Ford Fiesta ST, Will it baby?

"Ike" (untitledcarshow) 02/02/2016 at 15:57 • Filed to: Will it baby

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I know what most of you must be thinking, “is this a joke? This is a hatchback of course it can baby!” Those of you thinking this have never had a child. Having a child you learn that there is a inverse ratio of size to supply for humans. In addition to finding out if this car has enough space to deal with basic child hauling duties, I will see if this car can be the “family” car.

Full disclosure Ford wanted me to drive the Ford Fiesta so bad that they let me trade in my failing Volvo V70R for a preowned example with 8k on the odometer.

So this experiment in kid hauling happens because my wife works every weekend and leaves me as the sole caretaker of the child. She works evenings in critical care at the hospital so after 12 hours of work she’s comatose in the bed during the day. So I get to have daddy, daughter time every weekend.

Passenger Space/cargo area.

This is the smallest car in Ford’s North American line. As such you have to expect some compromises in this area. The small Fiesta makes good use of the space it does have though. The rear cargo area is bigger then you expect looking at it from outside, although it does have a higher floor then expected due to a full size spare under it. It can easily swallow a trip to the grocery store, or any normal day to day trip.

The child seat does force a bit of a compromise in passenger space. You can either sit pretty much bolt upright, and have some leg room, or lean back ever so slightly and have no leg room. The seats extra width over the stock seats does not help this issue, but unless you’re going on a road trip the space is not unacceptable for brief trips around town. If you need more room for a longer trip, the seat can be moved to the middle which while making loading and unloading the child slightly harder, you gain enough room to comfortably travel for an extended distance.

(Comfortable for her not for me)

It is cleverly packaged, but you really can’t escape the fact that this is a small car. Not just small by today’s standards but small by any standard.

What it’s like to drive with a little person in the car.

You granny shift the hell out of it, which this car is fabulous at doing. The gear shifts feel smooth and clutch engagement is smooth and easy to sort out. The whole thing doesn’t feel really mechanical, more like a good video game controller: Precise but a little distant. Honestly I love the way it feels, but I get why some people complain about it. This helps keep everything smooth when you need it to be i.e. Babies sleeping. When some idiot decides to try and merge into you, or turn right when they shouldn’t. You have the power, handling and braking to keep yourself and your child out of trouble.

The ride is harsh, I’m not sure I would want to put a new born in the car. You feel every damn pot hole, bump, pebble, everything! It’s not so much an issue if you live in a state that takes care of its roads. If the roads where you live are anything like here on the east coast though, I would wait to put a kid in until they can hold their head up on their own.

Loading and unloading child, cargo, etc

One of the nice aspects of having a small car, is it’s easy to squeeze into and out of tight parking spaces. So you can always get the child as close as possible to warmth in harsh winters, or air conditioning in the summer. Normally having a low car makes loading into and out of the child seat more difficult and stressful on the back. I find it easy even with my above average (6'2") height. I think it’s because of the higher then average rear seat. Loading the dogs in and out is easy as well they can hop in and out pretty easy. One of the benefits of the sports seats is it’s actually easier to snap in and out the child seat. Due to the stiffer backing material, so that the child latches are easy to find and use.

Visibility.

My daughter can see out of the hatch and our the side window. This may not seem like a big issue to some folks, but think of it as ‘in car entertainment’ to a one year old. Drivers visibility is awful, huge A and C pillars. I guess those makes this thing safe, so worth it.

Is this a car that could serve as your families only vehicle? Yes, but there are so many better options. I would not recommend anyone try and just have a Fiesta ST (or any fiesta) as the only car in the family. The cargo room is just a tad to small, and the amount of space you need for diaper bag, strollers, other humans, etc is just not quite enough.

Is this a car that you as an enthusiast could drive to and from work every weekday while getting good gas mileage, and still have fun while ferrying the kid around on the weekend? YES! That’s what I do, it’s great for it.

It’s really good at bringing a smile on your face, it’s a car that just begs you to drive it when your alone in it. When you have your child in the car, it easily turns into a safe, small, economical grocery getter. If your wife won’t let you get a Miata

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

Go for the Fiesta ST, I did.

Ike is co-host of the Untitled Car Show ( untitledcarshow.podomatic.com ) he has owned 2 Dodge Challengers, a Fiesta ST, a Escape, a Volvo C30, a V70XC, a V70R, a 740; and a Saturn Ion . He is a new father and loves driving and autocrossing. He can jerry rig with the best of them, and he wrote his bio in third person. He also has 2 dogs, 2 cats, 1 wife, and 1 kid and is a crazy person some say!

Email the author untitledcarshow@gmail.com

-this space for rent- > Ike 02/02/2016 at 16:14

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I was able to baby with a 91 Jetta and various 2 seat 300zx’s back in the early 00's.

