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Wifey needs a new car as frankly hers is a POS and won't be passing another MOT due to several issues.
Went looking today originally after an Audi A1 but She saw a rather nice 2015 plate Fiesta ST3 with 17k miles on clock in panther black. Price is just about acceptable, clearly I'd like cheaper but it's ok looking around at what else is around. It's at a Ford main dealer.
Reviews look good, any reason not too? Any owners on here with insight?
Is your wife nineteen?
Proper joy-boy car, although unashamedly. At least it's not one of these understated Audis with massive alloys that all the middle aged chav dads drive. It's true, you can't buy class.
I reckon they look pretty mint, obviously sh'ed have to race everyone off the lights though. They sound like they've got a bad cold aswell.
any reason not too?
Tacky innit. It says "look at me, I'm an anti-social poser" louder than most cars. But you don't own one yet so don't take that as an insult - yet. 😐
What does she need it to do?
They drive well, have a badge that some folks will hate but should be good fun.
Great fun .
Not all that noisy unless the cans been changed. In fact quite subtle. Most of the young UN's change the can quick smart so it sounds rudeboy.
My gripe would be the harsh ride. Zetec s used to give almost as good nippy drive but in comfort.
she wants to, er, drive it.
Occasional commute for 10 miles, but that's mostly bike these days.
She is 45 but seems to favour the, ahem, chavy side of things having owned an Ibiza FR and a Cooper S in the past.
I'm think skinned so give not one shit about whatever anyone thinks or doesn't think of it or us, especially boring old folk 😉
Zetec S no longer in production.
See video above. Proper ****mobiles. If your wife is a nineteen year old apprentice bricklayer or a drug dealer then go for it!
Remember now edukator. Guns don't kill people rappers do.
It's her choice, the ST's generally are relatively understated, except for the badge and rear spoiler, Fiestas are great handling little cars, sadly I've yet to drive an ST Fiesta or Focus, but I've enjoyed all the Fiestas I've driven, and they're very well equipped, just having the heated screen is an advantage over similar cars, and all Fords have them, to my knowledge.
Pretty sure she'll have a grin on her face every time she gets into it.
She is 45 but seems to favour the, ahem, chavy side of things having owned an Ibiza FR and a Cooper S in the past.
😀
I reckon go for it, and do whatever it takes to make it sound like it's been tickled with a feather.
They're great little cars. I had an ST2 and for going to and from work and around town it was good fun , well specced, nippy and good MPG. Motorway journey for up to an hour was ok , would get 48mpg out of it but anymore than that the Noise got a bit ' boomy' for the exhaust note. Cheap to run and insure. Great fun.
I got rid as needed something bigger and got a bargain lease deal on a boring Passat alltrack!
Is the 2015 the same as the 2017? Chap at work has one on a 17 plate and I heard he'd had a few problems in the four months that he's owned it. I'll see if I can ask him this week what have been the issues - hopefully no more than chiropractor bills.
No is the simple answer to the question. Just no.
i believe the 2017 is the same as 2015, yes. Interested to hear info.
she needs a small car that is fairly well appointed but IMO the A1 is over priced. I test drive the ST and it didn't seem all that harsh to me.
Ok, so it looks like STW don't approve. So, your brief is - small, well appointed, reasonably rapid and absolutely 100% NOT a Skoda and NOT French.
Go!
My Neighbour's Dad has a ST on a 63 plate in dark blue.
Yes, Neighbour's Dad. He is 70.
The car doesn't suit him.
Go!
suzuki swift
A Polo GTI is the slightly more grown up answer to a Fiesta ST.
I'd say go for it. Just to annoy the s/nobs on here.
....like what does posting someone losing it in a 10 year older MK5 ST have to do with anything?
New ones are quite subtle and not massively different on the exterior than the regular 100/125bhp Ecoboost models. If anything, a bit less lairy looking than the 140bhp Red/Black variants.
