Anyone gone from an EP3 CTR to a Mk7 Fiesta ST?
Discussion
I am looking at replacing my daily car with something a little more interesting and I up until recently I had my mind set on an EP3 CTR. I had one before and I really miss it. The car would be used for an 8 mile commute to work, very occasional child chariot and occasional track work so EP3 sounds like a good shout. I tend to track my TVR but I would like the option to take the Civic if it is raining.
The issue is now is that I got the missis a 1.0 125PS Fiesta Titanium on a lease and I what I thought would be quite a mundane car is actually really good fun to drive. I find I keep stealing it and going for a little blast, there is something about the way is corners which is very rewarding and the 3cylinder engine doesn't sound bad either.
I am not thinking maybe I should save the extra and get a Fiesta ST instead. I was wondering if anyone has gone from a EP3 CTR to a Mk7 Fiesta ST?
I am thinking if the 1.0 125PS Fiesta is so much fun the ST should be epic, but then the gearshift is a bit weak (in the 1.0), especially compared to the CTR and the noise of 9k vtec is very addictive in the CTR. Also not so sure on the high up driving position of the Fiesta for a hot hatch. I would be very interested to hear from anyone who has made this change.
The issue is now is that I got the missis a 1.0 125PS Fiesta Titanium on a lease and I what I thought would be quite a mundane car is actually really good fun to drive. I find I keep stealing it and going for a little blast, there is something about the way is corners which is very rewarding and the 3cylinder engine doesn't sound bad either.
I am not thinking maybe I should save the extra and get a Fiesta ST instead. I was wondering if anyone has gone from a EP3 CTR to a Mk7 Fiesta ST?
I am thinking if the 1.0 125PS Fiesta is so much fun the ST should be epic, but then the gearshift is a bit weak (in the 1.0), especially compared to the CTR and the noise of 9k vtec is very addictive in the CTR. Also not so sure on the high up driving position of the Fiesta for a hot hatch. I would be very interested to hear from anyone who has made this change.
Hi OP.
First time poster but lurker-reader for many a year...
I had an EP3 for eleven years. First car and enjoyed every journey in it. Turning the ignition was a sense of occasion and settling in for a drive was a joy.
Yep, it did get tiresome when I was tired and I felt the ride get more crashy as my bones aged and the roads crumbled faster. But some mild tweaks, geo' settings, brakes and some really tough Avid Racing engine mounts with a DC Sports catback livened things up. It was great. I couldn't hear the radio let alone have a decent conversation with a passenger due to the noise it made. Glorious.
Then I bumped it in the Autumn of 2013 and I was heartbroken. Written off even though the damage was minor.
It took a while to settle on another car. Shall I go saloon or convertible? Diesel or petrol? I tried to stay NA but decided that I could compromise to a petrol turbo that has been built with some sense of driving spirit by engineers and not the marketing men. The Fiesta ST arrived a couple of months later.
First impressions were that the car was more compliant and agile. More forgiving if you hit a bump mid-corner and less likely to try and swap ends or throw you off into a hedge. Bit more under steer was felt although I've tried to dial this out on new geo'. I was concerned that the lack of multi-link suspension on the rear would be a compromise but it is not. Ford have thrown their clay and created a good pot.
The engine is a character. Just like the K20A, it is maturing nicely and developing its own sound. The MP215 upgrade is a christening to it and this has given it an unhinged quality which I like. The engine revs' with eagerness too although the dual-mass flywheel/clutch does mean that it carries its momentum really well. It took a while to get used to this.
Seats are great. Radio is nice but too many buttons. I have AC now. Better headlights. Gear shift is not up to Honda standards but good enough. A Mountune quickshift has helped in this respect and I think a better rear lower mount will help further.
I really do feel that car technology has moved on in a decade. The FST is lighter, more economical and cheaper to run. The EP3 was the underdog of the 2000's. It deserved more respect but was always over shadowed by the DC2, DC5 and S2000. I wish it would hit classic status one decade; it deserves to. It is a testament of hot hatch engineering genius from an innovative manufacturer.
