[kiteboarder]

Hi guys,

I've been lurking around here for a while as I'm quite interested in the little Fiesta ST. My background is Miatas, both new and old. I also have a liking for AWD Mitsubishi Evolutions (Evo VIII, Evo IX and Evo X specifically). Oh, and I'm quite fond of Corvettes and old Porsche 911s.

I also run a car enthusiast blog. Because of the blog, I have the opportunity to sometimes test unique and cool cars. I saw the opportunity to take a FiST for a long drive, much more involved and detailed than the typical dealer test drive. For one, I didn't have a salesperson sitting with me. The car was mine to drive and do as I pleased for a couple of hours. Of course, I treated her well as I knew someone else would be buying that car soon.

Anyway, I wrote a full 4,000 word review of my experience with the car and I wanted to share with all of you.

This is the link to the story: Ford Fiesta ST Review Pocket Rocket Post Drive - RallyWays

Please let me know your thoughts and share with whomever you'd like. Sorry if I'm breaking any forum rules posting a link to my story. Because of my job, I'm a member of more than 50 forums, so it's sometimes hard to keep up with the specific rules on each of them. Some are ok with links to relevant stories, others, like miata.net are so stuck in their ways of "NO SELF ADVERTISING" that they have their heads up their own... you know.

Anyway, let me know your thoughts. This is the pretty FiST I was driving:

 

[djwhiplash2001]

Same dealer I bought my FiST from - and maybe the same one I almost bought (opted for Black instead).

 

[kiteboarder]

^^^ Haha. Oh really? That's interesting. I saw the black one. If you would've bought this white one you would've also be in for a treat. Congrats by the way. I see a black one around my neighborhood every once in a while. But the owner must have gotten it a while ago because it already has its plates.

My choice on this would be white, or black or red.

I see a lot so focuses at the show and meets I frequent, but very few FiSTs.

 

[djwhiplash2001]

I commute between San Marcos and Carlsbad... does the black one you see have the gunmetal wheels and driving around people at 80mph? Prolly me .

Double Peak for some of those pics? Nice seeing stuff from my neck of the woods lol. Nice review too - objective, and you share a lot of my thoughts (former GTI, NA Miata and AP1 S2K owner)

 

[kiteboarder]

Haha. No, definitely not yours. I think this one is from Pendleton. It has the Marine's base sticker on it. Yeah, Double Peak. I don't shoot there as often as I should. Thanks for the good words on the review. I still have my NA Miata and the GTI. But I did sell my NC Miata. I miss that car, a lot.

 

[djwhiplash2001]

Oddly enough, the NC Miata was the car I was shopping for - then a friend suggested the FiST and I was hooked. I figure I'll pick up an NA Miata for a couple grand at some point, keep the hatch as the nice DD and the Miata to beat on weekends.

 

[theothersawyer]

Nice review! I am also a Miata guy and those miata.net guys are crazy! haha

 

[kiteboarder]

@djwhiplash2001 - Cool! Funny story, when I had my NC, it was a DD, but also a bit of a garage queen because I would not drive it everywhere. I wanted a beater NA for those days and for the track. I ended up finding the most pristine NA in California and bought it. So I ended up with 2 garage queens. O.O Then I sold the NC. I wanted something that looked more "exotic" than a hatch at the time. I still kinda of do. I also wanted a RWD car. I guess that's the only think I don't like about the FiST. But it's strictly for a rather inexpensive DD, the FiST is great. I also have a Tacoma. That's my current DD. But it's jolly expensive and terrible on gas. If I do end up buying a FiST, it would be replacing the Taco.

@theothersawyer - Hello fellow Miata guy! Nice avatar. Yep. On Miata.net you have to walk on eggshells and with a flamesuit on. Lol. Don't get me wrong, there are many good people there. But also too many old sourpusses that think they own the site and see it as the only forum on the internet.

 

[FineTooned]

Great write up. Answered many of the questions I've had about the ST. Thanks for sharing it.

 

[Drifter]

I enjoyed that. Nice review.

 

[shmi]

OP, good review, thanks for sharing it. That's probably how most of us feel about the car, it certainly echoes the general sentiment.

FIY I found a typo you might want to correct - "Many resputable car reviewers such as Consumer Reports" should be reputable. Or maybe Consumer Reports is the typo because they're not exactly what I'd consider reputable Well, maybe that's not fair... they just weigh things like infotainment oddly when reviewing, IMO.

 

[kiteboarder]

Great write up. Answered many of the questions I've had about the ST. Thanks for sharing it.

Glad it was of help!

I enjoyed that. Nice review.

Thanks!

 

[kiteboarder]

OP, good review, thanks for sharing it. That's probably how most of us feel about the car, it certainly echoes the general sentiment.

FIY I found a typo you might want to correct - "Many resputable car reviewers such as Consumer Reports" should be reputable. Or maybe Consumer Reports is the typo because they're not exactly what I'd consider reputable Well, maybe that's not fair... they just weigh things like infotainment oddly when reviewing, IMO.

Thanks for spotting the typo. Long reviews are incredibly hard work to do. This one took about 15-20 hours to build. And that does not even account for the time testing the car and shooting photos. This is just the writing and photo post-processing for the story. Then, you have to read it over and over again. By the 3rd read, after so many hours of work, you just don't spot the typos anymore. Although, I admit, the spell check should've seen that.

That's why it's good to have an editor proofread your work. But when the writer is also the editor... Well, you know.

 

[shmi]

Thanks for spotting the typo. Long reviews are incredibly hard work to do. This one took about 15-20 hours to build. And that does not even account for the time testing the car and shooting photos. This is just the writing and photo post-processing for the story. Then, you have to read it over and over again. By the 3rd read, after so many hours of work, you just don't spot the typos anymore. Although, I admit, the spell check should've seen that.

That's why it's good to have an editor proofread your work. But when the writer is also the editor... Well, you know.

I know how it goes, I've written my fair share of papers only to miss stupid mistakes so I wasn't criticizing, just thought you might want to fix it.

 

[Colin1337]

Solid review, I enjoyed it.

 

[canadian_commerce]

As you stated that review needs some serious editing, but always nice to read another opinion on the car. Jealous of your nice weather.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[cruster]

Nice review! I am also a Miata guy and those miata.net guys are crazy! haha

Speaking as one, you're probably right. My summer cruiser is a 2004 NB. I am very, very lucky when it comes to cars...

 

[theothersawyer]

Speaking as one, you're probably right. My summer cruiser is a 2004 NB. I am very, very lucky when it comes to cars...

Hahaha they aren't ALL crazy! It seems as though a lot of FiST guys are/were Miata owners!

 

[Thibs]

Nice review...what year is your GTI? My gf has a 2011 and I like the steering wheel and the seating position more on her car.

 

[kiteboarder]

Sorry for the late return. I'm back.

Solid review, I enjoyed it.

Thank you! Everyone seemed to love the review. Even outside of this forum.

As you stated that review needs some serious editing, but always nice to read another opinion on the car. Jealous of your nice weather. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Good weather for sure. We did get a lot less snow this year though. I haven't been up to the mountains in SoCal because the snow coverage has been appalling this year.

Speaking as one, you're probably right. My summer cruiser is a 2004 NB. I am very, very lucky when it comes to cars...

Hahaha. I like the Fiesta ST more than the FoST. I just finished driving a new FoST for 60 miles for a followup review. I think the Miata background has a lot to do with my preference of the FiST. Here's a pic of my '95:

The RallyWays Miata Story | Flickr - Photo Sharing!