Fiesta ST 1.5 MK8 or 1.6 MK7?
Discussion
RS Grant said:
Has the seat height been addressed in the MK8 ST? It’d be fantastic if it had been.. because I’m a lover of hot hatches and fast Fords.
In a word, yes-it's not GT86-esque by any stretch but you're noticeably lower than in the Mk7. The seats in general are much better to be honest, at least with the ST3 alcantara jobsOn a separate but not totally unrelated note, I got absolutely left by a Mk7 Fiesta ST today coming off a roundabout into a dual carriageway.
We both booted it, I was in second and he absolutely left me.
I have a Mini 2018 Cooper S so 190bhp. Christ knows what he must have had done to his engine but he was several car lengths ahead fairly quickly.
Never driven one myself but seems like good value for money considering how rapid they can be.
We both booted it, I was in second and he absolutely left me.
I have a Mini 2018 Cooper S so 190bhp. Christ knows what he must have had done to his engine but he was several car lengths ahead fairly quickly.
Never driven one myself but seems like good value for money considering how rapid they can be.
Wagonwheel555 said:
On a separate but not totally unrelated note, I got absolutely left by a Mk7 Fiesta ST today coming off a roundabout into a dual carriageway.
We both booted it, I was in second and he absolutely left me.
I have a Mini 2018 Cooper S so 190bhp. Christ knows what he must have had done to his engine but he was several car lengths ahead fairly quickly.
Never driven one myself but seems like good value for money considering how rapid they can be.
To be honest even just up to 250bhp makes a big difference with a smaller car, there's plenty videos of a ~250bhp ST keeping up with Focus RSs etc in dual carriageway pullsWe both booted it, I was in second and he absolutely left me.
I have a Mini 2018 Cooper S so 190bhp. Christ knows what he must have had done to his engine but he was several car lengths ahead fairly quickly.
Never driven one myself but seems like good value for money considering how rapid they can be.
Some of them get tuned to 300+ bhp so it was probably one of those. Yours is standard presumably, so that would explain the result. Its unlikely a standard ST is going to demolish a standard Cooper S. My mate has an F56 Cooper S tuned to 290 bhp and I think that would be fairly close, it's a rapid car.
I guess I don’t have much to compare my mk7 with as it’s the first hot hatch I’ve owned. The ride is what I expected and although firm is certainly no worse than many other cars I’ve had. Okay, I wouldn’t recommend it as a family car but I doubt many buyers would intend to use it as one. My wife’s Hyundai has a much softer, floaty ride but then it drives like a boat. If you are just hooning on your own and don’t do huge miles I think it’s fine.
Maybe larger hot hatches ride better? Bigger cars do tend to feel a bit more settled in general. But then those cars are considerably more expensive unless you buy something old and leggy.
The market for mk7’s appears to have changed judging by other posters and owners club forum members (including myself). For the first few years they were mainly driven by youngsters because of cheap lease and pcp deals which is probably where the mk8 is currently. Now the mk7 is a bit older and there are plenty on the used market I’d say older car enthusiasts are picking them up. In a few years when they become dirt cheap snotters and sheds it’ll be the kids buying them again and moaning on here when they break!
In terms of power I feel there is more than enough as standard for road use. Maybe different if you want to track it. As said though, finding a standard car that hasn’t been abused is likely to become more and more difficult as modding is very popular in the fast Ford community.
Maybe larger hot hatches ride better? Bigger cars do tend to feel a bit more settled in general. But then those cars are considerably more expensive unless you buy something old and leggy.
The market for mk7’s appears to have changed judging by other posters and owners club forum members (including myself). For the first few years they were mainly driven by youngsters because of cheap lease and pcp deals which is probably where the mk8 is currently. Now the mk7 is a bit older and there are plenty on the used market I’d say older car enthusiasts are picking them up. In a few years when they become dirt cheap snotters and sheds it’ll be the kids buying them again and moaning on here when they break!
In terms of power I feel there is more than enough as standard for road use. Maybe different if you want to track it. As said though, finding a standard car that hasn’t been abused is likely to become more and more difficult as modding is very popular in the fast Ford community.
HazzaT said:
RS Grant said:
Has the seat height been addressed in the MK8 ST? It’d be fantastic if it had been.. because I’m a lover of hot hatches and fast Fords.
In a word, yes-it's not GT86-esque by any stretch but you're noticeably lower than in the Mk7. The seats in general are much better to be honest, at least with the ST3 alcantara jobsI really like the way the MK8 looks and it has all the spec and tech I’d want.
