Considering a 2019 Fiesta ST--Need some input from current owners

[Economatic]

I'm a new member here and I have a few detailed questions about possibly getting a Fiesta ST. They are pretty specific questions but I'll give some background first on how I'd use the car...

I'm basically looking for a small and fun car for my "commute", which is 170 miles one way that I make about once a week. I also plan to do occasional track days (3-4 days a year), possibly autocross events as well. I just got rid of a 2017 Fiesta SE a couple months ago so I've got an idea of what I would getting into with an ST. For what it was I liked it, but it had the dumpster fire automatic transmission that annoyed the hell out of me. It was also underpowered considering I often had a roof rack with cargo box on the car along with a hitch mount bike rack. But the size of the car was perfect for how I used it along with the utility of the hatch. I was also pretty happy about the fuel mileage even with the roof rack and a bike on the back.

Here are my questions:
1. How does the ST version handle on the highway at speeds above 60mph? The SE I had was downright sketchy around corners on the highway or freeway, the back end would get unsettled really easily. I know the SE suspension is extremely soft and it had just cheap all-season tires so maybe that's remedied in the ST?
2. How does the car hold up to track days? I've talked to a couple other guys and I know brake fade can be an issue on hot days. I wouldn't mod the car so it would be completely stock. Any particular reliability issues with running the car hard? I saw a Fiesta ST at a track day a few months ago and it was running some fast lap times...but smoking like crazy.
3. Fuel mileage. What kind of mpg do you get on the freeway around 75 mph? Is there a huge hit to mpg when putting a roof rack on the car? It's not a huge deal as long as it's not halving the fuel mileage.
4. Are the Recaro seats necessary? I read in a review that they are if you're doing any sort of track or autocross events.
5. I'm looking for anything else to help make a decision. Maybe known problems/issues, bad or good experiences, whatever.

If I get a Fiesta ST it'll replace a '18 STi Limited so I'd technically be downgrading. I had a great I idea of ordering a new car last winter and to use the STi as my daily driver. It's just not working out...too big for city driving, I miss having the hatch, and horrible fuel mileage (16 mpg on a recent trip...ugh). I would also like something smaller for the track days to help keep costs down--replacing tires and brake pads on a larger car really adds up, not to mention I've had nothing but problems with the brakes handling the heat. It's a fun car but overkill for what I need so I'm thinking a FiST might be a good choice. Prove me wrong.

Let's hear your thoughts!

 

[JDG]

1. Excellent. I have never had this experience in my Fiesta ST. I cruise between 75-100MPH every day typically 100 miles on the highway.
2. It's decent. Your biggest concern will be overheating coolant (Mountune radiator will fix that ~$500 investment) as well as better brake fluid (~$20) to avoid boiling brake fluid on track.
3. ~28-32MPG at 75MPH. I get 23-24MPG going 85-90MPH. Rola roof rack had negligible effect.
4. No, although it depends on your build. What is your height and weight?
5. Read the forum to learn more.

 

[Dpro]

ST’s drive nice on the freeway and are quite happy going 80 mph. I cannot say about track days because though I am going to start doing them I have not yet.
I do do regular hard canyon runs and the car holds up to that.
Fuel mileage is all dependent on your foot. There are guys pulling 32-35 on the Freeway and 26 in town and and people like me seeing 28-33 freeway and 22-25 in town. Weather can have an adverse effect on mileage as well.

Some will say do not bother with the Recaro’s and wind up looking to pick them up after not purchasing them.
Others will say they are fine with stockers and yet others will say they hate their stock seats. ( see my first seat comment)

I opted for the Recaros as I feel they make the interior a lot better and really do work well. If you are big though you might not like them as they are a snug fit.
I say get them.

The stock radiator is not great , though you are in Oregon and unless you travel to the desert part of the state you will probably be ok. I live in SoCal I upgraded my radiator.

The stock intercooler is small and heatsoaks easily. Most people replace their stock intercoolers.

Those are the main areas , I have an 18 by the way.

 

[jeff]

Great answers above, I will just add that I came out of a pretty modified Subaru that made around 300 wheel horsepower on the dynamometer, the fiesta is way more fun. In some ways you’re taking a step down but in other ways you’re taking a step up, most of all is fun and connection to the car and road.

 

[JerseyST]

I have had a FoST, FoRS, and now a FiST, along with a bunch of other cars. I grabbed the Fiesta because they are going out of production and I have become quite a fan of Ford hot hatches. They are all different cars but I can say, I can't help but be happy every time I hop into my Fiesta. I own much faster, more expensive cars, but the FiST is the biggest grin generator just driving around on the street. That said, you should be able to get better than 30 mpg on the highway on regular gas. I don't run super on mine. High speed driving is fine but it will be more darty than you are used to. It doesn't bother me. It never feels unsafe. I use it on my Jersey to Boston runs without a problem.

I am 6'3" and 215. I did not and would not get the Recaros. I had them on both my FoST and FoRS. For long distance, comfortable driving, the base seats are way better. If you are much smaller than me, you may want the Recaros, which are nice, but too snug for comfortable long distance driving. The Recaros will do a great job of holding you in place on the track. I used to track my FoRS and now have a Camaro SS 1LE for that purpose. I think the FiST will be fine for starting out, but you may quickly outgrow it. I would agree with the comments above that you would want to do some basic prep before a track day, especially the brakes.

It is a great car. It may not be for everyone, but I think it will put a smile on your face, at least driving it on the street.

Good luck

 

[Clint Beastwood]

Perks
- It's pretty fun to drive.
- It's easy to park.
- It gets (relatively) good mileage.
- It's dirt cheap.
- Cheap to mod.
- Feels much faster than it is.

Cons
- It feels dirt cheap at times.
- Paint is not great.
- Service is only as good as your local dealer. Meet them before purchase.
- Slower than it feels.
- This is not a luxury car.
- Stock it sounds like a cross between a vacuum cleaner and cruisin' USA from the 90's arcades.

 

[METZGER]

On the freeway I move from one lane to the other like really fast.. because it's so planted and I know how much grip it has.. other driver freak out seeing this little white car shift left and right from lane to lane lol. Also because of the quick steering rack.. tons of fun these cars. Mine is the mk7 ST tho..

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[FocusedSlayer]

I've got a 19 with the 17" rims and I average 35 to 37 mpg. I also have the stock cloth seats which I prefer cause eventually leather will break down and start cracking. Its a fun car to whip in and out of traffic with . And lots of aftermarket parts for these cars just depends on what you and your wallet want to do.

 

[neeqness]

So far I've racked over 100k miles on my 2015 ST. Needless to say, the car is a blast to drive and definitely one of the most fun daily drivers out there. I've even taken it several times on some road trips across the country. You should know though that the suspension is particularly stiff for a daily so you may decide to smooth it out a bit. If you are tracking it, you may want to also upgrade the transmission fluid (hot debate on this). I also added a subwoofer to bring in a much needed low end to the sounds. There are a few other minor issues (you can check the threads here for details) but considering that it is basically a sporty economy car, I have no real complaints. Like someone else has already hinted to, the grins per mile are all up there and that's perhaps the main reason this makes such a great daily. I never thought that I would ever like driving a FWD car so much. My only regret is not holding out for the sunroof. Otherwise it's been a great car so far, an awesome daily driver, and I hope to drive it another 100k miles...

 

[Economatic]

Thanks for all the great input. I guess I now have to drive a couple hundred miles over to the valley today to test drive a FiST. The high speed handling issue was the only thing that could have been an absolute deal breaking, everything else just factors into how motivated I'll be to do a sale. But too bad I'll have to drive quite a ways to buy a car--none in stock locally and really, I wouldn't want to deal with that dealer again after buying the Fiesta SE.

I think I'll have to sit in a set of Recaros to make the decision. I'm only 5'6'' and my wife is shorter so them being too snug won't be an issue so it'll come down to how firm they are. I do like the Recaros in my STi though so I'm leaning towards that option.

The mileage #'s everyone is reporting sound great. Definitely beats 25 mpg at best in the Subaru.

That's good to know the radiator is a weak point for track days. I was expecting upgrading brake fluid and pads as well but I guess that's typical. And thanks @JerseyST for the mention about outgrowing the car for track days. I'm mainly focused on something cheap I can run to get in some track time and I also have an M2 Competition that I'll use occasionally.

Thanks again to everyone for the responses!

 

[JDG]

Thanks for all the great input. I guess I now have to drive a couple hundred miles over to the valley today to test drive a FiST. The high speed handling issue was the only thing that could have been an absolute deal breaking, everything else just factors into how motivated I'll be to do a sale. But too bad I'll have to drive quite a ways to buy a car--none in stock locally and really, I wouldn't want to deal with that dealer again after buying the Fiesta SE.

I think I'll have to sit in a set of Recaros to make the decision. I'm only 5'6'' and my wife is shorter so them being too snug won't be an issue so it'll come down to how firm they are. I do like the Recaros in my STi though so I'm leaning towards that option.

The mileage #'s everyone is reporting sound great. Definitely beats 25 mpg at best in the Subaru.

That's good to know the radiator is a weak point for track days. I was expecting upgrading brake fluid and pads as well but I guess that's typical. And thanks @JerseyST for the mention about outgrowing the car for track days. I'm mainly focused on something cheap I can run to get in some track time and I also have an M2 Competition that I'll use occasionally.

Thanks again to everyone for the responses!

Given your height, assuming you don’t weigh over 200lbs, you should look at the recaros. They will fit you great and keep in mind they can take up to 5k miles to break in.


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[Dpro]

Given your height, assuming you don’t weigh over 200lbs, you should look at the recaros. They will fit you great and keep in mind they can take up to 5k miles to break in.


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seeming as I am just a little taller(not much lol) and in the 150-170 range I can say my Recaro's fit great!

 

[Economatic]

So...this happened today!

We went over to Eugene, OR for a quick test drive in it yesterday. The only options it has are the Recaros and black wheels. I was hoping to get the moonroof but the trade-in the offered for my STi was fair-ish so I pounced on it. We went back over to pick it up today and all went well. Even after the details were negotiated the sales guy found a $750 rebate to get even more money in my pocket. Hats off to Kendall Ford in Eugene, OR, everyone we worked with there were awesome much like the same Kendall group we bought our 4Runner from a couple years ago.

First impressions of the car are outstanding. The Recaros are firm but exactly what both I and my wife wanted, she is especially happy with the heated aspect of them. We're not large Americans so fitting in them is no problem at all. I only drove the car for a few miles and my wife got designated driver duty since we went to a brewery after completing the sale. But I will say this little car moves! Very impressive.

I'll be calling my window tint guy tomorrow to get 20% all around, maybe throw on some paint protection film on the front, install a roof rack and hitch rack and it'll be done.

Thanks again to everyone who shared their insights here. I'm not sure why I didn't get one of these cars sooner.

 

[FocusedSlayer]

Congrats , looks awesome !

 

[Dpro]

Congrats.

 

[TyphoonFiST]

Change out your transmission fluid to something other than the Ford garbage and see if it is 1.6L or 2L when you drain it. Welcome to the wonderful world of Pure imagination!

 

[Hypergram]

Congrats on your purchase mate!

 

[JerseyST]

Congrats. Given your size, you will like the recaros. If you are not overflowing out of them, like myself, they are brilliant seats.

Enjoy it in good health

 

[rromero022]

That’s awesome man. I also bought my 2018 last year at the same dealership! Now go to the Ford ST Octane Academy before its history for our cars!


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[Economatic]

I have to say after a bit over a month and 2,000 miles on the FiST that I couldn't be happier with this little car. It works great for my once-a-week 400 mile commute and fuel economy has been decent at 35mpg. I was worried about how the car would handle on the highway given my '17 Fiesta SE would get unsettled with the soft suspension but the ST has none of that except at really high speeds on the track. All I did to the car was get the windows tinted, install a trailer hitch for mountain biking, and install a set of new tweeters in the front doors and a subwoofer under the false floor in the hatch.

I was even more impressed with how the car did on its first track day. I just got a set of wheels and tires and changed the brake pads for track days. 20/20 hindsight I would have purchased stickier tires because I was fighting to get traction coming out of corners but I'm sure I need to invest in some driver mods as well. It was quite entertaining to let a highly modified S2000 pass but he couldn't shake the little stock Fiesta behind him. I did that for two sessions with him until he went off the track.