Discussion
I'll be honest I don't know that much about them, however I can attest to the fact that they are great little things to drive as I've commandeered a friends on a number of occasions. He is however on his second clutch in 12,000 miles, he bought it about 1 year and a half ago. I'm unsure as to whether the clutches are chocolate, or if it has more to do with his shoddy driving 
Nice noise though.
Nice noise though.
I've had mine for over a year now (07 performance Blue 37000 when I bought it).
Issues thus far:
1. A broken front road spring which they are allegedly prone to. Mine turned and razed the tread off the tyre.
2. The multi-CD will often not surrender CDs. After fishing out CDs with the edge of an envelope, I now use mine as a single play unit and have had no issues.
3. I don't know if this is a fault on mine but the hot air always blows on your leg and doesn't seem to cut off when you rotate to demist. It doesn't bother me so I've not looked.
4. It does squaeak and rattle a bit but is otherwise solid.
5. Check the tyres and rims - they tend to be owned by younger lads so cheap tyres tend to eb the order of the day.
To drive, it is great - nice and pointy and a firm but reasonable ride. Acceleration is hardly starship but it's great in most situations. You can chuck it round but being short, when it relinquishes its grip, you have to catch it quickly. Nicely weighted steering, nice gearshift.
The brakes on mine were not great so I replaced the pads with Green Stuff (about £100 and much better than whatever was in there before).
The 5th gear is far too low so you're always looking for the non-existent 6th gear and it's slightly noisy because of that. the same engine in a Mondeo is far more relaxed.
That's about it. I found there was a wide selection of low mile cars as most people wanted the more powerful hot hatches.
Prices tend to be negotiable.
I was pleasantly surprised by the insurance - OK, I'm 54 but at under £200, I wasn't complaining.
The consumption on the dash is more or less constant at 31mpg. It will do more on a run but it's stubby shape isn't that aerodynamic and the low 5th means it will never do more than about 35 (Again, the 2.0 Mondeo is no worse on mpg).
The downside is that the fuel tank is small so you have to fill up frequently.
Simple to service yourself with oil, plugs and filters but refill the oil with a measured capacity as the dipstick is useless and you will overfill it and pump blue smoke out of the exhaust (Yes, I did....).
Overall, I would recommend it though you will get more refinement from a Focus.
I should add that the Fiesta ST has the bonus of 3 seatbelts in the back, one of the main reasons I bought mine.
Issues thus far:
1. A broken front road spring which they are allegedly prone to. Mine turned and razed the tread off the tyre.
2. The multi-CD will often not surrender CDs. After fishing out CDs with the edge of an envelope, I now use mine as a single play unit and have had no issues.
3. I don't know if this is a fault on mine but the hot air always blows on your leg and doesn't seem to cut off when you rotate to demist. It doesn't bother me so I've not looked.
4. It does squaeak and rattle a bit but is otherwise solid.
5. Check the tyres and rims - they tend to be owned by younger lads so cheap tyres tend to eb the order of the day.
To drive, it is great - nice and pointy and a firm but reasonable ride. Acceleration is hardly starship but it's great in most situations. You can chuck it round but being short, when it relinquishes its grip, you have to catch it quickly. Nicely weighted steering, nice gearshift.
The brakes on mine were not great so I replaced the pads with Green Stuff (about £100 and much better than whatever was in there before).
The 5th gear is far too low so you're always looking for the non-existent 6th gear and it's slightly noisy because of that. the same engine in a Mondeo is far more relaxed.
That's about it. I found there was a wide selection of low mile cars as most people wanted the more powerful hot hatches.
Prices tend to be negotiable.
I was pleasantly surprised by the insurance - OK, I'm 54 but at under £200, I wasn't complaining.
The consumption on the dash is more or less constant at 31mpg. It will do more on a run but it's stubby shape isn't that aerodynamic and the low 5th means it will never do more than about 35 (Again, the 2.0 Mondeo is no worse on mpg).
The downside is that the fuel tank is small so you have to fill up frequently.
