Ford Fiesta ST: Spotted

The new ST is just weeks away, but there's still plenty to recommend the old one. Especially at £9k...

Believe it or not, five years have now passed since the Fiesta ST we've all come to know and love was launched. Half a decade, or not far off 2,000 days, since the automotive media bowled down to the south of France and declared a new hot hatch master.

Ever since then, the Fiesta has been the pocket rocket benchmark. More entertaining than Renault Sport's offerings, cheaper than those from Peugeot and just plain better than the Vauxhall alternative, the ST has always had something up its sleeve to see off rivals. Fast, fun, entertaining and fantastic value for money, this generation of Fiesta ST has done more than enough to make us forget about some fairly ordinary predecessors. Even with a rather iffy interior.

But we've discussed the Fiesta ST as a new hot hatch prospect plenty of times. What we've probably not done enough of is discussed the Fiesta ST as a used purchase. With the launch of its replacement imminent, a car with a considerable weight of expectation on its shoulders, what better time to assess a secondhand ST?

There's a lot going for it. Ford sold plenty of STs, and sold them cheap, ergo there are lots of affordable used ones knocking around. Which means you can be picky about colour, equipment, and so on. When you bear in mind that there are only 16 Clio IV Renault Sports in the PH classifieds, and half of those are white, you can see the advantage the Fiesta holds when the spec has already been decided for you.

This particular ST appeals for many reasons. First being the colour, because Spirit Blue is probably the best paint available for the fast Fiesta. Secondly it's an ST-2, and while the basic ST had a temptingly low entry price, it did without a lot of kit that many people wanted. The mid-spec model cost another £1,000 but added heated seats, a stereo upgrade, part leather and keyless start - all worth having.

Furthermore, it would appear that this particular car has the Mountune Performance upgrade, as signified by the yellow badge on the bootlid. The dealer seems to be unaware of this extra, but we'd wager it's genuine as Mountune goes to great lengths to ensure you can't just plonk a badge on your Ford. And even if it's not yet fitted, the MP215 kit is well worth having at some point down the line.

Finally, and perhaps most relevantly, it's cheap: £8,990 for this Fiesta ST places it within £1,000 of the very cheapest on PH. Why? Some may take issue with the painted wheels and calipers, though the relatively high mileage of 50k - given it's only four years old - will be the greater contributing factor. Of course in the grand scheme of cars that's not a huge amount, and if you're going to use this ST less intensely then it makes for a bargain. Even at 8,000 miles per annum it's going to take you another five years to reach 90k, so there's plenty of life in it yet.

And you just know it's going to be an absolute riot. An old Renaultsport Clio may yet be sweeter still, but it'll be an older car at this money and will cost more to run. A Corsa VXR has never been quite as talented, and is now a 10 year-old car despite revisions. A 208 GTI by Peugeot Sport is about the only car from the past five years to surpass the Fiesta in certain areas, though you're looking at thousands more for one of those. It would seem, then, that there's perhaps even more going for the ST as a used car than a new one; certainly the three-cylinder version has an awful lot to live up to.

Inspired? Search Ford Fiesta STs for sale on PistonHeads Classifeds

SPECIFICATION - FORD FIESTA ST

Engine: 1.6-litre 4-cyl turbo
Transmission: 6-speed manual, front-wheel drive
Power (hp): 182@5,700rpm (200hp w/overboost)
Torque (lb ft): 177@1,500-5000rpm (214lb ft w/overboost)
MPG: 47.9 (NEDC combined)
CO2: 138g/km
Recorded mileage: 50,000
Year registered: 2014
Price new: £17,995 (ST-2)
Yours for: £8,990