Fiesta ST anybody

[decay]

you could make the same argument about a DTM M3 from the 80s. your point?

[mrsleeve]

IIRC the DTM m3 was still a modded factory car wasnt it? and not a full on custom tube build with just OEM looking sheet metal.

[decay]

WRC cars are not tube-framed like NASCAR.

[alB5]

Good to hear, do you have the Recaros in there? Curious how they are after an hour drive.

Recaro seats break in (there's a huge difference when I sit in my passenger seat compared to the driver's seat) and they're plenty comfortable for my own preferences for long drives. long drives is where the suspension could use changing, the earlier models have tighter springs apparently, and I'll be fixing that issue with some PSS coils.


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[mjimport]

My brother has owned a FiST for a few years with Cobb stage 1 tuning. He loves it but is not very easy on it either. Zero issues so far even after the abuse.
I have driven it a few times and it's an absolute beast even just stage 1.

I have the Focus ST now since June, if I didn't have a 4 year old and a 3 month old, I would have bought the fiesta but it's just not feasible for me. I am very happy with the focus but I also knew I was going to give up some "refinement" after driving bmw and Lexus brands in the past.

Edit: regarding recaros, I hated them so much I planned to swap them initially, but after a few weeks they grew on me and are ok now. Definitely not great for commutes but they hug you well.

[Exodus_2pt0]

Going to test drive the Fiesta and Focus in a few weeks. Wife is on board, but has a good point that it would be nice if we could fit the kids in for times that I take the truck.

Kind of leaning towards the Focus now, I priced one out as I would want it and it's only~3k more.

Funny thing is buying one of these used seems pointless when you factor in the Loss of full warranty and interest rate differences between new vs used.

CarMax has a couple used Focus ST's with low mileage but it's so close in price to new that the 7-9% rate they offer makes it a pointless option. Good for test drives though.

[Jb325is]

Never drove a Fiesta ST but my brother has a Focus ST.

Feels like a rental car with a turbo and nice seats which is basically what it is. I would be pissed to pay that much for a car and have such bad interior and driving position. It is a car that starts at around 14k new and the interior will show it.

The Focus seemed to have too much power for what it is. The Fiesta is supposed to be a lot better balanced so it might be a bit better to drive but still not worth spending $23,000 on a Ford Fiesta to me.

$23,000 Ford Fiesta. Think about it.

I feel exactly the same. My roommate has a Focus ST, I've driven it a bit and ridden in it a lot. It is fast in straight line, sounds good, and the seats are fantastic. Other than that, it's pretty shit IMO. The steering feels artificial/overly sharp, the shifter feels like a Ford Focus shifter, the ABS "torque vectoring" is good for autocross or something I suppose, but not at all confidence inspiring and somewhat inconsistent feeling, and it is full of rattles/squeaks/cheap. I can't imagine the Fiesta being much better.

[Exodus_2pt0]

I actually read somewhere that the Fiesta has a nicer interior.

I dunno, every recent Ford I've been in has been light-years ahead of the Ford's pre-near bankruptcy.

We shall find out. A MKVII GTI has my eye too but not sure I want another VAG, and to spec one out like I want would make me spend more than I want to.

I'm looking at this as a A-B economy car that isn't boring.

[alB5]

I've recently driven a buddy's 2015 (facelift) focus ST with the st3 package and its interior is decent step above my fiesta's interior. But I was happy to get back into my fiesta after driving the focus, it's much more confidence building when you're mid-corner. It's more lively, and my car with just the Cobb off the shelf map with an inter cooler upgrade (total of ~$800) is marginally quicker than the focus. But all in all they're both great daily drivers that are mod friendly and very cheap considering what it costs to modify other cars in the same class.


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[mjimport]

If you're not against a private sale, check out '13 and '14 model year (pre facelift) they can probably be had for 15 to 17k now. I have a '13 fully loaded and feel I paid around 2 to 3k less than what a dealer would allow.

