The Ford Focus RS Is Dead: Here Are 20 Good Alternatives

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By Jake Lingeman, Autoweek

All good things must come to an end. And despite the rumor that the hot Ford Focus RS might get a powerful hybrid drivetrain in its next iteration, sadly, it is not to be. Autocar talked to Ford this week and got the official word the RS is done for now.

A Ford spokesperson told the pub, “As a result of pan-European emissions standards, increased CO2 taxation and the high cost of developing an RS with some form of electrification for a relatively low volume of vehicles, we are not planning another RS version of the Focus.”

However, there are plenty of cars that will sate that enthusiast itch for about the same price. Remember the RS wasn’t cheap with roughly a $42K base price. Here are our alternatives. Some are hatches, some are coupes and some are sedans. Most are cheaper. Some are all-wheel drive, like the RS, some are RWD and some are even FWD. And don’t give me that look, there are plenty of super-fun front-wheel-drive cars. Starting with ...

2020 Hyundai Veloster N—$27,600

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The Veloster N was Road & Track’s Performance Car of the Year for 2020 and for good reason. The hot hatch delivers 250 hp and 260 lb-ft. If the Performance Pack is added that hp number goes up to a robust 275. It only came with a six-speed manual, until this year, when Hyundai added an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission.

2020 Volkswagen Golf GTI—$28,595

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The GTI is the forefather of all hot hatches, and it still kicks ass with a turbocharged 2.0-liter making 228 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque. It also offers a manual transmission. Like the Veloster, the GTI is front-wheel drive, but the pair is grouped with what are probably the best front-drivers in the business: the Civic Si and Type R.

2019 Volkswagen Golf R—$40,395

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The Golf R is the GTI’s all-weather brother sporting VW’s 4Motion all-wheel-drive system and making 288 hp and 280 lb-ft of torque. It either comes with a six-speed manual or seven-speed dual-clutch unit with some of the fastest shifts in the business. It’s also among the most expensive cars on this list.

2020 Subaru WRX—$28,395

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The AWD WRX is a steal at a bit more than $28K with space and doors for four, a real trunk and the option of a manual transmission. Its horizontally opposed four-cylinder makes 268 hp and 258 lb-ft, and if you’re looking to blend in (a little) it doesn’t look as boy racer as the WRX STI. It’s also a little softer than the STI if you live in an area with rougher roads.

2020 Subaru WRX STI—$37,895

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If you don’t care about how crappy the roads are and don’t care about the boy racer looks, might we suggest an STI. Like the WRX it comes with a six-speed manual, but it’s a half-step quicker in every dimension (going, stopping, turning). It delivers 310 hp and 290 lb-ft from a 2.5-liter turbocharged boxer engine.

2020 Honda Civic Si—$26,115

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Sedan or coupe, the Civic Si would be the best car the company makes, if not for the loud and proud Type R. The Si also offers a manual and puts down 205 hp and 192 lb-ft of torque. That doesn’t seem like much, but with only 2,900 pounds to move around, it is. Like the WRX, if you want to blend in a little more than the Type R/STI, this is the way to do it.

2020 Honda Civic Type R—$37,950

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The Civic Type R is probably the best front-wheel-drive car on the planet, with a 2.0-liter turbocharged I4 making 306 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque. With a helical limited-slip differential in front, all of that power is put down to whatever wheel has the most grip. It corners like a Porsche, and adaptive dampers keep everything kosher on the street.

2020 Mazda MX-5 Miata—$27,525

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The Miata is right for any occasion, as long as you only need two seats and not much luggage space. The revamped 2.0-liter non-turbo-four now makes 181 hp and 151 lb-ft of torque, which, as our reviews have said, livens the hell out of the chassis. Again, if you were looking for the RS to carry four, maybe this isn’t the right choice. But if you’re looking to zip around on the track and the road, this is the Miata’s bread and butter.

2020 Ford Mustang—$31,380

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The upgraded EcoBoost four in the hi-po version of the Mustang delivers 350 hp and 350 lb-ft of torque, exactly the same as the Focus RS, but in rear-drive, coupe form. It too is a steal at just over 30 grand; a manual is standard as is 50-plus years of Mustang DNA. One could also, if one were so inclined, get a base Mustang GT and still fall close that RS price.

