Normally you'd abhor giving cars a gender, but there is a benefit to doing so in this comparison. Assume for just a second that the Clio and Fiesta are women; the Clio would be the redbrick graduate, hailing from a long line of illustrious forebears, apparently sensible but more than capable of providing excitement if you press the right buttons. Ahem.
The Fiesta, and not just because it's orange, is the holiday fling. Louder, brasher and less refined, yes, but far more excitable and enjoyable from the get-go. The effervescence is addictive, the knowledge that your mum probably wouldn't approve just heightening the endearment.
Anyway, overwrought analogy aside, ['Swiss who?' says Matt - Ed.] the Fiesta is just a ball of energy and excitement from the moment it's started. Nothing has to be configured as in the Clio, but then that also means it lacks the Renaultsport's adaptability to all situations. You may want to bumble around town, but the Fiesta wants to be thrashed mercilessly. Now. All the time, in fact.
Trouble is, you find yourself indulging the Fiesta's naughty personality. It wants to be sprinted away from the lights a bit too quickly, and you will. The additional torque of the Mountune upgrade allows overtakes in sixth gear, but the sweet manual shift will have you dropping a gear or two for the sheer pleasure. That the Mountuned car sounds a bit fruitier also only goads you on further.
Get the ST in an environment where that rambunctious personality can be fully exploited and it's an absolute joy. Furthermore, though the tech-savvy, Clio-appreciating sophisticate hates it, the manual box is a significant part of the enjoyment. Gears really can be changed as fast as your hand can move, the shift fast and precise, the clutch fairly light. The Renaultsport is good, it's exceptionally good in fact, when you're at maximum attack, but the Fiesta just adds another level of interaction thanks to that stick.
Like us you may grow to prefer the Clio's steering, but the Fiesta's rack is decently weighted [Strike two... - Ed.] once up to speed, albeit a little too light when just shuffling around.
In the ST, quick trips to the shop just don't happen; you drive a bit longer just because it's so much fun. It's eager and exploitable, just how we as enthusiasts would want a hot hatch in fact.
FORD FIESTA ST MOUNTUNE
Engine: 1,596cc 4-cyl turbo
Power (hp): 215@6,000rpm*
Torque (lb ft): 236@3,000rpm*
Transmission: 6-speed manual, front-wheel drive
Top speed:137mph
0-62mph: 6.4 secs (claimed)**
MPG: 47.9 (NEDC combined)
CO2: 139g/km
Price: £17,594
*Power and torque figures on overboost
**Claimed 0-62mph from Mountune. All other stats as the standard car