2014 Ford Fiesta ST Review - Most Fun FWD At Any Price?

[@mr2death]

Great video! The proposition of a compact hot hatch FWD "rally" pocket rocket is great and a shame there are not more cars like this.

[@RANDY_MAR5H]

Having owned several miatas and hot hatches. This is the closest you're going to get to a miata with 4 doors.

[@richboy900]

I was torn between buying this and the Miata ND. I ended up with the Miata, no regets. I'd still say the ST is an absolute riot

[@aaa84gt]

I had a 1993 MX5 and right after a 1992 CRX 1.6. To be real with you, the CRX was twice as fun. It LOVED corners. I have always been a Honda fan. Too bad every CRX is too overvalued or in shit condition these days (30 year old cars now so it's no surprise), looking for one again forever now.

[@frozenfist3360]

My exact conclusion. I was barely able to drive my NA with two young kids at home so I moved on to the ST back in 2019, still loving it, and room for the kids!

[@dre32pitt]

a mazda2 is a literal 4drMX5 (weighs less than an ND, no cap), which the FiST is a cousin of (shared platform back when Ford n Mazda were dating)

[@metooblueshoes]

I think Zygrene has the most diverse cars and best takes in the game right now..

[@Zygrene]

Why thank you!

[@julianpark93]

@@Zygrenethis. You’ve come a long way and I love the honest opinions and authenticity. Super entertaining.

[@beno.9952]

This is great! I have this car and feel like a proud father watching you review it.

[@payko5262]

Jason Camissa had an analogy for driving stick shift in general that I think very much applies here - "I could walk to work or I could dance my way there, and brother I wanna dance". My cross shop came down to this and the FRS/BRZ. Their stats pages look like copied homework at times - 25k new, 200hp, 2700lbs, 6spd, 4cyl, etc. But between the highway performance and the practicality, I wound up in the FiST. I don't regret it for a second, because I know I'm always one intrusive thought away from doing 25 over on a windy backroad laughing like a maniac the whole way. It's stupid, eager, capable, and simple. Couldn't ask for a better shitbox ❤️

[@Keeked1]

I bought a new FiST in 2018 and recently traded it in for a 2020 GTI DSG. Made a lot of memories in the FiST. Never left me stranded and never failed to leave a smile on my face. Like you said the car doesn’t take itself too seriously and it just urges you to have fun. Great review!

[@dynodin81]

Are you as happy with the GTI?

[@Keeked1]

@@dynodin81 Yes! I've had it for about a year and a half now. It has an APR stage 1 ECU and TCU tune so it's pretty quick. It's definitely a bit more comfortable and compliant than the FiST. I miss the manual 10% of the time but overall I'm happier.

[@dynodin81]

@@Keeked1 Thanks, because I'm looking into buying one of those two. Except I want the GTI in Stick shift if I go that route.

[@dre32pitt]

@@dynodin81 GTI manuals have GOBS of rev hang.. i had a mk7.5 GTI with APR+ tune (comes with powertrain warranty through APR) and EU Clubsport S OEM exhaust, but the rev hang killed heel-toeing for me.. I asked APR if they could tune it out, but they dont want to touch those tables as they deal with emissions (akin to muffler shops not wanting to remove cats).. Im on my second FiST (only car i've owned twice out of 34 cars owned total), if that tells you anything :)

[@dynodin81]

​@@dre32pitt Thanks for the input, that says how great the Fist is If you went back to it.

[@Datsun510zen]

I've been waiting for this review for years. My neighbor had one that was gutted and highly modified for his dedicated track toy. I did a drive along with him a few times and was shocked how capable it was. I never asked but it felt like he had a LSD in it the way it rocketed out of corners. He eventually sold it to get a Civic type R, but regretted letting it go. I think we've all experience this at one point or another.

[@dre32pitt]

I can attest to the regret of letting one go... Hence, I'm on my second FiST.. First time buying a car for a second time (I've owned 30+ cars.. yes, I'm aware..).

