You really talk complete rot and have no idea. The RS normaly has been at the top for driver enjoyment in the reviews I've seen, I must have read most!!!
DSG is quicker for sure, manual is more driver involvement, which is the point of performance orientated car that's ment to be about driving. We had a Ibiza Cupra, DSG annoyed the hell out of me even if it was impressive at TLGP's.
The RS is part time 4WD so like any it won't be sames as RWD, but it's closer than any other and works brilliantly, try keeping up with one on a wet B road. For reference we own an A3 (4WD), Z4 and the RS, so we have most options and bases covered.
A drivers car should be about the journey, not the time taken to get from A to B, best example is an MX5, slow but high on fun. The RS3 is the complete opposite. That is becoming the problem, to get any enjoyment from the likes of RS3 or M cars you need to get near its limits which just isn't possible on the public highway. Where as the FRS has more involvement and feed back and alive at lower speeds, i.e. More enjoyment and involvement.
Nope, I’ve also read plenty on the subject.
The FRS gets consistently pulled up for being slower than expected (its slower than a golf r!)
https://www.topgear.com/car-news/ho...aces-10-focus-rs-vs-vw-golf-r-vs-merc-a45-amg
and for having a pointless drift function that cannot really do power oversteer so isn’t comparable to a rwd car.
Handling wise, per autocar:
https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/...-mercedes-amg-a45-vs-ford-focus-rs-group-test
“ Nudging into a slide gently on a trailing throttle and feeling more balanced and predictable as you feed power back in, the A45 doesn’t quite drift under power like the Focus can, but its superior balance of grip means that it simply doesn’t need to.”
The A45 is also quicker on any B road, has a more adaptable suspension and a better seating / pedal position than the “lofty” RS.
Per Clarkson:
“Even in Normal mode there’s a choppy vertical bouncing motion that is a bit annoying. You also get seats that are mounted on the car rather than in it — they’re far too high”
It also has a more characterful exhaust note with the AMG performance exhaust, further contributing to your “drivers car” needs.
The manual “driver involvement” statement is nonsense nowadays. A paddle shift auto is just as engaging when pounding around a tight country road.
Your argument seems to be that because the focus is poorer handling, has less grip, a worse engine / exhaust noise, a bad seating position, is slower, has a far less premium interior and has an antiquated gearbox it’s better than the German alternatives...
