Last chance to change my mind - My first ever new car purchase

"themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles" (themanwithsauce)
01/24/2014 at 20:50 • Filed to: First car, Fiesta ST

Well, I've made up my mind to get a new car here soon. I'm about 99% sold on the fiesta ST but I am never one to ignore opportunities.I am looking at two other alternatives and am willing to hear arguments for either. I am NOT willing to hear arguments for vehicles besides the ones I post.

Jetta GLI edition 30 - Cheaper @ 24k base price, and more interior room while also being much easier to get power from. But it is much heavier, and if I get it, I will bierwagen it as soon as I can and cover the front fenders with beer labels. It's awesome on an old jetta, but I'm not sure if it works on a *new* jetta. FWIW, the VW USA people gave me the thumbs up and said they'd love me to do a similar treatment on a new Jetta.

Subaru WRX - the outgoing model will go for cheap since the new one is coming in. Yes it's "not as good" but it is still an AWD turbo hatch with a manual. I can't deny that combo but it would be more expensive to insure thanks to people wrapping them around trees. Plus I'd be a subaru WRX driver and feel required to do rallycross.

Sonic Hatch RS - It's cheap.....and I can get one in blue, paint the front wheels white, the rear wheels red, and do a "Sonic the hedgehog" parody car for AutoX that I call "Sonic the Hatchback"........basically this is just cheaper and funnier but not better in any way. Not serious, but still a possibility for my dedication to jokes.

Hyundai Genesis Coupe - Because RWD 280hp turbo coupe. But it is much more expensive. And less practical. And much heavier. The Fiesta ST weighs the same as an FR-S.

Mustang V6 Coupe w/ Perofrmance pack - Again, RWD 300hp coupe. But it still weighs more. It has more potential, but I don't know if I can stand being labeled as a mustang driver.

Try and convince me otherwise! Who owns these cars? Why buy them? Your competition is a 200hp 1.6L turbo, 2750 lb subcompact that likes to tripod.

DISCUSSION (36)

Jayhawk Jake > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles
01/24/2014 at 20:56

I own a Sonic RS, and love it. You can get a tune for $200 that bumps the power to Fiat 500 abarth levels (160hp/180tq)

It feels roomier and nicer than the Fiesta IMO, and it's cheaper. MyLink is awesome, especially if you own an iPhone

offroadkarter > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles
01/24/2014 at 20:56

being labeled as a mustang driver? Would you rather be labeled as a Vdub douche talking about how much swag your pink off camber BBS wheels have, and how your plaid shorts match your seats?

I don't think you can go wrong with the Fiesta ST, the ST's are both awesome cars.

Tom McParland > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles
01/24/2014 at 20:57

A few questions: How many passengers do you regularly carry? What are your hobbies and do they require you to transport any gear? What type of driving do you do daily, city, highway, town roads? Is snow traction a concern? Do you prefer to bomb the apex of a turn or drop a gear and pass someone in a straight line?

AM3R > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles
01/24/2014 at 20:59

Genesis coupe. It may be heavier, but you can easily bump the power to well over 350hp+

Mustang V6. RWD cheap fun, but like you said, you'd be a mustang driver

WRX also very tunable and AWD. With new gen being introduced dealerships are willing to deal, trust me.

If you plan on tuning to higher power outputs I'd go with AWD/RWD because I've driven a heavily tuned srt4 and the torque steer killed alotta the fun I could've had...

schwartz > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles
01/24/2014 at 20:59

Have you thought about a 4 door GTI?

I have a Focus ST and I love it. Never driven the Fiesta ST though. Had a turbocharged Subaru wagon before and miss it but the Fords interiors are better.

55Buick, Oversteer Scientist > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles
01/24/2014 at 21:00

We rented a Mustang V6 (non performance pack, autobox) and it was a great car. All around great place to be. It was a hoot to drive, and the traction/stability control is fully defeatable. Great for doing donuts, too. Not that we did any...

maximillious > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles
01/24/2014 at 21:01

I say fiesta St. I have tested it and went with focus St based on size. Also an option as 2014 are going cheap because the fiesta is so popular.

No jetta because vw basic maintenance costs alot.

No hyundai because handling

No wrx because they won't be that cheap (looked at used 2012 that cost more than new focus St

No sonic because needs mas powaaa

No Mustang because handling not as good as fiesta.

