Topic: Test Drive: 2014 Ford Fiesta ST

[Boff]

^There is in the US. My butt doesn't fit in the Recaros (I'm 5'8"; 220 lbs; mix of muscle and Molson muscle).

You could drive down and trade seats with someone. You'd get some takers I'll bet.

[SaskSpecV]

The seats will disqualify the car for many people based on girth alone.

I think Chevy has the right idea with the new Corvette seats - a really good sporty seat as standard, but a hard-core "track" seat for those that really want/need it (and, of course, can fit in it!)

My wife's main complaint about my Spec V, besides the brutal ride quality, were the sports seats.  She had no problem fitting in them (she's only 5'2, 50 kg), and I loved them, but she found them way too hard/constricting.  And they were far, far less intense than these Recaros...sigh, might make a Focus/Fiesta ST sales pitch a lot more difficult!

[WRX_Pilot]

^There is in the US. My butt doesn't fit in the Recaros (I'm 5'8"; 220 lbs; mix of muscle and Molson muscle).

You could drive down and trade seats with someone. You'd get some takers I'll bet.

Are you talking about the 3 door?  There isn't one in the US either.

[jamesautos]

A very good car if you buy it with cash...and if you canskip the crazy Ford rate

I tried to price one out from Ford.ca...they have ridiculous interest rates for finance and lease for this car!!!

It is actually cheaper to finance the more expensive Civic Si coupe or Genesis coupe 2.0T for 60 months!!!

it cost almost a hundred more per month to finance a Fiesta ST vs a Fiat Abarth (both have similar MRSP 24999 vs 23790)


fiesta ST 5.69% for 60 months finance vs 1.99% for abarth, 1.9% for 2013 GTI, 2.99% for veloster turbo, even a mini S only has a 3.9% rate....crazy Ford finance rate

[TheHire]

i'm wondering if anyone will mention the fuel economy.

My week of shenanigans netted 8.1L/ 100.  Seems pretty decent to me.

Yeah, in "typical" driving I was getting right around there. Lovely thing, this.

[WRX_Pilot]

A very good car if you buy it with cash...and if you canskip the crazy Ford rate

I tried to price one out from Ford.ca...they have ridiculous interest rates for finance and lease for this car!!!

It is actually cheaper to finance the more expensive Civic Si coupe or Genesis coupe 2.0T for 60 months!!!

it cost almost a hundred more per month to finance a Fiesta ST vs a Fiat Abarth (both have similar MRSP 24999 vs 23790)


fiesta ST 5.69% for 60 months finance vs 1.99% for abarth, 1.9% for 2013 GTI, 2.99% for veloster turbo, even a mini S only has a 3.9% rate....crazy Ford finance rate

Must've missed the sale... Only a couple of days ago it was 0% for 60mos.

[mlin32]

Would buy one if it had bi-xenons available. I do hope it sells well, as the press has been universally positive on the Fiesta ST.

Have you test driven the ST at night?  Were the headlights inadequate?

No but for me it is a requirement in the mountains. I'm sure they are adequate but I do a lot of long-distance driving at night and road lighting is very sparse in these parts. Throw in the not-uncommon fog and inclement weather and it's a deal-breaker.

The xenons are definitely easier on the eyes. I've gotten used to bi-xenons and when I had a Tiguan Highline with decent halogens for 2 months, the halogens were sufficient but I definitely missed the xenons on my X3.

I won't do aftermarket as even if I got projector headlamps from abroad, I don't really want to deal with the add'l hardware needed such as ballasts, levelling mechanisms, and other stuff. Yes, I did do a search.....I like hot hatches.

[JohnM]

"fiesta ST 5.69% for 60 months finance vs 1.99% for abarth, 1.9% for 2013 GTI, 2.99% for veloster turbo, even a mini S only has a 3.9% rate....crazy Ford finance rate"

In a normal world, 5.68% on a car is awfully good.  The other lower rates are being subsidized to some degree by the manufacturers as a sales incentive.  Maybe the 3.99% generates some positive cash flow for Mini but not much.  I don't know what the big guys pay for money but They can't be profiting from any rate under 3%.

Since, the Fiesta ST is probably a hot sales item, Ford isn't going to offer cash on the hood.

Cheers,
John M.

