Fiesta ST3 Mk7 or 208 GTi Prestige
Discussion
Hi all,
As I touched on in a Mk7 vs Mk8 Fiesta ST what car thread, what are everyone's opinions on the two options above? Myself and Mrs Badger are looking to replace our Mazda 2 runaround with something small and runaroundy and a bit fun too. Budget is around £9-10k and for that money you get a 15/16 plate Fiesta with around 40k miles, Gti around 2017 model with 30k miles. I am leaning towards the Peugeot due to plusher (in comparison) cabin and generally being a nicer place to be when not chucking it around the place, big sat nav/infotainment screen and more compliant ride with better brakes (by the reviews I have read). The Fiesta is appealing more to me for chuckable fun, but I'm sort of weighing up how many times I'm going to chuck it around vs how many times I need it to do the ordinary stuff like picking the Badger child up, popping to the shop etc.
As I touched on in a Mk7 vs Mk8 Fiesta ST what car thread, what are everyone's opinions on the two options above? Myself and Mrs Badger are looking to replace our Mazda 2 runaround with something small and runaroundy and a bit fun too. Budget is around £9-10k and for that money you get a 15/16 plate Fiesta with around 40k miles, Gti around 2017 model with 30k miles. I am leaning towards the Peugeot due to plusher (in comparison) cabin and generally being a nicer place to be when not chucking it around the place, big sat nav/infotainment screen and more compliant ride with better brakes (by the reviews I have read). The Fiesta is appealing more to me for chuckable fun, but I'm sort of weighing up how many times I'm going to chuck it around vs how many times I need it to do the ordinary stuff like picking the Badger child up, popping to the shop etc.
The Prestige will be a couple of steps behind the ST fun wise (you'll need a Peugeot Sport model for that) but as you say for the other 200+ days of the year with your budget the 208 ticks a lot of the boxes:
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202101087...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202102169...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202009254...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202102209...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202101087...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202102169...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202009254...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202102209...
From the other thread you know I have the ST3.
Just before I bought the Fiesta I was almost certain I wanted the 208 GTi prestige as it is indeed better value and has a more modern interior. I found one at a local Pug dealer and went to test drive with a view to buying it. Unfortunately we were just out of lockdown one and there were lots of restrictions so I had to follow the dealer in his car on quite a short, set route which wasn't enough to really test the car. But it was enough for me to know it wasn't the one. Problem was it just felt like a very ordinary shopping car and not special at all. Not saying it's bad and obviously I couldn't get up to speed on nice roads but it felt full to me. The dealer also had an (overpriced) ST3 and when I say in it everything felt right. The seats, driving position, even the slightly dated interior just felt sporty and more interesting. A week later I found my ST3 and a short drive sealed the deal.
But.... I wanted a sharp, sporty drive. As I'm on my own in the car mostly I care more about fun than comfort so things like the hard ride don't bother me. I'm sure the 208 is easier to live with which might be a consideration for you.
The other car on my list which I never tried was the F56 cooper s 2.0 and your budget would bag a nice one of those. I still like them.
Just before I bought the Fiesta I was almost certain I wanted the 208 GTi prestige as it is indeed better value and has a more modern interior. I found one at a local Pug dealer and went to test drive with a view to buying it. Unfortunately we were just out of lockdown one and there were lots of restrictions so I had to follow the dealer in his car on quite a short, set route which wasn't enough to really test the car. But it was enough for me to know it wasn't the one. Problem was it just felt like a very ordinary shopping car and not special at all. Not saying it's bad and obviously I couldn't get up to speed on nice roads but it felt full to me. The dealer also had an (overpriced) ST3 and when I say in it everything felt right. The seats, driving position, even the slightly dated interior just felt sporty and more interesting. A week later I found my ST3 and a short drive sealed the deal.
But.... I wanted a sharp, sporty drive. As I'm on my own in the car mostly I care more about fun than comfort so things like the hard ride don't bother me. I'm sure the 208 is easier to live with which might be a consideration for you.