Remember the comparison between the m3 and the fiesta. The fiesta will be the most fun to live with daily... If u are on the fence cuz of size check out the focus St. It's a fucking riot. And remember you are not a pro drifter or race car driver. This is for daily use, you will want the most bang (handling, fun, mpg, value, safety, pleasure) for your buck. Good luck on the hunt dude and have fun

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > Tom McParland
01/24/2014 at 21:02

My regular passenger load is myself.

My hobbies are restoring my Audi 200 and autocross. I drive about 2 miles througha busy downtown so my daily drive (when I drive) is sitting at traffic lights. Hence why almost every car I;ve looked at for this purpose is a four cylinder.

I prefer handling for autocrossing.

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > offroadkarter
01/24/2014 at 21:03

As a current V-dub driver, I'm shunned by the Vdub community for not running enough camber and for being different. They can all shove their golf ball shifters up their asses for all I care. I'll beer bomb any body panel I want and I will run professionally aligned suspension, thank you very much.

Dunnik > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles
01/24/2014 at 21:03

Well, for me, this one's pretty easy.

An old school Mk I-III Made in Germany Jetta GLI? No? Pass then.

The Subie is tempting, because Subie. But yes, insurance rates would be a concern for even a 5-star driver and I'd be concerned about maintenance costs after warranty. And I'd probably succumb to autocrossing it. In the snow. And into a tree.

The Sonic RS is probably the first American sub-compact that is actually as good as the Japanese, and that's saying something. But it's too small, and too cheap.

The Genesis, meh. I don't consider myself too much of a car snob, but meh. For what it is and what it does, I'd go for a [REDACTED] or an old [REDACTED].

That brings us to the Mustang. A six in this car used to mean you were a) a woman, probably in a cabrio, or b) a poseur. Not anymore it isn't. That V6 is quite potent. Yes, yes, GT but for bang for the buck, size and price, Mustang gets my vote. Get the outgoing 2014's and save even more (don't like the looks of the new one, but do like its rear suspension).

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > schwartz
01/24/2014 at 21:04

I have, but the Mk7 isn't coming out until April/May and the local dealers are ridiculous in their pricing for the outgoing model.

offroadkarter > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles
01/24/2014 at 21:04

Good on you, personally I think the whole "hellaflush" "stance" scene is the new poser trend in the auto universe

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > Jayhawk Jake
01/24/2014 at 21:04

I don't own an iPhone and I want the recaros.

Tom McParland > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles
01/24/2014 at 21:05

Stick with the ST...and remember this recommendation came from a "professional" :D

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > AM3R
01/24/2014 at 21:06

the tuning capabilities of the WRX are appealing to me for sure. The Genesis Coupe is also possible if I can get one with a discount. The first dealer I called wouldn't play ball but then again they didn't have any stick shifts on the lot. I'm searching for one in Michigan, Illinois, or Indiana with the R-spec package and a 4-cylinder with the stick.

schwartz > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles
01/24/2014 at 21:06

True I would be waiting till the Mk7 if I was going that route but I have been in the Jetta and was very underwhelmed.

alexotics > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles
01/24/2014 at 21:07

Subaru WRX or Fiesta ST. What you may lose in excitement you gain in car-for-the-money. For me personally, the Fiesta has too many bells and whistles. It's aimed too much at a target demographic I don't like hanging out with. I'd take the WRX, a grass roots driver's car.

Kinja'd!!!

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > maximillious
01/24/2014 at 21:09

I can;t live with the Focus ST and that's where my brief hesitation is coming from. It was absolutely brutal off the line in terms of smoothness and didn;t seem well put together. It reminded me of my 200k mile jettal that I modified into a show car. That is NOT a compliment cause that car was bought and built with a budget of about 2500$ total.

maximillious > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles
01/24/2014 at 21:11

That's surprising. I love my ST but I also love it off the line it's nasty and frantic and fun. It gets my adrenaline pumping. But I can understand ur preferences. I'd say the fiesta then if you have driven it and like it do it. Remember you are drag racing every time you accelerate your daily....or at least you shouldn't be

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > Dunnik
01/24/2014 at 21:12

It is tempting to get the mustang and it is probably more seriously considered than the genesis coupe. 300hp is tempting as is the recaro option. But this would put back my car purchase a bit further so I can save up another grand or two to buy a few more options. So it would be more expensive and take me longer to buy. Plus I should say this car needs to be driven in winter. The V6 mustangs I've driven in the past have done.....poorly. Even with snow tires. Do you know how the recaros in the mustang feel? Are they the same as the ones in the fiesta or focus?

schwartz > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles
01/24/2014 at 21:15

For a daily driver I have never had as much fun as my Focus. Hoonable and honestly not much needs mod'd except brakes. I would however take a look at the Focus ST as well, it has been out longer and I got my ST3 for quite a bit off.