[ChaosphereIX]

"fiesta ST 5.69% for 60 months finance vs 1.99% for abarth, 1.9% for 2013 GTI, 2.99% for veloster turbo, even a mini S only has a 3.9% rate....crazy Ford finance rate"

In a normal world, 5.68% on a car is awfully good.  The other lower rates are being subsidized to some degree by the manufacturers as a sales incentive.  Maybe the 3.99% generates some positive cash flow for Mini but not much.  I don't know what the big guys pay for money but They can't be profiting from any rate under 3%.

Since, the Fiesta ST is probably a hot sales item, Ford isn't going to offer cash on the hood.

Cheers,
John M.

truth

[DriverJeff]

Indeed.. except that in September when the "Friends and Family Deals" thing was happening at Ford, they had something like $2k knocked off the sticker right off the bat.  That brought the monthlies down enough to make it very competitive.  As soon as that incentive was over, so was the big value. 

[jamesautos]

Indeed.. except that in September when the "Friends and Family Deals" thing was happening at Ford, they had something like $2k knocked off the sticker right off the bat.  That brought the monthlies down enough to make it very competitive.  As soon as that incentive was over, so was the big value. 

I didnt think any of the incentive cash or interest rate applied to any of the ST models

[WRX_Pilot]

Indeed.. except that in September when the "Friends and Family Deals" thing was happening at Ford, they had something like $2k knocked off the sticker right off the bat.  That brought the monthlies down enough to make it very competitive.  As soon as that incentive was over, so was the big value. 

I didnt think any of the incentive cash or interest rate applied to any of the ST models

It did... It also applied to the Focus ST which could be had for 26k.  I priced them both out.

[firSTinWpg]

I'm glad we pulled the trigger and bought ours sight unseen back in July over the 500 Abarth. We took a look at the Fiat and it was just too small even in the front seats my head was right up against the headliner and Im only 5'10". We made our decision based on nothing more than the fabulous review on Top Gear and a quick test drive of a 2013 Fiesta Titanium. The 2013 was a much better fit, and we figured with 70 more HP it would be a ton of fun. It was pretty scary buying a car without driving it first driving it but honestly it has surpassed all our expectations. The car is just fantastic and just begs you to drive it harder.

When we purchased it, it was actually cheaper to finance the ST than the 2013 Titanium. We were able to take advantage of their Employee Pricing and 0% financing for 72months. It was also almost 5k less than a comparably equipped Abarth, and 8k less than a base Mini Cooper S. Considering it's got more power, handles better, and is more practical than either of those it was a no brainer for us. Add in the surprise that Ford is giving away free high performanc driving experience with ST Academy for all ST owners and it's an absolute steal.

The thing is just a fun machine. Every time we get out we have a grin on our face. All this from a car that cost 25 and change fully loaded, that can still swallow a full cart from Costco with the rear seats down. I can't think of a more fun daily driver for the money. If your thinking of buying one and can't find one to drive, just do it. You wont regret it.

[DriverJeff]

I'm glad we pulled the trigger and bought ours sight unseen back in July over the 500 Abarth. We took a look at the Fiat and it was just too small even in the front seats my head was right up against the headliner and Im only 5'10". We made our decision based on nothing more than the fabulous review on Top Gear and a quick test drive of a 2013 Fiesta Titanium. The 2013 was a much better fit, and we figured with 70 more HP it would be a ton of fun. It was pretty scary buying a car without driving it first driving it but honestly it has surpassed all our expectations. The car is just fantastic and just begs you to drive it harder.

When we purchased it, it was actually cheaper to finance the ST than the 2013 Titanium. We were able to take advantage of their Employee Pricing and 0% financing for 72months. It was also almost 5k less than a comparably equipped Abarth, and 8k less than a base Mini Cooper S. Considering it's got more power, handles better, and is more practical than either of those it was a no brainer for us. Add in the surprise that Ford is giving away free high performanc driving experience with ST Academy for all ST owners and it's an absolute steal.

The thing is just a fun machine. Every time we get out we have a grin on our face. All this from a car that cost 25 and change fully loaded, that can still swallow a full cart from Costco with the rear seats down. I can't think of a more fun daily driver for the money. If your thinking of buying one and can't find one to drive, just do it. You wont regret it.

Congrats on pulling the trigger on a great car!  What colour / options did you get? 

[WRX_Pilot]

I'm guessing you're in Winnipeg?  I'll have to keep my eye out in town!

