Ford Fiesta ST Performance Edition vs. Mini JCW GP

[ZX10R NIN]

CABC said:

i recently had the joy of driving a well maintained GP on track for a day. it was fast and very little could 'compete'. i wanted to love it as i'm looking for a hatchback to replace my MX5 SC'd track car. replacement needs to be a little more practical to handle luggage for occasional trip. the seats were a weak point, just didn't keep me tight during the fast corners, and the handling i thought was a little ragged on the limit. i appreciate that a fast fwd is a different challenge and set of skills to master, i was just a little underwhelmed after a fettled 5. no denying its ability to eat tarmac though.

Try an RS250 Megane they're another step on in terms of handling.

[Niffty951]

CABC said:

i recently had the joy of driving a well maintained GP on track for a day. it was fast and very little could 'compete'. i wanted to love it as i'm looking for a hatchback to replace my MX5 SC'd track car. replacement needs to be a little more practical to handle luggage for occasional trip. the seats were a weak point, just didn't keep me tight during the fast corners, and the handling i thought was a little ragged on the limit. i appreciate that a fast fwd is a different challenge and set of skills to master, i was just a little underwhelmed after a fettled 5. no denying its ability to eat tarmac though.

I mirror all of your comments on the Mazda. My ND feels just the same. Great drive, bad seats and raggedy on the edge (especially at bigger speeds). I was also disappointed by my R56 JCW on track. Very 2 dimensional, a little uninspiring, unsettled under braking and too stiff/crashy on the road. It's a hard thing to find a car that does both well.

I'd recommend trying a BMW. I had an M135i it wasn't the most competent chassis and the lack of an LSD was felt more than in a stiffer RWD but as an all rounder it was a great balance of practicality, economy and fun. You can buy an M240i with LSD now too. Just be weary of the pedal offset (better if you have long legs).

Also a 996 (911) or 987 Cayman S offers a superb road car that transforms on a track day better than most anything else that's as comfortable on the road. Fuel economy not so great but Cayman is a surprisingly practical car in terms of luggage, running costs and comfort.

Avoid fast Audi's like the plague. Both of my S3's have been more expensive in parts/servicing than any Porsche and dull as dishwater on the track. I tried uprated Haldex, beefy anti roll bars, different springs, changing the wheel offsets. I couldn't make it feel anything other than a flying brick on track.

Edited by Niffty951 on Wednesday 25th December 15:50

[Deep Thought]

Bigarlick said:

Why does everyone forget about the Polo GTI that will whip the doors off both of these cars and with a lot more class

[greenarrow]

Two cars I would happily buy, funds permitting. Wife has an old ST150 which is a fun steer and I keep looking at Mini R53 Cooper S' They are just so cheap at the moment and haven't yet risen in value like the EP3 and other early 2000 icons. Strange really, because the R53 Cooper S won a lot of praise and a fair few group tests when new.

Have always fancied the R56 too, but the timing chain issues would put me off. I guess you'd need to find one which had a timing chain replacement. Interestingly early R56s seem to be getting as cheap as decent R53s....

Edited by greenarrow on Monday 30th December 14:28

[CacheMonet]

I cannot think of a more capable daily since I took delivery of my ST-3. I cannot fathom how the extras on the performance edition could give it a better turn of pace on the road while maintaining practicality. Its great to see Ford stepping up and I cannot wait to see what they do with the new Focus RS.

[DaveyBoyWonder]

I'm a big VW fan but their newer fast stuff just leaves me a bit bored. They're all a bit aim in a direction, put your foot down and arrive there quickly but you may as well be in a diesel Mondeo for all the enjoyment you might get from it.

I've recently got back into a Mini (albeit just a Cooper Clubman) but I'd forgotten what a joy to drive they are and am already looking at JCWs. As someone else said though, theres loads of sorted looking JCWs for around 10k and for a the slight trade off in performance I think I'd rather save 10 grand and have some extra seats.

Not driven one but just can't get excited about a Fiesta I'm afraid