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > alexotics
01/24/2014 at 21:15

I know I;d like the WRX but my fears are long term maintenance as a lot of them seem to have issues with gaskets and little things not too long after warranty. And personally, I've seen many worse WRX drivers than almost any other driver besides Evo drivers, but then again I'm in Michigan so snow is expected every year. And I don;t care about communities that much anyways. But with mustang drivers, when you tell people you own a mustang, they assume you have a V8. So it is sort of embarassing to have to clarify that you have the V6.

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > schwartz
01/24/2014 at 21:16

Not a fan of the Focus ST. Too big/heavy, and too crude. The fiesta feels much tighter....or perhaps the less power doesn't stress it as hard.

Dunnik > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles
01/24/2014 at 21:17

The Mustang's seats were quite comfortable, walking the line between too much bolstering and comfort/ease of entry, but this may have been the stock seat.

And no, Mustangs aren't Subies in the snow. It's a tradeoff you'll just have to live with, run winters and drive according to blah blah. All things considered, though - and depending on where you live (hopefully it isn't, like, Alaska, or Winnipeg, or something) that's a tradeoff I'd be willing to live with.

jariten1781 > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles
01/24/2014 at 21:21

They're all great cars. The only one I didn't personally consider was the Stang. Well, also the GLI (already own a mk6 GTI). Just go drive them all and pick the one you like best.

I ended up in the FiST and it's the first car I've bought without having buyers remorse or a hankering to majorly modify it out of the gate. I don't think you could go wrong with any of them though.

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > Dunnik
01/24/2014 at 21:26

Ugh, that might be a bit of a dealbreaker if the recaros in the mustang aren't as good as the ones in the fiesta. The dealer I was at only had 4 mustangs in stock and none had the recaros. I want those for autocrossing as I;ve fallen out of a seat multiple times and it isn't fun.

schwartz > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles
01/24/2014 at 21:28

I have been interested in test driving one for sure.

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > schwartz
01/24/2014 at 21:30

The one (Focus ST) I was in had about 15k miles on it and under hard launch it felt like it didn't want to go off the line in a hurry and it bucked and kicked pretty hard.

schwartz > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles
01/24/2014 at 21:36

Mine scoots right along and after the upgraded motor mounts went in it doesn't kick so much anymore.

AM3R > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles
01/24/2014 at 21:57

Good luck, there's a few near me but I'm in VA. And I'm surprised the dealers won't budge, all the dealers around me swarm as soon as they see me by the stick shift genesis coupes on the lot. They know that I had to have searched to find the particular car

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > AM3R
01/24/2014 at 22:16

Ugh.....I really want to drive one before making a rash decision because Ive heard their handling is funky so I need to drive it myself. I had a friend who had the exact V6 mustang I want besides color but he has had numerous engine troubles that ended up with a blown engine at 2k miles due to a manufacturing defect so I don't know if I trust his opinions.

AM3R > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles
01/24/2014 at 22:42

I'm just not a ford guy.. Haven't had any good experiences with them. Just be sure you test drive everything. A WRX is looking really promising, and if your up north in michigan it would really help in the winter. Also, they hold value pretty well so if you hate it a year from now you won't take that big of a hit.

gabdere > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles
01/25/2014 at 09:46

I believe the Fiesta will loose so much value in the first 2 years. I'd go for the Jetta. You can keep it 5 years or 10 years they're will be more value than the Fiesta. It also has a cleaner and more grown up look and the interior is nicer. Your pick!

RW53104 > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles
01/25/2014 at 14:45

I push you towards the Jetta or the Sonic, only because I want to see your customization projects.

gabdere > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles
03/01/2014 at 18:31

Tell me what you chose!

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > gabdere
03/02/2014 at 01:01

I ordered a fiesta ST built to my specifications.

Review will come when it gets delivered.