[firSTinWpg]

Tuxedo Black, Molten Orange Recaros, Nav, Moonroof, Painted Wheels. Those were the only 3 options in Canada anyways. We don't regret the decision at all. I've never seen this much praise heaped on any car that I can remember, let alone a sub-30k hot hatch. Top Gear just named it their car of the year putting it ahead of the McLaren P1. That says a lot about just how good it really is. It's not the fastest car in the world, but my god is it ever fun. Can't wait for the snow to melt and get the summer rubber back on it. We only got a month with it by the time it was delivered before we had to switch over.

To anyone looking in Winnipeg for one, there is a red one in Steinbach still I believe.

[dirtyjeffer]

my coworker has a "Tangerine Scream" Focus ST he bought last year...not sure if i have seen a Fiesta ST around these parts yet.

[Sir Osis of Liver]

Tuxedo Black, Molten Orange Recaros, Nav, Moonroof, Painted Wheels. Those were the only 3 options in Canada anyways. We don't regret the decision at all. I've never seen this much praise heaped on any car that I can remember, let alone a sub-30k hot hatch. Top Gear just named it their car of the year putting it ahead of the McLaren P1. That says a lot about just how good it really is. It's not the fastest car in the world, but my god is it ever fun. Can't wait for the snow to melt and get the summer rubber back on it. We only got a month with it by the time it was delivered before we had to switch over.

To anyone looking in Winnipeg for one, there is a red one in Steinbach still I believe.

Awesome! Congratulations!

[Fobroader]

Tuxedo Black, Molten Orange Recaros, Nav, Moonroof, Painted Wheels. Those were the only 3 options in Canada anyways. We don't regret the decision at all. I've never seen this much praise heaped on any car that I can remember, let alone a sub-30k hot hatch. Top Gear just named it their car of the year putting it ahead of the McLaren P1. That says a lot about just how good it really is. It's not the fastest car in the world, but my god is it ever fun. Can't wait for the snow to melt and get the summer rubber back on it. We only got a month with it by the time it was delivered before we had to switch over.

To anyone looking in Winnipeg for one, there is a red one in Steinbach still I believe.

Congrats buddy, and welcome to the forum!!

[walk0080]

Would buy one if it had bi-xenons available. I do hope it sells well, as the press has been universally positive on the Fiesta ST.

Have you test driven the ST at night?  Were the headlights inadequate?

Very valid point. Xenon headlamps do not guarantee better night visibility - it depends on the car design. Some cars have awful standard halogen lights and the xenons are excellent (R56 MINI Cooper). Other manufacturers provide little difference or benefit between halogen and xenon lamps.


This is a great car. Very glad Ford brought it out and seems reasonably priced. Reminds me of the 2000 Focus SVT, only better. I would like to see the 2-door version available in North America - I think it looks better.

I'm glad we pulled the trigger and bought ours sight unseen back in July over the 500 Abarth. We took a look at the Fiat and it was just too small even in the front seats my head was right up against the headliner and Im only 5'10". We made our decision based on nothing more than the fabulous review on Top Gear and a quick test drive of a 2013 Fiesta Titanium. The 2013 was a much better fit, and we figured with 70 more HP it would be a ton of fun. It was pretty scary buying a car without driving it first driving it but honestly it has surpassed all our expectations. The car is just fantastic and just begs you to drive it harder.

When we purchased it, it was actually cheaper to finance the ST than the 2013 Titanium. We were able to take advantage of their Employee Pricing and 0% financing for 72months. It was also almost 5k less than a comparably equipped Abarth, and 8k less than a base Mini Cooper S. Considering it's got more power, handles better, and is more practical than either of those it was a no brainer for us. Add in the surprise that Ford is giving away free high performanc driving experience with ST Academy for all ST owners and it's an absolute steal.

The thing is just a fun machine. Every time we get out we have a grin on our face. All this from a car that cost 25 and change fully loaded, that can still swallow a full cart from Costco with the rear seats down. I can't think of a more fun daily driver for the money. If your thinking of buying one and can't find one to drive, just do it. You wont regret it.

Congrats! Wow 72 months financing is a long time. But at 0% who cares I guess. :-)

I would totally pick the ST over an Abarth... Not sure about a Cooper S - maybe. Probably not over my JCW but what a price difference. However the ST was not available when I bought my JCW so who knows.