MegaSack DRAW - This year's winner is user - rgwb
We will be in touch
A decent car – every time you get in it you should look forward to it and they don’t get dull
That's what beer, narcotics, naked ladies and bikes are for....
Cars. A > B. You'll only go as fast as the guy in front, be sat in traffic and spending money on a depreciating object.
Although, I'm saying that despite having a mk2 MX5 sat outside that cost me just shy of a grand in repairs two months back and hasn't been driven in two weeks.... Irrational, isn't it.
Sharkattack- I think if your other finances are in order, then do it!
I'm a (fast) Ford fan. I had the Mk7.5 Fiesta ST and the performance and handling was superb.
It's the most fun I've had driving. I even found myself going for a drive just for the hell of it. Something I've not done before or since, despite having nicer cars.
I've been toying with the idea of the Fiesta Performance edition too. Great colour, awesome little extra tech and a little more refined than the old version.
If finances are stable and you've got some money saved, then do it. Worst case is selling/handing the car back early. It's only money.
£27k for a Fiesta?
Genuine lol.
Cars. A > B. You’ll only go as fast as the guy in front, be sat in traffic and spending money on a depreciating object.
People like different things and spend their money on different things 🙂
If you're picking it up on Friday, does that mean it will be taxed from 1st July?
£27k for a Fiesta?
It's not though is it?
If you’re picking it up on Friday, does that mean it will be taxed from 1st July?
When he thought we were picking it up today he said they'd taxed it for 1 year and 1 week so we didn't lose a month. Can a dealer buy tax in weekly chunks? He did say we'd have a full year on it.
24 hours to go.
When he thought we were picking it up today he said they’d taxed it for 1 year and 1 week so we didn’t lose a month. Can a dealer buy tax in weekly chunks? He did say we’d have a full year on it.
No, it's either 6 or 12 months. So if it's taxed today then you'll only get 11 months + 2 days. Ideally, get it taxed on 1st Aug!
Either way, enjoy your new motor - have fun 👍
Dealers do have an extra ability to tax a car for a smidge more than the 12 months. I had the same when I picked mine up - registered the month before but still taxed for a year from collection date.
Photos & impressions when you've got it please!
It might just push me over the edge to get one.
Spending £27K on a motor , and people are worried about a tenner lost on a months tax ?
Get a grip of yourselves 😉
Dealers do have an extra ability to tax a car for a smidge more than the 12 months. I had the same when I picked mine up – registered the month before but still taxed for a year from collection date.
Is this a recent change then? Or only applies to brand new cars? It was a few years ago when I bought my last car (was second hand) but wasn't aware this was possible.
Photos & impressions when you’ve got it please!
It might just push me over the edge to get one
I can't think of a single reason not to buy one....yet.
We picked it up this morning with 11 miles on the clock, by far the lowest number I've ever seen. We took the long way home from Chesterfield via a big chunk of the Peak and took it very easy.
It was bumper to bumper traffic everywhere and Sheffield is in full heatwave crazy mode with all the lunatics starting to foam at the mouth. It's getting frantic out there so we carefully drove home and stuck it in the garage.
We're having a Ghost immobiliser fitted tomorrow so it hopefully shouldn't vanish from anywhere. 3 years gap insurance purchased just in case.
Bare in mind, I'm 40 in a few years, and when I told my mother I'd bought a brand new car she was horrified. She acted like I'd traded the family jewels for magic beans. She sounds like a crazy person but that's absolutely where I got my fear of borrowing money from.
Now that we've got it I'm buzzing. I've just been sitting in it, in the garage, pressing all the buttons, setting everything up.
I'll hopefully have a less nerve wracking drive tomorrow and get some pictures.
Cheers everyone!
She sounds like a crazy person but that’s absolutely where I got my fear of borrowing money from.
Are you my brother?
get some pictures.
Waiting for the joy of those to appear.
Pleased for you.
I seem to recall 3/4 years ago you were - or had been - living in a van and then found a place in Sheffield.
If that's about right, it's great your life has moved on so positively.
That makes me doubly pleased.
Enjoy.😎🤸
Are you my brother?
She put the fear of the money lenders into me from a young age and to be fair it worked because when my mates started discovering loans and credit cards they got themselves into all kinds of trouble.
