Fiesta ST (2013 onwards) - Opinions saught
Discussion
I've been meaning to replace my 2003 Focus for some time now, but keep putting it off because of other priorities (and I'm a bit lazy and hate buying cars). Out of all the options I've got a used Ecoboost Fiesta ST at the top of my list (budget is £13k and that is as high as it will go). I don't need loads of space as I'll only have the occasional passenger and the low running costs are tempting - I live in a fairly high risk post code and the insurance is only another £100 a year more.
I am happy that the performance is good enough, about 200bhp is about all you'll ever need on the road in a small car (and then there's the mountune options if I don't find that's the case) but I am more worried about living with it day to day, when I'm not in the mood for a hoon and just want to get somewhere.
Bearing in mind I am coming from a 13 year old Focus, so I am not expecting S Class levels of refinement...
- Will it be unbearable on the motorway? Wind/tyre noise etc
- Build quality - I know the MK7 Fiesta is a bit plasticky, but will it drive me insane with rattles
- Any recalls or weak points to worry about
- Is it worth paying extra for a ST-3
Some opinions from long term owners would be good, just to counterbalance all the hype from the youtube reviews.
I am happy that the performance is good enough, about 200bhp is about all you'll ever need on the road in a small car (and then there's the mountune options if I don't find that's the case) but I am more worried about living with it day to day, when I'm not in the mood for a hoon and just want to get somewhere.
Bearing in mind I am coming from a 13 year old Focus, so I am not expecting S Class levels of refinement...
- Will it be unbearable on the motorway? Wind/tyre noise etc
- Build quality - I know the MK7 Fiesta is a bit plasticky, but will it drive me insane with rattles
- Any recalls or weak points to worry about
- Is it worth paying extra for a ST-3
Some opinions from long term owners would be good, just to counterbalance all the hype from the youtube reviews.
Tyre roar is the worst on the motorway, the standard bridgestones are a bit rubbish but other people have sorted this by changing, they are very low profile tyres
It sits happily at 70mph very quietly, at 80 it's a bit louder but you won't feel tired climbing out of it.
I find the turning circle in mine rubbish, almost impossible to reverse bay park in 1 movement.
I love mine though, no idea what to change it for.
Build quality is very good, it's a ford so does have a few pretty rubbish plastics but it's still a nice place to be with lovely seats and radio.
I would pay extra for the st3, depends if you want sat nav, auto light and wipers, parking sensors and folding mirrors
Not much goes wrong, a few cars have suffered with blown gearboxes quite early on. And others the illuminated sills included in the style pack ( red calipers, tinted windows and different colour wheels ) can also blow
Over all I love mine, I had a focus before too. It's a great little car. So much fun to drive. Plenty in budget too
It sits happily at 70mph very quietly, at 80 it's a bit louder but you won't feel tired climbing out of it.
I find the turning circle in mine rubbish, almost impossible to reverse bay park in 1 movement.
I love mine though, no idea what to change it for.
Build quality is very good, it's a ford so does have a few pretty rubbish plastics but it's still a nice place to be with lovely seats and radio.
I would pay extra for the st3, depends if you want sat nav, auto light and wipers, parking sensors and folding mirrors
Not much goes wrong, a few cars have suffered with blown gearboxes quite early on. And others the illuminated sills included in the style pack ( red calipers, tinted windows and different colour wheels ) can also blow
Over all I love mine, I had a focus before too. It's a great little car. So much fun to drive. Plenty in budget too
I have a 2013 (so early) ST2 with added Sat Nav, Climate and Style Pack, I seem to recall its done about 27k miles.
Nothing has broken, nothing rattles, the only plastic that's notably cheap is the glovebox lid and all in all its proved a wonderful car.
It is a bit crashy at low speed over bad roads, the seats will not fit all more generously proportioned people and its probably not the best car if you're planning to spend the majority of your time on motorways but for all other purposes its great. SO good to drive for an inexpensive, cheap to run and practical car. I'd go as far to say that its 90% of the fun of the Cayman I ran previously... I'd not hesitate to recommend one - really impressed.
Nothing has broken, nothing rattles, the only plastic that's notably cheap is the glovebox lid and all in all its proved a wonderful car.
It is a bit crashy at low speed over bad roads, the seats will not fit all more generously proportioned people and its probably not the best car if you're planning to spend the majority of your time on motorways but for all other purposes its great. SO good to drive for an inexpensive, cheap to run and practical car. I'd go as far to say that its 90% of the fun of the Cayman I ran previously... I'd not hesitate to recommend one - really impressed.