Also, check out focusst.org they have a pretty good forum going (not yet r3v status =)

[GAbOS]

I have an ST3 2014 FiST and it's been an amazing car. I deleted the rear seats and have tones of room to haul stuff and it's down to around 2500ish pounds now. One thing to note is most people mistake torque steer with the active braking stability control. Turn off ESC and most of that 'feeling' goes away.

The longest trip I have taken in the Recaro's was around 8 hours one way and was completely shocked at the lack of fatigue by the end of the trip.

[Exodus_2pt0]

I need to stop looking at these until we close on the house.

Local dealer has essentially the same FiST I would order but with navigation for 18.5k. Hory sheet.

[GAbOS]

At that price and we still have people complain about the interior?!

[DEV0 E30]

My thread, which is funny I never noticed the typo until now.

http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showthread.php?t=359209&highlight=thing

LOVED the car, and I got mine private party, a year old, ST3 package for less than $20k. 2014 with ~14k miles at the time. Only things done to it were upgraded intake and a COBB rear motor mount. That's important because the stock RMM is the same as the non-ST which allows the engine to tap the firewall. No bueno.

I personally think it's the best damn DD / small car available. It handles extremely well, and yes unless your E30 is built rather well, it's going to be faster and probably handle better. If I could have another as a DD, I would. I simply wanted to diversify and get into trucks. I even considered picking up a non-ST but just couldn't do it. I'd want another. If I got another I'd probably sacrifice some of the feel and downsize the wheels or upsize the tires. The rubber bands on them transfer feel very well but obviously that can be a downside on certain roads.

Devo chime in. I test drove one two years ago. Car is a riot. Had so much fun driving it

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This. Super fun. I do think it's a better buy than the Focus ST, unless you can't fit in the Fiesta.

Yeah talk to Devo about it, his got mashed up and totaled so he replaced with with a 100 series LX470 lol...

Personally for a DD comuter car I would not want to have a car payment, I would want a something decent that you can pick up for 5-6k gets 30+mpg and be able to drive it into the ground for 3-5 years. If it gets wrecked (deer strike, texting teen,in attentive tourist etc...) who cares about the hardware, just get another decent beater

Haha yeah, I went the complete opposite direction, to be fair the thing held up VERY well in a 45/50mph crash. It's a DAMN well engineered and built car. The A pillars are a little big but not any more than most newer cars. I might not be here if I was in an E30 honestly.

I'm also fortunate to have a 3 mile commute. With a longer commute good MPGs of the Fiesta would really shine. Just get as much coverage as possible and pay the "20% over cash value option" if you have it. Then of course an 18 year old still might be an idiot and almost kill you. But if you don't mod it much it really can be driven into the ground and replaced somewhat easily.

Good to hear, do you have the Recaros in there? Curious how they are after an hour drive.

Recaros or bust. Some people need to wear them in, I loved how they fit my frame. I drove to California and back over a weekend and ~6+ hours each way and I wasn't uncomfortable but your results may vary. Way more comfortable than the same trek in multiple E30s of varying harshness.

If you're not against a private sale, check out '13 and '14 model year (pre facelift) they can probably be had for 15 to 17k now. I have a '13 fully loaded and feel I paid around 2 to 3k less than what a dealer would allow.

Also, check out focusst.org they have a pretty good forum going (not yet r3v status =)

This is the way to go, non ST3's are dropping rather cheap but I do think the Recaros are worth it.

Test drive a few at dealers, with or without Recaros.

[Julien]

I actually read somewhere that the Fiesta has a nicer interior.

I dunno, every recent Ford I've been in has been light-years ahead of the Ford's pre-near bankruptcy.

We shall find out. A MKVII GTI has my eye too but not sure I want another VAG, and to spec one out like I want would make me spend more than I want to.

I'm looking at this as a A-B economy car that isn't boring.

They are discounting the '16 GTIs pretty aggressively