I seem to recall 3/4 years ago you were – or had been – living in a van and then found a place in Sheffield.
If that’s about right, it’s great your life has moved on so positively.
Yes that was me. We were talking about that today actually because my next door neigbour was asking about how we ended up in Sheffield.
In a nut shell, I got laid off from a job at a family business in Newcastle, lost my room in a shared house and couldn't stay with family for various reasons. I had everything I owned in my van so I just drove away. I used the Ride Sheffield Facebook group to find a job, someone on here pointed me towards a room in a nice house.
Nearly 4 years later I've got a permanent job that I love and is relatively safe. Unfortunately the man who brought me up (not my Dad) died of cancer a couple of years back and we got an unexpected financial bump which was just enough to get on the property ladder.
So yeah it's been a mad rollercoaster. My life is unrecognisable from 5 years ago when I was going from job to job and feeling like I was getting to the end of my rope.
I feel like I should add that my girlfriend is an absolute saint and I couldn't have done any of it without her. I just need to start riding my mountain bike again and I'll be living my best life.
Coming in a bit late, but can you get these secondhand?
In the same sort of area, I'd never had a new motorbike. With this lockdown. and a friend dying, I thought, sod it, I'm getting a new bike.
The loan was amazingly cheap, £600 interest over 4 years.
I went and test rode a bike, and was going to buy the one in the Dealers reduced to 10k.
then an advert for exactly the same bike came up on FB Marketplace, 250 miles, 20% reduction over the new price, and including a pile of extras.
So I bought that. I still havent owned a brand new bike, but with the price reduction I got, I'm not at all bothered.
sharky, thanks for the update; the loss of a loved one is always difficult to live with but, in your case, it's also helped you move your life forward so that makes it bitter-sweet.
It's good that you have a saint in the form of your GF.
As for alanl - you're posting to the wrong thread.
Can’t wait to see the pics.
I had a new Fiesta ST way back in 2006 when they were a NA 2l engine. It was loads of fun.
I just need to start riding my mountain bike again
Yes you should.
I've finally been out for a cruise. If you need a full review then check one of the dozens of road tests on YouTube. I have been and will continue to drive like a Granny for now. I can't tell you if the Quaife LSD is hooking up or if the Michelin Super Sports are the last word in grip.
We're coming into this from a 10 year old Panda and a 10 year old Transit Connect so it feels like Darth Vaders Tie Fighter.
The seats are mint, the stereo and DAB is amazing. Cruising around in the sun listening to Craig Charles, I've been waiting ages to do that.
No regrets but we're only a day in. We have to start paying for it now.
Edit: look at the arch gap in the last picture! I can't believe that's the factory ride height. It actually rides really well. Jiggly but not crashy. It also comes with a tool kit for the coilovers so I can wind the height up and down and play with the compression and rebound clickers.
Very nice!
Enjoy.
Just make sure you run it in gently for the sake of the engine and the brakes.
Yeah, there will someone along in a minute to say it makes no difference, but IMO it does.
That's fantastic! Have fun!
Stanage? Good job you took it easy. Parts of that road are in a terrible state. So warped it's turned into speed bumps.
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Yes that's Stanage plantation in the background, the place you get a great view of thieves breaking into your car as you climb.
Nice colour, Madame saw a Zoé in that colour but it must have been a wrap because when we went to order orange wasn't a list colour.
I've had a go in a few of these and almost got a last generation car. For any of the doubters the FST is one of those rare cars that you can jump in and tell how good it is within the first few hundred meters, from control weighting, position, chassis feel, responsiveness. It's no surprise that the rare few that can manage this degree of chassis setup quality end up being the most rewarding and special drivers cars - in fact I've driven many full blown sports cars that don't match it for chassis feel, it really is that good. My lasting impression from test driving one and being a bit dreamy was that owning one could be like every corner would be an opportunity to learn about the art of cornering, so few modern cars feel this way. Enjoy it.
So warped it’s turned into speed bumps.
