Renault Megane RS250
Model: Renault Megane RS250 Cup Trophee
Price guide (recommended price): $46,990
Options fitted to test car (not included in above price): Metallic paint $800
Crash rating: Five-stars (EuroNCAP)
Fuel: 98 RON PULP
Claimed fuel economy (L/100km): 8.7
CO2 emissions (g/km): 201
Overall Rating: 4.0/5.0
Engine/Drivetrain/Chassis: 4.0/5.0
Price, Packaging and Practicality: 3.5/5.0
Safety: 4.0/5.0
Behind the wheel: 4.5/5.0
X-factor: 4.0/5.0
Ford Focus RS
Model: Ford Focus RS
Price guide (recommended price before statutory and delivery charges): $59,990
Options fitted to test car (not included in above price): Nil
Crash rating: Five-stars (ANCAP)
Fuel: 95-98 RON PULP
Claimed fuel economy (L/100km): 10.4
CO2 emissions (g/km): 246
Overall Rating: 4.0/5.0
Engine/Drivetrain/Chassis: 4.5/5.0
Price, Packaging and Practicality: 3.5/5.0
Safety: 4.0/5.0
Behind the wheel: 4.5/5.0
X-factor: 4.0/5.0
About our ratings
Force-feeding and front-wheel drive have never been the closest of friends. The problem has always been torque steer. What's torque steer? Lift a bicycle's front wheel off the ground, spin it and turn the handlebars. Notice how it resists changing direction? That's torque steer. To gauge the effect in a high powered car whose front wheels are taking simultaneous instructions from accelerator and steering wheel, multiply the weight of the wheel by maybe 15, and the centrifugal force it's generating by about a million.
A generation ago, the turbocharged version of Mazda/Ford's front-wheel drive MX6/Telstar was garnering votes as the car most likely to take a life. Much more recently, Toyota's 241kW supercharged TRD Aurion disappeared rather quickly amid similar questioning of its behaviour under acceleration.
That was long before these two specimens, both of which made their debut at last October's Sydney motor show.
They don't dispense entirely with torque steer, but their sophisticated limited-slip differentials and suspension modifications rein it in to easy manageability with little or no compromise to the way they pour their considerable power to ground.
Both attracted intense interest at the show. In today's junior hotrod sector, competition is as fierce in the showrooms as it is on any track.
Once, the all-wheel drive Subaru STI and Mitsubishi Evolution had things pretty much to themselves. The last decade has seen the sector grow with contributions from BMW (high-end 1 Series), Volkswagen (R32 and R), Audi (S3) and Renault (Megane RS models). All were either rear-wheel or all-wheel drive except the Renault, which garnered plaudits for the relative composure with which it put its hefty wattage to the road through the front wheels.
Now comes a better Megane, and Ford's newcomer, the Focus RS, which is also front-wheel drive. And for straight-line thrills and cornering skills, neither concedes a thing to its counterpart.
The Megane RS250 is a decided departure from the RS225 it supersedes. Gone is the near vertical rear windscreen and bustle-bum. In its place is a lower-slung coupe with big haunches and a monster centre exhaust to keep things distinctive. I didn't mind the old one. The new one's lines are less polarising; I find them very appealing indeed.
I very much like what Ford's done with the Focus RS, in keeping as it with the spirit of the Escort RS2000s of the 1970s and 80s. I would have the $60K Focus in heartbeat, but not in our test car's pearlescent lime green. It's beautiful coming out of the freezer on a stick, but on this car it grabs too much attention for my liking. "Aren't you a bit old for that kind of thing?" asked the fellow at a fruit barn in the Blue Mountains, before launching into 20 more questions about what's under the bonnet, what it's like to drive, etc.
It has the same basic Volvo-sourced T5 mill as the Focus XR5 Turbo but with substantial upgrades, including a doubling of turbo boost, to produce a class-crunching 224kW and 440Nm. The latter comes up from a low 2300rpm across a broadish band to 4500rpm. Both figures represent premiums of more than 30 per cent over the already muscular XR5 Turbo and C30 T5.
Megane RS250 was a lower-key affair. The dealer from whom I collected it told me its metallic blue is the most popular colour. Buyers shy away from Renault's beautiful signature yellow because they'd rather sacrifice the compliments to do without the bother from the fully sick boys wid da funny haircuts. Just by virtue of branding, it's in less danger than the Ford. RenaultSport remains one of the better kept secrets on the local market.
Aficionados and club-sporters love them, but most people don't know about them – a situation Renault's keen to redress. That's partly why the RS250's pricing is as sharp as its handling and performance.
For your $50-odd K you get an impressive 186kW and 340Nm. You have to go to 3000rpm to reach the latter, but in RenaultSport tradition this is an engine that does its best work at high revs anyway. And enough of that torque is available lower down to make it a relatively easy companion on the commuter cycle.