Simple to service yourself with oil, plugs and filters but refill the oil with a measured capacity as the dipstick is useless and you will overfill it and pump blue smoke out of the exhaust (Yes, I did....).
Overall, I would recommend it though you will get more refinement from a Focus.
I should add that the Fiesta ST has the bonus of 3 seatbelts in the back, one of the main reasons I bought mine.
Edited by LuS1fer on Thursday 13th March 10:37
If you're doing a lot of motorway miles, the short gearing and subsequent noise / fuel consumption will get on your nerves. It's a hot hatch in an old skool kind of way- i.e. with little in the way of refinement but plenty of large naturally aspirated engine lightweight fun.
ETA: The Duratec engine is actually pretty dull and characterless but it can be made more lively pretty easily should you want to.
ETA: The Duratec engine is actually pretty dull and characterless but it can be made more lively pretty easily should you want to.
I owned one for a year and half. Brilliant car, handled well, good looks. The bad things were mpg, got around 27.
Mine had a few upgrades to around 170bhp, lowered. The air filter is a restrictive part and with a full exhaust and remap it will better than get mountune 165.
I had no problems in the time owned it.
Mine had a few upgrades to around 170bhp, lowered. The air filter is a restrictive part and with a full exhaust and remap it will better than get mountune 165.
I had no problems in the time owned it.
Mate owns one and loves it! They look fantastic also, go for it.
I can't comment about performance as I've never driven one but I've heard good things about them. I was neck and neck with a ST150 all the way up to 120mpg from a 50mph pull and I was driving a Corsa c 1.8 sri, there was nothing in it. But then there is 150kg difference in weight.
I can't comment about performance as I've never driven one but I've heard good things about them. I was neck and neck with a ST150 all the way up to 120mpg from a 50mph pull and I was driving a Corsa c 1.8 sri, there was nothing in it. But then there is 150kg difference in weight.
IntriguedUser said:
Mate owns one and loves it! They look fantastic also, go for it.
I can't comment about performance as I've never driven one but I've heard good things about them. I was neck and neck with a ST150 all the way up to 120mpg from a 50mph pull and I was driving a Corsa c 1.8 sri, there was nothing in it. But then there is 150kg difference in weight.
120 mpg is quite economical though....I can't comment about performance as I've never driven one but I've heard good things about them. I was neck and neck with a ST150 all the way up to 120mpg from a 50mph pull and I was driving a Corsa c 1.8 sri, there was nothing in it. But then there is 150kg difference in weight.
Had one of these for about 8 months now, fantastic car. I get about 34mpg with 99octane fuel, mostly driving 50 mph, and a bit of stop start, on the way to work though, driving around town it drops to about 32mpg. Great in the twisties, really good to chuck around and plenty of grip, unless you lift off and things can get a bit sideways.
As said before not super quick, but fast enough, quite a bit of pull low down, but engine is best over 3500 rpm
As said before not super quick, but fast enough, quite a bit of pull low down, but engine is best over 3500 rpm
Did a north of Scotland road trip in a mates. Left from Perth, started south before heading to the west coast, all the way up the west coast on the roads you'd expect, over the top and back down the A9.
Two guys, golf clubs, camping gear (used one night then not again after getting soaked in Fort William after sampling every whisky in one bar - neither of us had a recollection of setting up the tents!!), the car was pretty full.
Mixed driving but a lot of it was fast and it averaged 36mpg calculated on brim to brim. Only part I never enjoyed was the A9. Could have done with more power fully loaded to use some of the shorter overtaking straights. Out in the Scottish back roads it was excellent though.
Got a quick run in a Montune 185 one and it felt better and sounded great!
Two guys, golf clubs, camping gear (used one night then not again after getting soaked in Fort William after sampling every whisky in one bar - neither of us had a recollection of setting up the tents!!), the car was pretty full.
Mixed driving but a lot of it was fast and it averaged 36mpg calculated on brim to brim. Only part I never enjoyed was the A9. Could have done with more power fully loaded to use some of the shorter overtaking straights. Out in the Scottish back roads it was excellent though.