Nissan Leaf
I can hear the hysterical laughing down the fibre optic but your good lady might like it. Can I have the last laugh if she does? The French equivalent is more fun but it's French so that leaves the leaf (no pun intended).
Ok, so it looks like STW don't approve
Bunch of miserable sods above!
If she likes it and it's affordable then get it. The new Fiestas are great, and the ST is obviously going to be a bit quicker than the normal ones, but it's not anything daft.
They're not OTT on the styling front really.
Blazin-saddles - Member
Zetec S no longer in production
Ecoboost 140 St-Line.
A Polo GTI is the slightly more grown up answer to a Fiesta ST.
And really expensive!
Nissan LeafI can hear the hysterical laughing down the fibre optic but your good lady might like it. Can I have the last laugh if she does? The French equivalent is more fun but it's French so that leaves the leaf (no pun intended).
Hell would freeze over before she'd drive a Nissan Leaf!
Great fun, worthy bit of kit!
Regarding the price of the ST, bear in mind an all new Fiesta is out in September and there are some big savings on the current model to be had.
I've seen £5k off list price on a forecourt full of ST Line Fiesta's Today so you may find a new, lower milage car for the same price as the one you have test drove.
Get the ST. It put a smile on my face every time I drove it.
Ecoboost 140 St-Line.
Yes, looked at and liked those, but the ST3 is better specced and the same price for the one we've seen.
I've seen £5k off list price on a forecourt full of ST Line Fiesta's Today so you may find a new, lower milage car for the same price as the one you have test drove.
The best price carwow offered is still 3k more than the ST3 we've seen.
I used to drive an ST previous body shape with the 2litre engine and no turbo.
I swear I'm an inch shorter now.
Fiesta st[img] 
[/img]
Leaf/Zoé[img] 
[/img]
Take it for a test drive - if you like it, buy it.
The video above is just an example of poor driving, end of.
The video is also a excellent illustration of the dynamics of the Fiesta (and other stiffly sprung, cheaply damped hatches on unforgiving tyres).
I think Edukator has been at the wine.
The video is also a excellent illustration of the dynamics of the Fiesta (and other stiffly sprung, cheaply damped hatches on unforgiving tyres).
No. Just crap driving.
No it's what happens when you hit the brakes and steer at the same time ti avoid an oncoming car It would be as likely to happen in my berlingo as my iveco daily as my land rover as it was In that st.
Weight travels forward unweights the back and the you have kicked it out by over turning at the front. Only natural for the rear to overtake the front.
Drive like a knob get what's coming to you shocker.
Stone cold sober. Crap driving to get into that position, a more forgiving car would have given even a crap driver a chance of keeping it between the hedges or even in the appropriate lane.
One with less power maybe ...then he wouldn't have tried to overtake 😉
Stone cold sober.
😀
I think he was on about your shoes!
I think he was on about your shoes!
Socks and sandals. 100%.
So, your brief is - small, well appointed, reasonably rapid and absolutely 100% NOT a Skoda and NOT French.
Fiesta ST I reckon.
Honestly, ignore the snobby bell ends judging what sort of a person your partner is. Buy what's fun and within budget.
Socks and sandals.
That's a Leaf owner.
Those Nike's look a bit more like a mum-bloggers.
You'd have to really try to spin your Berlingo, Trailrat.
Car stereotyping is one of the easiest ways to assess someone, Piemonster. one doesn't have to be a "snobby bell end" to do it. People buy cars in the same way as they buy dogs, in their own image. Or more to the point the way way they see themselves. I'm a self-righteous, eco-friendly, sandal-wearing Frog so I drive a... .
You can do it for every car on the road, I used to base a language class on it when I was confident the participants were self aware and thick skinned.
Mountune pack too, so it's not half cooked and stands a chance with the Clio Cups.
