Focus ST vs Fiesta ST: Which hot hatch do we like more?

This week, we compare the Focus ST and Fiesta ST to see which one we would like as a daily driver. Both are great cars, we just want to see which one we like better.
We did not focus on the track performance of these cars, we wanted to see what they would be like to live with. Does the size of the Focus make it better, or does the agility and smaller size make the Fiesta more enjoyable?
I hope you enjoy our take on these cars and if you do, please give us a thumbs up, subscribe and click the little bell for upcoming videos.
Both cars were provided by Sam Pack's 5 Star Ford of Carrollton.
For inventory, visit SPFORD.COM or call 972-242-6415.
Any product or technical questions, please leave a comment or shoot us an email at [e-mail].
Music provided by Bensound.com

[@hammerdown184]

The Fiesta is so responsive and feels like it's meant for the track. The Focus is like a FWD muscle car.

[@johnnycincocero]

That's what I love about the FiST, the way it handles a corner. Small but oh, so much fun.

[@1970borntorun]

Much like Fiats and Alfa Romeo's in the 1970's! That playful, tossable nature is what gets inside your Car Soul! ;)

[@cjljr41]

Test drove both and went with the Fiesta ST and saved thousands of dollars. Purchased a COBB Stage 1 flash tune for $600 making the car that much closer in performance to the Focus ST. Of course, one could purchase a flash tune for the Focus ST making it faster than the Fiesta...and so on, and so forth...

[@CoronaJoe]

Interior: focus Everything else: fiesta

[@shilpwift3366]

Not to me, the focus is better in every way.

[@JamesMcKinven]

Love this, great comparison guys :)

[@alainantunes4073]

Good video, I personally like the Fiesta ST more. I had a lot of clipping in the audio, better audio quality will really improve the video.

[@matthewbonciu2444]

First video that I see from you guys. Awesome!

[@j.santiago7022]

I haven't checked out your other content yet, but....SUBSCRIBED! Real Talk.

[@muizawan]

awesome video! I just realized you posted it a few days before I picked up my Focus ST :P

[@kparry1975]

Both cars are great but I went with the ford focus st2 and I love it so much fun and so much power never get bored of that

[@KarenMartinLives]

Great "Real Talk"!

[@joshkelnhofer5454]

Great video guys

[@Subjohny]

Nice review guys!

[@dakotamarra2193]

Just bought my FiST on saturday, tri coat metallic molten orange with the color matching recaros, absolutely love taking it on windy roads, pretty much drove all weekend

[@ramonahumada4]

Thank you u FORD!

[@ELP1125]

Give the Hispanic dude the Fiesta, haha I see what you did there

[@1970borntorun]

Yeah man! That's some Vehicle-Profiling there dude! Lol :)

[@raccs600]

lmaooooooo

[@lethalpenguin61]

@@donaldwest9373 you are a snowflake, take a joke man

[@donaldwest9373]

lethalpenguin61 shut up

[@flaxseedoil1000]

2016 FiST - daily driver Test drove both, the Focus was more in line size wise with my previous rides. The FiST felt like a go-cart on crack. Back seats were a big decision for me. To lay flat the Focus needs the headrest removed and the seat cushion lifted. The FiST just folds flat. Carried a high wheel trimmer, new in the box, in the FiST no problem. Getting 28 mpg mixed driving. Got 37 mpg on a 75 mph trip to San Diego and back. I paid cash so walked away with an extra $5k in my pocket.

[@Hellbrokeluce]

In my country the Fiesta ST has only two doors so that's a big difference from a practical standpoint if you have a family.

[@josephallen8044]

focus st any day! I drove both. bought the focus st last week. still smiling!

[@muizawan]

same here! fiesta was good but I like how much torque the focus has over the fiesta

[@flush_entity]

oddly, the Focus ST's torque didnt feel all that much different to the Fiesta ST for me (Focus had a little more torque steer.) Fiesta ST handles so much better in corners so i ultimately bought the Fiesta ST.