Janesy B said:
- Will it be unbearable on the motorway? Wind/tyre noise etc NO
- Build quality - I know the MK7 Fiesta is a bit plasticky, but will it drive me insane with rattles YES
- Any recalls or weak points to worry about NO
- Is it worth paying extra for a ST-3 YES
Some opinions from long term owners would be good, just to counterbalance all the hype from the youtube reviews.
I've answered your questions above for you OP, I'm 17 months into a 24 month lease and think it's a brilliant car!!- Build quality - I know the MK7 Fiesta is a bit plasticky, but will it drive me insane with rattles YES
- Any recalls or weak points to worry about NO
- Is it worth paying extra for a ST-3 YES
Some opinions from long term owners would be good, just to counterbalance all the hype from the youtube reviews.
I'm only 23 and having owned hot hatches previously I still think the ride in the ST at low speeds on uneven tarmac is borderline unacceptable, the seating position isn't great (too high) but overall it's mega fun and has more than enough power to keep up with most vehicles on the road.
Edited by HJMS123 on Monday 23 May 15:38
I love mine, but the comments about poor ride over bad road surfaces & speed bumps are valid.
If it's a used one, the tyres will almost certainly have been changed from the originals. AIUI, the early OEM Bridgestone has now been discontinued, no idea what its current replacement is like. Mine runs on Michelin Pilot Sport 3s, owner's club orthodoxy suggests this is the best option & I've not been disappointed.
If you spend a lot of time on the motorway & have an ST1/2, cruise control can be retrofitted at a reasonable cost, this makes it a much nicer long haul cruiser. 70mph = about 2200rpm in 6th, so it's fairly relaxed at motorway speeds. The ST3 has cruise as standard, but I doubt your budget will stretch that far.
I've no complaints about the interior, other than the dash plastic being a bit sensitive - SWMBO's bag buckle scratched the knee panel in the passenger side & it's not completely polished out. I've had one of my sill plates fail, but it's about an hour's worth of work to replace & done under warranty, apparently they're home-fixable if the warranty's up.
EDIT - also worth saying, I've not detected any rattles inside, it seems pretty well screwed together overall.
If it's a used one, the tyres will almost certainly have been changed from the originals. AIUI, the early OEM Bridgestone has now been discontinued, no idea what its current replacement is like. Mine runs on Michelin Pilot Sport 3s, owner's club orthodoxy suggests this is the best option & I've not been disappointed.
If you spend a lot of time on the motorway & have an ST1/2, cruise control can be retrofitted at a reasonable cost, this makes it a much nicer long haul cruiser. 70mph = about 2200rpm in 6th, so it's fairly relaxed at motorway speeds. The ST3 has cruise as standard, but I doubt your budget will stretch that far.
I've no complaints about the interior, other than the dash plastic being a bit sensitive - SWMBO's bag buckle scratched the knee panel in the passenger side & it's not completely polished out. I've had one of my sill plates fail, but it's about an hour's worth of work to replace & done under warranty, apparently they're home-fixable if the warranty's up.
EDIT - also worth saying, I've not detected any rattles inside, it seems pretty well screwed together overall.
Edited by alangla on Monday 23 May 16:22
ash73 said:
I've been browsing for a new runabout recently and had a look at these, look ok from the outside and fun/£ ratio is good, but I can't get past the interior looking like a 1990's Argos stereo, put me right off sadly.
What bugs me is why the Americans get the more modern ICE?
The current interior design is 8 years old but, as a Fiesta Titanium owner, I think it works fine. Everything is simple to use.
I find mine perfectly acceptable on the motorway. Jump in a E90 330d afterwards and you notice the difference on the motorway (wind noise, road noise etc), but nothing to put me off a monthly 200 mile round trip from London to Northamptonshire.
Poorly maintained roads it is a bit 'crashy'.
I average 34 mpg driving it as you should. Please note I'm not worried about mpg, but just giving an idea.
I've fallen asleep in the back seat whilst been driven down the M11 after I had a few beers, so it's not that bad on a decent road.
Four tall adults don't fit that well in the car, but 6 foot people in the front and shorter behind and it's acceptable. I can get golf clubs in the boot if I take the driver out of the bag.
Has a nice turn of speed, but is not always so great at the traffic light gp as its torque limited in first and second.
I'll summarise by saying it's the ideal companion to my MK1 MX5.
Poorly maintained roads it is a bit 'crashy'.
I average 34 mpg driving it as you should. Please note I'm not worried about mpg, but just giving an idea.
