Drove a Fiesta ST today ...

"RiceRocketeer Extraordinaire" (ricerocketeer2) 05/11/2014 at 04:07 • Filed to: None

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... at the Ford EcoBoost challenge event. Kudos to Ford for doing these things — I think not having these kinds of events is actually an implicit admission that your products suck and wouldn't hold up to a direct comparison with your competitor's cars. Just sayin'.

About the Fiesta ST: there's been plenty said already, but my lasting impression is that made me want to use the world as an autocross course. Not many other cars make me want to misbehave that badly. I can't imagine how awesome the Miata would've been with that drivetrain.

There was a new Mustang around. Looks good inside and out — I think they got this one right. I'm surprised to say this, but Ford makes more cars that I'd consider special and would consider owning than any other mass-market car manufacturer.

AthomSfere > RiceRocketeer Extraordinaire 05/11/2014 at 04:45

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I think not having these kinds of events is actually an implicit admission that your products suck and wouldn't hold up to a direct comparison with your competitor's cars.

I just think this is the first time in a very long time Ford has made good cars, let alone great cars. They really have to sell the brand, and this does well.

RiceRocketeer Extraordinaire > AthomSfere 05/11/2014 at 04:58

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I think I meant it the other way around as in, I don't see Honda doing these kinds of events. I can only assume either they don't care, or they think people don't care. Hopefully Ford and other automakers see benefits from these comparison drive events since I do like them, and the people I've brought to them are buzzing quite a bit about vehicles they otherwise never would've driven.

AthomSfere > RiceRocketeer Extraordinaire 05/11/2014 at 05:24

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Honda is a good comparison. Over the last 20 - 30 years Honda has built a good name as a reliable and great brand while Ford floundered over and over again. The first generation Ford Taurus for example took a lot of engineering decisions from the then current Honda Accord for example and the car was a good car but lacked the Accord's reliability. Not a horrible reliability record, but worse than the average Honda.

Ford also has killed marquee after marque:

That was the Taurus in 98, compared to:

Now, I do think these drive events are a great idea. I think Ford really has to do them though if they want to reclaim market from brands that haven't been 96.3% crap for decades. I have owned 2 Fords, 8 Hondas, and 1 Hyundai. I come from a more Chevy family, I have DD'd a couple Toyotas and Chevys. These drive events are really Ford's only hope to win people like me over early in the new Ford, because Ford can't wait 10 years to prove they are making good cars again.

Also, other brands do hold these same type of events. Honda for example. I get emails from the local Honda dealership and Honda of America at least a couple of times a year to come test drive whatever the new Honda is (launch parties essentially) before they are on sale. What they don't do is have competitor cars on site and then televise the drivers thoughts.

Finally, I think Ford is setting itself up for a huge boon. The Focus, Fiesta, and 2015 Mustang are all incredible cars. Not to mention the Fusion. I have put a couple thousand miles in Fusions and I am amazed how great that car is. If Ford offered the 6 speed manual with the standard engine I would be looking to buy one. I love that car for what it is.

I don't think Ford is always the best buy, but it is going to be my always check brand I think now. For example the Focus ST. I think you could save a few thousand dollars and get a Civic Si and have an almost equally fun and fast car, or spend the same and get a WRX (MSRP). But this is only by the numbers, sometimes you just really like a car, and the numbers don't matter. With that in mind the Focus ST is a car that can't be over looked and will steal many-a-sale from the cars that have been a little stagnant for a little too long.

RiceRocketeer Extraordinaire > AthomSfere 05/11/2014 at 05:42

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Heh, I haven't been around long enough to have seen earlier Fords that I would've wanted to own.

If the Focus ST is anything like the Fiesta, I'd take it over a Civic Si (and I'm a closet Honda fanboi).

AthomSfere > RiceRocketeer Extraordinaire 05/11/2014 at 12:44

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I think the two cars are different enough they fit different criteria. The Focus ST is a slightly better car, but it also cost slightly more and is priced against cars much better than it is.

It is close enough to the ST that anyone shopping the ST should test drive the Si and anyone shopping the Si should test the ST.

Me, I slightly prefer the natural the natural aspiration over a turbo, but if I was shopping today to replace my 8th gen Si the St and the new, .4 liter bigger Si and the St would be on the table.