[@simonmiller5118]

The Focus feels like a family friendly hot hatch...the Fiesta is like a little rally car. Trust me...having owned over 100 cars the Fiesta is something very special. It will become the stuff of legends and it's value will go up and up.

[@heyitsme939]

for 2018 they should make the focus/fiesta ST in a 2 door coupe and 3 door hatch

[@Hekeepsitclassy]

@7:59 its crazy seeing the difference in the brake rotors

[@flee78]

Keep it Real!

[@PapaP86]

I'm considering getting either a Fiesta or Focus ST. I owned a 2016 Focus ST (ST3) for 3 years before trading it in on a 2017 Focus RS (that was re-engined with a brand new 2018 engine by Ford). Honestly I wish I just kept the Focus ST. There was nothing wrong with the RS, however honestly I found it was not as fun (or practical) to drive on the street as the ST. The RS was truly only fun for me if I was driving it at 8/10ths or more of what it was capable of either at autocross or track. Just carving up some twisties and throttling out, the Focus ST was more enjoyable (had a Stage 1 tune from FSWerks on it, made power delivery much more linear instead of all up front and a lot more torque). Fast forward to now, I have a 2007 4Runner that's my daily driver, winter, dog, and hauling vehicle and a 2021 Mustang Mach 1 Handling Package for my fun car. I'm thinking about a Fiesta or Focus ST as a 3rd car mainly as a daily driver so I'm not using the 4Runner as much (pretty awful MPG and it's big and heavy) as well as a fun joy ride vehicle to take out with the dogs, and a fun car to drive in the winter I don't care so much about (the Mach 1 doesn't see the winter roads). I know I really enjoyed the Focus ST, but I lot of people rave about the Fiesta ST. I don't really *need* the room since I have the 4Runner to haul when needed. Main concern is if the back seats would be too small for the dogs, but I think it'd probably be fine. Aside from that would mostly be concern over refinement, road noise, suspension bumpiness, how it handles freeways, etc. Most of the time it seems used, well spec'ed Fiesta and Focus STs in decent shape under 80k miles are pretty similar in price. If the Fiesta ST were much cheaper, it'd make it more appealing, but in my searching it's usually not.

[@LGrice]

Hands down the Fiesta st is better because it’s so much fun, and you can always upgrade to a bigger turbo for more HP

[@whydoihave6neutrals772]

zhuoqun xu yeah but get a focus st and then you have more power. Adding power to compare these cars to one another is a bad idea because why pimp put a fiesta get 230 horsepower or pimp out a Focus and get 400?

[@TheSpongebob74]

I live in the uk and have a feista st with the warranty approved mountune upgrade with 215 and it fractionally quicker to 60 and still more fun and cheaper

[@Metallkopf86]

I got the Focus ST, ultimately I want the RS! But I do regret not testing the Fiesta before making my purchase. However I'd want to get the two door Fiesta. I'm going to look into them a little more and maybe I'll make the switch but we'll see. As of now, loving the Focus aside from the rough ride.

[@diehardch1ef822]

Metallkopf86 if I were you and ultimately wanted the rs I would have got the fist to keep as a daily later. And got the rs after the fist is paid for.

[@Jambiswag]

2 door not available in the states

[@delitha1]

No Recaros in the comparison? You guys are missing out!! They ended up being a must have in my FiST!

[@oregongaper]

The ST1 seats are actually Recaros as well.

[@jwilh15]

false. ST1 isn't. ST2 is cloth recaro, ST3 leather

[@BensCoffeeRants]

Some people hate em (if you're wider / fatter most likely), but the seats are so comfortable to me.

[@gilfabian765]

@@jwilh15 false. They are Recaro. Just not leather. If you know Recaro. They make their seats in more than one finish.

[@jwilh15]

@@gilfabian765 exactly. As I said cloth recaro st2, leather recaro st2. St1 is not recaro. It's like I haven't owned one or anything....

[@stevenalvarado8218]

Real talk 🥰

[@balintk.9373]

That Fist has a custom wrap around it? It does not look like it has the molten orange layer.

[@gilfabian765]

I went with Hose-A and bought the Fiesta

[@jeffe89]

A two door Fiesta would be nice.

[@Happykillerrr]

Damn.. that licenseplate though

[@MeatPopsycle]

High pass filter needed

[@yaBoyRome]

I got a 2013 focus titanium 5 speed. It's fun to drive but thinking about getting an st soon. Want more speed lol

[@pedrotorrado7503]

I love my 2017 ford focus st same color as the one on the video

[@lukeskywalker1840]

I gotta decide. Damn it is hard. I am old and this is a hard decision.

[@andrewvanhook5006]

Y’all are killing me, I can’t decide between which car I’d rather own for long term daily use. I love power but I also love the practicality of the FiST. If anyone can answer, is the FiST “enough” to keep a car guy happy for a few years. My current vehicle is a 2001 Ford Explorer Sport, but it makes a little more power than stock, so my worry lies in the FiST NOT BEING ENOGH

[@bongodave13]

I have a FiST and I like it a lot. It's got a mild tune on it, which woke it up quite a bit, but it's not as quick as a lot of other sporty cars. 0-60 is good, but not great with fwd and a manual transmission. If you like twisty roads, though, it's fantastic. The handling is great and it corners like it costs way more than it does. I also appreciate the light weight and getting around 30 mpg. You should try out both. The FiST is fun, but the FoST is faster and roomier.

[@lowslo9287]

Andrew Vanhook get the FiST

[@richardn7]

I have a 2016 fiesta st. Got it a little over 2 years ago and Ive put 25k miles on it. Very fun car and its very small. It feels like it has a lot of torque in terms of pure momentum. The small turbo means you get torque at like 2.5k rpm. I got the recaros and I wouldnt take anything else imo. The ride is essentially abt as harsh as a normal consumer car would ever get other than a Focus RS. I dont mind it but it can make things rattle a bit, and speed bumps are absolutely brutal. I also have an exhaust (cut the muffler off) and its like just loud enough to cut you off in a conversation if you are accelerating hard. However, it sounds much better than stock and I only paid $150 for the muffler cut off and new exhaust tips installed. Road trips are not bad at all. Youd get about 36 mpg driving normally on the highway. On average, when I commuted 30 min to work, Id get like 30mpg which is nice. Now I live closer to work, so I only get like 24mpg. Also, you can choose either regular or premium gas. Premium is recommended by Ford and by me as well: you can feel a huge difference between 87 and 93. I believe you gain like 20hp and torque from using premium so it makes sense. I spent $50 on a usb center console plug thing from a ford fusion that has carplay capability: best $50 i have ever spent to this day. I would say this is almost a must do modification. Good car to teach someone to drive manual on too. It is very very hard to stall unless you release the clutch basically instantly at idle.

[@dg7438]

I would take the FoST if it didn't have the turning radius of a semi, and it's gas tank was larger. Otherwise, I prefer the FiST. Orange Spice '17

[@Christof708]

The fiesta feels more agile

[@johnnycincocero]

Does the FoST come in Pumpkin Spice also?

[@realtalkauto6357]

Only on the Fiesta. That would be a sick color on the Focus though.

[@kevinl6231]

Well, my Fiesta is my daily driver, not just weekends and track.

[@gnxss]

It definitely can be test drove both and honestly thought the fiesta was more fun. I'm 6'2" though so i ended up getting a 17 focus st2 if i was shorter id have a fiesta though haha

[@ConfirmedPatriot]

I'm 180 lbs I fit in my Recaros. They are outstanding. My friends North of 200 lbs do not fit.

