VW Scirocco R vs Ford Focus RS - which is the hottest hatch? by autocar.co.uk

[@alienlivingform]

Scirocco LOOKS AMAZING!!! It's one of my favorites

[@1061shrink1061]

I actually compared a 2010 Scirocco R (as featured here) to a 1 year old Focus ST (current model). Ironically both were the same price, which gives a painful demonstration of how badly the ford depreciates, and now the VW retains its value. Hopping into the Scirocco, it felt well made, premium and the seating position was instantly superb. It was a great place to sit. The drive was confident, assured, and quiet when just driving around town. It turned into an animal on the open road. Compare that to the Focus ST, which by comparison (in spite of being some 4-5 years newer), felt old fashioned, and very very cheap inside. Lots of extremely low rent plastics absolutely everywhere. The dials were lit up like blackpool and the recaro's were frankly uncomfortable. It torque steered everywhere, even in 3rd gear, and just didn't feel all that planted on the road. I put my money where my mouth was and bought the Scirocco over the newer ST. I remain happy with that choice!

[@oppanheimer]

I bought mine 4 years ago and still love it.

[@masitraproductions977]

Two years later and the RS is a cult favourite and appreciating in value, meanwhile the scirocco has been completely forgotten about

[@kaymac730]

Richie Crozier definitely. The RS’s are now collectors items while the R’s are still falling

[@euanscotland]

Your comment deprecated faster than the VW.

[@bmancodgta4]

The Scirocco is one of the best designs in the last couple years. What a great looking car

[@Dawid150]

I just bought scirocco R and I have to say that it's just freakin awesome! So fun to drive, everytime I get out of it, I want to comeback and drive somwhere again :)

[@icsunonove72]

11 years later and the limited RSs are appreciating in value. Legendary cars that never become boring.

[@fullfist]

Wish VW would move the logo up to the hood for all the models, looks so much sexier and leaves the front looking sleek and elegant .

[@JessShanahan]

The Scirocco R looks great. I recently drove the new version of the basic model, can't wait to get my hands on the updated R later this year!

[@C01iNTT84]

The Focus RS just doesn't cut it for me, in my opinion it looks too vulgar and just screams out boy racer, buy one of these and you should expect to get pulled over by the cops on a regular basis. The Scirocco R on the other hand is sleek and sexy both inside and out, as a car should be. Tastefully designed to perfection. Well done VW

[@BERGERJeah]

That's the point of the RS, it's supposed to stand out. The VW is sleeker yes, but the RS says "I'm a fire breathing 310bhp fwd monster!" And it's looks do its part. If I want a hot hatch I want it to look hot too.

[@iantownsend5480]

Really I think the Scirocco R inside looks too much like a standard Scirocco. At least the RS stands out inside or out

[@Matt13556]

Colin Heasley I'm 22 own a green rs, never been pulled over once in over a year of ownership

[@quake2rulez]

I got mine Blue mk2 for 3 years now only 2 tickets 0 controls ;0 And i will not sell it I will get mk3 in 2 years time then the price will be good :)

[@SuperDigitalMe]

I have the scirocco R from april 2012, i love that car with whole my heart, i have also DSG and the optional recaro bucket seats. Now i drive it on winter tyres with a cheap aluminium wheel lol Want to have my original 19 inch weels back under it :)

[@charlesholzy]

I love how he describes the steering as delicious!!

[@oppanheimer]

Please bring the Scirocco down under to Australia as I will definitely buy one!

[@M4rt_FX]

I've seen 3 separate track tests comparing the Golf R V Scirocco R, everyone deemed the Scirocco the more involved, faster, better handling car. The Golf R under-steers a lot for a 4wd and weighs 130kg more... Scirocco doesn't need 4wd or Rwd, it out handles everything else in it's class other the the Megane RS. It's a pure drivers car. The WRX is 4wd and gets demolished on a track by the Scirocco and Megane RS.