Yeah it's shocking. I just wanted to do a little loop of something I've done a hundred times in the 100hp. In that car you could feel your vertebrae clinking against each other and now it's just mildly annoying.
so few modern cars feel this way. Enjoy it
That's exactly it. I love cars but it's once in a blue moon that a manufacturer releases a car that I'd actually consider buying, at least in my price range. If it wasn't this car now, before all 600 have sold out, it would have been something completely different. We would have bought a regular Fiesta or Golf or something and I'd still be pouring over eBay every day for Elises and Imprezas.
The only other car coming out soon that looks really exciting is the GR Yaris and that's a good chunk more expensive.
My lasting impression from test driving one and being a bit dreamy was that owning one could be like every corner would be an opportunity to learn about the art of cornering, so few modern cars feel this way.
That was going to be my main criticism of this car, nice as it is, its still fwd, which is never going to be as interesting to drive, or teach you skills like a rear wheel drive car.
Hopefully this car still allows you to left foot brake and has a manual handbrake ?
Know what you mean but there are a very limited few FWD cars that will oversteer on demand, lift-off or tucking in hard on a LSD. Hot Mini's do it, RS Meganes, this one will do it. Properly entertaining on track and explorable at low speeds on roads when rare circumstances allow, involving at low speeds being the key here. Would rather have a sorted FWD chassis than a pinned down and dull 4wd any day of the week. Agree with RWD being the purest driving experience but name me a new RWD car of this performance level that isn't close to double the price...GT86 maybe, MX5 a bit soft in comparison...
That was going to be my main criticism of this car, nice as it is, its still fwd, which is never going to be as interesting to drive, or teach you skills like a rear wheel drive car
Luckily I'm not on a mission to become a driving legend. This is just an amusing daily driver and nothing else.
Also all my cars early on were RWD, some with 3 times the power they left the factory with. I passed my test when you could buy a 200sx for £500. Apart from a 205 GTi this is the first time I've deliberately bought a fastish FWD car.
I'm under no illusions about what a Fiesta is and what else I could have had. I'll definitely get it on 3 wheels at some point but my days of navigating roundabouts using the side windows are over!
I’ll definitely get it on 3 wheels at some point
Three? They normally take all four. 😉
Three? They normally take all four.
My next thread was going to be "what CCTV?"
A good steering wheel lock would be my first accessory for an ST. When my Peugeot 605 SVi was a nice car someone tired to steal it. They got in and started it but failed to get the steering wheel lock off. A few hundred euros in repairs rather than all the expense/hassle of a stolen car.
We had a Ghost immobiliser fitted yesterday. You need to press a few buttons in a certain order before you start the engine. You can start the engine without the code but as soon as you pull away it dies.
I'll probably get a steering lock as a visual deterrent. I love seeing it on the drive so I'd like it to stay put. The big mango blob breaks up the line of white Audi's in the street.
You can start the engine without the code but as soon as you pull away it dies.
That's excellent, stuck in the middle of the road isn't the place to try and overcome an anti-theft device.
Good for you Sharkie, I remember your thread from times ago......times are uncertain, no-one knows what the future holds. Have fun in it, be sensible-ish, and keep it rubber side down.
Looking at buying the newest car I’ve ever owned, probably tomorrow! Nothing like Sharky’s ST, but it is a Ford, and an ST-Line, and based on the Fiesta platform.
My old Skoda is now getting pretty elderly, bit like me, is literally worth nothing and will definitely need work to get through it’s next MOT in October, so I’ve been considering lots of options. As my job for the last five years has involved driving a great many cars, I’ve been able to properly form an opinion. I certainly wouldn’t buy a BMW, or a Mercedes - I just don’t like BMW’s, and Merc’s have certain idiosyncrasies that annoy me, plus there have been four go through work that have died, for no obvious reason, after the battery has gone flat, and have proved impossible to get going, leaving on a flatbed trailer, so my view of them is somewhat jaundiced!
What I’m going for is a 69-plate EcoSport ST-Line, with less than 4000 miles on the clock.
It’s going to auction at 10am, so I have to get the dealer near me to get it before then.
I’m going to speak to my account manager to see if she can get me an £11k loan that’s cheaper than what the dealer can offer, not interested in PPE, I plan on keeping it for the rest of my life, (I’m 66, so if I keep it for fifteen years, like the Skoda, it will be until I can no longer drive!).
It’s £17,995, and I’ve got £7k from a tax rebate, so affordable.
