The Ford Fiesta ST received tons of praise during it's life cycle. So much so that it is easy to be skeptical if you haven't driven one yourself. After spending some time with this one, I figure out whether that praise was well earned.
I bought a new ST when they first game out in 2014, it's on a Cobb stage two Tune 3" MBPR exhaust, short shift kit, rear motor mount, and many visual improvements, it has 104,000 miles on it now, I'm getting ready for my 7th set of tires, that's how hard I drive it, at 74 years young I still love driving on three wheels, I've 14 cars and 9 motorcycles in my life and by far this is the most fun I've ever had driving, it will be my last car, I can't see anything replacing this car for the money, just driving one will put the biggest smile on your face guaranteed. The Fiesta Flash.
I've had my '14 FIST from new (NO Mods!!!). I've got 40k miles on it (cuz I'm an adult and can afford other fast cars & bikes-:). I enjoyed the hell out of this car and was planning on keeping it a whole lot longer - Until the GR Corolla was revealed a year ago (I'm on a few lists - for all the right reasons-:) Whether I sell the ST when I get the GR is still up in the air... Chewy - Much like you I'm on in years and have had several way more expensive sports cars (& a sh*t ton of motorcycles to boot) but after all these years I still enjoy the heck out of the ST each time I take it out for a hoon!!!🤙🏻 THX for posting
I have had a lot of cars in my time. My first new car was a 2015 Fiesta ST with recaro seat package (I sold cars for Ford at the time). One of the best cars I have ever driven, with an E40 blend tune it becomes a pocket rocket. Ford really had something special with this car, unfortunately there wasn't a market for them. Another fun fact, they are stupid easy to work on.
I got one of the last 2019's built in the Mexico plant in July, 2019. I'm 73, semi-retired and only drive 5 miles per week on the average. Now at just 9,888 miles I had to change the battery. Now that Spring is here I need to take some fun drives but I also want to keep the miles low. Of all the cars I've had since 1968 the ST is my all-time favorite -an '89 CRX and '75 Civic CVCC running close behind.
I’m selling my fist soon but plan on buying another one at some point… I test drove 50+ cars before I bought mine… my only criteria was fun to drive and the fiesta st stood head and shoulders above everything… I didn’t want a ford or a fiesta but I couldn’t help but buy it… it was just that good… best fwd car of all time
one of the best fwd cars of all time. weights unders 2800ibs, easy to mod, parts aren’t crazy expensive as most are shared with the base fiesta, easy to work on, and ridiculously fun to drive. my only complaints are no lsd option, and the cheap msrp price shows in some places. (oh and the blend door).
This car is akin to a Go-Kart , anyone who knows about Karting knows the technicalities of cornering , this car delivers in that regard but if you looking for a 1200hp drag car then you will be disappointed.
I live in Italy, so it’s a bit different. Here everyone knows it’s a Fiesta. They are super common, but that’s about it. Which is great because if someone notice your car you know that person is a car person. I had people taking pictures of it and giving me the thumbs up while we were traveling to Germany to visit relatives. It’s pretty cool. Also, the region where we live now seem to be really into hot hatches and I love it. You see a ton of 500 and Punto Abarth. But you see also Fiesta and Focus ST, Clio RS, i20 N, Civic Type R and the occasional Delta Integrale. It’s hot hatche heaven. 😂 Cheers.
I want a Fiesta ST..to scoote around D.C. you have a sunroof cool . Looking at carfax cant find one with sunroof. Also, look at a fiat sport turbo or arbarth....cant make up my mind😢 just a small 3 or 4 cylinders ride Ford EcoSport 🫤😞
First, great vid with amazing camera work. Second, dead on. I got mine new in 2016, and even though I'm plotting a midlife crisis car soon, I'm never getting rid of it. It's just so damn fun all the time. My (boutique eurocar shop) mechanic always marvels at how fun it is. I'm worried a ferocious track car won't make me smile unless I am breaking lots of laws.