[@Datsun510zen]

@@dre32pitt I lived through 30 years of regret. 7 years ago, Fenton reviewed my reunion with the 510. kzbin.info/www/bejne/fYvXoWmGnqufiqssi=kHmJAPGxIxfEmsdU

[@toddrichardson5184]

BOUGHT MY FIST NEW IN 2018. HAVE LOVED IT SINCE !!!! NEVER GONNA SELL IT BCUZ THERE IS NO MODERN BETTER ONE.

[@DillonShelburn]

Thank you! I’ve been saying this forever! Put 167k miles across two FiSTs and even lived in one for very small time

[@bannister556]

Another interesting review. We had a couple of Focus ST's over the years which were fun cars too. Great value.

[@VincentSmith_apk]

Thank you for showing our little beans some love. I've had mine as a daily since 2015. Hoping to finally get serious about modding it. Great review, I agree with both your complements and criticisms. Looking forward to seeing more of your type S content as well

[@abstraktius_artimus]

I own the same exact car same color and despite the problems I’ve had, I absolutely love it.

[@JDsHouseofHobbies]

I have a 2018 ST. I absolutely LOVE it. It is such a blast to commute in every damn day!

[@dsher503]

One of the most fun cars I’ve ever owned. Such a good bang for the buck.

[@arsmusica23]

The best mod for this car is an E-30 tuned with sparks and an intercooler. Most tunes will remove the rev hang issue. The turbo is small, so you won't get power after 5500. To get the squirrels out of the car, just get the 6-point brace under the chassis. It's not required, but it definitely helps. I love the playfulness in this car.

[@mynam3isnathan]

I want to do that 6 point brace badly! I've only heard great things. Seems like people are dialing out the last bit of slop with centering shims for the subframe and rear beam. Seconded on an E30 tune, spark plugs, and intercooler. You gain a pretty absurd amount of torque over stock.

[@arsmusica23]

@@mynam3isnathan, I feel like the brace is really worth it. Also I’ve bit somethings with it. Glad it was the brace and not my car 😂. It’s certainly sturdy. Currently on coils plus brace.

[@LorenzoClara97]

What do you mean with squirrel?

[@arsmusica23]

⁠​​meaning it’s much more composed & manageable with torque steer on power gains

[@arsmusica23]

@@LorenzoClara97, torque steer goes down a lot with the power gains on the torque increase on e-30. It’s significantly higher. When I switch tunes from 93 to e-30 it’s like driving a new car feel.

[@adamrozman]

Yess FiST representation

[@AthenaAutocross]

Absolutely fun little car to autocross too. I use it both as a my daily and autocross car and I've won 2 autocross events in it.

[@joshuathomas512]

I have a black 2014 ST and still get giddy when driving it, so much fun, great review

[@dylanharrington395]

Best hot hatch and crazy affordable!!

[@jasons7070]

I bought a 14 new and drove it about 100k miles before trading in towards a mustang GT. Definitely a fun car and had a blast with it while I had one.

[@ShadyJeffrey]

Great video. I had a 2016 fist. Was a blast on back roads. I miss that car sometimes.

[@Chewygsxr]

I have a 2014 ST and absolutely love it, it has 111,300 miles on it, it has a stage two tune from Cobb, 3” MBPR exhaust rear motor mount short shift kit and many visual mods, I just put my 7th set of tires on it, at 76 I still love driving On three wheels. The fiesta flash

[@danyprovezz8976]

Have you ever had problems due to overheating? or other problems. Would you recommend purchasing it with 80,000km?

[@Chewygsxr]

Great question, the 2014 ST had a recall for overheating, my radiator had a small leak and was replaced under warranty at 24,000 miles, then the front house from the coolant cracked, I took it to dealer at 40,000 miles and they replaced the tank and all hoses all under warranty because of the recall, I have a Cobb accessport and I have my engine temperature on it, it runs consistently between 187-89 degrees, the car has 114,000 miles now and never overheated, I drove it to Oregon 5 years in a row, it's a keeper and will be my last car, it still looks Showroom and runs like a raped ape with that Cobb Stage 2 tune. I get comments about my car everywhere I go they're very rare here on So-Cal, I love it. Put Michelin Pilot Sport A/S 4's there phenomenal tires great grip. The Fiesta Flash.

