RE: Ford Fiesta ST: PH Used Buying Guide

[s m]

GTEYE said:

There will be a time in the future (probably 20 years hence) when 99% of the population of ST's have been scrapped/stolen/crashed and these become appreciating assets as most fast Fords do...and then it will be properly appreciated for what it is possibly is....the 205 GTi of our times!

Obviously the electric car forums in 20 years will be full of ... " ....it's only a Ford...how did this happen..." and. "....they were rubbish when they were new ....you'd have to be mad to pay 4500 Bitcoins for one of those........" Or "......of course the 208GTi/Clio RS200 were what proper drivers had...." etc etc - forgetting all the favourable press reports etc when they were new

[FELIX_5]

s m said:

Obviously the electric car forums in 20 years will be full of ... " ....it's only a Ford...how did this happen..." and. "....they were rubbish when they were new ....you'd have to be mad to pay 4500 Bitcoins for one of those........" Or "......of course the 208GTi/Clio RS200 were what proper drivers had...." etc etc - forgetting all the favourable press reports etc when they were new

And the ST-1 will be touted as the 'RARE' hardcore, lightweight no frills 'CUP' version, and of course 'the original'.......

[blade7]

ezi said:

GTEYE said:

There will be a time in the future (probably 20 years hence) when 99% of the population of ST's have been scrapped/stolen/crashed and these become appreciating assets as most fast Fords do...and then it will be properly appreciated for what it is possibly is....the 205 GTi of our times!

I don't see that happening, these cars are produced in much too large quantities.

Clio 200's on the other hand?

How many MK11 Escorts do you think were made?

[LarsG]

Just be aware a general recall has been issued on Jan 8 for Fiesta ST built between 2010-2014 which I think relates to the 1.6 Ecoboost, regarding overheating, coolant loss and fire risk. Details on the DVLA website for recalls. Also concerns Kuga and Focus so I expect it is either/or the 150 and 180bhp models.

[mooseracer]

dieseluser07 said:

A lot, have a lot at the percentages compared to other cars.

I would say 70% of the cars nicked are fiesta st's, the other 30% are a mix of multiple manufacturers and cars. So the car itself is very prone to thefy.

There are more than 25,000 Fiesta STs registered so percentage wise it's low. Still, sensible security precautions would be advisable. I've had mine for 2 years and it's not been nicked (yet).

[culpz]

dieseluser07 said:

culpz said:

dieseluser07 said:

RumbleOfThunder said:

I'm starting to think the stolen thing is a bit of a canard. Happens to some cars then before you know it, it gets regurgitated in forums like PH where it's considered gospel.

One sentence for you.

Stolen cars midlands facebook page and stolen cars uk facebook page.

Tell me how little fiesta sts you see on there.

Every day there is a new one or two gone missing.

I think what he's saying is that, of course, if you have your car nicked, you're going to put it on a page such as those you've mentioned. You're then looking at a huge list of everyone's that have been stolen

The real outlook is how many aren't being nicked? We know they're prone to being pinched, just like Golf R's, but it will almost always look worse than it actually is on those sites.

A lot, have a lot at the percentages compared to other cars.

I would say 70% of the cars nicked are fiesta st's, the other 30% are a mix of multiple manufacturers and cars. So the car itself is very prone to thefy.

Respectfully though, that's simply just a guess. This is the point that i'm ultimately trying to make.

There's was a thread on here about someone's stolen S3 or Golf R, i think, that went on for a huge amount of pages. There was a survey shared on there from a poster about the most commonly stolen cars and there was no Fiesta's or even Focus's to be found on there, if i remember correctly.

Now, i'm in no way saying that these aren't being stolen, because it's clear as day that they are. I'm just questioning just how many are really being pinched and is it really as many as we think. I believe that may also be what RumbleOfThunder was getting at too.

[TheTyreAbuser]

My ST3 MP215 that I was lucky to have from new back in 2015 was utterly brilliant. Makes my '17 Golf R seem super dull in comparison even if the Golf is quicker.

Obviously there are faults with any car, the ST wasn't perfect.

And as others say, the ride issue seems to be down to what kind of car background you have. I'd gone from a slammed '89 passat to the ST, so it felt like a Rolls Royce in comparison. I did 30k in 2 years and it honestly never bothered me. I can see why some might be though. Choppy over certain surfaces and less steering/chassis damping means you feel the road more, which was a plus in my eyes, but the difference in character to the Golf is like night and day. The ST was alive/annoying, the Golf would put you to sleep/keep you calm. I like both, but if you're expecting it to be a magic carpet, remind yourself it's an affordable fast Ford.