Incredible shots man, what a beautiful video. I maintain that this car was such a lightning in a bottle type car. Ford really did something special here and it seems only enthusiasts appreciated them. The spirit of this little hatchback is just pure joy. I bought one brand new in 2017 when my focus died and knew nothing about them, but I fell in love. I no longer have that ST but funnily enough, five years later I have two! I daily drive a 2017 with 55k miles and I have another 2019 with 13k miles in immaculate condition. It’ll never be a high value car but I love having a preserved, mint example. They aren’t making any more of them so hopefully it’ll be a conversation starter for years to come!
Thank you! It’s a hard car NOT to like. My guilty pleasure car that I’d own is a 500 Abarth, simply because I think it’s this hilarious little bulldog that is fun without taking itself seriously whatsoever. The ST brings a lot of that to the table AND drives wonderfully, something i can’t say for the 500 😂
Bought a 2014 st as my first car about 3 years ago, upgraded tires, suspension, roll bars and next week will be doing the turbo upgrade, aiming for a realistic 320hp, the car already is great fun, can't wait until i'm done with the upgrade, can't recommend it enough
Great content man! I recently went car shopping in this ridiculous market. I almost didn’t end up buying a car at all due to the dealer markups (even on used cars). Short story long… I test drove countless enthusiast/ luxury sport cars FWD, RWD, AWD 2013-2017 year, and I kept coming back to the Focus ST. The focus was practical in many ways and also a blast to drive. After driving a 5.0 mustang (beast), I saw an Orange Fiesta ST. I told my girlfriend let’s go try that one, as I figured I’ll drive it and check it off my list. I 100% overpaid for my Fiesta, but the fun and excitement of driving this lil fiesta was exactly what I was looking for. The sensitivity of the inputs and outputs of the Fiesta are amazing which make you feel connected to the whole driving experience. There’s power and confidence that comes with this nimble lil machine. It’s just a fantastic experience to drive and own a 2015 Fiesta ST. Plenty of aftermarket support, and a welcoming car community behind it as well. Don’t buy another car until you test drive a fiesta first. You won’t regret it 🤘🏼
Ok....now I'm convinced. I'm no mechanic by any means so I'm hoping this pre-owned 2016 fiesta st was well pampered so I don't run into any wallet breaking issues.
@@popeyevalls if you can bring a friend or familly members that know mechanic a bit its always usefull, also before buying any car always look up online for their "big" flaws you'll get an idea of what/where to look and hear :P, i personally always look stuff up and i bring my dad even i know my share piece of mechanic he's a mechanic for about 35y now he's always spot on. if you don't know anyone my man best bet is to bring it into a shop you know wont scam you before buying it, it might cost y'a a couple hundred buck but at least you won't buy a shitty car ! have you bought it man, i own one for a year now pure fun even if i didn't installed mod yet :)
Yesterday I purchased a 2016 fiesta st and wow am I in love been looking for a stock one for a while (didn’t want something ragged out) found a black one with 68k miles all stock except a nice set of black 8 spoke wheels it’s so quick so fun to drive and it was only $12,000 love it. Definitely needs and intake for noise reasons and an exhaust which I’ll do soon. But stock it’s incredible
Yes, I'm having a blast driving mine after a few easy mods. Also, kudos for the great drone footage, I've yet to try and film any auto shots with my drone.
I have a 2018 FIST I am 75 and came out of a XR4TI, a GTI and a couple of SAAB 900 T's. It's my daily driver but I am retired so only 33k on it so far and includes a cross country trip and two to FL and back to VA where I live. Like everyone else says it's the best and most fun car even though I think the XR4TI came close to this, but that one I did some suspension work too while I have left the FIST alone.
Because of my experience with other ST models and the reviews, like this one (amazing production quality!), I recently purchased a mint, fully loaded 2016 ST with Mountune upgrades (air intake, intercooler, radiator, downpipe, catback exhaust, symposer delete, lowering springs). This review is spot on and matches my experience. You have to get in and drive one to appreciate how much fun they are. For me it's the usable and linear power delivery, agility, and exhaust note (Mountune helps here but stock sounds decent too). Once it gets into 2nd it shines. I had to get used to the clutch feel, a short 1st gear, and low position of the shifter but it's fine. If you're in the market for a hot hatch I would definitely check one out.