[@danyprovezz8976]

​@@Chewygsxrdo you think that buying a 2014 with 80,000 kilometers I will have problems? Is a post-2015 version better?

[@Chewygsxr]

@danyprovezz8976 That's actually low mileage for that year, I beat the piss out of ST, my friends can't believe I'm still on my stock clutch with 114,000 miles, and by the way, it doesn't use any oil. Enjoy your ST, I guarantee you every time you push that start button it will put the biggest smile on your face. The Fiesta Flash.

[@mikej1348]

Great review. It does everything a normal car does and it’s fun to drive in the canyons. I’ve driven the family in it and installed a bike hitch to go on trips. The cooling issues can be solved with an Intercooler and a radiator. I have an MP215 too. It’s nice to have that boost. You can buy a spacer under the throttle if you like to heel and toe.

[@keken_25_pr48]

Cool Fwd Hatch I spent a day on the track with a friend who was driving one stock, and he was having cooling issues, but nothing crazy and he was having a blast too. I'm a little surprise that you mention Type R's and N' cars in comparison but not the Civic Si on this price point

[@Zygrene]

The latest Civic Si is super refined but not nearly as fun to toss around.

[@bongodave13]

This car made Road and Track's list of the 20 best cars they've ever driven. That list is populated by some very impressive cars. The only other Ford to make the list was the GT40.

[@barryrodgers3039]

I owned one of these a few years ago. If you want miata fun per dollar but need a practical car as well, the Fiesta ST is my top choice. I do agree about the brake pedal. That was the biggest flaw of the car.

[@Zarifzar4]

I had the Focus ST before my LC and now I'm eagerly waiting to see your LC impressions.

[@richboy900]

The fiesta st is an epic little car, I was considering and came very close to buying one. I don't think you can beat the fiST for second hand value for money. Another hot hatch car you should try and get your hands on to review is the Renaultsport Mégane. That's more akin to civic type R though.

[@purpleflurp6601]

I love my fiST. I’m running Dizzy stage 2 (Jason does the BEST fiST OTS tune!) with an upgraded intercooler and smaller gapped sparks. The car is amazing stock but I think my ‘OEM+’ keeps the personality of the car with the benefit of the intercooler helping me sleep easier knowing my temps are way better in the summer. I will miss this car when it’s gone one day. Nothing will replace it.

[@tattoodfreeek]

I've got a 2017, 3 door. We didn't really get the 5 door version in the UK. I've had it a couple of years, and had it taken to stage 2, so it's sitting at about 230-245 bhp, and just installed front and rear strut braces. They're great little cars, which is why I've had 4 of them over the years, including the 2 litre ST from the late 2000s. Just wish they were a little more spacious

[@tylersands4126]

Hey man - long time viewer here and been looking forward to you reviewing the FiST. Seemed like your kind of car ;) I owned a FiST for 3 years before my Stinger GT. Really love the Stinger for many different reasons, but I definitely still think about the FiST. Ran it with Indy 500s as well (with 16” Sparcos, which drastically help the ride). Had the character of a puppy on Red Bull. For heel/toe, i do have bigger feet but always found that it worked better to use the side of your foot and it worked well. People say its small - but especially if you’re single it is super practical. Moved across the country in this car with most of my belongings… in January. Crossed a snowy Montana mountain pass on blizzaks without a hitch. For the money and for the cost ownership, probably the best bang for the buck right now. Curious what else you think about it comparing with Integra Type-R… but these are 20% of the price!

[@barryd86]

Having owed a 2014 Fiesta ST and driven it hard through the Bay Area hills I have to say this is the accurate assessment of a fiesta. Such a light, nimble and fun car but hampered really by the mid corner bump travel that really likes to unsettle the car and by the grabby brake pedal at low speeds. Also the rev hang is rough

[@likethejetsons]

i loved mine. fantastic daily driver!