[@adamdavis307]

I have this Rocco but mine is an vw individual. Its amazing. But can I just say how your reviewing capabilities suck, while you get in the rs and while driving say the rs feels more exciting to drive than the vw. Then in your conclusion you say the vw wins because the Rocco is definitely more exciting to drive. Well which one is it man. Complete bogus reviewing skills. Shaking my head.

[@LuricRaja2]

a nice car indeed and rare for sure. nice to hear you keep her in shape

[@ferrari430ss]

if the scirocco was rear wheel drive it will bee the perfect hot hatch...beautiful,fast and alot of fun

[@JordanSpecops123]

From the front, the Scirocco R is one of the best looking cars on the market. Pretty fast, However I would still get it remapped if I bought one.

[@BERGERJeah]

Love all the RS built cars, now I'm finally getting my hands on the 2016 Focus RS! The AWD should put RS refinement to a whole new level!

[@Adigidingdong]

SCIROCCO R is a beast of a car... Can't wait !!!

[@CaptHotah]

The RS doesn't look half as good as the Roc

[@jacko9739]

A nice RS will set you back 20-25k the same scirocco can be bought for less thank 15m

[@darek4488]

I Love Focus RS and nothing's gonna change that (maybe except it's successor :D)

[@oppanheimer]

It is a lot of fun believe me I have one and enjoy driving it as much as I can, I absolutely love it :)

[@Tailpipe26]

Imagine if they'd put in the Audi TT-RS's 5-cylinder engine in the Scirocco! As good as the Scirocco may be, everyone who's waiting for the Golf R is right. it's the car that we're all waiting for, so hurry up and give us a review of it. In the meantime, great videos Autocar, thanks!

[@daizmiester]

Look man, i gave my opinion from what I experience first hand since I'm studying here in the UK and that's what I observe around me. I don't make the steriotypes,.......i just see them, and judging from your reply, you prove my point

[@superflea72]

why is the Mazda 3MPS never brought up in any of these hot hatch comparos? when mine was released (2007) there was barely anything that could touch it, yet it's largely forgotten... btw, that Scirroco is gorgeous, and quite possibly my next car :)

[@ducand1]

You are lucky to have her, man! I trust your word as you own this car. He's got a friend of mine but I have not had the pleasure of riding. I would have preferred not front wheel drive, for attitude, riding position, and distance from the road. It looks like a supercar, and the latter usually have a rear wheel drive or full. If manufacturers have built in this way, there will be a reason! :) There is always a Great car! Especially the R Sorry my english ;)

[@ers1027]

Well thats the first time ive ever heard steering of a car be called delicious. Love them both.

[@ducand1]

exact, but I don't know which one to choose, they are both superb cars

[@hooahayes]

@haloaum most quality surveys do not actually look specifically at engine reliability. They look at any issue the car is brought to the dealership for. I had an 85 Scirocco with 276,000 miles on it when I got it, drove it another 50k, crashed it and the engine still ran like a top.

[@Ascendancy25]

Both Scirocco R and Focus RS are unbelievably great cars. I personally would prefer the RS but thats just a matter of taste. The Scirocco looks amazing but the RS gives me that kind of rallye feeling.

[@oppanheimer]

That Scirocco R is so sexy; absolutely gorgeous!

[@AlloyDiesel]

my wife drives a Volvo XC-70 with the turbo 5. Even though its has the worst most boring automatic transmission in the world, every once in while, if you gun it just right, you can hear that great engine doing its thing and get a sense you are driving something cool.

[@camaroman101]

scirocco r, focus rs, punto abarth, brera. wish at least one of these could make it to the states

[@AronHan]

Its delicious...! I like the looks of the VW, they really got the design right! Good job!

[@elementluc]

@TheAdrianBravo It's because of the LED's. They actually flash really fast, invisible for the human eye. With a camera, you have a certain amount of images per second. These are not in sync with the very quick flashing of the LED's, which causes the flickering image.