I’d dearly love a new Puma, but the ST-Line is £26k or thereabouts, so way outside my price bracket; shame, as I had a Puma 1.7 Zetec years ago, in fact I had to sell it and get the Skoda, and I really miss it, but the EcoSport is a semi-auto, with paddles, satnav, reversing camera, DAB, heated screen, and 125bhp from the little 1.0 Ecoboost, so I’m really looking forward to driving a car with a lot more toys built in.
Good luck Sharkie, enjoy the Fiesta, they’re a lot of fun to drive, even in standard spec, the ST-Line ones even more so, so I can only imagine what the full-fat ST is like!
The 'a car is a tool' bores on this thread are almost as tedious as the 'I don't own a TV' protagonists. Or are they the same person? 😂
CountZero not withstanding we all have our own opinions, likes and dislikes I’m bemused how you’d turn down a german car over possible one of the worst Fords (maybe) on the current Ford retail list.
German or not, I think you can get a far better car than and EcoSport For that money and I would be putting my money into something that’ll depreciate so fast. I think your opinion albeit based on a lot of experience is a little outside the mainstream sometimes. It’s your choice though, I drive what a lot of people would describe as a dull German box and love it #shrug#.
Loving the Fiesta pics, I hope Sharky you enjoy it for a few years at least. It’s quite satisfying to sit in a car and for a few seconds before turning the key, have a little wry smile to yourself based on the enjoyment of what you have.
I drive what a lot of people would describe as a dull German box and love it
I was told on here that my 450bhp V8 Germanic car was dull, so I wouldn't bother what others think if I were you
The little orange Festa looks good fun Sharky - enjoy
I recently bought a pre-reg 5 month old S3 a few months ago and I absolutely love it. I did some work and got a 'good' deal compared to other PCP deals out there (12% APR on some quotes!!) and the thing makes me grin from ear to ear every time I get in it.
Life is too short for things that don't make you smile. Enjoy!
That looks awesome, Sharkattack!
That colour in this weather is perfect.
Have you had a chance to go for another drive since?
I've been on Autotrader having a look. I can't decide between a ST-3 with performance pack and 5 doors for less money, or one of these with 3 doors but more toys for more money.. Like for like seems to be a £5k difference. I know that the Performance Edition is just much more special..
I know alternatives have been discussed, so not detracting from Sharky's car - however, if I wanted a hot hatch at the moment, I'd be seriously considering a Megane RS 300 Trophy
Down at Brands Hatch yesterday and there were a few of these new Fiesta’s in track and the drivers looked to be having a good time. Very capable little cars!
0 - 60 in 5.7 seems pretty slow for a 300bhp engine. Is it front wheel only? That would explain that.
0 – 60 in 5.7 seems pretty slow for a 300bhp engine. Is it front wheel only? That would explain that.
FWD 4 wheel steering - it's only a 1.8 turbo as well, so probably not as many torques as a Golf R say
Some good advice on here.
Just got a deal after ignoring the 'brand new' cars and getting a PCP on one from last year. Turns out there were loads of buybacks and lease returns sitting in compounds around the country.
These are either under a 'nearly new' category (usually <1000 miles) or just under the 'used' section where they get missed by folks looking for brand new gear.
Where does one look for PCP on nearly new/buy backs?
i like it STR but too many doors.
If i want a hot hatch i want bat shit unsuitable .
Renault always seem to ruin their hot hatches with extra doors .... even on their caged models 😀
My boss keeps one of these in the store at our office.....
It's apparently quite nippy.
Where does one look for PCP on nearly new/buy backs?
Plenty of finance companies will do PCP on any type of car PCP is not exclusive to new only.
I got my 3 year old beemer on PCP via BMW finance (through a broker).
Do not go for dealers PCP on pre registered cars etc, as called out above the APR is friggin ridiculous that it makes a new car look affordable from a monthly repayment perspective despite the pre reg/management cars being cheaper.
CountZero not withstanding we all have our own opinions, likes and dislikes I’m bemused how you’d turn down a german car over possible one of the worst Fords (maybe) on the current Ford retail list.