[@Carl_JohnsonOGF]

It has an electronic differential. Not as good as a mechanical differential but I think it works fine around stock power levels.

[@4sake123]

It's open diff. It has torque vectoring which uses the brakes to mimic a differential, but no dif mechanical or electronic.

[@Carl_JohnsonOGF]

@@4sake123 you are right. It definitely does some trickery with the brake vectoring to mimic a LSD though.

[@ybd1el]

Yes. Next question.

[@Callum027]

I'm not sure 45kg of weight is worth the massive increase in noise and decrease in practicality of ripping out the rear interior.

[@jrd33]

Yup. Buy a car best known for its versatility and then take out the versatility. Now it looks like a race car but isn't.

[@dre32pitt]

I own a 17 FiST and a 16 Miata Club... The miata is definitely more fun for my kind of driving (backroads).. Not saying the FiST can't perform on backroads, but it doesn't have the tactile feel (out of the box) that the Miata has.. Everything is just a bit sharper in the Miata.. I got the FiST as my beater/Costco hauler.. Miata never sees rain. This is my second FiST btw.. the first car I bought again out of 30+ cars owned, lol. that says a lot.

[@90beastmaster]

I'm shopping for an NC Miata right now but I don't want to let go of my Fiesta ST. I was afraid of it being a bit redundant to own two fun small cars.

[@dre32pitt]

@@90beastmaster Nah, bro. FiST your Miata 😁 Edit: All jokes aside.. The FiST/Miata wombo-combo is truly legit. I can drive like a maniac and not be going that fast, but because these cars are so light and nimble, it feels a lot faster.. just more smiles per $, imo.. I was going to get a Mazda2, but came across this FiST first.. I was on a waiting list for GR86 for awhile.. The Irony is these two cost less (overall) than the GR86 lol

[@qanderson]

Doing heel-toe downshifting in this car is hard... but there's someone who sells a 3d printed accelerator pedal spacer, so it makes it easier.

[@dangmotorsports]

How does it compare to the Honda Fit?

[@bradyg499]

This car would be more fun when comparing stock for stock. But Fits have crazy aftermarket support just like most Hondas… if you’re a Honda fanboy or are willing to spend more money, a K-swapped Fit would probably be thee answer.

[@Zygrene]

K20 swapped Fit would destroy all

[@Modmaann]

The great grandfather of the fiesta is the definitely the r53s and jcw cars. I wish you could review mine as mine will be coming back with about 400hp full e85 tvs900 cammed big valve list goes on. Btw you should review a r53s with a few modifications

[@TassieLorenzo]

Any thoughts on the Firehawk Indy 500 tyres (Bridgestone Potenza RE003)? I like the old school hard sidewalls which are like a track day tyre IMO, even though the grip level isn't that competitive anymore, even for a road UHP tyre. I have a set of Potenza RE004 to use later which have the same sidewalls and should be a step forward in grip, and am currently on Potenza S007A which was the replacement for the Pole Positions and S001, but is no longer available outside of Japan anymore. It's been replaced in North America and Australia by the European-made Potenza Sport which unfortunately has softer sidewalls (at least in 16-17" sizes) to reduce rolling resistance and improve comfort. If only the Sport still had the sidewalls of the S007A, it would be a mighty road tyre with its grippier compound & wider footprint, oh well... The Sport kind of feels like it's floating over the road which is less fun, even if it's faster and easier (bumpy spots where the RE003/S007A are bouncing and scrabbling for grip as the engine flares up, the Sport just glides over with full traction, but that's less fun IMO!). If all road tyres are gong towards softer sidewalls (I understand the likes of ContiExtremeContact & Pilot Sport 4S are like the Sport or even worse for having soft sidewalls), it might be necessary to run track day tyres all the time to get that hard sidewall feeling -- but I'd rather not as we do get the odd heavy downpour in "winter" here in Australia. For some reason, the Nissan Z comes stock with the S007 which is an older tyre that people don't like and notthe S007A (A for aftermarket) which has more grip.