[@ianhamer3156]

Love both cars, but on looks alone I like the Scirocco, there again I am a mature driver 😉, I just feel it would look good parked anywhere, be it at the Hilton or on supermarket car park 😀

[@Krucial8]

both lush cars. but im in love with the scirocco!

[@Beolex]

@theaznbboy865 They aren't flashing, it's just when camcorders record LED lights they don't very well pick them up so it appears to be flashing but it's just a glitch with the camera lens.

[@simplyivan16]

God, it's a beauty, this Scirocco. Too bad we dont get it here in Canada. Otherwise, I'd would be my next car. I love them sporty hatches.

[@B18BEG6ick]

@MadeOfCrazyWood Those are the LED's. The camera tends to capture these. You see these on the other VW/Audi when the do reviews on them.

[@REVOonYT]

@tigertank2 7:59min. with a Focus? That will be faster than a M3 or a Cayman S. The Ford understeers more (i saw it on the Ring) Thats the correct times for the Ring: Focus RS MKII: 8:26min. 305hp Scirocco R : 8:30min. 265hp VW Golf R: 8:23min. 270hp

[@ducand1]

Me too, but my friend owns this car, and goes very well. The fact is that I would have preferred to different wheel drive.

[@kalle30]

tested an exactly the same yesterday (my mom is at vw so i get to test most of new cars). Anyway this car is amazing. I was thinking that coming from vw this is really extreme. For an example you cannot drive in the sportgear in the city becase it is way to aggressive. I can imagine how it felt in the 80:s getting in a Golf GTI and i felt that this is the GTI of the 2011... I will take it for a ride tomorrow and put an youtube..

[@Elin48]

ray...I have to agree. I once owned the 1980 Scirocco and this car had a much better look. Why ruin a good design when improving hopefully other things.

[@acana79]

Another well-educated answer from the folks in the States.

[@Butchcub75]

@RickMartin7 I know, cant wait. Loved the Electric gold ST at the NAIAS

[@KajVO]

@dassekaka You know what, I've actually been considering trying out Sweden. Only been there once (for maybe 14 hours). But also because I'm currently studying to become a Mechanic and would like to build my own car some day and that just isn't possible in Denmark. But thanks for the somewhat invite :D

[@Programentalist]

@sharpanator Golf R 5.2s? Can you link to some sources for that. 5.5s with DSG is what I've seen everywhere for 0-100 (0-62).

[@Snirze]

@haloaum On the contrary. I got both the new Golf and the new Scirocco, and they are they are very different in feel and style. While the Golf feels more like a family car with soft steering and calm driving, the scirocco feels more sporty with a more little harder steering, which is good for a sports car. Also the engine is not the same and the interior and feel of the cabin is also different.

[@LZeroJager]

True. Both brands make great cars just the vehicles compared should have been different. Completely agree

[@1989rs500]

yup purely agree with you, i started this comments because some users were blindly commenting like illitterates that Ford is waste and VW is the best, i just wantd to point out the insignificance of the video comparison, bothare good brands, Ford usually a VFM brand and VW a premium brand or a luxury brand and which 1 is better relies purely on priorities, so this video is utterly a single persons perspective and i cudnt accept the fact that gr8 website like autocar did such a comparison

[@Zubtec]

Were the LEDs flashing at the beginning? Anyone know why/how to do it?

[@stitcha123]

@mymom1234 only from the led side. the video camera wont have a frequency as such

[@stryyker9]

wow i was admiring the countryside and the rainbow.

[@Sunny279719]

@TheAdrianBravo its the camera, its something about leds i think they turn on and off several times a second but we cant tell with out human eyes

[@Mast3rSkillz]

btw this car has the FSI engine not the newer TSI engine this is because the K04 turbo is only compatible with the FSI

[@EleCtronicHouse25]

How do they do for pinking those leds lights constantely , i saw this in top gear too

[@umi2366]

Scirocco r thebesthothatch

[@jordanpolatol7983]

coupe

[@Manzancene]

but which is better: Golf R vs. Sciorocco R??? Love Autocar Videos!