Got a quick run in a Montune 185 one and it felt better and sounded great!
I've had mine for a while now and absolutely love it. I'll give you more info on the probs when I get home but you should check out www.fiestastoc.com for info, there's a massive sticky thread about all the pros and cons of the cars and what to look for on them!
I bought one new in 2005 and loved it. They aren't exactly fast 7.9 to 60 but are great fun to drive
Owned mine for three years and had a few niggles, the drivers door handle coming off in my hand in are car park was quite embarressing! The wiring loom was also replaced under warrenty.
The CD player also didn't like home copied CD's which caused the problems as above.
I can fully recommend one
Owned mine for three years and had a few niggles, the drivers door handle coming off in my hand in are car park was quite embarressing! The wiring loom was also replaced under warrenty.
The CD player also didn't like home copied CD's which caused the problems as above.
I can fully recommend one
Most of the problems are gearbox related however are vastly exaggerated across the Internet, I drive my car very hard very often and the only two real problems I've had are a dodgy wheel bearing and gearbox bush.
The only problem you are guaranteed to experience is the boiling PAS fluid which is a design flaw, Mountune do a cooler kit for 100 quid and it takes about an hour to fit.
Rust isn't a problem on the bodywork.
The only problem you are guaranteed to experience is the boiling PAS fluid which is a design flaw, Mountune do a cooler kit for 100 quid and it takes about an hour to fit.
Rust isn't a problem on the bodywork.
I posted this nearly 7 years ago after I changed from ST to Clio 182. Not sure if it is any help:
gr1340@FordFiestaST.co.uk said:
Hi all.
About 6 months ago I traded my 54 plate ST for a 05 plate 182 and thought I would give you an update. The reason for this is most people who like hot hatches want to trade to something a bit quicker (Type R, Cupra, 182 etc) so thought it might help some people.
Performance:
The Clio has more bhp, more torque and is lighter so obviously it is faster.
About a second quicker to 60mph (doesn't sound much but it is certainly noticable) and 3-4 seconds quicker to 100mph.
The cam profile changes in the Clio at about 5000rpm which causes a surge of power round to the red line at about 7200rpm.
I think I hit the limiter once in the ST (in 10 months of owning) but it the first 6 months of 182 ownership, I have hit the limiter 10's of times. Recently though, I have managed to remember to change gear before bouncing off it so it just took a bit of getting used to the speed that it climbs from 5000rpm onwards.
Handling:
Intresting one. The Clio is more chuckable around the bends but I always thought the ST felt more planted to the road. When I first picked up the Clio, driving back at 100 (kph) I felt I was all over the place, probably due to lighter steering.
The sliproad that I come off at work has a sharp left turn and at 45mph the ST felt safer. Also, brake hard on that bend and the 182 is more than willing to let the back end slide round and that never happened in the ST.
The Clio has more traction off the line. I pull out of a junction every day and in the ST it would nearly always wheelspin (and I was only pulling off normally, well a bit fast maybe), more so in the wet (obviously) but that same junction in the 182, I just get grip (without the help of the ESP) and I haven't spun the wheels yet.
Brakes were good on both although the Clio are sharper and suffer less fade (using standard pads and discs)
Equipment/Practicality:
The ST has more space inside without a doubt. When me, my wife and son first got in the Clio all at once, it certainly seemed we were a lot closer together than in the ST. The ST seats are far better, much more supportive and give a good driving position. The Clio seats are not as high in the back so feel like you are sat on them rather than in them. The 182's seat is higher up as well that doesn't help. Having said that, I drove a few hundred miles in the Clio over a few days and it was very comfortable.
I never had a problem with the interior of the ST, I liked it and it was well screwed together with only the odd rattle from the drivers window. The Clio has lots of rattle, engine bay, underneath and inside. With the radio on or window down though, you cannot hear them.
Boot size is fine in both. I can fit a weeks worth of shopping (about 10 carrier bags full) in both.