[@itchyonion3559]

If you track often then don’t even bother with the indy 500

[@TassieLorenzo]

@@itchyonion3559 Of course! It's just a road tyre, and not that competitive on grip with more modern offerings. The more modern Potenza S007A and Potenza Sport have much more grip (more comparable to ContiSportContact6/7, Milchelin Pilot Sport 4S etc) but they tend to melt on track, so you are better off with RE71R/RS or some other track day tyres.

[@itchyonion3559]

@@TassieLorenzo yeah, I thought it was a good bang for the buck but I tried some dirt cheap Chinese semi slicks and they were faster than the indy 500

[@hellatightdude]

I switched the OEM tire for the Indy 500’s on my Fiesta ST and hated them. Steering feel took a hit, and the sidewall just felt really squishy. It’s not the right tire for that car and I wouldn’t buy firehawks again. Just a shame they didn’t have Sport 4S’ in the FiST’s size back when I was looking for tires. I’ve since moved on to a GRC Morizo edition but I really enjoyed owning that Fiesta

[@TassieLorenzo]

@@hellatightdude Interesting! Maybe there has been a production change. My 2017-production Potenza RE003 in 225/45 R17 had quite hard sidewalls. Not as hard as Potenza RE050 as OE on the FiST or also OE on my car, which are almost like a run-flat tyre (that's a circa ~2005 tyre after all, when Bridgestone was really keen on the extra hard sidewall thing), but pretty stiff compared to other 'modern' tyres. This is borne out in the tyre weights which are about the same between RE003 and RE71R for a given size.

[@MVMann98]

How would you compare this car in driving experience to an 8th gen civic si with similar $ in mods (rear sway, hondata linear vtec 8200rpm base tune, motor mounts, suspension) in terms of fun to drive and performance? Its harder to find 8th gen si in good condition so i would say its becoming of similar price range now. Great vid btw, love the channel!

[@Zygrene]

It's been too long since I've driven an 8th gen Si so I couldn't say. But give me the K20 all day every day.

[@robertcrain9849]

Keep up the good work. Live your vidros

[@AlumarsX]

This is the car to own if you live someplace with mountains and lots of tight corners. Plus it's got that boost for high elevation places like mountains in the caribbean. As for its durability, weeeeell its cheap lol

[@figlinn]

Im looking at selling my Elantra N for a Fiesta ST. I want to get my cost of ownership lower to be able to take my Fiesta ST and NB Miata to more events

[@Weather_Nerd]

I love these cars but forgot they had that torsion beam. You described what that entails perfectly, had a 1997 Tercel years ago and mostly for some budget economy car it handled well being like 2100-2300lbs if even but I hated the effects of that torsion beam mid-corner on rougher roads. Never did it lead to anything bad but it didn’t feel good lol

[@kellydysantini6498]

I love the mags. Would look good on my Fiesta sedan ♥

[@ivannachoo]

The rev hang can probably be tuned out. Rev hang can be really frustrating when trying to drive in a spirited manner.

[@jhs9257]

All Fiesta ST have torque vectoring control as standard. Not sure if LSD was even an option.

[@jrd33]

Not in this generation, the next gen Fiesta ST has it as an option.

[@ryeguy88]

Thankfully a good cobb pro tuner can turn off the rev hang on these. I had it done the minute i bought the car.

[@ken952gtr]

I wish my 2013 Fiesta had a manual transmission. Was quoted $4,125 to fix the clutch by the dealership. I bought the car used from there 15 months ago.

[@zo.v1601]

Most tunes have a great time helping with the rev-hang, but a new flywheel is the best cure. They're something like 23lbs, and wear out and get noisier with time. I'm getting "crickets" already, but there are nice single mass kits that weigh 18lbs with stronger clutches. Just waiting for something to break, but these damn clutches stay so strong even with my Stage 2+. Nice review tho, great takes and you're very honest yet reasonable 👍

[@Jeff_F7]