[@waldenry]

@aspiringdrummer17 I couldn't agree more! Here the roads are long and straight for the most part (I'm in Texas and I can drive 3 hours in each direction and still be in the same state), so the big power is nice. The two different types of cars are designed for entirely different purposes and as an enthusiast I can appreciate that. It's nice to hear from a real fan from across the pond and not some American-hating moron. I'm actually a big fan of imports too. Speed is a universal language

[@jordanpolatol7983]

i love this guy already

[@bugattisteve]

Had a year long dilema with: audi s3, fucus rs, scirocco r. Test drove all of them and could NOT decide! Started to see alot of girls drive siroccos so that sort of ended that, s3 has been out too long and a new one will be released 2012'ish im used to german build quality and after the 5th fucus test drive didnt know if i'd be happy after a couple years with build quality and driving position... So now i have an order for the golf r! Best all rounder. Its a better handling s3 with better looks

[@sportriderseattle]

@lupo0144 though I respect your comment...there is a reason that race cars, race car drivers and professional drivers of atleast true road cars have been and always will be rear wheel drive OR all wheel. For a professional driver, RWD has far better control and performance, though the FWD car will always be a SAFER car for the general consumer that is not a pro driver.

[@ilikepie3752]

@LuricRaja2 is that why the corvettes own at alms ?

[@smibru]

In the previous videos with the Ford Focus RS the guy stated that it didn't have torque steer. Now he says it does. I don't know what to believe when he speaks. I like the way the VW looks but I would take the RS.

[@joro353]

The Germans did it again. As a Focus owner I love the car but the VW is so smooth and classy. It’s a perfect blend of comfort and power.

[@stuee_mk1stuee_mk169]

You never owned a Ford on your life !

[@AlternativeUses]

I'd go for the golf because of its AWD system. It's basically a Audi TTS

[@trendkill777]

how does it have more torque steer still with revo knuckle struts?

[@glickle]

Speed aside, The Ford still looks like boys-first-racer while the VW is a little more elegant. That Ford spoiler looks like something out of the nineties. I was expecting a shocker sticker too.

[@daizmiester]

@amirullah It's because the Ford Focus RS was too hyped up for what it is and now its been beat by a German car....which I find awesome....i love the Scirocco R

[@TheCarArchives96]

the engine on the 2008-present Volkswagen Scirocco Engine 1.4 L TSI 122 PS (90 kW; 120 hp) 1.4 L TSI BlueMotion Technology 122 PS (90 kW; 120 hp) 1.4 L TSI 160 PS (118 kW; 158 hp) 2.0 L TSI 210 PS (154 kW; 207 hp) 2.0 L TDI 140 PS (103 kW; 138 hp) 2.0 L TDI 170 PS (125 kW; 168 hp)

[@Electrojudaz]

iv'e driven both. 1. the focus rs dosen't feel cheap 2. also the scirocco has tourqesteer 3. the delivery of grunt comes like a brute in the focus rs, not so in the scirocco r 4. the scirocco r has higher running costs 5. focus rs has more power conclusion : The focus rs is a punisher with a massive understatement, tornado-like sound and the feeling when hitting the pedal is just brutal. and it has much more bootspace xD i would take the focus rs every day over the scirocco r.

[@Wollemi1988]

Is there an R2 scirocco coming out soon ?

[@pippomadrid]

BOTHare GREAT and BEAUTIFUL cars

[@toeboe106]

I would pick the rs simply because of that exhaust note from the 5 cylinder volvo engine.Oh and one more thing if you want a "sports car"go by an elise or mx5

[@LuricRaja2]

True, what car do you drive? you know it's crazzy but Cuba still makes a lot of parts for the 80's cars. Yeah some cars are harder to find and parts for them are even more rare. all depends on the vehicle, nice thing abotu gm back in the day you could pretty much swap parts almost without major mods

[@SmokingSpeakers]

thats exactly what the Golf R is, same engine, all wheel drive but it does lack the extreme styling

[@Tsparkdriver]

@heatfullrat the CLC is not a hot hatch, it rather a freezing cold, for old men, drive me eco, over dead man driving and not noticing suspension type of hatch.