Fast forward to 2012, baby #2 has a seat so huge it barely fits in an E46 (when in reverse config), requiring a year of knees in dashboard driving for 5'-9" wife and now 6' tall baby #1.

Effing safety lobby.

duurtlang > Ike 02/02/2016 at 16:14

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That’s a rather inefficient car seat design though. Surely they could make it far shorter while still providing the same amount of comfort and safety to the child. That handle behind the head for example could be removed, and made like a handle of a basket, over the head of the child. You’d save a lot of precious lenght.

Ike > -this space for rent- 02/02/2016 at 16:17

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Yeah it’s such a shame they want our baby’s to be safe.

/s

Really thought it is crazy how much room these seats take up! In the SUV if the seats behind me I still can't drive in the position I want

Ike > duurtlang 02/02/2016 at 16:19

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Im thinking of doing a write up on this seat, it’s a great seat, it can transform. That handle is there to adjust the height of the seat back as she gets bigger, this seat is kinda awesome (and Swedish)

V8Demon - Prefers Autos for drag racing. Fite me! > duurtlang 02/02/2016 at 16:21

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The amount of recalls on child safety seats is STAGGERING. Most hospitals want to inspect the seat and check for recalls before discharge of a newborn from the maternity ward.

I’m not sure how they could stop you from using seat from your own childhood if you still had it, but I’m sure they could make a few phone calls to CPS to make things annoying.

Luc - The Acadian Oppo > Ike 02/02/2016 at 16:25

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Looks like you need the Combi Coccoro.

This is the carseat that takes the less front to back space on the market. it’s also a convertible seat that can be used either rear facing or front facing.

http://www.combiusa.com/Coccoro-p/8220…

Ike > V8Demon - Prefers Autos for drag racing. Fite me! 02/02/2016 at 16:26

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Yeah, they didn’t really check ours so much as just ask me, if it was installed right. I said yes, that was the end of that.

Ike > Luc - The Acadian Oppo 02/02/2016 at 16:27

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I think we looked into that one, I went with the one we have (cause wife liked it) and because it was the safest rated one, and it converts to a booster seat as well

Luc - The Acadian Oppo > Ike 02/02/2016 at 16:29

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but with this one your wife would fit in the car too. without having to contort at least.

Svend > Ike 02/02/2016 at 16:58

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Most people I know with Fiestas are single or in a relationship without children. I’ve noticed males tend to drive the three door while the females drive the five doors. The ones with children tend to go for the Ford Focus.

Ike > Luc - The Acadian Oppo 02/02/2016 at 16:58

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Touché, at the moment if we all go anywhere we take the Escape anyway

Ike > Svend 02/02/2016 at 16:59

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I wish we had the 3 door as an option in the states

64Mali > Ike 02/02/2016 at 17:09

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I drive a non ST Fiesta. It does baby well. Thankfully the wife is 4 10 so she doesn’t mind. It having leg room. It is a great excuse not to have to drive other people.

Ike > 64Mali 02/02/2016 at 17:17

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This is a very good reason to have a short wife, (mines 5'3")

Svend > Ike 02/02/2016 at 17:56

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I looks good which is why the guys buy the three door STs and the gals buy the more practical five door regular Fiestas.

Unless your young or very flexible the rear seats are hard to get into.

The Fiesta ST2 and ST3 with Recaro seats aren’t for me as it turns out, I don’t have a Recaro butt to put in them.

Ike > Svend 02/02/2016 at 17:59

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I find they really comfy, my wife doesn’t care for them as much, also on days when I carry my pistol on me, it’s supper comfy, I can Hardly tell its there never has a seat been better to conceal carry in.

Svend > Ike 02/02/2016 at 18:13

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Words never said in most of the world, “also on days when I carry my pistol on me”, lol.

My butt is larger than the width of the Recaro seats. I’m built for comfort rather than speed. ;)

shop-teacher > Luc - The Acadian Oppo 02/02/2016 at 18:45

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Whoa! I need that for the Roadmaster (not as much room back there as you’d think.)

shop-teacher > Ike 02/02/2016 at 18:47

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That’s good to hear that it can be driven smoothly. I’m too, uh, wide for the Fiesta, but I’d like to get a FoST one of these days. Base model for me though, my butt doesn't fit in this Recaros :)

Ike > shop-teacher 02/02/2016 at 19:05

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Not the first to say as such, i think the st3 on each has a nice leather big butt accommodating racing style seat q

shop-teacher > Ike 02/02/2016 at 19:11

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I’ll look into that, thanks :)

ML9 > Ike 06/22/2018 at 00:20

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Hopefully this comes across as a well meaning concerned parent. Also, I do not know if these photos were just for the article or if you wer e actually going somewhere. BUT please please please remove your child’ s coat before securing them in the car seat. It is a major safety issue. Would hate for anything to happen to you precious girls ;)