Was waiting for a Zygrene review on this car. I wish Ford offered the 3 door version of this car in the US. The euro-spec 3 door ones that are commonly seen (much more than 5 doors; in fact, I rarely see 5 door St's when I go to Europe) at European tracks including the Nurburgring look so much sharper and are probably lighter than the 5 door versions. It's unfortunate and annoying that 3 door hatches are more or less extinct now and basically all manufacturers who still offer hatches have stopped offering a 3 door variant (with a few exceptions like Fiat 500 or Mini) when back in the day (circa 90's), 3 door hatches were more common than 5 doors. The Corolla GR and current Civic Type R, for example, would have looked miles better as 3 doors. In fact, would have been nice to see the current Civic Type R based on the FC2 10th gen coupe. Not many of these coupes around, but I actually prefer the look of the coupe to the hatch (not that it's even a true hatchback). Back in the 90's, the then current eg Civic coupe (like other 2 doors) was a very common sight at least where I was, just as popular as the sedan and 3 door hatch. I know that practicality is the name of the game and what sells today, but it still would have been nice to see or have the option of having. But, back to this car, I still desire this car alot, even in 5 door form. Overall, even the 5 door still has a good design and I was always a fan of ford's "kinetic design" that defined all their Euro-designed models in the early 2000s (culminating in the bad-ass design of the mk2 focus rs). This review echoes what I have been hearing since this car came out. People just rave about it on both sides of the Atlantic. It's always the benchmark for subcompact hot/warm hatches and now I need to try one.

[@cwheels01]

Try slapping an S280 on there. That torque steer is half the fun-- I did find that some good performance summer tires did help the handling a lot though.

[@MohamedAli965]

I want one so bad. I wish these were sold in here in the middle east

[@jamesvickers7787]

I realize this isn’t fair, but can you compare a bit to the integra type S?

[@Diamus101]

Utterly different. I daily a stage one mk4 Focus ST, so similar to integra type S, I am UK. I also looked at getting a mk8 Fiesta ST. My Focus drives and rides utterly differently to the Fiesta. They are two completely different cars and drives and cannot be compared as they each shine in different areas.

[@benperiod]

I had a 2015 before upgrading to a Camaro and ngl the fiesta was SUPER fun, especially for the price

[@mtshark7]

Awesome review man! How does this compare to the Ford Focus ST?

[@benjaminmoon3248]

Ive driven both I decided on the fiesta st because it feels more nimble and fun to drive the focus has more more problems and is heavier

[@Zygrene]

Fiesta hands down

[@Sayu2x]

If it came with an elsd or lsd. It would be an insta buy for me

[@Zygrene]

Aftermarket LSDs can be installed for a couple thousand bucks I believe

[@NDEEZMiata]

It uses the brakes to mimic an LSD. Quaife makes a diff for these though

[@flush_entity]

toook my stock fiesta st to a rally cross track day and .. i highly recommend

[@WALKET91]

Strange steering wheel there, didn’t see one like that there, my mk7 had the standard one.

[@mrb401]

The closest thing I’ve driven & owned compared to the fist is just that, an ITR. The fist is like a more modern, much less high-strung Itr. But with boat loads more torque. And I can sleep well with it parked in my driveway. Where as with the R, you literally have nightmares of it getting stolen, if it doesn’t actually happen. But to me, its still the goat, my favorite fwd car of all time.

[@Modmaann]

Where are you located? i have something you might be interested in reviewing, I'm in Washington. Looking forward to you reviewing a ford focus RS too someday

[@lynnmckenney1987]

Currently trying to decide between a FIst or a 2nd gen fit sport...thoughts?

[@tylerengr]

Cheap and cheerful hot hatch 👊

[@SleeperHonda]

Man, what ever happened to the RS? lol

[@Zygrene]

Fiesta RS would be a hoot

[@Birmingham_racing]

Everyone praises the handling on these

[@sharonevans7861]

On that road you did not need to down change to second. These cars have enough torch in third and you will not spin the front wheels.