My ST had, aircon, multichanger, ABS and the usual stuff
The Clio has climate control, Xenons, ABS & ESP, auto wipers and lights
I miss the quickclear window, that was great but I do love climate, the ESP and the Xenons.
Looks:
I really loved the ST. Performance blue with side stripes, looks lush. My wife was to taken on the 182 when we got it, thought it looked to much like a normal Clio. She now prefers the Clio's styling. I like both and to be honest, I couldn't say which I liked the best. The winner of this category is purely down to personal choice.
Costs:
Well, you can buy either car with similar mileages and a similar age for about the same money. Insurance however is not the same. ST is group 13 and the 182 is group 16. Having said that, it only costs about a few quid extra year to insure. Don't know about servicing as never had to pay that for the ST as I never had it long enough. I haven't needed once for the 182 yet but I have a feeling they will be equal.
The ST used to get about 30mpg and the same with the 182 (mainly town/local road driving). When my wife goes to see her parents though which is a 300 mile round trip, she would get about 35 from the ST. She gets 38 in the 182. The tank is 5L more in the Clio as well.
2 new tyres for the ST were £150 in total (P-Zero Nero's) and I think that are about the same for the Clio as well.
Fun:
The 182 is a hoot to drive. The extra speed just makes every journey fun. Its like comparing Jeremy Clarkson (the 182) to Richard Hammond (ST). Both are great and either one would be a laugh. But, on
any journey, Clarkson would keep you more entertained and you would pick him everytime.
Overall:
I have owned about 14 cars in the last 10 years and often, I have found myself saying 'I wish still had still had {INSERT NAME OF PREVIOUS CAR}, that would be fun on this road'. I can honestly say, hand on heart, I have never looked back since owning the Clio.
When I first got the ST, I loved it but after a couple of months, I was starting to find I wanted something else. I still liked it but had lost the initial passion. After 6 months of the 182, I still love it. I could happily go out every lunchtime at work and drive it for a few miles then come back. It makes me happy to drive it and I look forward to every trip.
Having said that, I rarely own a car for more than a year (infact I think I have only paid car tax twice in the last 6 years due to getting 12 months with the car when I buy it) so probably in 12 months I will be posting something like Clio 182 to Focus ST (in orange of course) or Clio 182 to Civic Type R, who knows. I doubt it will say Clio 182 to Mustang though, shame.
If you are thinking of selling your ST and fancy a 182 then I can say now, you will love it.
But if you are going from a Punto HGT (like I did) to a Fiesta ST, you will love it
I always give an admiring glance to an ST, I think it has great road presence and looks the part, well done Ford.
This review is all my own opinion and I think the ST is a great car. It wasn't fast enough for me though.
Hope this helps someone as its taken me ages to type up.
About 6 months ago I traded my 54 plate ST for a 05 plate 182 and thought I would give you an update. The reason for this is most people who like hot hatches want to trade to something a bit quicker (Type R, Cupra, 182 etc) so thought it might help some people.
Performance:
The Clio has more bhp, more torque and is lighter so obviously it is faster.
About a second quicker to 60mph (doesn't sound much but it is certainly noticable) and 3-4 seconds quicker to 100mph.
The cam profile changes in the Clio at about 5000rpm which causes a surge of power round to the red line at about 7200rpm.
I think I hit the limiter once in the ST (in 10 months of owning) but it the first 6 months of 182 ownership, I have hit the limiter 10's of times. Recently though, I have managed to remember to change gear before bouncing off it so it just took a bit of getting used to the speed that it climbs from 5000rpm onwards.
Handling:
Intresting one. The Clio is more chuckable around the bends but I always thought the ST felt more planted to the road. When I first picked up the Clio, driving back at 100 (kph) I felt I was all over the place, probably due to lighter steering.
The sliproad that I come off at work has a sharp left turn and at 45mph the ST felt safer. Also, brake hard on that bend and the 182 is more than willing to let the back end slide round and that never happened in the ST.
The Clio has more traction off the line. I pull out of a junction every day and in the ST it would nearly always wheelspin (and I was only pulling off normally, well a bit fast maybe), more so in the wet (obviously) but that same junction in the 182, I just get grip (without the help of the ESP) and I haven't spun the wheels yet.
