my
M5, I always ended up travelling 20-30mph faster than I thought I was going
because it was so smooth and effortless. Ultimately though, it was just too
competent and a bit boring as a result. The RS is the opposite - with a firm
ride and plenty of tire and exhaust noise, it feels like you are really
shifting even when you are not going that fast. I rate it highly because
even though I'm generally travelling slower now, I'm having more fun at
these lower speeds and as a result I reckon my licence is safer since I
bought it!

The original poster commented on having an Escort Cosworth a few years back,
and I used to run a Lancia Integrale 16v - not exactly the same thing (!)
but I think it gives me some relevant experience to comment. The Focus
handles much like my Lancia did - very sharp responses, very little roll or
understeer and a fairly hard ride. Obviously it lacks traction in
comparison, but makes up for that by having some degree of build quality...

Provided you are happy with the concept that the throttle pedal has more
than two positions, the RS is an entertaining and sometimes challenging
drive that *does* reward attempts at finesse. Note that  I do mainly fairly
short runs - I think it would be tiring on a long journey, and it certainly
isn't an ideal motorway car.

Mark