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
Subaru WRX STI
VA WRX STI · 2015–2021
VA WRX STI · 2015–2021
Horsepower
350
310
Torque
lb-ft
lb-ft
350
290
0–60 mph
seconds; magazine test, else maker
seconds; magazine test, else maker
4.6
4.4
Top speed
165 mph
—
Weight
3,459 lb
3,450 lb
Price new
base, when new
base, when new
$36,605
$36,595
Engine
Ford 2.3 EcoBoost (Focus RS)
2.3-liter inline-4, turbo
2.3-liter inline-4, turbo
Subaru EJ257
2.5-liter flat-4, turbo
2.5-liter flat-4, turbo
YouTube owner tone
out of 100, these years
out of 100, these years
—
57
Owner complaints
NHTSA, raw count, these years
NHTSA, raw count, these years
2919
250
Recalls
these years
these years
12
0
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 |
Subaru WRX STI
| Generation | Trim | hp | 0–60 | Engine | YouTube tone | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VA · 2015–2021 | WRX STI | 310 | 4.4 | Subaru EJ257 | 57 | 250 | 0 |
| GR / GV · 2008–2014 | Impreza WRX STI hatchback | 305 | 5.0 | Subaru EJ257 | 53 | 178 | 2 |
| GD · 2004–2007 | Impreza WRX STi | 300 | 4.6 | Subaru EJ257 | 52 | 75 | 0 |
Everything on the Ford Focus RS · Everything on the Subaru WRX STI · Specs and their sources are on each car's page.