hi, I'm new to the forum and don't even own an RS. I have a mk7 fiesta ST and it's great. However I have recently started doing track days having never been out on track ever before. I'm loving the trackdays and want to do more! The ST does really well on track but I couldn't help noticing how many Megane RS 250/265 cars were out on track over taking most things out there. But the ST is loads of fun and costs nothing to run even on track. Will the RS be that much better? So I buried myself in this forum (which is excellent by the way) and read the amazing Megane Projects section, making a long list of the spec I'd want and the mods I'd do. I've got very excited about this car. But the confusion began when i went off on two separate test drives. And then to see (but not drive) two further cars. The test drives left me wondering what all the hype is about. I want to love this car but even the 265 felt slower than my 230hp ST. The ST steering felt better, as did the brakes, as did the gear change. But then these cars had 40k+ miles on them (fiesta has 30k) and had mixed cheap tyres, and had not been looked after well. One of them was a real shed so i refused to test drive it. So I feel I still haven't got the real experience yet. Or will I never really understand until I drive one on track? Surely the much raved about Megane RS is more than a match for a fiesta ST. I've been in touch with K-tec who feel ill understand when I've driven a good example and that the car truly is worthy of all the great reviews. But they are 5 hours from me. If anyone knows of a good example in the northwest that will let me really test out if this is worth swapping the ST for then let me know, I'd love to find out once and for all. Thanks.
Seems a shame so many don't seem to be looked after, although I had to fix a cracked washer fluid tank, a rattling exhaust and some paint damage to the side-skirts on mine when I bought it. In terms of performance there wouldn't feel like a big difference in a 230hp fiesta or a 265hp megane, but once you've tuned the megane a little, the engine wakes up a lot. Part of the track capability for the megane is in its power delivery - it's not massively boosty in the midrange, much more linear, which helps it not overwhelm it's tyres constantly with difficult to control torque. Switching to sport or extreme throttle map can make it feel a little more powerful in a placebo fashion (but in later cars sport mode needs enabled for the full 265/275 hp) The chassis is well capable of dealing with the stock power which can make it feel a little too competent. Sounds like you need a drive in a trackday sympathetic modded car to see what can be achieved for not much outlay/compromise.
Thanks for the reply. The salesmen wouldn't let me use sport buttons. But I'm not sure that would have made the difference. All I know is there was no wow factor in the drive. But then how much can a 10min blast around unfamiliar roads really tell me. Is there ever a forum meet in the northwest where I could at least look at a few well kept cars, maybe even get a passenger ride. It seems all the cars for sale near me have had a hard life. Next time I'm at a track day I hope there's an RS there with a friendly owner so I can blag a passenger ride in one.
What a rubbish salesman! Give one a proper drive and you'll be hooked, mine was already tuned when I test drove it so a bit of a different story to yours but I fell in love instantly.
This is exactly what I was expecting. Wish I knew someone locally who could give me a demo. I'll have another hunt for a better example to test drive. And I'll just press the sport button!
They are a little underwhelming at anything less than 8/10ths. You've got to get them up on their toes to really appreciate them. Straight line they'll be very little in it against a lighter Fiesta ST on overboost, and especially a tuned one. Whereabouts are you?
I'm in Warrington. Yeah I certainly couldn't really push it on the test drive. So day to day driving not so exciting then in the RS?
They are very capable at legal speeds. You've got to drive like a bit of a dick to enjoy them on the road, but this is true of a lot of cars. On track is a different matter obviously.
There is an RS club on Facebook for south lakes. The main guys are around kendal so a bit far north but they meet once a month on a Sunday, it's rare but I think 1 x 265 or 275 turns up, plenty of r26. As everyone else said, you won't notice much of a difference in day to day driving but on a track on the limit, the megane is the quicker car. The fiesta is lighter and will feel quicker on a country road as it's less planted than the megane. From reviews the fiesta sounds like an amazing car. The megane is a more grown up track focused choice. Sent from my EVA-L09 using Tapatalk
Hi, so it's been a while. I've been watching the forum and reading the projects thread and I've never quite got this car out of my head. The ST is amazing but I really need to move on to something bigger, faster and just more. So I went test driving. Here's the list I ticked off..... Focus RS (mk3) A45 AMG Civic type R Exige v6 R35 GTR Now it was unfair to put the GTR in there but i just had to haha. Awesome car!! I skipped the new VW golfs (R, clubsport, etc) I've had so many vw's I just wanted something different. Anyway long story short the Megane won easily for my style of driving and I've just put a deposit on a 275 cup-s with Akra and Ohlins. Hopefully picking it up in the next couple of weeks. Very exciting. As at start of the thread I had been unsure compared to the ST, but I just kept being drawn back to it, and when I drove a nice example on roads I know well with a good salesman who knew his stuff, I knew I had to get one.
How was the new focus rs compared to megane? I am wondering because there are mixed reviews? Also the A45? Thanks
Focus and A45 were very comfortable and I imagine would be lovely day to day. The A45 interior was amazing, and was almost enough to make me forget about the numb steering and average handling, and it was very fast. The focus was quick but felt a bit restrained. I came away from the focus knowing I'd have to modify it straight away. For a car costing nearly £35k that would just annoy me. I'd be over £40 once it was modified and feeling properly alive. Think what else I could get for that money. Plus the interior and quality does not make it feel worth £35k. The Megane compared felt older tech, much less refined, less comfortable, noisier, and not as well put together. But it felt light, nimble, super responsive and alive. Similar feelings to the exige. Neither car are Mercedes fancy and you can easily criticise fit and finish. But find a good piece of road in a well setup car and it all makes sense. For that much fun at less than £20k the Megane was a must have.
