2020 Ford Fiesta ST: Brilliance Redefined 

Hey hey, thanks so much for watching and leaving a comment! Yes, it's a big step up from the old car, which is mighty impressive. Might have to buy one myself... Don't forget to subscribe!

Hey Mark, sorry it took so long to reply, RU-vid ate the reply I typed out twice. ST3 is basically what we get in Australia, just that single spec with the Performance Pack. It's such a great car, bit small for most Australian buyers but they're missing out badly having that attitude. Thanks for sharing your experience, glad you're enjoying it! Would love to belt this over the roads in Scotland...

Hey Scotty - thanks so much for watching. I am so impressed with this car. Such a big jump over the old one in all the ways it wasn't great but still easily the most fun you can have on the road. Let me know if you get one!

I am 186cm tall with a little bit of girth around the midriff. Would the Recaro seats be comfortable for my dimensions? For daily driving and road trips.

You were so excited when this came up, I'm sure!

@@TheRedlinedotcom I sure was, but I was also just upset I didn't get to drive it ☹️

Outstanding! Thanks for letting us know and thanks so much for watching!

Welcome aboard! So glad you enjoy it! And tell everyone you know!

Hi David - I am keeping safe, thank you! And thanks for watching and sharing your experience with your car - we love hearing about our viewers cars!

Hi Amsterlager! So glad you enjoyed the video, thanks for watching! Let me know if you get one and what you think of it. Don't forget to subscribe!

The Redline will do 😊 One curious thing about the side impact airbags is that all the ST models in the UK have them (with the same Recaro seats) - www.ford.co.uk/content/dam/guxeu/uk/documents/feature-pdfs/FT-All_New_Fiesta.pdf Did Ford Australia have a good explanation for this?

Yeah, it's a good point. I don't have confirmation of the reason, so I'll get back to you when I know!

Hey Daddy Cool, thanks so much for watching and leaving such kind words for me. Make sure you subscribe and if you're really keen, give it share!

It's great, isn't it? I love a good turbo three-cylinder. Thanks so much for watching!

Hey there Deathstarer - I am very pleased you love the i30 N! It's a terrific car and will only get better. I am equally, if not slightly more in, in awe of the Fiesta. I really loved the old one and wanted one to teach my son to drive in, but I was overruled. Worked out alright in the end because this car is a belter. If I buy one, there will be a few more videos about what it's like to live with and what certain mods are worth it. Thanks again for watching and make sure you subscribe if you're not already!

@@TheRedlinedotcom Have you bought one? We have had since new a 2010 XR5 with some mods IC, tune, dump, exhaust LSD just to mention a few . Driven a few new hot hatches and was like yeah nah performance wise . All 50k for not much better performance. This Fist ST sounds like a bargain with all the tech. A tune, exhaust ,IC and brake kit would make this a weapon.. ;). Looks like I have found new car.

Hey Steph - thanks so much for watching and I am very glad you enjoyed it! Let us know when you get yours and don't forget to subscribe!

@@TheRedlinedotcom will do so!! Keep up the good work 💪🏻

Hey Throttle, thanks so much for watching! We were all set to buy a Mark VII in our household but this one arrived at just the right time to make us think about delaying it and holding until we can afford an VIII. Let me know if you get one too!

@@TheRedlinedotcom will do for sure. I went to my local dealer to look but they aren't stocking any, only ordering on demand

Hey Lincoln! Thanks so much for watching and for your positive feedback. It's a lot of fun to make these but a lot of work :-) There is more than one, but I'm thinking of the Mountune one.That one fits behind the OEM wheels. The disc size goes up to 302mm, new 6-pot calipers, new pads and braided brake lines. The base cost is just over £1000, so probably $2300 (privately) landed. Not sure about the fitment costs, but it's probably only a couple of hours.

Hey there Shane! Thanks so much for watching and taking the time to leave a comment. VW's problem is good cars, bad dealers and high cost of ownership. Ford doesn't have any of those problems :-) Thanks again for watching and make sure you tell everyone you know to subscribe!

Hi Quagmire - thanks so much for watching and leaving such a kind comment. Had fun making it, had a nice clear road. Don't forget to subscribe!

Hey Night Runner! Thanks so much for your very kind words. I’m so impressed with how much better this new ST is. Pretty certain you won’t regret the upgrade 👍 I’m sure not all VW dealers are jerks, just the ones you and I have been to.