German or not, I think you can get a far better car than and EcoSport For that money and I would be putting my money into something that’ll depreciate so fast. I think your opinion albeit based on a lot of experience is a little outside the mainstream sometimes. It’s your choice though, I drive what a lot of people would describe as a dull German box and love it #shrug#.
Show me any German car that fulfills all of my requirements, which the EcoSport does exactly. Because there isn’t one that I’ve driven that does. Neither BMW or Mercedes make a car of that size, I really dislike BMWs, apart from one of their SUV’s which would cost at least half as much again to buy, Merc A-Class are mostly Renault underneath, and the fact that I’ve seen four variations of the A-Series die due to a flat battery, and been taken away on a trailer because they couldn’t be started by any of our tech staff, means I wouldn’t touch one with a barge-pole! Plus again, they’re bigger than I need.
And you don’t get a heated screen with either of those makes.
I couldn’t give a **** about depreciation, the car isn’t new, it’s a bit less than a year old, and I plan on keeping it as long as I’ve had my Skoda, about fifteen years, by which time I’ll be 81!
My opinion is based entirely on having driven hundreds of different cars over the last five years, many for significant distances, so I think even you might agree that gives me some insight into what car suits my exact requirements, which are a car that’s fairly compact, has a higher seating position, has a heated screen, reversing camera, CarPlay, a large infotainment screen, semi-auto ‘box with manual paddle shift. It’s also based on the Fiesta platform, which gives it better handling characteristics than many other crossovers. Not that I’m a bloody Surfmatt, I’m a competent driver, a necessity in my job, the last thing I need is a bloody BMW, or other performance oriented car.
I'd have one of these: Mini GP2
Like the Fiesta, with around 220BHp and a light kerb weight. Just right for UK roads and will surprise many modern super hatches with 350bhp+ around a track too, in fact you'd need a very long straight to overcome the 1500-1600kg kerb weight of those bigger 4wd hatches.
That Megane speaks to me...but I'm not sure it's as good as the older ones.
My neighbour has a BMW 530d with the straight 6, I have a Passat TDI. They are the same age and we both paid the same. Only difference is his was 5 years old when he bought it and mine 3. 7 years later I still have a boring car and he still has a really nice one. For the same money.
I’m bemused how you’d turn down a german car over possible one of the worst Fords (maybe) on the current Ford retail list.
This bit has had me pondering somewhat; seeing as how the EcoSport is based entirely on the Fiesta platform, and uses all of the main parts of the Fiesta, and many of the Focus as well, like the entire drivetrain, suspension, interior, etc, the only significant difference being the body shape and dimensions, are you actually saying that those cars are the worst in the Ford range? Mechanically, there’s no difference at all, same engine, the British-designed 1.0 three-cylinder Ecoboost, which I’ve read is an exceptional engine, same gearbox, etc.
Just because you seem to be obsessed with German cars, I’m not, but neither am I dismissing them, they just don’t fulfill my requirements as a replacement for my twenty year old Skoda. I have driven pretty much every model of VW, Audi, Mercedes and most BMW’s: have you?
My new car has heated screen, satnav, reversing camera, Apple CarPlay, it’s seating position suits me perfectly, it’s exactly the right size for my needs, and it’s styling, I think, is nicer than any current German car.
And it’s fun to drive, remapping it will bring it up to about 150hp, with a lot mor. torque.
It’s currently at the dealers, having its first service and a paint protection system applied, hopefully I’ll be picking it up on Saturday morning.
are you actually saying that those cars are the worst in the Ford range?
I've not driven one but every single review is pretty damning. They were designed and built for emerging markets, so lots of things are built as cheaply as possible, then sold here with a couple of toys at an over-inflated price. They sell for £8k in india (new) vs £18k here. Owners here seem to like them, maybe they just didn't drive the competition?
I’ve not driven one but every single review is pretty damning.
That’s not true - the review I just read said the original was a pile of poo, but they then swapped everything out for the European market making it even more of a Frankenstein car. Now it’s been replaced by a brand new car anyhow.
Anyhow as long as the person is happy with the car they drive does it matter? Wouldn’t be my choice, I drove nothing but Fords for years as they make good cars, but I now can afford to drive a more premium brand. The difference are probably more subtle than 25yrs ago, but they are still better
Anyhow as long as the person is happy with the car they drive does it matter?