I've fallen asleep in the back seat whilst been driven down the M11 after I had a few beers, so it's not that bad on a decent road.
Four tall adults don't fit that well in the car, but 6 foot people in the front and shorter behind and it's acceptable. I can get golf clubs in the boot if I take the driver out of the bag.
Has a nice turn of speed, but is not always so great at the traffic light gp as its torque limited in first and second.
I'll summarise by saying it's the ideal companion to my MK1 MX5.
Blanchimont said:
Get an St-3. Completely worth it for what you get.
Have you considered slightly older, full on Hot hatches? Like Megane RS, Mk6 Golf GTI, Mk2 Leon Cupra R. Clio200?
I have, but none of those really appeal in the same way. I think it's the mental block of spending 12 grand on a 6 year old hatchback (in the case of the Golf). Irrational I know.Have you considered slightly older, full on Hot hatches? Like Megane RS, Mk6 Golf GTI, Mk2 Leon Cupra R. Clio200?
I have an St2 as a company car, and previously had a 120d and A3. Have done 19000 miles in 15 mths, including some 7 hour round trips.
Not as refined as the BMW or Audi but not miles off.
Suspension is very hard, though not surprising as it's 'sporty'. Speed bumps are a nightmare!
Bluetooth is a bit hit and miss connecting for music, though works fine for the phones (Blackberry and Android).
Otherwise it's a great car, and reminds me of being on a motorbike in terms of it's directness.
Would 100% recommend. Get a blue one!
Not as refined as the BMW or Audi but not miles off.
Suspension is very hard, though not surprising as it's 'sporty'. Speed bumps are a nightmare!
Bluetooth is a bit hit and miss connecting for music, though works fine for the phones (Blackberry and Android).
Otherwise it's a great car, and reminds me of being on a motorbike in terms of it's directness.
Would 100% recommend. Get a blue one!
I had mine now 2 years and i can honestly recommend it.
As others already stated, ride is crushy on badly surfaced roads and the interior is a bit dated now.
Also the stock Bridgestones aren't that good. I went for Michelines PS3 and I found the ride a bit softer but still with plenty of grip when you need it.
I average 36mpg, mixed driving. Tyres are around £80-90 each. Service (2nd one) was £180 from Ford.
Tax is only like £130 a year.
Over the 2 years nothing went wrong except illuminated door sill which was replaced under warranty.
So for a 200bhp car I would say the running costs are pretty low.
As for the performance, gearbox, handing etc. Have a test drive and see for yourself why this car is prised by all motor journalists.
As others already stated, ride is crushy on badly surfaced roads and the interior is a bit dated now.
Also the stock Bridgestones aren't that good. I went for Michelines PS3 and I found the ride a bit softer but still with plenty of grip when you need it.
I average 36mpg, mixed driving. Tyres are around £80-90 each. Service (2nd one) was £180 from Ford.
Tax is only like £130 a year.
Over the 2 years nothing went wrong except illuminated door sill which was replaced under warranty.
So for a 200bhp car I would say the running costs are pretty low.
As for the performance, gearbox, handing etc. Have a test drive and see for yourself why this car is prised by all motor journalists.
My brother has one and it's a great little car. The engine is a characterful unit and the gearbox is a joy (the clutch is particularly nice). The interior is perfectly liveable and I've done the journey from Reading to Mountune's HQ in the car without feeling tired (the Mountune kit raises the car to the next level performance-wise).
Do not be under any illusions though, it is on the firm side in terms of its ride, probably unnecessarily so i.e. it doesn't need to be as hard as it is in order to handle as it does.
Overall a great package and I can absolutely see why it received (and continues to receive) universal praise. If I needed a small performance hatch, I wouldn't hesitate to buy one.
Do not be under any illusions though, it is on the firm side in terms of its ride, probably unnecessarily so i.e. it doesn't need to be as hard as it is in order to handle as it does.
Overall a great package and I can absolutely see why it received (and continues to receive) universal praise. If I needed a small performance hatch, I wouldn't hesitate to buy one.
Blanchimont said:
Get an St-3. Completely worth it for what you get.
Have you considered slightly older, full on Hot hatches? Like Megane RS, Mk6 Golf GTI, Mk2 Leon Cupra R. Clio200?
Full on hot hatch? It's quicker in all areas than a clio 200 and has similar if not better stats to a mk6 gti Have you considered slightly older, full on Hot hatches? Like Megane RS, Mk6 Golf GTI, Mk2 Leon Cupra R. Clio200?
Edited by HJMS123 on Tuesday 24th May 08:39
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