Hi Sahara - the 208 is a fun car, I really liked it ( ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-_Oq3icX8k90.html ), but did like the Ford more :-) The new 208 GTi is rumoured to be hybrid or perhaps even full EV. Some high-up at Peugeot basically said the GTI itself was dead, but something would replace it. Who knows what it will be eventually, especially with the huge financial stress of the pandemic blowing a bunch of development budgets. So you may well be right, the Fiesta might be the car for you! If you subscribe, you'll see more Fiesta ST stuff in the not-too-distant future....

Hey Gandalf, thanks so much for watching! Don't forget to subscribe!

Hey Mike, thanks for watching! It's a great car - so well-engineered and so much fun for not that many dollars. Brilliant. Thanks for joining the conversation!

The Redline it’s just refreshing to see such an honest review. Could you tell me what you thought of the seats, especially in your hip area. I’ve sat in them and it’s very tight on my hips. I’m sure they are the same seat here in the UK. Cheers mate 🍺

Hey Mike - yeah, we get the same Recaro seats. I've got no bum, so it's not too bad for me. They're not as tight as the old car, but I know a couple of mates said they were snug. I guess it depends if you have child-bearing hips or not :-D Make sure you tell all your friends about us, need those sweet subs!

The Redline 😂😂 ok thanks and yes I will. 🍺

Hi Oslo! Thanks so much for watching! It was an easy review to make, such a great car. Yep, definitely an instant classic, I'd have one in a heartbeat (if I could find one). NZ has them in red, blue, black, white and silver, which I think mirrors Australian supply. I think the red is a freebie, which is probably why there's more of them. Thanks again for watching!

Hi Olek - they're different cars. The i30 N is harder and faster of course and is really better than anything else in the segment. The Fiesta is just mind-blowingly good. You sacrifice a lot of space dropping down, but you still get a lot of performance. Throw in the Mountune stage 1 tune, which ups the power and torque, you're not going that much slower than the i30...Both great, it's a tough choice! Let me know how you go!

The Redline thanks for the speedy response Peter. The extra space of the i30 will probably be the clincher but I’ll see what it’s like when I get to test drive the ST. cheers for the advice!

Hey Tommy! Thanks so much for your very kind words. I wish I could do more of them! I've had *cough* to make this decision quite recently. My son wrote off his car and so we need to buy a new one. I went through a lot of cars and the 86 and ST were the final two. From an overall view, the ST was the winner - it has better safety, costs the same, has a good ownership proposition, is faster but also better for my son and for me. I will drive the ST way more than I would an 86 because the ST is a better everyday car as well as being a barrel of laughs. The 86 can also be a pain in the wet or damp, as it will step out without warning if the grip isn't right. That's fun for some people, but not for me at the end of a long day :-) Hope this helps! Thank you again for watching.

@@TheRedlinedotcom Awesome! Thank you for taking the time to reply, I'm pretty sure now that as a first car for proper enthusiasts for a reasonably inexpensive price, the fiesta st is hard to beat :)

I would say impossible to beat :-D

Thanks Hairy! Glad you enjoyed it but even more importantly, I hope you enjoy the car. Let us know how you go!

Hey there, Mac, thanks for watching!

Hi Marcra. Thanks so much for watching and getting involved! I have driven the Yaris GR for another site and while it is an absolute barrel of laughs, the Fiesta ST is still my choice. Better all-rounder - the Yaris would be a hard-sell as a daily - easier to live with and better seats (for me, anyway). I prefer the way the Fiesta turns in to corners (better tyres, which are easily fixed on the Yaris, but it's more money) but I just couldn't justify a Yaris GR for myself. Like I said, it's an enormous amount of fun but the extra money isn't obvious. Plus you can get a whole heap of Mountune (or whatever) gear for the Fiesta that makes it even better (more power, bigger brakes) and you still won't be paying Yaris money. The only real difference is this: depreciation. Both should be solid, but the Yaris might be better.

@@TheRedlinedotcom thanks so much for the thorough reply!! You make some very valid and unique points her I had not thought of. Very interesting argument you make for then Fiesta. Appreciate it, have subscribed!

Hey Cact I - thanks so much for watching and joining in the conversation. Indicator stalk is on the left, but you soon get used to it. I've owned a bunch of Euro hot hatches with indicators on the left, rarely causes drama. Pretty sure the headlights are bi-LED as standard (we get the full-fat, everything included version here) but yeah, no rev-matching. I always turn that off, but not everyone is like me. Thanks again and please make sure you subscribe for more!