The other car on my list which I never tried was the F56 cooper s 2.0 and your budget would bag a nice one of those. I still like them.
Thanks folks, cheers for the Chris that's interesting. See today I'm fancying the Ford! It seems more childish than the Peugeot and if I'm just going to use it as a runaround, maybe a little fun silly yappy car is better than the slightly more sensible Peugeot. I've got my FK8 Type R that does the sensible car thing with a decent ride and easy to drive in comfort mode, then crazy touring car in +R mode.
I’ve had an ST since December, not long but long enough to know it’s an awesome little car.
Yes the ride is firm but I don’t find it too much, the pay off is go kart like handling. There’s no vagueness to this car at all, it does exactly what you ask it to and steers so fast it’s almost unbelievable.
Before I test drove mine I read all the reviews, watched the YouTube vids and thought it can’t possibly be that good but it really is.
The interior plastics aren’t the best but it’s a Ford, and for me it’s not an issue. Fuel economy for a 215bhp car (mine has the mountune upgrade) is great, currently sitting at 38mpg.
Ved is only £150, insurance for me as a 41yr old is £250.
You can improve the ride by fitting eibach springs, they will lower it a little but they help smooth the ride a bit. It’s not an issue for me though.
Yes the ride is firm but I don’t find it too much, the pay off is go kart like handling. There’s no vagueness to this car at all, it does exactly what you ask it to and steers so fast it’s almost unbelievable.
Before I test drove mine I read all the reviews, watched the YouTube vids and thought it can’t possibly be that good but it really is.
The interior plastics aren’t the best but it’s a Ford, and for me it’s not an issue. Fuel economy for a 215bhp car (mine has the mountune upgrade) is great, currently sitting at 38mpg.
Ved is only £150, insurance for me as a 41yr old is £250.
You can improve the ride by fitting eibach springs, they will lower it a little but they help smooth the ride a bit. It’s not an issue for me though.
I was in a similar position, but went for a 208 GTi Prestige, bought for 5k (minimal service history...), but I rate it. Avoided the ST simply because there were too many around.
Its a comfortable daily, get just under 45mpg on a long motorway trip, and is super happy on the backroads with a satisfying turbo woosh!
Its a comfortable daily, get just under 45mpg on a long motorway trip, and is super happy on the backroads with a satisfying turbo woosh!
Well Mrs Badger favours the Fiesta so I think that makes the other choice pretty much redundant. It will be mostly her car so she has the majority vote! I will check back here if it happens, will probably run the Mazda2 for a month or two then look to get one. Sounds like you wouldn't really be disappointed by either, but the Ford just seems to induce a few more smiles.
They did introduce a 5dr mk7 ST right at the end of their run so they would be 2017 66 plates. Quite rare but I think the 3dr looks a lot better. The mk8 is 3 or 5 door. Pug208 is 3dr only.
There seems to have been a shift to 5dr hot superminis recently which I think is a shame. 3dr is cool.
There seems to have been a shift to 5dr hot superminis recently which I think is a shame. 3dr is cool.
Yes I'm quite looking forward to it, I had a Clio 182 alongside my Type R which I had to sold as I was barely using my main car in all this madness, so it will be good to get back into what seems like a modern 182.
The ST3 prices seem quite strong, I did a 'we buy any car' on a 2016 ST3 with 31k on the clock and they offered £7.5k, it was up for £10.5k. In fact most of them seem to be up for around £10k with 30-40k mileage on them. I was expecting a bit cheaper to be honest.
The ST3 prices seem quite strong, I did a 'we buy any car' on a 2016 ST3 with 31k on the clock and they offered £7.5k, it was up for £10.5k. In fact most of them seem to be up for around £10k with 30-40k mileage on them. I was expecting a bit cheaper to be honest.
I have a pre 2015 ST with the bouncer suspension. It's a great car and has been faultless for 75,000 miles and 5 years, but the ride is very harsh.
