Fiesta ST Motorway Hack!
Discussion
Its been 9,000 miles since I bought my car, just 4 months ago!
I originally bought the car and did a post...
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=159...
So a quick update!
As I said i've done 9000 miles in just 4 months. Its been to the north, the west country and averages about 400 miles a week on my commute.
So am I mad for buying this car for so many miles? Not as much as you'd think!
The ride on the motorway is only just about bearable
It bumps up and down over most road surfaces but the smoothest. However the fact that the car is ridiculously fun, puts a proper smile on your face and sounds pretty good makes up for it in my opinion! I could have had a 2.0 diesel which would have done the journey much better, but most days, I literally couldnt care less.
The fuel economy is always in the 40's on mixed journeys and regularly in the 50's on a conservative motorway cruise. Which for a 200hp petrol is amazing in my eyes. Road and engine noise is pretty hushed on the motorway too!
The drive itself is phenomenal. The car just lunges out of corners with its 'e-diff' dabbing away at the brakes for max traction. It sounds pretty good too, with a low down growl climbing to a fizzy rally(ish) sound at the top end. There's a bit of turbo lag across the revs but i'm used to that from cars of old. I've never driven a car that feels so enthusiastic to get up and go all the time. Its addictive.
All in all i'm please. I like the way it looks, drives and doesnt damage my wallet too much at the pumps. Very recommended car this! Here's a pic of her on a recent camping trip to the Yorkshire Dales
I originally bought the car and did a post...
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=159...
So a quick update!
As I said i've done 9000 miles in just 4 months. Its been to the north, the west country and averages about 400 miles a week on my commute.
So am I mad for buying this car for so many miles? Not as much as you'd think!
The ride on the motorway is only just about bearable
It bumps up and down over most road surfaces but the smoothest. However the fact that the car is ridiculously fun, puts a proper smile on your face and sounds pretty good makes up for it in my opinion! I could have had a 2.0 diesel which would have done the journey much better, but most days, I literally couldnt care less.The fuel economy is always in the 40's on mixed journeys and regularly in the 50's on a conservative motorway cruise. Which for a 200hp petrol is amazing in my eyes. Road and engine noise is pretty hushed on the motorway too!
The drive itself is phenomenal. The car just lunges out of corners with its 'e-diff' dabbing away at the brakes for max traction. It sounds pretty good too, with a low down growl climbing to a fizzy rally(ish) sound at the top end. There's a bit of turbo lag across the revs but i'm used to that from cars of old. I've never driven a car that feels so enthusiastic to get up and go all the time. Its addictive.
All in all i'm please. I like the way it looks, drives and doesnt damage my wallet too much at the pumps. Very recommended car this! Here's a pic of her on a recent camping trip to the Yorkshire Dales
Edited by willmagrath on Friday 7th October 15:43
benjijames28 said:
Even on Yorkshire to London motorway runs, my 60 plate 1.2 fiesta with 82bhp would get around 45mpg. So if your getting in the 40s from a 2 litre turbo version with over double the power... Your doing well
It's a 1.6. I love these but haven't driven one yet. I haven't heard a bad thing said about them.
I really don't understand peoples issues with the ride.
I go up and down the m6 (midlands to liverpool) all the time and it hasn't even crossed my mind. Yes its not going to be as refined as the usual suspects for this type of driving but its hardly bone shattering.
Cruise control on, sit back and relax.
For comparison, cruise control set to 75 and stretches of 50 road works yeilds a MPG of just over 45mpg and snarled m6 south traffic on a sunday afternoon is around 42.
Lowest iv'e had it is 32.
I go up and down the m6 (midlands to liverpool) all the time and it hasn't even crossed my mind. Yes its not going to be as refined as the usual suspects for this type of driving but its hardly bone shattering.
Cruise control on, sit back and relax.
For comparison, cruise control set to 75 and stretches of 50 road works yeilds a MPG of just over 45mpg and snarled m6 south traffic on a sunday afternoon is around 42.
Lowest iv'e had it is 32.
Evanivitch said:
A brave choice!
I do similar miles and the thought has certainly crossed my mind (more so the 5 door is possible). I'm impressed by your fuel economy too.
How does it fair for servicing and consumables?
It is a Ford Fiesta so its cheap, thousands of dealers, hundreds of online forums/facebook pages and cheap to tune if that is what you are into.I do similar miles and the thought has certainly crossed my mind (more so the 5 door is possible). I'm impressed by your fuel economy too.
How does it fair for servicing and consumables?
Standard tyres arn't up to much so looking forward to the upgrade.
1st year service is 170ish from memory with a loan car.
Insurance is normal hot hatch territory.
Get a disklock and enjoy it.
Next time i'm going up the M6 i'll remember how brave I am being.
Thanks for the replies. And nice car other PH'er with the black st. Yeah I find it quite hard as my old car was very soft! Yeah consumables will be pretty cheap I hope! It's only a light car
I think good mpg is due to the high gearing in 6th. At 70 it only revs at 2600. Which is pretty low for a petrol I think.
I think good mpg is due to the high gearing in 6th. At 70 it only revs at 2600. Which is pretty low for a petrol I think.
GTIAlex said:
I really don't understand peoples issues with the ride.
I go up and down the m6 (midlands to liverpool) all the time and it hasn't even crossed my mind. Yes its not going to be as refined as the usual suspects for this type of driving but its hardly bone shattering.
Cruise control on, sit back and relax.
For comparison, cruise control set to 75 and stretches of 50 road works yeilds a MPG of just over 45mpg and snarled m6 south traffic n a sunday afternoon is around 42.