@@TheRedlinedotcom does it auto-rev match...?

drove a Type R with rev matching - no loss not having it. I even like that the ST doesn't have active cruise control. Gives me an insight into the engineers who developed this car - all of the purists.

Hi Falcon! Thanks so much for watching and getting involved. There's a fine art to reviewing cars and while the seat being too high (that's the same for all Fiestas) isn't a problem for you or the ride on long journeys isn't being a problem for you, there are people who would be disappointed if I didn't take a broader view. It's also important to put the car in context - the 208 GTi rode really well compared to the ST (but wasn't as good overall - ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-_Oq3icX8k90.html ) but if I don't talk about elements of the car that might affect someone's purchasing decision, I'm not doing my job properly. Does that make sense? I'm 100% with you on the Mountune thing - I'd love to drive the old car with that tune. The new car is genuinely a lot better but there's no way it has been dumbed down. The clever suspension at the rear sorts out the ride while making it (I think) grippier and the Quaife LSD is inspired. It's genuinely better while still playful and fun. I'd suggest subscribing if you want to see what the Fiesta ST is like to own...*wink wink* Thanks again for watching and starting a conversation!

Hey Dan, thank so much for watching! I used to think the five-door was US only but I double-checked and saw that in Germany at least (could have been all of Europe), the five-door was released late in the cycle. We really should have had that car in Australia from the get-go. We only get the five-door in Australia, sorry I didn't make that clear. Thanks again, make sure you subscribe!

Hi Thomas! Thanks for watching and getting involved int he conversation. I think that given the Fiesta is not designed from the ground up as a sports car, it's definitely a sporty car. Given how good it is, however, you have to wonder if that definition hold anymore. It's an interesting question. I'll have to think about it!

@@TheRedlinedotcom yeah that's true. A lot of people say that it is not a sportscar because there also is a normal fiesta. But this fiesta ST is totally overhauled to be a sportscar. Hard question

@@thomasernes9925 So much work goes into making the ST, it's a good argument. But when you look at the Yaris GR, where there is almost nothing left of the original car, that you'd call it a sports car. Even though it looks like a winged-up shopping trolley

Hi Dave, thanks so much for watching and getting involved. In Australia we *only* get the Fiesta ST with the LSD. Nobody would buy the one without it (it's a strange market), so we couldn't review one if we wanted to. Thanks again for watching!

Hey Lahiru - thanks for watching and taking the time to ask a question. The Fiesta is hands-down more fun, which is pretty impressive considering how much fun is the Focus. Plus it's cheaper and you can spend a few bucks on the big Mountune brakes :-D

Hi Anthony! Thanks for watching! They're quite different cars. I can't say I enjoyed the standard WRX last time I drove it - the gearshift was awful and the ride was even worse (the STi was much, much better)(you can search for my story on carsguide.com.au). So I wouldn't buy a WRX anyway, wouldn't even cross-shop these two. The WRX is, of course, bigger, with more interior space but the active safety gear is pretty half-baked and you end up turning it all off. It's also all-wheel drive so is more capable in the wet. But the Fiesta ST is way more fun to drive because it's smaller and lighter. If you have your heart set on WRX, stretch to the STI. If not, the Fiesta is, obviously, awesome.

It is absolutely time to swap your wife’s Polo. Let me know if you do!

👍👍 got my black mk8.5 last month. I’m telling you you’ll ❤it. Driving it is so addictive.

@@autind73 😍

Hi Sotirios, thanks for watching! I *think* it has to do with the Recaro seats not having the airbags fitted. That is generally where side airbags live, so that's the only explanation I can come up with...thanks again, make sure you subscribe!

Damn straight! It's criminal you guys are missing out. The ST is the only Fiesta we're getting so it's not unprecedented

@@TheRedlinedotcom Thank You so much for your support! it really means a lot to us here in the States. Forgot to tell you I subscribed and liked the video :)

Awesome! There will be more Fiesta ST content coming...soon I hope!

Hey Franck, thanks so much for watching. I bet the ride is better on the 17s, of that I have do doubt! We only get 18s here in Australia, we basically get a single spec because Australians just don't buy cheaper ones. It's a weird market. Thanks again!

Hey there bright eyes - not the best, but the chassis more than makes up for it. Plus, the cops won't look at it twice...

Videos and photos don't do it justice, you really have to see it in the flesh with perspective, it looks much more "right" that way.

That is also true. It's really only awkward at the rear.