Please help me choose. Subaru BRZ or a Fiesta Mk8 ST

[Koray Orhun]

I'm thinking of buying a new car. I have limited options..

• Ford Fiesta ST Mk8 (with LSD option)
• Subaru BRZ (automatic transmission)
• Mazda Miata MX-5 1.5L engine with a soft top (2.0L engine is not an option in my country)

I'm 1.84cm tall and around 122kg. Fat for these cars I know

I'll use it almost every day about 35 km, mainly on low traffic areas, half nice village roads, half highway (autobahn.)
I love karting and want a car that would give me some feelings like a go-kart does.
Winters are around 0 to -10 degree Celsius here, and it snows for a month or so, every year.
I'm not a fan of how FiST looks, but I love the way MX-5 and BRZ looks, but design is not important for me for choosing. I don't like to have attentions from other people, but I just want to have some fun while driving it. Desperately... I'm using a diesel Clio right now

My wife doesn't want me to buy an MX-5 or a Subaru BRZ because of the way they look and lack of cargo space.

It is not possible here to have a test drive these cars. I haven't seen a Fiesta ST yet but sat inside BRZ and Miata today. My legs vere crampy in the Miata. BRZ driving position was really nice, but I would want the steering wheel could be extended more, I like it closer.

I don't have much experience on RW cars, and in driving simulations, I like using FW cars more; and drifting is not my thing. However I like making donuts when it snows

Any thoughts are very appreciated.

 

[XR650R]

Sit in a Fiesta ST when you can, and compare them. Get the one you feel comfortable in.

 

[SrsBsns]

I've driven all three and wound up with my FiST.

I love the Miata and the BRZ but due to the need for something fun AND practical, I went with the Fiesta. The hatch, with the seats folded down, gives me a ton of room.

The MX5 is the lightest by a couple hundred lbs, but the BRZ and Fiesta are on par at about 2700lbs.

With a few suspension/bushing upgrades, my Fiesta reminds me of a big go-kart. It's sharp and direct and feels great to drive hard.

 

[Koray Orhun]

I believe the best modification to do a car is doing nothing. If you don't really know what you are doing, like me. So I have no plans to modify it.

Some people complain about FiST brakes that they are small, not enough for hard driving. Do you agree?

 

[Mikey456]

Don’t worry about brakes, they are appropriate for the car. Manual vs auto, n/a vs turbo. Those are the factors that are important for what u want.


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[Clint Beastwood]

If I didn't spend so much time sitting in traffic, I would maybe own a BRZ instead of a FiST at the moment, it's lack of torque is very noticeable in low speed traffic. If you have lots of fun roads to drive and won't frequently be stuck in traffic, the BRZ is a great car. The FiST is the antithesis of the BRZ in terms of power delivery, the experiences are almost completely opposite. If the BRZ had the FiST's powerband, I would own an automatic BRZ instead of a FiST, but the lack of torque made my typical commute frustrating.

For an automatic, the BRZ transmission is very nice, it shifts fairly quickly and doesn't detract greatly from (legal) fun on the road - though it's not quite as fast as the auto trans in my wife's alfa. The Fiesta is a little more frenetic on the road, liking to move around a bit more - and the Miata due to its size and the ability to see all the corners of the car makes driving fun because you can apex every corner on public roads while staying inside your lane.

One thing people shopping for miata's tend to forget is how vulnerable a canvas convertible top is, so just remember that someone with a knife can cut right into the car (with effort).

 

[SrsBsns]

I believe the best modification to do a car is doing nothing. If you don't really know what you are doing, like me. So I have no plans to modify it.

Some people complain about FiST brakes that they are small, not enough for hard driving. Do you agree?

Getting into modifications is very easy. Basic mods are very easy to do, even with little to no experience.

The brakes, at least for my purposes, are just fine. I take the FiST out to do some canyon carving and they hold up just fine. I'm sure they'd need some upgrades for the track.

 

[Dpro]

BRZ vs Fiesta ST. You mentioned that your looking at the MK8 we do not have that here. i know Ford lowered the seating position and made the Recaros more comfortable. I actually think that 1.5 3 banger is awesome.
The BRZ lacks in the Torque and that is a big no no with me and I drove S13’s aka 240sx/180sx for years, among others including still owning a E35 M3.
Like clit mentioned if the BRZ had the Torque it would have been a purchase for me as well. Its truely a case of buying and having to upgrade in the power department vs wanting to upgrade in the power department. My MK7.5 FiST was fun right off the dealership lot. It was not super fast but definitely held its own and was a lot more fun to drive than a lot of cars I have owned.
I can safely say even stock it can out run cars in the corners that should shame it. If you do do mods then it starts making those cars cry overall.
As for the earlier statement about power mods its truely a case of want not need.
I am trying to work very carefully not to turn this car into a full track machine cause its easy to go down that road with all the options available.
Does it handle like a Go Kart? A big fat yes! I have a friend who used to race shfter karts and the minute he climbed into a FiST he as like oh ya Go kart feel and vibe.
So much so that even my lic plate states it hahahaha STGOKRT !

This all MK 7.5 by the way . I would love to drive the MK8 to see how it is! Though from the reviews Ford manage to keep the pedigree!