First time poster but lurker-reader for many a year...
I had an EP3 for eleven years. First car and enjoyed every journey in it. Turning the ignition was a sense of occasion and settling in for a drive was a joy.
Yep, it did get tiresome when I was tired and I felt the ride get more crashy as my bones aged and the roads crumbled faster. But some mild tweaks, geo' settings, brakes and some really tough Avid Racing engine mounts with a DC Sports catback livened things up. It was great. I couldn't hear the radio let alone have a decent conversation with a passenger due to the noise it made. Glorious.
Then I bumped it in the Autumn of 2013 and I was heartbroken. Written off even though the damage was minor.
It took a while to settle on another car. Shall I go saloon or convertible? Diesel or petrol? I tried to stay NA but decided that I could compromise to a petrol turbo that has been built with some sense of driving spirit by engineers and not the marketing men. The Fiesta ST arrived a couple of months later.
First impressions were that the car was more compliant and agile. More forgiving if you hit a bump mid-corner and less likely to try and swap ends or throw you off into a hedge. Bit more under steer was felt although I've tried to dial this out on new geo'. I was concerned that the lack of multi-link suspension on the rear would be a compromise but it is not. Ford have thrown their clay and created a good pot.
The engine is a character. Just like the K20A, it is maturing nicely and developing its own sound. The MP215 upgrade is a christening to it and this has given it an unhinged quality which I like. The engine revs' with eagerness too although the dual-mass flywheel/clutch does mean that it carries its momentum really well. It took a while to get used to this.
Seats are great. Radio is nice but too many buttons. I have AC now. Better headlights. Gear shift is not up to Honda standards but good enough. A Mountune quickshift has helped in this respect and I think a better rear lower mount will help further.
I really do feel that car technology has moved on in a decade. The FST is lighter, more economical and cheaper to run. The EP3 was the underdog of the 2000's. It deserved more respect but was always over shadowed by the DC2, DC5 and S2000. I wish it would hit classic status one decade; it deserves to. It is a testament of hot hatch engineering genius from an innovative manufacturer.
dragonflyjade said:
Hi OP.
First time poster but lurker-reader for many a year...
Thanks for taking the time to sign up to reply to my question, much appreciated. First time poster but lurker-reader for many a year...
11 years, wow! I had mine for 2 years, loved it and then moved onto an S2000. I think to be perfectly honest I preferred the Civic as the S2000 was a bit to hairy to push hard on the road and it i was a lot more expensive for a car which in my eyes did not deliver enough more performance and excitement to justify the additional expense and loss of practicality. Insurance and tax alone were double the Civic. I always felt my Civic was quicker in a straight line as well. I solved that problem by moving from the S2000 to a Griff and buying a £500 Astra as a daily hack for going to work. Do you still get the sense of occasion with the ST?
I now find myself with enough money to afford a good Civic, and I would upgrade it with an AEM CAI and a LSD and then leave the rest standard. I toyed with the idea of a DC2 but in reality i think it is too hardcore and unpractical for everyday use. Simple choice until the missis' new 1.0 125PS fiesta turned up and got me thinking why is this car so fun to drive and what must the ST be like.
I would be opting for the MP215 upgrade as it seems like a no-brainer for £600 and the fact you can insure it as a MP215 and not a modified car. I know a couple of people who have moved from a CTR to an FST and they have both been happy. The thing I am really struggling with is the driving position as even when I go from my Mk4 Astra to the missis' Fiesta it seems like I am sat in a high chair. The other thing I cannot work out is why the Fiesta is so much fun to drive I it all the things I don't really like about modern cars, light clutch, light steering, wide A pillars, turbo charged etc. but as a package it just seems to work.
I agree with you on the Radio, you need a degree to get that working and as for the bluetooth, I can get it working once but then as soon as a leave the car and come back I have to configure it all over again. I now just have a usb cable to connect my phone and use the steering wheel controls, Volume up, volume down and next track, that is all i need!