[@JazLFC1]

I'm not German but I think your cars are better than ours. From the UK.

[@TABRO284]

Anyone know why the Day running lights keep flashing? The Scirocco is an amazing car, one of the best looking cars of all time. It really winds me up how all TV presenters sit/lean on such nice cars :(

[@unclefreddie70]

did i miss something? he said the ford had torque steer, felt cheap inside, and felt like he was sitting at a table while driving. then he acted like it was a surprise he picked the vw as the winner. the vw is the clear winner.

[@ha1072]

at 1:58 why do the led strip lights keep flickering

[@livedeliciously]

Love the look, but cut it out with the FWD. Leave that for the Golfs.

[@camaroman101]

@cristip60 even with all the tricks ford used, it still suffers from some torque steer. check out the top gear review of the rs, ron jeremy drove it w/o hands on the track and you could see the steering wheel jerk around and the car move on its own from the torque steer.

[@kish53a]

What's up with the strobe turn signals?

[@Golgi-Gyges]

@viciousdestiny I don't know.......the L.E.D. lights should be powered by DC current as is normal.

[@DanielStevenMusic]

Just so everyone knows, although it's a 'wimply little fwd' the Scirocco beats it's Golf R counterpart outright, regardless of the Golf R's Haldex AWD.

[@menaceman1000]

True, the FRS would handle more weight better, but you are missing something. When you have passengers in the car, you shouldn´t care about performance, you should care about getting them safe to your chosen destination. So testing them under those circumstances would be unnecessary.

[@hahayouknowme33]

i love that road hes driving on

[@KoStY125]

4:17 wooow , nice rainbow !

[@stitcha123]

not that im questioning the 'Better plastics, better materials, better build quality,' of the scirocco, erm....are the led lights of the volks supposed to be flashing like that at the beginning?

[@Electrojudaz]

maxou you silly boy :-) try to read my post right.I dident wrote that the scirocco r does UNDERSTEER, i posted that it has also tourqesteer like the frs( you know the scirocco is also frontwheeldriven so the same physics judge).Further i wrote that the Focus rs dosen't feel cheap, not that it feels cheaper than the scirocco r.and yes iv'e driven both.and yes the focus rs accellerates harder than the scirocco r the lack of interior quality in the rs marks the plus in acceleration. still not cheap

[@QuiteSpyrtY]

@sjerdolu for me personaly its a really tough decision, but some things you wrote are pretty stupid (i dont drive neither of these two, i drive a type-r) R20's 4 wheel drive is a big advantage even though it adds weight but the latest RS does not have torque problems because its built very intelegent. 5 doors might come handy but i prefer 3 doors (mostly the look). If you buy such hatch you dont buy it to look classy, and since when is impreza ugly?

[@rozetca]

why are fog lights blinking on the Scirocco?

[@sorcereous]

@amirullah because RS is supposed to be the "limited" and probably one of ht e"fastest" small cars out there..

[@jcfx13]

this man is a black hole of charisma.

[@REVOonYT]

@tigertank2 it wasn't stock. Look at the page from Raeder-Motorsport ;-) Volkswagen don't lie. Every turbocharged engine got more power than the manufacturer say. I saw an stock 135i on the dyno with 325hp...every Focus RS got more than 310hp, trust me ;-)

[@jrev99]

@RSTBADBOY Owned the ford RS which was great, good build, raw pwr, comfort and looks, but; sold it and bought the Scirocco R, better build, slightly more power, slightly more comfort and personally I find it better looking. The 2 are however, very hard to pull apart as an overall package, they're both buy you massive performance and I doubt either could be argued as a clear winner. FWIW, I drove an Astra VXR on hire for 6 months, again massive performance but disapointing build quality.

[@Billpaok]

Scirocco ofc :-) ! love it

[@peterbennpan7288]

Were are these roads? Anyone know

[@allyc85]

What roads are these?