The Lemon Index
Head to head
Each car's headline trim of its newest generation. Green check = the better of the two on that line (more power, quicker, lighter, cheaper, fewer recalls).
Ford Focus RS
Mk3 Focus RS · 2016–2018
Mk3 Focus RS · 2016–2018
Volkswagen Golf R
Mk8 Golf R (2025 update) · 2022–2025
Mk8 Golf R (2025 update) · 2022–2025
Horsepower
350
328
Torque
lb-ft
lb-ft
350
295
0–60 mph
seconds; magazine test, else maker
seconds; magazine test, else maker
4.6
4.1
Top speed
165 mph
—
Weight
3,459 lb
—
Price new
base, when new
base, when new
$36,605
$47,100
Engine
Ford 2.3 EcoBoost (Focus RS)
2.3-liter inline-4, turbo
2.3-liter inline-4, turbo
VW EA888 evo4 2.0 TSI (Golf R)
2.0-liter inline-4, turbo
2.0-liter inline-4, turbo
YouTube owner tone
out of 100, these years
out of 100, these years
—
—
Owner complaints
NHTSA, raw count, these years
NHTSA, raw count, these years
2919
28
Recalls
these years
these years
12
7
Owner complaints are raw counts from NHTSA, not per car sold: performance cars sell too few for a fair per-car score, and the busier seller usually draws more. YouTube owner tone = how positively the most-watched videos about those model years talk about the car (100 = all praise).
Pick other generations or add a car
Every generation
Ford Focus RS
| Generation | Trim | hp | 0–60 | Engine | YouTube tone | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mk3 · 2016–2018 | Focus RS | 350 | 4.6 | Ford 2.3 EcoBoost (Focus RS) | — | 2919 | 12 |
Volkswagen Golf R
| Generation | Trim | hp | 0–60 | Engine | YouTube tone | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mk8 · 2022–2025 | Golf R (2025 update) | 328 | 4.1 | VW EA888 evo4 2.0 TSI (Golf R) | — | 28 | 7 |
| Mk7 / Mk7.5 · 2015–2019 | Golf R DSG | 292 | 4.5 | VW EA888 Gen 3 2.0 TSI (Golf R) | — | 43 | 9 |
| Mk6 · 2012–2013 | Golf R two-door | 256 | 5.9 | VW EA113 2.0 TSI (Golf R) | — | 5 | 0 |
Everything on the Ford Focus RS · Everything on the Volkswagen Golf R · Specs and their sources are on each car's page.