[@PapaP86]

Honestly can't decide between one of these or a Focus ST. It would be a 3rd car and would end up being my primary/daily driver next a 2007 4Runner which I'd save more for longer road trips/hauling, camping or towing, then a 2021 Mustang Mach 1 HP that is purely a fun car, doesn't see bad weather. This would be my normal commuter and winter fun car when I still want something fun to drive, but don't care about it so much I won't drive it. I had a 2016 Focus ST for 3 years, then a Focus RS for a couple years. Honestly I feel like the Focus ST is the car that got away. Loved it, fun practical and comfortable. Have heard great things about the Fietas, but not driven one. My main concern would be getting the Fiesta and finding it maybe too small, noisy/not as good on freeway, and worse ride quality than the Focus ST, but whether those things would be significantly worse for me to care I'm not sure.

[@Diamus101]

Hello replied to you elsewhere this eve. I am UK. Me personally speaking, I have from new a 2020 mk4 Focus ST and its mapped so 326hp. I looked at getting a mk8 Fiesta ST before deciding upon the Focus. I know you cannot get the mk4 Focus ST otherwise I would say buy that one and I would bore you as to why. I don't know what older Fiesta and Focus STs drive like. For me I had the chance, but it didn't come to pass, to have a Fiesta ST as well as the Focus. The smaller car in the UK is superb for town driving and down twisty narrow country roads, its narrow nippy and chuckable. My Focus ST here is more suited to high speed cruising and spirited driving on more open roads, equivalent to your freeways, therefore unless you see yourself doing the "narrow, nippy and chuckable" I would go with a Focus.

[@Weather_Nerd]

PG&E weather station spotted 4:23 , appreciate those lol

[@4037joel]

Fiesta or honda em1, which one should i get?

[@WayneKing-f2r]

I love my st it don't feel like FWD car in sports mode around the turns

[@MistahLogi]

Only thing more fun is an Si but those are like twice the price as one of these STs unfortunately. I once got smoked by a Fiesta ST in my Audi STG1 B5 S4, have respected the 1.6 since

[@rfactorgo39]

Shame that there is no Megane RS in America, that car is absolute machine. Faster than civic typer R

[@ethanmounter1940]

It’s a shame that North America never received the Renault sport cars. They are the most capable cars for the money over here in Australia.

[@TassieLorenzo]

You can feel the car pivoting and the rear end coming around! Peugeot had the same reputation up to the 90's, but the newer Peugeot hot hatchbacks since then are more conservative unfortunately.

[@jonenglish-sq8kj]

I know it’s a different car from a different era, but how does this compare to a K20 type r in terms of driver engagement?

[@user-kj5cp8ur8z]

How do the dynamics compare to something like a Veloster N? You mentioned the Elantra N as a comparison, but other reviewers say the Veloster is more playful than the Elantra N.

[@twhalen]

I couldn't even get to the dynamics, I was bothered by the ridiculously touchy brakes on both cars during test drives. The Veloster N also had horrible artificial steering. And the Ford's torsion beam rear is a disgrace. Not hard to see why both of these cars didn't sell.

[@dre32pitt]

The N's have actual diffs.. the FiST has a brake-biasing (ghetto lsd) system that will brake the inside wheel while corning, which gives it the feel of a rwd/awd (rwd biased).. It's quite uncanny.. If you can live with the cheapish interior (stereo is actually surprisingly good, especially if youre more of a treble person), it's hard to beat.

[@Zygrene]

I would need to drive the Veloster back to back with the Fiesta. Pretty sure the Veloster is more capable, but Fiesta probably still more fun.

[@dre32pitt]

@@Zygrene I've heard folks.who have driven both consider the VN more of a 'bigger FiST' than even the FoST is

[@TassieLorenzo]

@@twhalen Most hot hatchbacks have torsion beams (Renault, Peugeot too, Civic Type R FK2), the rear suspension isn't that important in a front wheel drive car. It's mainly about reducing rear grip to increase rotation. In front wheel drive race cars like in the BTCC where they have to run square tyre setups, they often set 6 degrees of rear camber just to deliberately reduce rear grip. Of course, beams aren't great for ride, but they do increase interior space. (Sporty front wheel drive cars usually set the natural frequency (stiffness normalised by corner weight) of the rear suspension greater than the front suspension to aid rotation, they are literally the opposite of rear wheel drive cars which are the other way around. So you have oversteer chassis balance and then add power to add understeer, as opposed to a rear wheel drive car with understeer chassis balance and then add power to add oversteer.)