I love hot hatches and when we needed a new small car I went straight to the ST. I legit didn’t care about any other car. We had to wait a long time to find a good deal and 18 months for delivery, but now I’m loving it. I had hot hatches before. Clio 16v, Civic Type R EP3, Uno Turbo and Astra Turbo. The EP3 was hand down the best of the lot. Incredible machine, but it was very spartan. The ST is as good fun with all the comforts of a good daily. It’s an amazing vehicle. Cheers 🍻!
I feel you man i had a civic si FG2 before my St, sold it as family got bigger and 2dr is a pain in the ass, I miss the vtech cross over a lot but damn the St is way more fun, best of both world would be a k20 in the St !
I have been test driving a 2016 2 days in a row. 67k miles with about 20 services documented on car fax. Looks like oil changed every 5k. Current mods whoosh Inter cooler, mishimoto radiator, milltek exhaust, Konig Dekagram rims, Seibon Carbon fiber hatch, turbo blow off valve (boomba), 1 owner, black color. Super tight ride on highway and streets. Brakes, shifting feels great, needs actuator blend door and lower valence 3 m tape. Dealer will not budge on 15,999. Might get it tomorrow.
I just bought a 19 fiesta two months ago already have the cob access port and a Michy Moto intake have 58,000 miles on her and I love this car if anybody is thinking about getting one I would highly recommend it
A great lil runabout.. Don't be surprised in 20-25 years when a decent one of these goes for $80k lol Edit (1 year later): I ended up swapping my 987.1 Cayman S for an ND Miata and a FiST... Couldn't be happier!! And sadly.... the IMS bearing on my old Cayman S let go at the track last week :(.. I tracked it once in the 16 months I owned it, but never went 'all out'.. 4 20 minute sessions at maybe 7.5 or 8 tenths.. My buddy who owns it now, is different.. 5 20 minute sessions at 9/10ths and it let go on the 5th session.. I think a key difference was I drove my Cayman S 3-4 times a week since it was my only car.. He has a DD, so it wasn't being driven as often and the only way that IMS bearing sees oil is when it's running...
I'd say GT86 if you love RWD handling (and think you'll drive it hard enough to really notice). Whereas, I think the Fiesta ST is likely more fun, more of the time (turbo engine is far more interesting than the NA boxer 4), and still handles great. At the absolute limit, I'd want the 86 for it's RWD, the rest of the time I think the ST is more fun.
Having owned a 2012 BMW 335is and now a Fiesta ST I can tell you that the Fiesta is more fun to drive. It has been reliable and I wish I could have said the same for my 335is. It was the most unreliable and expensive car I have ever owned.
its not really that the ST suspension is too hard, its the fact British roads are too bumpy and potholed !! I think Liberal councils think it is a good traffic calming measure as they hate drivers and want everyone on bikes and busses so sorting out bad roads is not in their agenda !
@@mainman2999 some of that .. but go over a speed bump(anywhere) in a ST and then go in a rental kia or nice bmw .. you'll see how stiff a ST is over most cars haha
@@nolangray7383 thats my point, its not the suspension, its the BUMPS !! I used to find that company cars always flew over speed humps in gay abandon !!
@@mainman2999 no its actually 100% that the suspension is too stuff. Ford put softer suspension in the newer models from what I read. I've owned MANY vehicles and my fiesta st is easily the most stiff from the factory for what it is.
@@chrismonroe8417 the suspension is fine UNTIL you hit a BUMP !! if the roads were smooth like they are supposed to be, like a race track even, the suspension is FINE, the issue is, BUMPS!! drive an ST in USA on their smooth highways and you will see the suspension is fine !! its not the car, its OUR ROADS !! I also drive a MK3 Focus RS and Yaris GR...
My 2016 Fiesta St has 120k miles, I bought it with 107k 7 months ago and it is the best car I have ever had, I know there are better but what makes you feel the smiles on your face while driving is priceless
I have a 2016. I love it better than any other car I have had. The handling , the torque, the sound system, the upgrades you can do. This car has so much. The only thing that boggles me is why not a back up camera and why not a sunroof. I get it though the price I cant argue with.
My other car is a V8 S5. No matter when, this car at Stage 2+ is so much more preferred on a windy summer road. You just can't make up cornering confidence with 255's rather than light weight and good suspension setup...
P.S yes it’s not fast past 80 but we all know thats not what it’s meant for. Around the corners it is so much fun, it feels so composed. I have an incredibly tight back road in my are ( Missouri Bottom Road ) and it’s so much fun pushing it further and further to find its limits. I’ve had 350’s, Chrysler 300’s, Cadillac ATS’s , etc fall in behind me as we fly through the twists in turns. Sure anyone of those cars would leave me in the dust on the straights but on those tight corners they weren’t so confident. Lol definitely gotta stay humble tho, love this thing and can’t recommend it enough for young car enthusiasts. Not to mention the reliability of the 1.6L eco boost, Fuel efficiency, and some practicality it’s just a good car for not much money. I even overpaid for mine and still love it XD
I love these cars. In 10-15 years these will be unobtainable, especially in stock form. Will it be collectible? Who knows. The way things are going the only people able to drive a manual at that time will be over 60 and kids will want a tricked out old Tesla. If I see a good stock example of one I will probably jump on it anyway. Awesome review.
Thank you. I could definitely see it being hard to find a clean, stock example eventually. It seems to happen with all fun, inexpensive cars. I wish they had brought a two door hatch to the US, that would’ve been the one I’d take.
@@BuzzytheBlue I agree. I want the Toyota Yaris GR 2 door. Alas, the only one you can get in the states is the 4 door Corolla GR. I mean, sure thanks, but I would love a 2 door rally car!
They are pretty common at used car lots in my area in California, my Jetta TSI was totaled out so I’m going to do my best to pick one of these up. I wanted one so bad when they first came out but couldn’t afford it.
@@BuzzytheBlue i live in the netherlands and bought a white stock 2 door. they are crazy expensive here though so i did have to get one with 180k km (around 110k miles) still looks pretty good though and im very happy with it.
I owned one for about a year and kind of missing it now that it's gone. I replaced it with an F10 M5 because I wanted something with more power and room, but it doesn't move through the corners like the tiny ST did.
@BuzzytheBlue I'm loving it. I have a C5, C6Z, 6.0/4l80e restored 87 sierra also but had a baby so I wanted a nice 4door with space for a car seat. I did injectors, plugs, all fluids and rod bearings right when I got it just to be on the safe side, but even the bearings were in good shape @ 60k miles. I've heard horror stories about the 13s, but usually the 15-16 models are pretty solid. They still use the same engine in the F90s, so I feel like we hear mostly horror stories online instead of the good stuff.
I have a Fiesta ST-Line not as cool to drive like the actual ST but taking that it is basically in the middle of a ordinary Fiesta and ST it is a fun car to drive. And shockingly comfortable as well. I was always a bit against ford but I needed a new car and saw this Ford Fiesta ST-line 2016 for a good price and all services has been followed through the years. The moment I tried it I was sold. It was so comfortable but again I am not sitting with as much horsepower as a ST but not as little as a ordinary. 75HP as ordinary im at 100HP so a little bit extra but sadly not anything to brag about but regardless I find it fun to drive due to the comfort and the sound it makes. Nothing sporty but not as boring either. I guess what I try to say is that it is a fun car even if not the ST. ST-line 100hp is also a bit fun. And it is honestly very good looking after the facelift. Ofcourse has its negatives but I rather not be negative cus that will end up me hating my car.
@@BuzzytheBlue unsure but picks up speed alot more aggressive has a miltek full exhaust with a IGT induction uprated boost pipes with a stage 1+ map so around 220 bhp
@@BuzzytheBlue What some people find most attractive about a aftermarket tune for these is the elimination of the torque limiting in 1st and 2nd gear. Factory tune gives you all of the torque once you hit third. I’ve tried multiple tunes from different tuners on mine (93/E30) - they’re fun, but I prefer the stock tune for a daily. Much smoother IMO. Ford knew what they were doing.
Tires are the single most important part. Have a set of dedicated snow tires and you’ll be absolutely fine. In fact I’d wager it’ll be a blast in the snow. I daily drove a Mustang GT in New England winters but i had it on Blizzaks. Was fine.
@@BuzzytheBlue i can definitely see it being super fun in the snow I currently drive a mazda protege 5 the car is not good in the snow but it’s definitely fun to drive it in the snow if anything you are totally convincing me more to pull the trigger on a fiesta😋
I think it'd be absolutely brilliant on snow with a set of Hakkapeliitas on it, a total - controllable - hoot! As BuzzytheBlue says, it's all about having the right tires. In the 90's I had Integras while in Denver. With good snows on (sometimes studded) I got through everything, passing all the dumpftruck* & shytutility 4x4s spun off the road on their 'all seasons'. The only possible issue is bottoming out in deep snow - as 2LiterFoxBody said. With my beloved '17 FiST I've only been in snow once up in the high country in AZ. Fortunately, I happened to have crappy all seasons on rather than high perf summers at the time (what was available at nearby Discount Tire when I blew a tire at a track event... and yes I did 2 session on the all-seasons) and it did OK - tho would have sucked with my usual Firehawks. (* granted, dumpftrucks are super useful for hauling big nonhuman stuff...)
I bought mine fully loaded from a friend for 12k. It had 2nd gear gone, found a trans for $1400, put it in along with new flywheel, clutch and fluids. I’m the works of working out a deal for a Tune+ Titanium exhaust and a carbon coolerworx shifter should be here next week. Then big turbo in spring. I much prefer owning and driving this over my previous Focus ST. People hate on them, but they just gotta drive them!
Incredibly poignant review. Something like this is a modern classic. It won't turn heads with its simplistic stylizing, but those who know it, love it. I'll be getting one relatively soon.
I just did my first year of autox competing in novice with a NA miata and I was doing... ok. Then just before for one of the bigger events, a fast course on an actual track, disaster struck. The old miata went down and the Subaru was in pieces (as usual). So a friend of mine let me borrow his Fiesta ST for the event; couldn't believe I got 3rd place! I had a blast three wheeling around the fast turns and learned a whole lot from it. It was very forgiving and let me recover from mistakes without losing too much time. I used to be snooty about FWD, engines that face the wrong direction, and anything made by Ford. I'm watching this video because I'm about to buy one haha.
@@chandywerks I've definitely learned to reserve judgement until I actually drive something. It's so easy to build an opinion based on nothing but others opinions or biases. Now I really want to mooch a couple laps from my friend...
This car is great but it has to be taken care of really well because at the end of the day it's a Ford, and after quite a few years of owning it and beating the piss out of it you end up fixing stuff that shouldn't break. Personally, this is the easiest car ive ever had to work on. Such issues as EVAP including purge valve Blend door actuator Intercooler Motor mount Cv axles the gaudy silver trim pieces Cheap paint job from factory Smaller steel rims and bigger tires = happy car and happy passengers
@@BuzzytheBlue dunno about him but I've been running the old school 2560r for around 4 years now. 93 and on e30. On a mustang dyno in Florida 95* heat, I did 270whp on e30 with a conservative stratified tune. Whilst still underpowered compared to other FiSTs, I still shock people on a daily lol. Great car for sure
Not if you like it and it’s at least well executed haha. I know with some widebody cars though, if the suspension geometry isn’t adapted to the new, far wider than stock stance, it can throw off the handling quite a bit.
It really doesn't even need that. Modifying the stock airbox by cutting the bottom out and a square cutout on the side and putting in a proper drop in filter will let you hear the factory boosty noises just fine.
Thanks, I think that’s a bit general though tbh, and definitely a personal preference thing. On the street I think Id have more fun in this than some old open diff E46/E36. At least stock for stock. I wouldn’t have a FWD car as my only car, but I do like the change of pace.
@@BuzzytheBlue definitely preference because I just sold my 325i e46. It was beautifully balanced and extremely reliable. And for 3k and hell of a bargain.
I've had my '14 FIST from new (NO Mods!!!). I've got 40k miles on it (cuz I'm an adult and can afford other fast cars & bikes-:). I enjoyed the hell out of this car and was planning on keeping it a whole lot longer - Until the GR Corolla was revealed a year ago (I'm on a few lists - for all the right reasons-:) Whether I sell the ST when I get the GR is still up in the air... THX for the video
Unless you need the extra interior space of the Focus, I’ve heard the Fiesta is quite a bit more fun to drive. Haven’t drive the Focus myself yet though.