The seats however are very comfortable, you can do 500 miles in 1 hit and not feel a thing. It's very economical, fun to drive, decently quick etc etc.
Basically, very fun: Fiesta.
Comfort and still fun: 208
The seats however are very comfortable, you can do 500 miles in 1 hit and not feel a thing. It's very economical, fun to drive, decently quick etc etc.
Basically, very fun: Fiesta.
Comfort and still fun: 208
Speed Badger said:
Yes I'm quite looking forward to it, I had a Clio 182 alongside my Type R which I had to sold as I was barely using my main car in all this madness, so it will be good to get back into what seems like a modern 182.
The ST3 prices seem quite strong, I did a 'we buy any car' on a 2016 ST3 with 31k on the clock and they offered £7.5k, it was up for £10.5k. In fact most of them seem to be up for around £10k with 30-40k mileage on them. I was expecting a bit cheaper to be honest.
There's always been a big difference in what cars are worth and the prices offered by wbac or part ex but I do think those prices are extremely low at the moment. Last June I paid £9k for my car, 2017 66 plate ST3 with 67k miles at main dealer which was good value. I'm not looking to sell but AT currently has it's part ex value at £6280 even though I've only done 3k miles. So in theory it's lost almost 3 grand. But I'd like to see anyone find a like for like car for that money not that it matters.The ST3 prices seem quite strong, I did a 'we buy any car' on a 2016 ST3 with 31k on the clock and they offered £7.5k, it was up for £10.5k. In fact most of them seem to be up for around £10k with 30-40k mileage on them. I was expecting a bit cheaper to be honest.
willmagrath said:
I have a pre 2015 ST with the bouncer suspension. It's a great car and has been faultless for 75,000 miles and 5 years, but the ride is very harsh.
The seats however are very comfortable, you can do 500 miles in 1 hit and not feel a thing. It's very economical, fun to drive, decently quick etc etc.
Basically, very fun: Fiesta.
Comfort and still fun: 208
If you buy the Eibach springs as well as lowering the car they actually improve the ride quality.The seats however are very comfortable, you can do 500 miles in 1 hit and not feel a thing. It's very economical, fun to drive, decently quick etc etc.
Basically, very fun: Fiesta.
Comfort and still fun: 208
Had a 208GTI Prestige and adored it.
Was faultless and brilliant fun. Can get it on 3 wheels and it is a really light car.
They can be quite tail happy if you aren’t careful as I found out to my peril when I wrote it off on the way to the gym completely unexpectedly due to a bit of lift off oversteer.
ST is brilliant as well even if I did chose the Pug over it just to firm for my taste at the time.
You won’t make a bad choice no matter what you pick.
Was faultless and brilliant fun. Can get it on 3 wheels and it is a really light car.
They can be quite tail happy if you aren’t careful as I found out to my peril when I wrote it off on the way to the gym completely unexpectedly due to a bit of lift off oversteer.
ST is brilliant as well even if I did chose the Pug over it just to firm for my taste at the time.
You won’t make a bad choice no matter what you pick.
I own a non-prestige GTi.
Cracking car, cheap to run (i get 43mpg avg with mostly B-road miles), much cheaper to insure than a FiST, less likely to get stolen and a lovely interior.
Just make sure you get the THP208 engine (should be fitted to all prestige models i think).
Having had a play with a Mk7 FiST mountune on my b-road commute however, i could not shake it at all.
Cracking car, cheap to run (i get 43mpg avg with mostly B-road miles), much cheaper to insure than a FiST, less likely to get stolen and a lovely interior.
Just make sure you get the THP208 engine (should be fitted to all prestige models i think).
Having had a play with a Mk7 FiST mountune on my b-road commute however, i could not shake it at all.