[@ryeguy88]

Shoot I would’ve let you try mine.

[@milesfathi]

I remember test driving one of these in 2015 and I was like "what a car!!". Too bad I ended up buying Nissan Murano with a CVT because.. married life😅

[@Zygrene]

Big oof

[@ShaiyanHossain]

civic wasnt in the question?

[@ossBASHA]

Ouch

[@ogarzabello]

Try the Abarth.

[@FronkG]

Add a wavetrac LSD to it!!

[@Kevin-xz4jq]

Its the GTI formula. Old GTIs have this same fun factor

[@TassieLorenzo]

The Peugeot ones? (GTi) I don't think VWs ever had them, with how ThrottleHouse were talking about how the steering and shifter of their Mk1 GTI was nothing special compared to their Corolla Sprinter (obviously a rival sport compact car at the time).

[@Haawser]

Awesome car, but with one proviso. If you're 5'8"-5'10" or below, and up to about 14-15 stone, you'll love it to bits. If however you're six foot or above, and built like a brick outhouse...those seats will cripple you ! Trust, I speak from experience. They're ok for a quick blast, but after 3-4 hours you will be in serious pain. So if you are outside the 85th percentile, and thinking of buying one, put aside some budget to swap the seats. Trust, you will thank me.

[@lthudgins]

FiST SQUAD!!! ✊🏿

[@johnbabcock9766]

Rear engine mount….

[@fkhothatchi]

Yo whatever happen to your cohost?

[@Zygrene]

Still close friends but he's more focused on his golf channel these days (Golf Parfection)

[@oraclemiata845]

I guess I thought these came with LSD’s for some reason.

[@90beastmaster]

They have brake vectoring maybe that was the mixup?

[@Zygrene]

@@90beastmaster correct

[@TonyaMartin-b7c]

Johnson Betty Perez Ronald Allen Paul

[@tyhyhh]

had one with a hybrid turbo made like 300whp it was fun but lacked character

[@NDEEZMiata]

Having owned a FIST, I think the 500 Abarth is more fun in stock form. At least on the short test drives….Largely due to the exhaust and it’s a bit smaller. It’s worse in every quantifiable way, but it does have a lot of personality. The FIST is such a great car though, the rev hang and lack of sound from the factory are the biggest complaints I had. The pedal spacing wasn’t very good for heel and toe…gas and brake are too far apart and the gas pedal sits much lower than the brake. Sound was an easy fix, cutting the muffler and resonator out gives it an Abarth-ish sound and didn’t really drone much. It was a great car out of the box though, it didn’t need anything to haul ass on a canyon road. The stock brakes setup was plenty, came with some decently grippy tires. It was so much fun to slide it around, there’s a ton of lift off oversteer. You could nearly drift them lol It was reliable, cheap to run, reasonably practical, and was actually affordable. I paid $25600 for mine with recaros and niche wheels brand new in 2013-2014 IIRC…. Can hardly get a regular civic for that now. The MK7.5 GTI was a little more expensive depending on trim, a hell of a lot faster, and the interior was much nicer. But it wasn’t nearly as fun or visceral. Wish they still made these, all the hot hatches are so much more expensive now and they aren’t necessarily more fun. The Elantra N is the only real budget option. It was the perfect entry into “sports cars” for me. Ford even included Octane Academy when purchased new. That was a ton of fun

[@AthenaAutocross]

Pedal spacing was pretty easily handled. They sell both machined and 3d printed spacers. The machined ones allow you to move the throttle pedal left/right for heel-toe. Was like 35 dollars for mine and absolutely worth it.

[@604parkour]

That tune is nothing for these cars. Try a FBO e30 stock turbo. Mine makes 210whp & 310wtq stupid reliable, and rips.

[@oscardean6351]

I really don’t get this rev hang thing you just change gear fast and put your foot down makes no sense Maybe it’s where he’s other cars are VTEC 🤘🫤