Brakes were good on both although the Clio are sharper and suffer less fade (using standard pads and discs)
Equipment/Practicality:
The ST has more space inside without a doubt. When me, my wife and son first got in the Clio all at once, it certainly seemed we were a lot closer together than in the ST. The ST seats are far better, much more supportive and give a good driving position. The Clio seats are not as high in the back so feel like you are sat on them rather than in them. The 182's seat is higher up as well that doesn't help. Having said that, I drove a few hundred miles in the Clio over a few days and it was very comfortable.
I never had a problem with the interior of the ST, I liked it and it was well screwed together with only the odd rattle from the drivers window. The Clio has lots of rattle, engine bay, underneath and inside. With the radio on or window down though, you cannot hear them.
Boot size is fine in both. I can fit a weeks worth of shopping (about 10 carrier bags full) in both.
My ST had, aircon, multichanger, ABS and the usual stuff
The Clio has climate control, Xenons, ABS & ESP, auto wipers and lights
I miss the quickclear window, that was great but I do love climate, the ESP and the Xenons.
Looks:
I really loved the ST. Performance blue with side stripes, looks lush. My wife was to taken on the 182 when we got it, thought it looked to much like a normal Clio. She now prefers the Clio's styling. I like both and to be honest, I couldn't say which I liked the best. The winner of this category is purely down to personal choice.
Costs:
Well, you can buy either car with similar mileages and a similar age for about the same money. Insurance however is not the same. ST is group 13 and the 182 is group 16. Having said that, it only costs about a few quid extra year to insure. Don't know about servicing as never had to pay that for the ST as I never had it long enough. I haven't needed once for the 182 yet but I have a feeling they will be equal.
The ST used to get about 30mpg and the same with the 182 (mainly town/local road driving). When my wife goes to see her parents though which is a 300 mile round trip, she would get about 35 from the ST. She gets 38 in the 182. The tank is 5L more in the Clio as well.
2 new tyres for the ST were £150 in total (P-Zero Nero's) and I think that are about the same for the Clio as well.
Fun:
The 182 is a hoot to drive. The extra speed just makes every journey fun. Its like comparing Jeremy Clarkson (the 182) to Richard Hammond (ST). Both are great and either one would be a laugh. But, on
any journey, Clarkson would keep you more entertained and you would pick him everytime.
Overall:
I have owned about 14 cars in the last 10 years and often, I have found myself saying 'I wish still had still had {INSERT NAME OF PREVIOUS CAR}, that would be fun on this road'. I can honestly say, hand on heart, I have never looked back since owning the Clio.
When I first got the ST, I loved it but after a couple of months, I was starting to find I wanted something else. I still liked it but had lost the initial passion. After 6 months of the 182, I still love it. I could happily go out every lunchtime at work and drive it for a few miles then come back. It makes me happy to drive it and I look forward to every trip.
Having said that, I rarely own a car for more than a year (infact I think I have only paid car tax twice in the last 6 years due to getting 12 months with the car when I buy it) so probably in 12 months I will be posting something like Clio 182 to Focus ST (in orange of course) or Clio 182 to Civic Type R, who knows. I doubt it will say Clio 182 to Mustang though, shame.
If you are thinking of selling your ST and fancy a 182 then I can say now, you will love it.
But if you are going from a Punto HGT (like I did) to a Fiesta ST, you will love it
I always give an admiring glance to an ST, I think it has great road presence and looks the part, well done Ford.
This review is all my own opinion and I think the ST is a great car. It wasn't fast enough for me though.
Hope this helps someone as its taken me ages to type up.
My wife had one. It was okay but not a patch on the Puma 1.7 it replaced. Steering feel by comparison was odd, despite the rather oversized wheels it always seemed to under steer and there was never any sensation of how much grip you had available.
It might have been better on smaller wheels or with some Mountune upgrades.
It might have been better on smaller wheels or with some Mountune upgrades.
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