Car stereotyping is one of the easiest ways to assess someone, Piemonster. one doesn't have to be a "snobby bell end" to do it. People buy cars in the same way as they buy dogs, in their own image. Or more to the point the way way they see themselves. I'm a self-righteous, eco-friendly, sandal-wearing Frog so I drive a... .
Must be nice to see the world in such simplistic terms.
Get one imo they're a good drive,but a harsh ride. They seem to induce dickish driving from others who expect you to want to race them 🙄
Well it really is that simple when it comes to Fista drivers, Jamie.
(there's not a suitable smiley in the selection but as you are self aware and thick skinned I know you won't be offended)
Lift off oversteer wasn't it in that video? Old 205 GTis were notorious for it. Bottle it mid corner, come off the power and go through a hedge backwards...
(there's not a suitable smiley in the selection but as you are self aware and thick skinned I know you won't be offended)
It's fine. I don't drive a Fista.
Sometimes I reckon Edukator is just DTF's 4th login 🙂
ST owner here. It's good, not as good as the Clio 182 it replaced (10 years progress, 2 extra mpg) but the ergonomics do seem to have been designed rather than just 'happened' which is nice. Lots of low-mid grunt, runs out of puff at the top end. Stereo layout seems to have been decided by someone sneezing on the dash board and the bogeys marking where the buttons go. Seats are good. Standard tyres are made of plastic. Exhaust note is barely there (earlier comments of boomy are very odd), brakes are ok, steering is ok, ride is very stiff.
12,000 miles on ours now, nothing at all to report so far
I've seen way more prats driving Audi A1/2/3/4's than Fiestas. I drove a couple of new Fiestas and they are well screwed together and handle very well indeed, as Fords tend to do! Miles better than the pile of crap Fiat 500 I drove.
Ignore the middle aged IT reps above, they would even dare drive an interesting car, they are more interested in impressing next door with the badge on the car rather than if it's any good at all. It's a great car, go for it.
Go for it. What your wife likes is more important than a bunch of STW'ers.
However, I would advise caution in listening to me as I am one of the:
understated Audis with massive alloys that all the middle aged chav dads drive
Sometimes I reckon Edukator is just DTF's 4th login
Got to be in the top 3 alternates, surely?
RE the shoes picture, which would you rather see your wife wearing?
See also - Organically ethically sourced sackcloth or Agent P skimpies? You decide.
You can be a sanctimonious bunny hugger if you like, or you can have a little fun. You decide.
Was the stereo so complicated you sold it, Jamie?
(Fista for Fiesta was typo, I apologise if that caused offence, the rest was intentional). 😉
This is after all a bike forum and whatever the make or model a small number of cars are driven in a bike-hostile, anti-social manner, especially cars such as the Fiesta ST which attract... .
Yup. Too many buttons.
[img] 
[/img]
Speaking as someone who has only owned VWs, Audis and Skodas for the last 15 years... I'd buy one, they look like great little cars.
My sister as a 1.25 zetec and apart from being a bit low on power its great.
Well I'm going to say it, what about a Swift 1.6 Sport. Not as rapid as the fiesta but arguably more fun, cheaper to run and better value. Nothing wrong with the fiesta either mind just offering an alternative that is slightly in my mind more grown up.
http://www.evo.co.uk/suzuki/swift-sport
Stereo layout seems to have been decided by someone sneezing on the dash board and the bogeys marking where the buttons go.
[img]
[/img]Thank you, been trying to find a way to describe the layout.
As Jamie says: "Yup. Too many buttons."
Edukator - Reformed Troll
Was the stereo so complicated you sold it, Jamie?
Does that photo look like a well designed layout to you?
It's an ergonomic car-crash, hopelessly poorly laid out for ease of use in a car while driving, which is true for far too many modern cars; mobile phone use is rightly criticised for distracting drivers, but nothing is said about how distracting modern cars have become due to the horribly confusing mass of tiny buttons, and not just on the dash, but also on the steering wheel.