2020 Chevy Camaro—$25,995

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Like the Mustang, the Camaro trades the RS' AWD for RWD and a four-door layout for a coupe. The Chevy comes in with a turbocharged four making 275 hp and 295 lb-ft and offers a manual transmission. Also like the Mustang, if you stick with a bare-bones V8, you’d still be in for less than $40K. Insurance rates would be higher, though. There's also the 1LE to consider, with the turbo-four but a bunch of handling upgrades.

2020 Nissan 370Z—$31,105

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The 370Z coupe is certainly getting old for this class, but the things that made it great when it morphed from the 350Z to the 370Z are still present here—namely, the 332-hp V6 and six-speed manual transmission with rev matching. It’s small, so if your RS plan was to carry around the family it probably won’t work, but if your plan was just “fun and fast,” this fits the bill.

2020 Toyota Camry TRD—$31,170

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The new Camry TRD offers basically everything the RS does, besides all-wheel drive. It has four doors, roundabout 300 hp, but only an eight-speed automatic. It does have paddle shifters, and I did use them a lot on my first drive at an autocross course at Texas Motor Speedway. This is a ton of car for the money and among the cheapest ways to get 300-plus hp.

2020 Kia Stinger GT—$39,500

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The Stinger is the best car Kia has ever produced, hands down. OK, the Telluride is great, but if you’re cross-shopping a Focus RS, this is the section you’ll head to at the dealership (once they reopen). Its V6 lays down 365 hp and 375 lb-ft through the rear wheels—AWD is optional—with an eight-speed automatic transmission. There’s a four-banger, too, but you’re already in for $40K, so why penalize yourself?

2020 BMW 230i—$35,300

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Now we move into the luxury portion of our program, and even we were surprised that we could walk out of the dealership with a rear-wheel-drive BMW for less than the price of a Ford. The 230i comes with a turbo-four making 248 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque. It offers either a six-speed manual or an eight-speed automatic with paddles.

2020 Mercedes-Benz CLA250—$36,650

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This four-door coupe (grrr) from Benz only offers an automatic transmission but delivers 221 hp and 258 lb-ft. The second-generation feels much more like a Mercedes than the first with better materials and infotainment. The seven-speed dual-clutch transmission can be controlled through paddle shifters on the steering wheel.

2020 Audi A3—$33,300

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Yes, you can get a BMW, a Mercedes or an Audi for less than the price of the Focus RS. The A3 makes 184 hp and 221 lb-ft of torque for about $34K, or you could spec a 288-hp S3 for a starting price of $43K. Your only choice for changing gears is a seven-speed DCT. Quattro AWD adds about $3,000, and if you add more options, you can easily pass $42K—but you’re driving an Audi!

2020 Alfa Romeo Giulia—$38,545

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The regular Giulia is nowhere near as fast as the Quadrifoglio, but in the vein of the BMW 3-Series, it's entertaining just the same. The Giulia’s 2.0-liter makes a heathy 280 hp and 306 lb-ft of torque. An eight-speed automatic is your only choice. Base cars are RWD, all-wheel drive is optional. It also looks more special, compared to most cars on this list. An advantage of low sales numbers, I guess.

2020 Genesis G70—$38,475

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The G70 is the least expensive Genesis coming in at less than $40K and serves up 255 hp and 260 lb-ft of torque. This base version offers a six-speed manual. The G80 is my favorite in the lineup, but like it, this G70 plays well above its paygrade. It ain’t too shabby looking either. It also offers a mechanical limited slip differential.

2020 Lexus IS300—$39,585

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The base IS300 gets you four doors, more space than an RS and a turbo four making 241 hp and 238 lb-ft of torque. The base model is rear-wheel drive with an eight-speed automatic but you can upgrade to all-wheel drive for about $2,500 more. If you like the company’s spindle grille, you get a big one here. If you don’t, walk on down to the next dealership.

2020 Lexus RC 300—$42,320

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The base RC coupe lands almost exactly where the Focus RS does in terms of price. The rear-drive coupe comes with a 2.0-liter turbo I4 making 241 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque. An eight-speed automatic is your only choice here. The bigger-engined RC becomes a Mustang competitor, but this one nets you 30 mpg on the expressway and a 7.3-second 0-60 mph time.

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