It's this ease of daily use that helps make both these models the most accomplished front-wheel drive sporties on the road. Neither is as functionally well-rounded as the Volkswagen Golf R, but both compensate the sacrifices they demand with a more engaging drive when the time's right.
Both behave well on hard take-off, coming good with rorty, biting responses and enthusiastic demands for more. The Focus gets busy both ends, snarling and hissing up front, popping and banging out its big twin-pipe rear.
Megane puts its power to the road more tidily than its predecessor. Put you foot down and its low-rev Renault harmonic – just like the 16TS on which I got my Ps – gives way to a loudish bark. It takes you from 0-100km/h in just over six seconds; the Focus in just under six.
The great thing about both is you don't need to be Sebastien Vettel's smarter brother to find great enjoyment in them day-to-day. With virtually no turbo-lag in either, all the wattage and torque that gives them such elastic performance envelopes comes in just as handy on a five minute tootle down to the shop as it does on club day.
Particularly the Ford; it's like a little V8, as relaxing to drive down low as it is enthralling at speed. It's a shame about the rules with L-plates and turbocharging, because this is a terrific car to learn on. No, seriously – the clutch action's light, the shifts short and precise, all with the flywheel power to make stalling impossible. For the experienced, a little throttle goes a long way. I could live my entire life in this car's mid gears and die happy.
Megane is higher-strung. At 340Nm, it has palpably less low-down torque than the Ford, peaking higher at 3000rpm, so it doesn't have the same bottom-end flexibility or placidity. Yes, it's almost as fast, but you have to bury your toe in the carpet to know that. It's a bit like a Cornetto with its chocolaty treat down the bottom of the cone.
In mitigation, I found it more responsive on a trailing throttle than the Ford, giving it more of that slot-car feel turning in and exiting tight bends. City-speed braking is better, too. The big four-piston Brembos wipe away freeway speeds and beyond with the aplomb for which the brand is renowned. But they're also gentler when they're cold. The Ford's brakes have the stopping power of a brick wall, and the feel to match at ordinary speeds.
Both cars' interiors work well for the purpose. The Recaros in both are terrific when you're in them, but a bit of a pain to enter and exit with their hard side bolstering. For Renault drivers, the base-spec Cup comes with friendlier seats – recommended for those not harbouring track aspirations.
The Renault's fascia is an improvement over its predecessor, although it's still not up to Volkswagen for ergonomics or manifest build quality. Like some of the other controls, the keyless entry system takes a bit of getting used to – push the keycard button to lock it manually and you have to do the same to unlock it. The Arkamys audio package is adequate without being fabulous.
Storage is in short supply – the glove box is next to useless, the centre box is a bit like a silo and the door pockets are shallow. Out the back, while the boot space isn't bad for a hatch of its proportions, the split fold rear seats stop folding at about 45-degrees. Rear visibility isn't too flash either – and with no integrated Sat Nav available, there's no camera option either. But you do get beepers.
On the upside, the trip computing functions were easy to reset and access (although colleague Josh found the novelty stopwatch function wanting) and Bluetooth pairing was reasonably simple.
Ford's Bluetooth pairing is a pain. Otherwise, the Focus RS works well aesthetically and ergonomically. With help from the nostalgia-trip three-gauge binnacle, it serves up enough information – oil temp/pressure, turbo boost – to keep the boy-racer fraternity happy. The interior plastics are soft and classy. The audio, complete with digital radio, is terrific. It is, however, a bit short on storage space too, although the flip-up armrest boxes are handy in the rear. It could do with a right footrest – and why should you have to retrofit an aftermarket cruise control on a $60K car to keep your licence?
Both cars have useful rear seats, particularly the Ford, here wearing its prosaic origins on its sleeve in a good way. The Recaro backrests and black-on-black motifs won't do much for claustrophobes, particularly in the Renault, with its tiny side windows and big C-pillars. Although both have dual-zone climate control, no one gets ventilation in the rear, and no one's rear windows open. Nor do spines and bums fare too well back there over the rear axles in either car. But at least they fit.
If I was asked to choose between them I really couldn't say. It depends on what you're prepared to spend. Rumours that Ford's mingy 315-unit Aussie shipment has long been snapped up are only half true. Look it up in the Carsales lists. It's not hard to find examples with near-zero kilometres at premiums of up to $10K over the $59,990 list price.
If you resent the entrepreneurial fraternity holding the Focus to ransom, it's time to discover the Megane. It's the esoteric choice, arguably a purer sports car, and it leaves you $10-20K better off. The Ford offers a better work-life balance and undoubtedly better resale values – the only way you can buy one now is by proving that for someone else. Renault, meanwhile, is working on its branding and its product range to redress its status of relative unknown in this country. If there's a car to boost its status and resale values, the Megane RS250 is it.
It's a matter, then, of deciding whether you want to take your bath when you buy or when you sell. Whatever way you go, you'll enjoy the ride.
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