Someone else mentioned the boost hose popping off. I had this twice but after the second AA roadside fix (and a test drive with the grateful AA guy) it was sorted for good. I guess they might just have missed it on final inspection as it was within 3000 miles of new.

Build quality? Better than a lot of JLR's current lineup in terms of interior quality. Worse than the majority of the German establishment. It's a Ford, it could be better but it's actually totally fine. If you think it's bad, try a current Ssangyong or MG and get back to me.

DAB was never something I used that much but honestly, when I did, the reception was a bit on the cack side compared with other new cars. Just stick to Bluetooth music or USB if you're that bothered.

Talking of Bluetooth, surprised nobody else has mentioned the pairing issue. I had it regularly. Every 3 months or so, Sync would pair to the phone but not play any music. No amount of clearing memory or unpairing/re-pairing would fix it. No clue as to when it would happen, just dropped connection instantly. The only real repair I found was to pull the fuse for Sync to get it to reboot entirely. Not a permanent fix but I was never able to find a permanent one. Annoying rather than a dealbreaker.

The theft thing? I mean, I was never worried, no more than any other car considering I live in the middle of a city. Certainly less than I am with the Golf R. I think the reports on Facebook might be a bit more of a sampling issue. If there are 27,000 ST's, most will be owned by people who care about cars, savvy enough to post about having theirs stolen on Facebook in a certain group where people with other cars may just deal with it without posting on Facebook. They're a popular, well regarded hot hatch, they aren't ever going to be hard to steal with the right tools, so it is going to happen a fair bit. Maybe if there were more than 5000 208 GTI's in the UK, and they all had keyless entry, we might be hearing more about them, although I think they're not keyless entry, so there's your main reason. VW deemed it necessary to remove keyless entry as an option at all on UK Golf R 3 doors, so I guess it's just a thing for keyless.

Economy? A 200bhp hot hatch that achieves 29mpg in my hands is essentially a miracle. I was heavy footed almost everywhere because it was so much fun. So I'm amazed it did that well. That may shock people used to diesels, but I was never bothered about fuel economy, yet it still managed a 3 hour drive across the country at a stated 42mpg average when I wasn't being a tit.

One thing I will say though is how many people seemed to want to try it on with the ST. I had more people in other sporty/modified cars trying to race at traffic lights, on the motorway, dual carriageways than any other car I've been in. It was like having a target painted on your back for everyone with a chip on their shoulder or a point to prove. It was actually quite annoying. I didn't really think too much of it at the time but now I get essentially no bother whatsoever in the Golf it stands out way more in my mind as weird. I don't know if it's people getting peeved at it being "just a Fiesta" or "Ha, think that's fast? I'll have you" something but it honestly got on my nerves way more than it should. I'm sure nobody else has been bothered at all but it just struck me as odd.

I genuinely miss mine. I would have it back as a second car if I could afford to. In fact, when the Golf goes back I may be on the look out for it.

Though obviously that's my take on it, your mileage may vary.

[Riskins]

Had an ST2 from new for 2 years and have to agree they are a riot to drive hard, got a real old school hot hatch feel about them. Nothing to complain about in the ownership other than I would agree on poor road surfaces at low speeds the suspension/17" wheels make for a really crashy ride.

Traded the ST for a Golf R which better suited our needs for a bigger car, sadly the Golf is nowhere near as fun unless you are doing speeds which will get you in trouble with the plod.

As the prices continue to fall I could see them making for a great track day car as the tuning available for them is seemingly endless.

[MOBB]

Had a 2015 ST3 MP215 from new for 12 months.

Changed it for a M235i
Changed that for a F10 M5
Now in a Leon Cupra 290

All of the above cars were "better" and "faster" than the ST - but I still crave one again. So much more fun.

Currently considering an Up GTI, new Suzuki Swift sport, and if they aren't up to the job, I'll get another ST

[WCZ]

worth noting that the headlights are absolutely awful too, worth changing for a HID kit
and the standard tyres aren't great either, michelins are much better

Edited by WCZ on Wednesday 14th February 12:23

[TheTyreAbuser]

WCZ said:

worth noting that the headlights are absolutely awful too, worth changing for a HID kit
and the standard tyres aren't great either, michelins are much better

Edited by WCZ on Wednesday 14th February 12:23

Good point. The OEM Bridgestones were horrible. Had some Pirellis and some Contisports on the front (3 front sets in 30k miles...) and both were worlds ahead of the Bridgestones. Contis were better than the Pirellis but wore a tonne faster, which was ok considering how much grip they had.
The original Bridgestones were still on the back after 30k. With super grippy fronts they were actually good fun!