Well, interestingly the pendulum has swung back towards the Peugeot now! We were interested in an ST and the dealer did one of those walkaround videos and the interior put her off, saying something like "I'm not paying ten grand for that piddly little old fashioned Sat Nav screen and s
tty old radio." I said "but it's fun!" I said the Peugeot is apparently a bit less fun, but still up there in the fun stakes according to the reviews/owners. She said she would rather have a nicer interior and slightly less fun to drive, than fun, but poor interior. It's fair enough really, like I touched on earlier - the majority of the time you aren't chucking it round b-roads, so hey.
She's just sold her FN2 Type R and she did want to get an FK2 Type R. I thought that was cool, but then I thought what's the point in her having an FK2 and me having an FK8, she can (and does) drive that. She said she wants something newer, smaller as we've got a lot of little roads and tight country lanes near us, and not grief to park with a nice interior, still fun but not too special a car not to use it as a runaround.
tty old radio." I said "but it's fun!" I said the Peugeot is apparently a bit less fun, but still up there in the fun stakes according to the reviews/owners. She said she would rather have a nicer interior and slightly less fun to drive, than fun, but poor interior. It's fair enough really, like I touched on earlier - the majority of the time you aren't chucking it round b-roads, so hey. She's just sold her FN2 Type R and she did want to get an FK2 Type R. I thought that was cool, but then I thought what's the point in her having an FK2 and me having an FK8, she can (and does) drive that. She said she wants something newer, smaller as we've got a lot of little roads and tight country lanes near us, and not grief to park with a nice interior, still fun but not too special a car not to use it as a runaround.
Edited by Speed Badger on Thursday 4th March 16:06
Speed Badger said:
Well, interestingly the pendulum has swung back towards the Peugeot now! We were interested in an ST and the dealer did one of those walkaround videos and the interior put her off, saying something like "I'm not paying ten grand for that piddly little old fashioned Sat Nav screen and stty old radio." I said "but it's fun!" I said the Peugeot is apparently a bit less fun, but still up there in the fun stakes according to the reviews/owners. She said she would rather have a nicer interior and slightly less fun to drive, than fun, but poor interior. It's fair enough really, like I touched on earlier - the majority of the time you aren't chucking it round b-roads, so hey.
She's just sold her FN2 Type R and she did want to get an FK2 Type R. I thought that was cool, but then I thought what's the point in her having an FK2 and me having an FK8, she can (and does) drive that. She said she wants something newer, smaller as we've got a lot of little roads and tight country lanes near us, and not grief to park with a nice interior, still fun but not too special a car not to use it as a runaround.
If you want to have Fiesta levels of fun with the nice interior, then go for the Peugeot Sport 208 GTI:tty old radio." I said "but it's fun!" I said the Peugeot is apparently a bit less fun, but still up there in the fun stakes according to the reviews/owners. She said she would rather have a nicer interior and slightly less fun to drive, than fun, but poor interior. It's fair enough really, like I touched on earlier - the majority of the time you aren't chucking it round b-roads, so hey. She's just sold her FN2 Type R and she did want to get an FK2 Type R. I thought that was cool, but then I thought what's the point in her having an FK2 and me having an FK8, she can (and does) drive that. She said she wants something newer, smaller as we've got a lot of little roads and tight country lanes near us, and not grief to park with a nice interior, still fun but not too special a car not to use it as a runaround.
Edited by Speed Badger on Thursday 4th March 16:06
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202101067...
https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202010034...
I like the 208 by PS and perhaps would have gone there if I'd seen one to try at the time.
Just wondering if you can get the new swift sport in budget? If your wife likes Jap cars and isn't so worried about having the fastest or sharpest drive it could be worth a look as you get a newer car for the money
Edit...
Just looked and they seem to start at just under 11k but you're getting a 2018 with 20k miles for that.
Just wondering if you can get the new swift sport in budget? If your wife likes Jap cars and isn't so worried about having the fastest or sharpest drive it could be worth a look as you get a newer car for the money
Edit...
Just looked and they seem to start at just under 11k but you're getting a 2018 with 20k miles for that.
Edited by ChrisH72 on Thursday 4th March 22:40
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