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).
Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution
CZ4A (Evo X) Lancer Evolution Final Edition · 2008–2015
CZ4A (Evo X) Lancer Evolution Final Edition · 2008–2015
Ford Focus RS
Mk3 Focus RS · 2016–2018
Mk3 Focus RS · 2016–2018
Horsepower
303
350
Torque
lb-ft
lb-ft
305
350
0–60 mph
seconds; magazine test, else maker
seconds; magazine test, else maker
4.4
4.6
Top speed
—
165 mph
Weight
3,527 lb
3,459 lb
Price new
base, when new
base, when new
$37,995
$36,605
Engine
Mitsubishi 4B11T
2.0-liter inline-4, turbo
2.0-liter inline-4, turbo
Ford 2.3 EcoBoost (Focus RS)
2.3-liter inline-4, turbo
2.3-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
93
2919
Recalls
these years
these years
10
12
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
Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution
| Generation | Trim | hp | 0–60 | Engine | YouTube tone | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CZ4A (Evo X) · 2008–2015 | Lancer Evolution Final Edition | 303 | 4.4 | Mitsubishi 4B11T | — | 93 | 10 |
| CT9A (Evo IX) · 2006 | Lancer Evolution IX | 286 | 4.7 | Mitsubishi 4G63T | — | 24 | 2 |
| CT9A (Evo VIII) · 2003–2005 | Lancer Evolution | 271 | 5.0 | Mitsubishi 4G63T | — | 112 | 3 |
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 |
Everything on the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution · Everything on the Ford Focus RS · Specs and their sources are on each car's page.