[dieseluser07]

TheTyreAbuser said:

WCZ said:

worth noting that the headlights are absolutely awful too, worth changing for a HID kit
and the standard tyres aren't great either, michelins are much better

Edited by WCZ on Wednesday 14th February 12:23

Good point. The OEM Bridgestones were horrible. Had some Pirellis and some Contisports on the front (3 front sets in 30k miles...) and both were worlds ahead of the Bridgestones. Contis were better than the Pirellis but wore a tonne faster, which was ok considering how much grip they had.
The original Bridgestones were still on the back after 30k. With super grippy fronts they were actually good fun!

Bridgestones on the front are awful in the wet when part worn, terrible understeer

[blade7]

dieseluser07 said:

Bridgestones on the front are awful in the wet when part worn, terrible understeer

True.

[J4CKO]

Wonder why you hardly ever see a Clio 200, I did consider one and there werent many for sale, the 172 and 182 in the early 2000s were everywhere.

Wonder where all these ST's are going when nicked, what is the usual route, abroad, parted out to fit the bits to normal ones like back in the eighties ?

[culpz]

J4CKO said:

Wonder why you hardly ever see a Clio 200, I did consider one and there werent many for sale, the 172 and 182 in the early 2000s were everywhere.

Wonder where all these ST's are going when nicked, what is the usual route, abroad, parted out to fit the bits to normal ones like back in the eighties ?

Do you mean the MK3 Clio 200's?

They are rare, but that's probably because they are absolutely dire on fuel for the performance they give. Great cars and a proper raw N/A hot hatch experience, but they use a hell of a lot of petrol for the privilege.

[Ahbefive]

ezi said:

GTEYE said:

There will be a time in the future (probably 20 years hence) when 99% of the population of ST's have been scrapped/stolen/crashed and these become appreciating assets as most fast Fords do...and then it will be properly appreciated for what it is possibly is....the 205 GTi of our times!

I don't see that happening, these cars are produced in much too large quantities.

Clio 200's on the other hand?

Edited by ezi on Wednesday 14th February 10:17

There were 97,000 XR2s in the UK at one point. You coyld pick one up for £500 15 years ago. Now they are £5k-£20k. Similar with 205 GTis, Escorts, Sierras, e30 BMWs, etc etc.

Common cars do not stay common forever and due to being so common often end up more revered as many people saw them regularly or had experience of them.

[mr_fibuli]

Just had a look on How Many Left - looks like there are about 1500 Clio turbos on the road, and 28,000 Fiesta STs, which would explain why I see about 5 STs every time I pop to the shops, and also probably why you hear about them getting stolen more often than anything else.

[TheTyreAbuser]

mr_fibuli said:

Just had a look on How Many Left - looks like there are about 1500 Clio turbos on the road, and 28,000 Fiesta STs, which would explain why I see about 5 STs every time I pop to the shops, and also probably why you hear about them getting stolen more often than anything else.

Literally every time I drive anywhere there will be an ST. Just do the maths on exactly what that means for Ford, how much of a smash hit the car has been in the UK alone. Average £18k new x by that amount sold. They really don't want to mess up the new one.

[ezi]

culpz said:

J4CKO said:

Wonder why you hardly ever see a Clio 200, I did consider one and there werent many for sale, the 172 and 182 in the early 2000s were everywhere.

Wonder where all these ST's are going when nicked, what is the usual route, abroad, parted out to fit the bits to normal ones like back in the eighties ?

Do you mean the MK3 Clio 200's?

They are rare, but that's probably because they are absolutely dire on fuel for the performance they give. Great cars and a proper raw N/A hot hatch experience, but they use a hell of a lot of petrol for the privilege.

According to Renault, they only sold 429 Cup trim cars and 2099 FF cars over a 3.5yr period. The cars weren't especially thirsty when you compare them to for example the mk6 Fiesta ST which you see way more of considering they had 50bhp more and were much more capable. I think they were rarely mostly just down to the badge, most people rather own a Ford than a Renault.

Edited by ezi on Wednesday 14th February 18:25

[mnaylor]

Had an ST from new, with MP215, kept it a year. It was great fun to drive, but I did find the build quality a bit lacking. Recently, I went to look at a few used ones from Ford dealer's as I was thinking of buying another, and they don't seem to age well. What I mean by that is, that the trim and paint marks so easily a year old car starts looking like a 5 year old car. I also saw cars with side skirts almost literally hanging off. It put me off going back to one. Was still a hoot to drive though.