I think I will have a look at the ST, I have a couple of friends who have one so blagging a drive should not be too difficult. I think you are right in that things have moved on in a decade it is just a shame about all the legislation that results in the dumbing down of modern cars. Imagine a new naturally aspirated type r, the same weight as the original but with a more modern chassis and suspension.... that would be awesome!
If you enjoy the 1L ecoboost you will love the ST. The ST feels like a completely different car though, much more focused than the Zetec S.
Buy one and have the MP215 kit fitted and I'd be surprised if you were dissapointed coming from an EP3 Type R, in comparison the Fiesta pulls hard in any gear at any RPM, the full 236lb/ft of torque from such a low RPM will be the biggest noticeable difference between the Civic and the Fiesta. The Civic beats the Fiesta in the sound dept. but for a modern petrol turbo hatch the Fiesta does sound great and it does like to rev.
In regard to the understeer comment from the other poster I wouldn't worry, maybe it does in comparison to his EP3 but in comparison to some other modern hot hatches I've driven it hardly understeers at all.
Buy one and have the MP215 kit fitted and I'd be surprised if you were dissapointed coming from an EP3 Type R, in comparison the Fiesta pulls hard in any gear at any RPM, the full 236lb/ft of torque from such a low RPM will be the biggest noticeable difference between the Civic and the Fiesta. The Civic beats the Fiesta in the sound dept. but for a modern petrol turbo hatch the Fiesta does sound great and it does like to rev.
In regard to the understeer comment from the other poster I wouldn't worry, maybe it does in comparison to his EP3 but in comparison to some other modern hot hatches I've driven it hardly understeers at all.
The ST is a great car, the ST3 is really well equipped with heated seats, climate control, keyless entry and go auto headlights/wipers.
But, the ride is firm, very firm! At low speeds on bumpy roads you get thrown about and if you're a tad larger the seats can be a bit awkward to get into.
Don't get me wrong, i'm not hating the ST, it's a fantastic little car, once you get it going properly and on some B roads it's lovely, I was test driving one and was following an Aston AMV8 giving it the beans and I was keeping up with him, and what became immediate was the grip and the gearchange, it's great!
Try one.
But, the ride is firm, very firm! At low speeds on bumpy roads you get thrown about and if you're a tad larger the seats can be a bit awkward to get into.
Don't get me wrong, i'm not hating the ST, it's a fantastic little car, once you get it going properly and on some B roads it's lovely, I was test driving one and was following an Aston AMV8 giving it the beans and I was keeping up with him, and what became immediate was the grip and the gearchange, it's great!
Try one.
Having driven both the EP3 and Mp215 I think there both great cars. I think you will like the Fiesta, you will notice the lack of diff on track but it will be an excellent daily. They are deceptively fast as the power is so useable, loads of torque from low down and power high up the rev range in what is a flyweight caar, the noise isnt as good as VTEC but it does have a nice throaty sound, with the windows down the dumpvalve can be heard, it feels very much like a little rally car and dare i say it like the Mk1 Focus RS. It does have its downsides but there things you will probably find in any other supermini for sale currently and can easily be overlooked for what is a very good chassis and engine combo.
R2T2 said:
The ST is a great car, the ST3 is really well equipped with heated seats, climate control, keyless entry and go auto headlights/wipers.
But, the ride is firm, very firm! At low speeds on bumpy roads you get thrown about and if you're a tad larger the seats can be a bit awkward to get into.
Don't get me wrong, i'm not hating the ST, it's a fantastic little car, once you get it going properly and on some B roads it's lovely, I was test driving one and was following an Aston AMV8 giving it the beans and I was keeping up with him, and what became immediate was the grip and the gearchange, it's great!
Try one.
You may have been giving it the beans, but I can guarantee the AMV8 was just cruising.But, the ride is firm, very firm! At low speeds on bumpy roads you get thrown about and if you're a tad larger the seats can be a bit awkward to get into.
Don't get me wrong, i'm not hating the ST, it's a fantastic little car, once you get it going properly and on some B roads it's lovely, I was test driving one and was following an Aston AMV8 giving it the beans and I was keeping up with him, and what became immediate was the grip and the gearchange, it's great!
Try one.
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