Advice needed: to tune, or not to tune?

[joemorgan2000]

Recently bought a FiST after owning a type R (FN2 which was the same speed as the Fist), and the type R always made me smile, but i feel bored of this car in under a month, despite them being the same speed.

It's quiet and feels a bit sterile, it's just lacking power. I don't want to spend thousands but wondered if people think getting a remap done to bring it from 200 to 225bhp would possibly fix this?

This is the thing, it's just not fun in a straight line, and the CTR was. Should I tune the FiST or just look into getting a different car?

**PS i know this isnt a car built for straight line fun and understand that, but so was the CTR and it still was, it just feels unexciting on straights at the moment.

Thanks for the advice!!

 

[SteveS]

Granted that the Civic is bigger and heavier, but there is a difference between 197 HP and 315. That's if you have the Mk 7 Fiesta. Mk 8 is 200 hp.

You have available easy kits like the Mountune 215 Power Upgrade Kit. But I'm not sure the modest power bump from that will feel the same as 300+ HP. I think one of the problems with the Fiesta ST is that, bouncy suspension aside, the power and speed are just kind of easy and smooth. It doesn't particularly feel like you are flying down the road whereas other cars may make you really feel like you're going faster than you are.

The part of the FiST that makes me smile is not doing acceleration pulls down the freeway, but zipping around town and taking hilly, winding two-lane roads at 20mph+ above the marked warning speed. Then when I hit a freeway I do smile at how easy the drive is on cruise control.

 

[WannabeST]

I have typically tuned every single car I have owned for the track (integra, s2000, mustang) the integra and s2000 were both 100% stock engines and a tune made them much better driving experiences. My mustang was also awesome after a tune but that was after a couple grand in mods and Ethanol so I don't think that's as good of a comparison.

If I had an ST I would tune it.

 

[DEss]

This is the thing, it's just not fun in a straight line, and the CTR was. Should I tune the FiST or just look into getting a different car?

If you're looking for straight-line power like the r-type, it's highly unlikely you'll be satisfied with just a tune. You'd probably need to do a few other significant mods to it to get close to what you're looking for - and that has the potential to open up a can of worms.

You might consider getting an i30-n, megane rs, or gr yaris

DS

 

[Stubborn Approach]

You can tune it and you will feel the tiniest amount of satisfaction but nothing like you would from 300+hp achieved by installing a larger turbo. The stock turbo runs out of breath by 5500 & requires short shifting to keep in the proper torque band. This should have been very apparent during the research & test drive process. Most FiST owners feel exactly as you do now, that is why most immediately install a bigger turbo. If straight line speed if the most glaring shortcoming for you, it’s easily solved by the aftermarket development that has taken place over the last decade.

My stock turbo/dp FiST is tuned, but mostly because I did not appreciate the part throttle boost surge (installed aftermarket WGA) or the revhang. Bolt ons will most likely subtract from the peak power & that is well documented. GL

 

[dhminer]

Tuning on the stock turbo will make your slow car slightly less slow. If you’re expecting it to feel remotely close to the Type R, you will be severely disappointed. Do a mild turbo upgrade with the minimal amount of supporting mods required and you’ll fall in love with the fist.

 

[SVTBob]

I think you bought the wrong car. Why’d you get rid of the Type R ? Sounds like much more your type of car. A tune on a basically stock car with a stock turbo isn’t going to get you anywhere close to meeting your expectations. I think you’d need to do some major mods to get it to the power level you expect but that changes the character of the car significantly. Sounds like a GR Corolla or Yaris would be a better match. Acknowledge you made a mistake and move on.

 

[Zormecteon]

One of the best descriptions I've read about how fun the FiST is was from Road & Track. "It's like driving a Jack Russel Terrier". This is from their issue "the twenty best cars we've ever driven".. ..

It's not the power that makes the car, and it's not the handling either. It's the near perfect balance between the two.
The FoST has more power and is faster, but it feels almost ponderous in comparison. ..

Since you're bored, so be it. Move on. This car is not for everybody. The cost of adding more power and the problems that presents are not worth the time or effort AND destroy the balance.

 

[Downsy]

If you want straight line power you got the wrong car. The Fiesta is a backroad/mountain/canyon carver for sure. That's where it's been the most fun for me so far, but I'm not so worried about straight line speed, it'll still outrun most non performance stuff on the road.

 

[Zeille]

This car was built to (and did) out-pace a 5.0 mustang on the track, not the strip.
You can get better straight-line speed by going for an upgraded turbo. These engines can hold a modest ~350whp with minimal/no issues. Since you're on the other side of the ocean, I assume you got the MIG car & it isn't plagued with the same issues we have on our MIM cars.

 

[jmrtsus]

A MP-215 tune will give you 215 hp and a third gear pull much stronger then stock with a remapped legal tune. Will it make it a rocket, no. As others have said if curvy mountain roads are your dream drive this car is for you. Wanna drag? Spend $10K on it and go to town.
Free advice. Just get a different car like a coyote powered Mustang GT or other wonderful cars, we have both, love both but each is a different tool in the box! The FiST is the daily driver the GT is the cross country cruiser in true GT fashion with every option available, loud exhaust (adjustable) and loud stereo and life is great. Determine what you need in a car then shop would be the way to go.