Lowest iv'e had it is 32.
Yeah I find mine pretty jiggle! Is yours on different suspension though? Looks lowered! I go up and down the m6 (midlands to liverpool) all the time and it hasn't even crossed my mind. Yes its not going to be as refined as the usual suspects for this type of driving but its hardly bone shattering.
Cruise control on, sit back and relax.
For comparison, cruise control set to 75 and stretches of 50 road works yeilds a MPG of just over 45mpg and snarled m6 south traffic n a sunday afternoon is around 42.
Lowest iv'e had it is 32.
Jealous of the cruise control though! May look into getting it fitted
willmagrath said:
Yeah I find mine pretty jiggle! Is yours on different suspension though? Looks lowered!
Jealous of the cruise control though! May look into getting it fitted
Another owner here too, the majority of my driving is motorway and it's great, I would like a little more refinement but it's hushed apart from a bit of engine roar above 3k.Jealous of the cruise control though! May look into getting it fitted
It's great for the motorway, stick it in 6th and it boosts off at any speed for over takes etc. I love mine. Honestly no idea what il change it for, every time I see one on the road I think yep I love mine.
Maybe a golf gti
BlueFiestaST said:
Another ST180 owner here. Came from a Mondeo ST TDCI and the ride on the motorway in the Fiesta isn't that bad.
I average high 30s and that is mixed driving. The 1.0s only get in the 40s.
My 140bhp 1.0 could creep into the 60's on the motorway if you 'hypermiled' the car and driving normally would see 55mpg easily I average high 30s and that is mixed driving. The 1.0s only get in the 40s.
GTIAlex said:
BlueFiestaST said:
Another ST180 owner here. Came from a Mondeo ST TDCI and the ride on the motorway in the Fiesta isn't that bad.
I average high 30s and that is mixed driving. The 1.0s only get in the 40s.
My 140bhp 1.0 could creep into the 60's on the motorway if you 'hypermiled' the car and driving normally would see 55mpg easily I average high 30s and that is mixed driving. The 1.0s only get in the 40s.
Guessing if I sat at 60mph i'd get 50+.
Obviously not having to use the turbo.
Well, the poor fiesta's stint as a motorway hack is over, i'm finally moving closer to work. I've done 12,000 miles in just 6 months in the poor thing! Apart from the ride quality its done very well.
I'm now very happy that it's gonna have a well earned rest with a briliant 8 mile round trip to work, instead of 96....
Looking forward to not seeing the mileage go up at ridiculous rate too!
I'm now very happy that it's gonna have a well earned rest with a briliant 8 mile round trip to work, instead of 96....
Looking forward to not seeing the mileage go up at ridiculous rate too!
willmagrath said:
Well, the poor fiesta's stint as a motorway hack is over, i'm finally moving closer to work. I've done 12,000 miles in just 6 months in the poor thing! Apart from the ride quality its done very well.
I'm now very happy that it's gonna have a well earned rest with a briliant 8 mile round trip to work, instead of 96....
Looking forward to not seeing the mileage go up at ridiculous rate too!
How have you found the consumables like tyres and fuel in that time? Anything gone wrong?I'm now very happy that it's gonna have a well earned rest with a briliant 8 mile round trip to work, instead of 96....
Looking forward to not seeing the mileage go up at ridiculous rate too!
I totally retract my earlier statements about motorway miles in these, after a few trips up the M6 recently I was finding myself pondering something with a bit of a softer side.
I absolutely love mine but couldn't use it as a regular motorway car unless I had cruise, I find the throttle far too sensitive.
MPG wise though they're brill, managed 57mpg driving like a prius driver on the motorway once, couldn't do it again though, god it was boring and fights everything the car is about.
Typical motorway mpg is about 40-45 at 70-80ish for me. As soon as you hit the powerband and the turbo kicks in it plummets. I get 39mpg when I'm behaving in city traffic, 33 when I'm having a bad month. Not bad considering my mate in his 1.25 averages about 40mpg himself.
On the plus side it sounds immense flooring it in the higher gears, at 25000 miles mine has started to pop on changes from 3rd-4th-5th.
MPG wise though they're brill, managed 57mpg driving like a prius driver on the motorway once, couldn't do it again though, god it was boring and fights everything the car is about.
Typical motorway mpg is about 40-45 at 70-80ish for me. As soon as you hit the powerband and the turbo kicks in it plummets. I get 39mpg when I'm behaving in city traffic, 33 when I'm having a bad month. Not bad considering my mate in his 1.25 averages about 40mpg himself.
On the plus side it sounds immense flooring it in the higher gears, at 25000 miles mine has started to pop on changes from 3rd-4th-5th.
GTIAlex said:
willmagrath said:
Well, the poor fiesta's stint as a motorway hack is over, i'm finally moving closer to work. I've done 12,000 miles in just 6 months in the poor thing! Apart from the ride quality its done very well.
I'm now very happy that it's gonna have a well earned rest with a briliant 8 mile round trip to work, instead of 96....
Looking forward to not seeing the mileage go up at ridiculous rate too!
How have you found the consumables like tyres and fuel in that time? Anything gone wrong?I'm now very happy that it's gonna have a well earned rest with a briliant 8 mile round trip to work, instead of 96....
Looking forward to not seeing the mileage go up at ridiculous rate too!
I totally retract my earlier statements about motorway miles in these, after a few trips up the M6 recently I was finding myself pondering something with a bit of a softer side.
Only cost so far has been a service, under £200.
Gassing Station | Readers' Cars | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff