Things you dislike about your Fiesta ST...

[12elentless]

I wish I could crank my car and my xm would work

 

[caliboy15]

harsh ride. but its ok
trunk space
its addicting. cant stop modding and spending

 

[keaton5.0]

The only thing that bugs me is the center console/arm rest. My elbow barely touches the front of it it's so far back. The recaros might not help though. And the aux jack is a pain in the ass to get to if I accidentally pull it out while sitting in the car. Other than that I don't have much to complain about

 

[mister2dood]

3 months/1500 miles in.

1) The engine RPMs hang between shifts and whenever lifting off the throttle. It makes it impossible to "breathe" the throttle and load the front tires for turn-in...you either have to wait for engine braking, or apply brakes. I suspect it's an emissions thing. My other car is also throttle-by-wire, and it does not have this behavior.

2) Shifter is too low and too far forward. After a couple of days driving, I don't notice it much, but after driving my other car then getting into the Fiesta, it feels like I'm reaching for the shifter.

But, overall, I am loving it - it's perfect for what I got it for - fun daily driver/occasional kid taxi.

 

[Kip2MyLou]

3 months/1500 miles in.

1) The engine RPMs hang between shifts. It makes it impossible to "breathe" the throttle and load the front tires for turn-in...you either have to wait for engine braking, or apply brakes. I suspect it's an emissions thing. My other car is also throttle-by-wire, and it does not have this behavior.

2) Shifter is too low and too far forward. After a couple of days driving, I don't notice it much, but after driving my other car then getting into the Fiesta, it feels like I'm reaching for the shifter.

But, overall, I am loving it - it's perfect for what I got it for - fun daily driver/occasional kid taxi.

You can get rid of the hang with a tune.

 

[wwuchris]

You can get rid of the hang with a tune.

And maybe look at the DeadHook Motorsports shifter extension for the reach issue...

 

[Toast]

Only thing that bothers me is the crappy infotainment system. Mine is still crashing periodically when I get text messages and isn't all that great when it's working, either. I wish the stock tires/wheels were a bit lighter as well, it's been odd switching back to the stock wheels and tires after running some 15" for winter. Loads more grip, but the 17" wheels definitely don't hide any bumps or pits in the road from you and it feels like it's taking a bit longer to accelerate too.

 

[Sourskittle]

I wish the stock tires/wheels were a bit lighter as well, it's been odd switching back to the stock wheels and tires after running some 15" for winter. Loads more grip, but the 17" wheels definitely don't hide any bumps or pits in the road from you and it feels like it's taking a bit longer to accelerate too.

A little change in tire height makes a big difference. When I went to the 235/45/17's on stock wheels; the forward traction improved like crazy, but it def lost a lot of power for sure. The car was better because of the traction, but worse from a 3rd gear roll. So I added 60+ whp. Lol

 

[Kip2MyLou]

A little change in tire height makes a big difference. When I went to the 235/45/17's on stock wheels; the forward traction improved like crazy, but it def lost a lot of power for sure. The car was better because of the traction, but worse from a 3rd gear roll. So I added 60+ whp. Lol

I'm about to make my 15 inch wheels into my summer wheels with 195/55/15 summer tires. They weigh around 16 lbs so is that an improvement over switching back to my stock 17 inch wheels with 205/45 tires? Performance and traction wise? I'm still trying to learn all this wheel and tire combo stuff.

 

[Sourskittle]

Well, I can't tell you if a 195/55-15 is taller than stock or not. Being lighter will obviously be a big advantage. But the reduction in power I was talking about came from going to a tire that is over all taller ( by about an inch). It changes the gearing of the car. It was pretty noticeable from 3rd gear and up, but actually getting some traction in 2nd ( actually dead hooking in 2nd at the time ), was better than spinning like crazy in 2nd and having a bit more power in 3rd. What good was a bit more power in 3rd, if I couldn't hope to get traction at all in 2nd ?

As far as weight goes, I think the stock wheels/tires are like 27lbs? So your reduction in wheel weight should make a big change either way.

Where did you even find a 195/55/15?!! My old escort took 195/45/15's and the tire stock ( back then ), acted like I ordered drag radials lol. But that was before every honda on the planet had a motor swap etc.

 

[Kip2MyLou]

Oh okay, that makes sense. And tirerack has a pretty good amount of options in that size.

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/TireSearchResults.jsp?width=195%2F&ratio=55&diameter=15

 

[KKaWing]

Tire Size Comparison

Specification Sidewall Radius Diameter Circumference Revs/Mile Difference
205/40-17 3.2in 11.7in 23.5in 73.7in 860 0.0%
195/55-15 4.2in 11.7in 23.4in 73.7in 860 -0.1%

^ Source: miata.net tire calc.

 

[Kip2MyLou]

So the 195/55 are taller?

And if so does that little bit make that much of a difference?

 

[KKaWing]

So the 195/55 are taller?

And if so does that little bit make that much of a difference?

You can essentially consider them the same size. The 0.1% difference... is not much difference at all. The 195/55R15 will have thicker sidewall, but if you want to nitpick, they're a hair smaller.

Edit: Let me re-emphasize, they're the same size. You're talking differences into decimal places. Pretty much difference between a new tire, and worn ones, if that.

 

[Kip2MyLou]

You can essentially consider them the same size. The 0.1% difference... is not much difference at all. The 195/55R15 will have thicker sidewall, but if you want to nitpick, they're a hair smaller.

Edit: Let me re-emphasize, they're the same size. You're talking differences into decimal places. Pretty much difference between a new tire, and worn ones, if that.

Oh okay. Good to hear. Thanks for the input.

Do you think there's a big difference between a 195/55 tire and 205/55 in regards to performance? Trying to decide which size 15 inch tire to go with. I'm leaning more toward the 195 but want to know if there's a better option.

 

[KKaWing]

Oh okay. Good to hear. Thanks for the input.

Do you think there's a big difference between a 195/55 tire and 205/55 in regards to performance? Trying to decide which size 15 inch tire to go with. I'm leaning more toward the 195 but want to know if there's a better option.

What kind of performance are you after? Wider tires give better cornering grip, narrower tires have less friction and gives you better straight line speed and perhaps fuel economy. That said, the difference is pretty much negligible at 5mm width, 30mm maybe, but 5... Tire compound would have much greater difference. That said, having a narrower tire for winter will allow for the tread to sink into the snow and grip the pavement. From that point of view, that 5mm is somewhat more significant, but again at 5mm the compound is what you should be looking at.

Just look at what tires are available for the sizes you're looking at, then match them to your needs. All-season capability? One tire for places with 4-seasons (all-weather)? Dry summer tire or rain capable summer tire? This is where tire rack gives the best reviews as different people with different experiences can chime in. Once you found the tire you like see if they're offered in the size you wanted. Sometimes the won't have one size, but the other is available. General rule is as long as it is within 3% difference, there should not be significant problems, if at all.

 

[Kip2MyLou]

What kind of performance are you after? Wider tires give better cornering grip, narrower tires have less friction and gives you better straight line speed and perhaps fuel economy. That said, the difference is pretty much negligible at 5mm width, 30mm maybe, but 5... Tire compound would have much greater difference. That said, having a narrower tire for winter will allow for the tread to sink into the snow and grip the pavement. From that point of view, that 5mm is somewhat more significant, but again at 5mm the compound is what you should be looking at.

Just look at what tires are available for the sizes you're looking at, then match them to your needs. All-season capability? One tire for places with 4-seasons (all-weather)? Dry summer tire or rain capable summer tire? This is where tire rack gives the best reviews as different people with different experiences can chime in. Once you found the tire you like see if they're offered in the size you wanted. Sometimes the won't have one size, but the other is available. General rule is as long as it is within 3% difference, there should not be significant problems, if at all.

Yeah, I'm looking at the BFGoodrich G-Force Comp2. I've heard great things about them and they are number 1 in their section in TireRack.

I just was wondering the benefits of a 205/55 vs 195/55. The 195 size is what I'm using as my winter setup with General wheels, which are great. So I can't wait to feel the difference with a true summer tire like the Comp2s.

 

[Fortz]

this is now my top #1 complaint. It goes like this.
>it's -10f, and you are on the highway, car in front splashes salt/snow spray on your window you click the wiper
>the stuff just smears.
>thats when you realize you will have to use windshield washer fluid to clean this mess up,*spray*, wipe wipe wipe, great now i can see!
> 3 seconds of blissful super clear windshield
>***courtesy wipe***
>the super thin layer of windshield washer fluid has now frozen over on the outside, it is pure white, you can barely see out.
>why did it have to wipe again!!! Aarrgggg!

Every damn time.

this !!!

 

[RKTFiST]

- Can't turn on/off all interior lights at will
- Glass scratches easily; a flock of birds flew into my side mirrors and the passenger mirror glass is scratched up, as is the windshield. Of course, this happens after the first (and currently only) time I've detailed the car.
- No grab handles or coat hangers hooks above the doors
- Rear wing facing the windshield isn't scalloped to facilitate cleaning the rear glass
- Defroster won't hit the front bottom of the windshield where the wipers are located, which is a drag when you are trying to prevent fogging in -15F temperatures
- Steering feel lacks resolution/detail, but this is a minor nitpick given that it feels better than all EPAS equipped BMWs out there
- No TPMS reported pressures per wheel

 

[shook sez]

rattle on passenger side a pillar. and I don't understand how a car built in he 21st century does not come with HID's.