Ford Focus RS’s 2.3-liter EcoBoost Named One of 10 Best Engines by WardsAuto

High-Output EcoBoost Engine Joins Other Turbocharged Power Plants on the List

Ford’s little hot hatch recently won a big award. The 2.3-liter EcoBoost I4 in the Ford Focus RS was named one of the 10 best engines by WardsAuto.

The Focus RS was one of 40 vehicles the site tested. WardsAuto stated it conducted its evaluations – without instrumented testing – in “October and November, driving to and from home, work, school, the hardware store and on weekend roadtrips.” It rated the engines based on factors such as horsepower, torque, comparative specs, and real-word fuel economy.

While the EcoBoost was the only Ford power plant to make the cut, it wasn’t the only engine of its kind. If you take a look at the full list below, you’ll quickly notice two themes: turbos and hybrids.

-3.0L Turbocharged DOHC I-6 (BMW M240i)
-1.5L DOHC 4-cyl./Dual Motor EREV (Chevrolet Volt)
-3.6L DOHC V-6/Dual Motor PHEV (Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid)
-2.3L Turbocharged DOHC 4-cyl. (Ford Focus RS)
-2.0L DOHC 4-cyl./Dual Motor HEV (Honda Accord Hybrid)
-1.4L Turbocharged DOHC 4-cyl. (Hyundai Elantra Eco)
-3.0L Turbocharged DOHC V-6 (Infiniti Q50)
-2.5L Turbocharged DOHC 4-cyl. (Mazda CX-9)
-2.0L Turbocharged DOHC 4-cyl. (Mercedes-Benz C300)
-2.0L Turbo/Supercharged DOHC 4-cyl. (Volvo V60 Polestar)

Times, they are a-changin’. In fact, this is the first time in 23 years that a V8 didn’t get put on the list. That doesn’t mean WardsAuto didn’t appreciate an engine with plenty of punch, though. The 2.3-liter EcoBoost I4 in the Focus RS generates 350 horsepower (as much as the LS1 V8 in the C5 Corvette did) and 350 lb-ft of torque. WardsAuto said it “sends the Focus RS from standstill to lightspeed in a flick of the throttle. There simply are no dead spots in this all-aluminum engine’s power delivery, making the RS a totally civil daily driver.”

I just spent a week in a 2016 Focus RS and have to give its EcoBoost some praise of my own. It liked being revved, but I never once felt I had to wring it out to get juice out of it. Power came on strongly yet smoothly. As hopped up on boost as the car was, the throttle was well-tuned, even when I put the RS in its Sport and Track settings. Pulling away from stops was always lurch-free. What made the EcoBoost even more fun was the fact that Ford Performance hooked it to a six-speed manual gearbox – no paddle-shift auto or dual-clutch setup. That kind of wonderful and satisfying simplicity deserves an award of its own.

Chime in with your thoughts on the forum. >>

via [Ford] and [WardsAuto]

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Derek Shiekhi

Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.

After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.

While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.

Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.

In addition to writing for a variety of Internet Brands sites, including JK Forum, H-D Forums, The Mustang Source, Mustang Forums, LS1Tech, HondaTech, Jaguar Forums, YotaTech, and Ford Truck Enthusiasts. Derek also started There Will Be Cars on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.

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