[@tristan_2604]

What is the audio in this

[@x58evo2puma7]

I would have the fiesta st any day it looks more sporty then the focus st the focus st look more like a family car not a hot hatch

[@johnnycincocero]

This is true.

[@realtalkauto6357]

I loved the Fiesta too. Reuben needs new glasses.

[@keithfreeman4015]

Focus st all day.

[@sethmoyer]

I've driven both and the Fiesta ST is more fun to drive. My friend who owns a Focus ST wishes he bought a Fiesta. I put 16" wheels on it and it's more comfortable without sacrificing handling in any way. The factory 17" wheels are just too big.

[@hudboys8120]

I am a Miata owner and I think the fiesta would be perfect to drive

[@ConfirmedPatriot]

New bigger turbos coming soon via Mountune USA 😁💪🏻👊🏻

[@brianjurko9085]

Omg you can't do a review of the st without the recaros as it totally changes the experience!!

[@slappy76]

I only sat in it at the car show and was thoroughly disappointed. My back couldn't touch the center because the side bolsters kept me from laying back all the way.

[@slappy76]

Well, both myself (5'10") and my girlfriend (5'7"), not hobbits, tried the FiST Recaros again at the NY Auto show yesterday. While we wish our standard ST seats were available with heat. We both agreed the rear of the Recaro are uncomfortably low in the back for a trip longer than an hour. It feels like your sinking into a hole. With the $2,000 I saved by NOT getting the Recaros, I'm buying a Cobb AP with custom tune, Mountune rear motor mount, Mountune air filter, Depo intercooler, FSWerks short shifter, Viper tints, Draw-tite trailer hitch, trailer hitch wiring, Hollywood hitch lock, 1Up 2 bike trailer, Viofo A119 dash cam, Parking Armor bumper guard, Bumptek classic protector, AND aftermarket heated seat pads. And I'm STILL under $2,000. So yeah.. Fuck those Recaros. Lol.

[@karmakoma9743]

I'm almost 6' tall and got my 2016 Fiesta St last tuesday and drove it for 900km+ on Wed and LOVED the Recaro seats (which are standard in Canada). I have a herniated disk and in my Journey/Bronco/Yaris I get major back issues with the same trip but no so with the Fiesta even with more bounce on the road. Only issue is right leg can get a bit cramped after a few hundred km and not much space to stratch it out when driving and getting out of the car when you're taller sucks. One other thing, this is my first standard car in 10 years, my last one was a 1974 BMW 2002 4 speed and the Fiestas shifter it taking some time to get use to and not missing/wrong shifts as the shift gates are so close. but that a minor thing.

[@BensCoffeeRants]

Most if not all sporty cars have low seats you really sink into. Ever try sitting in an Rx7? It's tough to get out of those! :) But it's comfy and secure. And helps lower the center of gravity for the vehicle. Most car guys complain that the seats in the Fiesta ST are actually sitting too high, but I think they're fine, I'm used to regularly positioned seats coming from A Honda CIvic. The shift knob isn't in the best place though.

[@BensCoffeeRants]

My Honda Civic seats were hurting my back, so far so good with the Recaros in the FiST for me.

[@Lotrioni]

fiesta just a toy car?? no wonder ford stops selling these at america, this is the american mentality to cars that some of us just live with everyday

[@tuuger]

"2nd gear powerband" haha

[@teamcucu]

Fiesta ST is not a hot hatch it is a pocket rocket. Different categories if you ask me.

[@xachaslanyan4049]

Fiesta

[@philspaghet]

Solution, don't be overweight, get the FiST :P

[@film.cenneti.com.9687]

fiesta

[@someparts]

"I like the Focus better...it's got more room". That was the main reason, it's bigger?

[@steinvankuik1336]

How could you even be driving these cars properly without the Recaro seats?

[@whydoihave6neutrals772]

Stein Van kuik bigger people wont fit in the recaros

[@RavagHer]

Yeah but more power is useless if ur car ways 600 lbs more....I need to see some power to weight ratios

[@quarthmeat1884]

Focus is a lot faster and has more space. Thats about the only advantages though

[@pkgreens_9998]

QuarthMeat...focus is marginally faster. The FiST has a 6.9s 0-60...FoST does it in 6.3s...the RS is a lot faster at 4.6s

[@vacatedbroom6237]

The st1 seats technically are still recaro, they just don't say recaro

[@realtalkauto6357]

True

[@x58evo2puma7]

I would choose the fiesta st Bec the focus st dosent look a hot hatch it look like a family car so u can’t called a focus st a hot hatch I have a fiesta st and it’s the best thing I ever brought would buy the fiesta st 200 on my next car ford smashed it when they brought the fiesta st out about 2013 great looking car two

[@steveo8533]

Both good but the focus is the better car.

[@realtalkauto6357]

I can agree with that. But the Fiesta ST was a fun car for the price. But Focus was more practical.

[@RodrigoIAFCJ]

the ford focus rin is bigger than fiesta rin

[@simonmiller5118]

What kind of shitbox versions do you get in the US?

[@ProJanitor]

Power to weight ratio Fiesta ST: 0.0724 Focus ST: 0.0782

[@BensCoffeeRants]

So what's better? lol

[@jasonshort3047]

By the numbers, the Focus, albeit barely. However the Fiesta is significantly cheaper and more efficient, so I give it the win.

[@edfutfisher]

Us spec seats look awful

[@CameronAC]

Good lord the US varients of the STs are horrible

[@djnelekk]

Shitty seats in both of them. Recaro seats are a must on these cars.

[@thomasoleson2651]

Disagree. Subjective.

[@langan9000]

Audio quality so bad I had to stop watching

[@questionmark2459]

Same

[@dogdaybreak3157]

Focus ST is full of torque steer. You might as well spend the same $ for a GTI which is better in every way including power and can be had for the same $ with discounts. Or get the Fiesta ST which is a lighter and cheaper than both.

[@whydoihave6neutrals772]

DogDaybreak Lol gtis weaker bro

[@whydoihave6neutrals772]

And you also have to remember Volkswagen sucks bro. Your rattling plastic interior will cover up the sound of the your failed sound system and timing chain snapping and destroying your 2.0 Tsi😂

[@848Evo86]

The US always gets the ugly versions, without the LED lights, the orange blinkers .. ugh.

[@albertwolf8808]

ATE Continental Freins à disque avants ATE Continental qui équipent la Fiesta nouvelle neuve actuelle:voyez ,où plutôt écouter ce qui se passe lorsqu'on freine,c'est assourdissant,et ceci n'est qu'une partie de ces freins lamentables,car EN PLUS ,à l'arret,en tournant le volant à droite, comme à gauche,on doit suporter un craquement métallique,tout le temps.! Pour le chef d'atelier,c'est normal,mais après des milliers de kilomètres maintenant,les crissements de tôle en terminaison de freinage sont toujours làl et aussi dans les braquage de roues à l'arret! Pas la moindre amélioration! Mais ceci n'est pas sans conséquence pour Ford,car à cause de ces ATE Continental,autour de moi,plus personne ne veut prendre une Ford neuve.Qui voudrait avoir,à vie,une voiture qui fait un tel vacarme?! Qui plus est,invendable!

[@timmyturner7438]

cut down the intro length, I had to skip it cause it got so boring

[@realtalkauto6357]

We are thinking the same thing. Hahaha

[@john-joeoshea3118]

You can tell which one is mentally older (and probably is)

[@thomasgrant8409]

Boring

[@woodsy555]

both crap.

[@christophejergales7852]

taff_G1 incorrect

[@woodsy555]

Agreed.

[@NeekoKid]

taff_G1 um why you got a fiesta st in your profile pic lol.