I have roughly thirty minutes to asses the condition of a car I've likely never driven before, and that doesn't include spending half an hour hunting through a handbook the size of a phone directory just to work out what the sodding buttons do, as many as four times a day, and it's a bloody nightmare! Even finding the means to open the filler cap is an issue; like to guess which car manufacturer thought it clever to put the button at the back of the drivers door pocket?
This is after all a [s]bike[/s] chat forum and whatever the make or model a [s]small number[/s] wide variety of cars are driven in a bike-hostile, anti-social manner, especially cars such as the Fiesta ST which attract...
Perhaps in the country [i]you[/i] live in, but from what I understand, [i]every[/i] driver drives like that where you live.
From my experience, it's just dicks driving cars, make/model are largely irrelevant, although BMW's do seem to attract the biggest dicks, maybe it's due to the message sent by their advertising.
And having driven roughly 50,000 miles in the last year, across most of the UK from the tip of Cornwall across to Norfolk, Eastbourne up to Birkenhead, I've seen a [i]lot[/i] of dickish behaviour.
Bloke at work sold his 3 year old Audi A3 and bought a fiesta ST. He prefers it to the Audi. Keep taking the piss out of him about his Chav wagon though, so she'll have to get used to that.
Car stereotyping is one of the easiest ways to assess someone
Not as effective as the things they say it seems.
Wife's just changed her 1.5 glx Swift for a Corsa Vxr (even less grown up than the Fiesta, but great fun and not overly harsh unless you fit the performance pack), the Swift as a couple of folk have mentioned is a great car, we owned ours for 9 years from new did 90K and in all that time apart from consumables, the only thing I had to do was replace the handbrake actuator in one of the rear drums, started first time every time and never let us down, cheap to own/run not so much power but decent handling with great (better than the corsa) feedback from the from wheels. New version of the sport comes out 2018 I believe.
How about the Peugeot 208gti?
We looked at a Swift once before but it seemed not all that well screwed together tbh.
She won't drive French and I have a Peugeot van for work so no way I'd be spending money on one!
Keep taking the piss out of him about his Chav wagon though, so she'll have to get used to thatShe gets used to that anyway as she always buys that sort of car it seems! She gives as good as she gets mind.
Driving like a knob is not a problem for her either!She seems quite smitten on the ST to be honest, I could just pull the badges off as the black one is 'quite' subtle other than the red brake Calipers and big wheels.
I think we've missed the important question.
What colour is it?
Jamie - Member
I'd say go for it. Just to annoy the s/nobs on here.
+1.
Love the knobby comments about car stereotyping.
So you could assess the sort of person my Wife is from the Citroen C3 Picasso she drives... and then when she gets into the black 3dr Ibiza FR with 17" wheels and tinted windows...your assessment would be just as accurate, would it?
And how about my colleague who drives a battered 04 Kia Sportage diesel but also has a Porsche 911 convertible...
Or the other colleague with the Mini Cooper diesel for work, the MG ZR for track days, the TVR Chimaera as a fixer upper and a V8 Vantage for poncing around in....be interesting to hear your assessment of him depending on what car you saw him in...
Blazin-saddles - Member
We looked at a Swift once before but it seemed not all that well screwed together tbh.
STs appear to start rattling themselves to pieces early on, more so than standard models from what I can tell. If she thinks it'll be squeak/rattle free she could be disappointed
Which one did she choose, Stumpy?
As for your colleagues:
a V8 Vantage for poncing around in
You said it yourself.
The Vantage, Mini Cooper and MG ZR and Chimaera, hmmm, does he have a union jack mug on his desk too?