I had a MK7 ST when they were brand new, and it's honestly the only car (out of the dozens I've owned!) that I come close to regretting getting rid of. I commuted 80 miles a day in it, 5 days a week, and whilst the suspension was firm I never actually found the car uncomfortable or difficult to live with because of it. It always seemed to be willing you to drive it hard, it was one of the most fun cars I've ever driven. Also, personally, I prefer how the MK7 looks from the outside - it seems to have more distinct styling, with the new one looking a little generic, especially at the back. However, the MK8 interior is so far ahead of the MK7's, the tech as well. Don't get me wrong, my MK7 was the ST3 so had the full leather heated Recaros, sat nav, Bluetooth etc but it all felt rather 'last gen'. On balance, if you can afford it, the MK8 is surely the better shout, especially if it drives as well as the MK7 and addresses some of the previous cars weaker points, but the MK7 is coming up to being something of a used bargain if you find a good one.
There is a car that runs the MK7 close in terms of fun but has an interior closer to the MK8 & still keep you on budget.
Peugeot Sport 208 GTI
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202101067...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202010034...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202011126...
Peugeot Sport 208 GTI
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202101067...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202010034...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202011126...
Just stumbled on this, funnily enough me and Mrs Badger are thinking of replacing our ageing Mazda2 runaround with something a bit newer and fun. Been looking at the Mk7 ST-3 as it's got all the bells and whistles. Don't think we can go far wrong with one it seems, funny how a lot of Fiesta ST owners are now older folk, I assumed it would be mostly younger people. Does anyone know if you buy a Mk7 whether you can still have the Mountune pack fitted, or is that all gone now?
Speed Badger said:
Just stumbled on this, funnily enough me and Mrs Badger are thinking of replacing our ageing Mazda2 runaround with something a bit newer and fun. Been looking at the Mk7 ST-3 as it's got all the bells and whistles. Don't think we can go far wrong with one it seems, funny how a lot of Fiesta ST owners are now older folk, I assumed it would be mostly younger people. Does anyone know if you buy a Mk7 whether you can still have the Mountune pack fitted, or is that all gone now?
Yes you can.Probably cheaper to find a car that already has it though.
If it's just more power you want there are a lot of other tuning options. But I'd try the standard car if I was you, coming from the Mazda2 I don't think you'll find it lacking.
The wife and I took mine out for a spin today. Lovely drive in the sunshine.
If it's just more power you want there are a lot of other tuning options. But I'd try the standard car if I was you, coming from the Mazda2 I don't think you'll find it lacking.
The wife and I took mine out for a spin today. Lovely drive in the sunshine.
I'm another 48 year old Mk7 ST owner. It replaced a Cayman because I needed a bit more space and lower running costs, and it's much less of a comedown than I might have expected. I'm 6'5", so there's no room for a passenger behind me but otherwise it's pretty spacious and comfortable, and I've driven 900 miles in a day with no issues.
Ran a Mk7 for 2 years as a lease car back in the good old days of leasing.
The car was great in all aspects except one. The ride. So harsh it was insane. Absolutely no reason for it to be that hard unless it lived 100% on track.
Even on a motorway is was uncomfortably harsh.
Was so bad, I didn't even contemplate the Mk8 when that came out (though I understand they did improve the ride somewhat).
If the Mk7 had adaptive dampers, I might well have been driving one today.
The car was great in all aspects except one. The ride. So harsh it was insane. Absolutely no reason for it to be that hard unless it lived 100% on track.
Even on a motorway is was uncomfortably harsh.
Was so bad, I didn't even contemplate the Mk8 when that came out (though I understand they did improve the ride somewhat).
If the Mk7 had adaptive dampers, I might well have been driving one today.
Hippea said:
How much of an issue is the dual mass flywheel on mk7s, I keep seeing it mentioned
Are you able to post links about it?I did a bit of googling but can't really see any mention of dmf or clutch issues. Remember that these cars get modified for power a lot which will put more strain on consumables. Mine is standard and has just passed 70k miles, clutch and everything seems fine touch wood.
Lots of varied opinions. I think I'm going to wait until we come out of lockdown to try to get a good drive in both.
I definitely prefer the external looks of the Mk7 although I prefer the Mk8's interior!!(a Mk8 with the 18" wheels comes close)
I wish that there was an easy way to determine if the Mk8 has the performance pack.
I definitely prefer the external looks of the Mk7 although I prefer the Mk8's interior!!(a Mk8 with the 18" wheels comes close)
I wish that there was an easy way to determine if the Mk8 has the performance pack.
) any recommendations for a good ST forum that doesn't require paid membership?Gassing Station | Car Buying | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff