Oppo, talk me out of FiSTing myself

"aquila121" (aquila121) 03/21/2019 at 09:20 • Filed to: None

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Oppo,I need some opinions to aid me in my car search—and I’m considering a Fiesta ST. !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , to be specific . Am I insane?

Any input from those possessing experience with or without the FiST is welcome (be it reliability, long-term musings, etc.), but the CliffsNotes on the example that interests me is a 2016 model year, 21,000 miles, and the dealer wants just under $15,200, no haggling. This seems bang-on with what Kelle y Blue Book suggests, and the sales team is salary rather than commission , so it seems laid back and doesn’t throw the ‘buy here, pay here’ red flags of stuff coming from auction and being a roll of the dice. Largely because of the low mileage, everything felt solid and well-sorted in the car, I suspect it won’t need major repairs for a while as long as I follow whatever maintenance is recommended. Points in its favor : I’m smitten by the action of the shifter, the eager, playful nature of the chassis, and the down- low growl of the engine right before the bit of lag sorts itself out and the turbo comes online with a notice able shove . The hatchback practicality isn’t bad since I haven’t taken more than one passenger on trips in years, so the back seats are essentially trunk space. The gas mileage is acceptable, and the seats felt pretty good; I didn’t hate the ride—i f the car had the optional Recaros, I’d still be waiting for a rescue team to help me climb out over the bolsters , so I don’t miss them . I have a modified “fun” car already ( with harnesses, high compression, stiff coilovers, and a droning exhaust ) , so this thing would stay bone-stock, save for some snow tires on different wheels.

I know the interior and ride do n’t match say, a GTI (and it’s been suggested to me that several people have traded up from the Fiesta to the GTI) , but against what I’m used to, the Ford feels close to a Lexus. Some background: my beater 2005 Ford Focus has some lingering transmission problem (from the previous owner, I swear) where the gearshift argues when asked to engage certain gates , it’s not on speaking terms with first or second especially when the weather’s very cold. I could throw money and time at trying to find and fix the issue, but factor in the car’s perpetually broken air conditioning, the junk shocks/springs, and the clinically depressing plastics in the interior, I just want to be done with it. After I offload it on Craigslist for cheap, I’ll have spent a grand total of 4k or less in purchase price/fixes. This is standard behavior for me, and I find that to be an acceptable cost for years of inexpensive transportation. Similarly, I’d intend to keep this for years even after it’s paid off, and try to keep it in better condition, accordingly .

So my current point of comparison for whatever replaces the dying Focus is that I require functioning a/c, average ride and interior comfort, and to meet or beat the 26 mpg combined which the worthless POS has given me. My other criteria are n o stick /no care (sorry, I’m one of those), four doors or hatchback is a must for any ungainly shit I can’t fit in a sedan’s trunk, a bit of fun when commuting to keep me sane, and light-ish curb weight is always a plus .   By that meager bar of measurement, the Fiesta passes with flying colors , but it’s a substantial amount of money, which is really the only major ‘con’ which I don’t want to simply overlook on impulse . I can swing the car payment, the extra $200 a year in insurance, and the premium gas , but I’ve never had to previously, since I mostly bought shitboxes in the past .

Thoughts?

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > aquila121 03/21/2019 at 09:23

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They’re a bit rough on the highway for long commutes and road trips when compared to the bigger brother. They do dance exceptionally well in the dirt. I used mine for a long time to haul stuff for work and then would do rallycross and autocross on the weekends. I also did a number of track days and the car never missed a beat....but it does run a bit hot. Upgrade the cooling system and the rear motor mount and always buy good brakes if you want to track it. 

Spanfeller is a twat > aquila121 03/21/2019 at 09:26

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Though I’ve never FiST-ed, I’ve heard wonderful things about it. Plus, if Ford doesn’t import the newest one... you’ll be able to tell yourself it was a collectors car

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > aquila121 03/21/2019 at 09:29

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Rough suspension, not an ideal place to spend long periods of time.

Fun and overall, pretty mechanically reliable. I have 110,000km on mine since new. No real issues that are not cosmetic. Rattling interior a little (some my own doing), peeling paint in some areas like door jambs and under the hood.

I have Mountune everything and no issues with that either.

I say do it, amazing cars for the price. Easy to work on and get parts for, huge aftermarket for every price point (Mountune being the higher end of that).

Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras > aquila121 03/21/2019 at 09:29

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Not a horrible price...pulled retail across the country and there is only one with close mileage that’s a smidge cheaper

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles 03/21/2019 at 09:30

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This. Big rad, big intercooler and rmm are must haves.

Heat is a huge issue.

jimz > aquila121 03/21/2019 at 09:41

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no warranty repairs in its history, so at least up until now it’s been problem free. should still also be under factory powertrain warranty and 7 months left on bumper-to-bumper.

ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable) > aquila121 03/21/2019 at 09:55

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Replying simply to confirm my enthusiasm for whatever your decision is.

Also, I despise this “Save” icon rather than the simple star/like/up-doot we used to have. Mostly because I want to give this all the stars.

nerd_racing > aquila121 03/21/2019 at 09:59

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Go find a Mazda 2 with the stick to test drive just for the heck of it. They are dirt cheap now and fit a lot of your requirements. They are not very fast or powerful, but you can drive them 8/10ths to 10/10ths most of the time you drive and still beat your 26 mpg requirements.

aquila121 > nerd_racing 03/21/2019 at 10:07

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That's been on my list to try, it's just difficult to find one without needing to travel hours for a test drive.

Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 03/21/2019 at 10:09

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Rattling interior a little (some my own doing),peeling paint in some areas like door jambs and under the hood.

I feel like these shouldn’t be issues on a vehicle this new?!?!?

Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness > aquila121 03/21/2019 at 10:13

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Hasn’t someone on here had major trans issues under 60k on one of these?

Some quick searching looks like it’s a common problem as well: I’ve been following the transmission issue . It looks like some Fiestas had poorly machined parts inside of the transmission casing leading to premature noise and wear of the transmission requiring replacement (some owners have gone through multiple transmissions). I have also seen some owners complaining of premature clutch noise and wear due to cracked clutch plates .  

Honestly, it’ll be more cost effective to just fix what you have IMO, but it seems that isn’t an option. 

nerd_racing > aquila121 03/21/2019 at 10:21

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I bought one new in 2012 and I still kick myself for getting rid of it.  It was the green touring one.  I drove that thing like a baja go kart.  

My bird IS the word > aquila121 03/21/2019 at 10:22

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I quite love my FOST bit I haven't been getting near the epa mpg.

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness 03/21/2019 at 10:32

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Lol. And overheating on the highway with ac on... several times.

Yeah... it's a mixed bag. I love mine though

Khalbali > aquila121 03/21/2019 at 10:33

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I second this, I had one with a stick and loved it.

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness 03/21/2019 at 10:34

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Ford paint is always a bit shit, but they do tend to extend the paint coverage because of it. I agree though, it shouldn’t be a problem and I don’t know how they still continue to fail at putting on a couple coats of paint over the course of making millions of vehicles a year.

aquila121 > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 03/21/2019 at 10:37

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Appreciated, but track duty is fulfilled by another car. This would be my daily for my short commute (5 miles/15 minutes each way), getting around the Columbus area, and a trip or two to Dayton each month. I don't plan on hammering hard enough while driving this on the street to need the rear motor mount, but I'd be open to swapping out the radiator if needed.

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > aquila121 03/21/2019 at 10:38

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Hmm. I don’t use my ST for DD anymore, honestly, not the most ideal car if you want to be comfortable.

aquila121 > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 03/21/2019 at 22:53

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Thanks for the word of warning, but somehow I get the sense that I’ll just acclimate myself to this being my benchmark for average ride quality , since it’s actually an improvement over my current one.

If I pull the trigger on it, though, I may swap the stock 17" wheels for 16s (in the interest of having a smidge more sidewall); these Motegi wheels are cheap and look acceptable.

16x7, $121 each? Um, yes--thank you, Tire Rack . We’ll just call this my mid- life crisis car.

aquila121 > Spanfeller is a twat 03/21/2019 at 22:57

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You wonderful enabler.

aquila121 > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness 03/21/2019 at 23:07

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You’re certainly not wrong, the conventional wisdom is something like ‘the cheapest car is often the one you already have,’ but I’m really not enthused about sinking money into trying to return my current car to a tolerable state. Since I can’t drive my bonkers wannabe track- car on a daily basis (and attempting that would be an even mix of joy, despair, hilariousness, and stupidity), the draw of intrinsic * fun* in the car I’ll use to get groceries and run errands with is growing on me.

aquila121 > My bird IS the word 03/21/2019 at 23:08

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The price we pay, right? Glad you like it otherwise.

Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness > aquila121 03/22/2019 at 06:55

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Mod the Focus. You already have to do the suspension, so upgrade: https://www.octanemotorsports.com/00-07-ford-focus-wagon-bg-suspension-lowering-springs-p-139469.html

Chances are you can make the Focus faster/more fun than a Fiesta ST for less than it’ll cost you to buy the ST.

Remember, fun is all about the person behind the wheel, not the car itself.