28000 miles on our 14plate St, we've had it just over a year, no annoying squeaks or rattles to report, ride is harsh at low speed on a rough surface but good at higher speeds, getting about 45mpg out of ours, find one with the mountune stage 1 of you can, transforms the car (we test drove both) it is chavvy especially in orange but once you drive it you won't care
STs appear to start rattling themselves to pieces early on, more so than standard models from what I can tell. If she thinks it'll be squeak/rattle free she could be disappointed
See, this is the kind of info I need, rather than the "how much of a chav is my wife?" Is this from an ownership point of view or heresay? The reason I'm asking is because other than the odd early reported clutch problem, I'm struggling to find a negative review from owners.
Why not just get an ordinary Fiesta? You can get 125bhp in normal looking guise, I think even 140bhp.
That up there was just lift off oversteer on probably knackered tyres, coupled with inability.
This is where we're at Funkydunk - we want a few toys however as it's the only car, and the ST3 has everything as standard, I quite like cruise control and that comes standard. I'm going to Ford later to look at the Zetec and ST-Line.
Parking is tricky near us so something small is required, golf & focus etc too wide for the driveway and most small cars seem to be badly specced.
What are the tax / insurance implications for the 140 ST-line vs the full ST?
Edukator - Reformed TrollWhich one did she choose, Stumpy?
Both, but for different purposes.
Her 2 previous cars to these were a silver 308 & a metallic Blue Ka Collection...
As for Vantage man....his desk has some shoulder bolts on it, some weld failure samples & a USB powered fan that displays the time with spinning LEDs. He also has a sundial wrist watch (yes, really) if that's any help....no Union Jacks mugs that I can see, although he does talk a lot about trackday tyres, remaps & power to weight ratios.....
This is where we're at Funkydunk - we want a few toys however as it's the only car, and the ST3 has everything as standard, I quite like cruise control and that comes standard. I'm going to Ford later to look at the Zetec and ST-Line.
I see your issue. It took me ages to find exactly the right Fiesta spec I wanted secondhand. I imagine the ST having most of it as standard is quite handy.
If you did look at the regular Fiesta, you want the 125ps Titanium X spec and hope for added extras like the convenance pack (keyless entry/push button start) and city pack (parking sensors/camera) etc.
Benefit of the 125ps 1.0 Ecoboost model = £0 tax.
What are the tax / insurance implications for the 140 ST-line vs the full ST?
Tax is £130 and insurance £210 full comp with legal on the ST3 and £20-30/£195 on the Zetec.
Blazin-saddles - MemberThis is where we're at Funkydunk - we want a few toys however as it's the only car, and the ST3 has everything as standard, I quite like cruise control and that comes standard. I'm going to Ford later to look at the Zetec and ST-Line.
In true 'suggest what you've got' STW tradition - Ibiza FR? My Wife's has got climate control, Bluetooth, cruise control, electric folding mirrors etc. although not sure that was all standard - a lot of them only seem to have the standard twiddly knob air con.
This one has cruise, but just normal air-con (which I'm sure works fine, but looks a bit low rent in the car IMO):
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201707127293485?sort=sponsored&postcode=cb38la&model=IBIZA&make=SEAT&advertising-location=at_cars&radius=1501&price-to=12000&onesearchad=Used&onesearchad=Nearly%20New&onesearchad=New&price-from=9000&page=1
This one has got climate & cruise with the added bonus of red seat belts to offend the STW crowd....
Blazin-saddlesTax is £130 and insurance £210 full comp with legal on the ST3 and £20-30/£195 on the Zetec.
Negligible then. I assume you already know about the 2018 ST? Depreciation might not be a huge factor but it might take the shine of the current ST when the new one comes out in 5 months.
She doesn't like the Chrome grilles on the Titanium, so actually she wants an STline with the Titanium spec/ which will be a rare beast indeed.
The ST3 has cruise, climate, nav, keyless, leather heated recaros, auto lights and mirrors, heated front screen and dab as standard, the one we've seen also has Park pilot.
We already have an Ibiza FR, fine car but she fancies a change.
Yes, know about the 2018 ST, apparently not coming until Jan.
They are also £25k so unlikely to affect value too much on a £12k 18 month old car?