This, no need to be as tetchy as to write 2 rants. My comments where based on the original Ecosport review which compared to my 3 series I’m sure most people and certainly the motoring press will agree the 3 is a better car in general. But, no I can’t tell you what’s best for you and I’m sure your new Ecosport is very nice.
I’ve also driven - and own a Kuga - many Fords some of them excellent cars but none have been to the standard of the two BM’s I’ve owned. Still pondering on the Kuga replacement, recently had a look over a CX5, but can’t see past and XC40 Recharge currently, especially with the 2021 base specs all included leather and pretty much every safety feature you can think of. We need to drive it though.
but can’t see past and XC40 Recharge
my folks bought one of those this week. Its lovely, but priced very strongly, and they'll end up paying the additional 'posh car tax' for the next few years as a result.
New to this site, and randomly clicked on this thread, ended up reading the lot (I'm still furloughed) and rarely have I felt so invested in one man's quest to buy a new car. Saw the first post and though christ this is long, who the hell's gonna read all that... here I am 142 posts later! Congrats on the car Sharky! Also congrats in general, sounds like you've got quite a story!
I'm in a similar(ish) boat car wise, however I'm on the other end of the spectrum and thinking of selling my current car that I had pretty much from new and buying a 'modern classic' such as: https://www.carsite.co.uk/used-car/bmw/3-series/mtz_38438_56471196
Am I crazy?
Also I just want to echo the sentiment made before me that the 'cars are just to get you from a to b' tribe are a gang of dougs who probably eat steamed veg and don't season their meat, because food is just fuel afterall.
Am I crazy?
The E30 3 Series is probably the prettiest and good examples are starting to appreciate.
That one also has a 6 cylinder engine, but auto and convertible wouldn't be my first choice.
A modern classic is good, but i can't think of anything that bmw can do that a 996 pork wouldn't do much more effectively.
Yeah I just love the look of the old BMWs, never been a Porsche fan!
That colour in this weather is perfect.
Have you had a chance to go for another drive since?
We've been for a few slow loops around the Peak. Still under 300 miles on the clock because I'm back at work and the mrs is on school holidays. We're driving up to visit family tomorrow in Zoocastle so I might take it down some old familiar roads over the weekend.
It makes a cool noise. It's not obnoxiously loud but having 3 cylinders gives it a kind of warbly, put-put sound. It sounds very Subaru but thankfully without the thirst.
Most importantly, she loves it. She'll be driving to and from a primary school 5 days a week so as much as I wanted a Focus RS or an Elise or a JDM STi, that was never going to work.
Saw the first post and though christ this is long, who the hell’s gonna read all that… here I am 142 posts later! Congrats on the car Sharky! Also congrats in general, sounds like you’ve got quite a story!
Thanks for reading. I didn't mean for it to be such a soap opera I just wanted advice from people who buy new cars and are familiar with PCP because all I get from my family is doom and gloom!
You are absolutely not mad for wanting an E30. They are really good fun. They're not really investments any more, they've already been invested in. Prices are sky high and owners know it. Fortunately, I passed my test when they were worthless so while I never owned one I did know plenty of people who did and spent lots of time going backwards around wet roundabouts.
We used to have the free run of an entire, gated industrial estate in the northeast (after hours) back when we all had RWD Volvos, BMW's, MX5's and stuff. Wild nights, but that's another story.
As I have finally completed the paperwork, I thought I'd add my new car to the list (delivered in September).
All the whistles and bells and a very stealthy 0-60 of just 6.5 seconds.
I did know plenty of people who did and spent lots of time going backwards around wet roundabouts.
😂
Hang about, you can buy a fiesta that costs 26k?? I know the st is meant to be a great little car but that is an insane amount of money for a small Ford.
I've already said this but no one has paid 26k for one. Especially not in the first week that the dealerships went back to work and were falling over themselves to sell PCP.
insane amount of money for a small Ford.
Have you seen the prices of the bikes that have been reviewed recently?
The ONS has the average UK salary at £36k, on minimum wage annual earnings would be c£18k. In 1960 when he was 17, my Dad bought a brand new 105E Anglia that cost over £600 and his annual wage was just over £500. Not much has changed.
Have you seen the prices of the bikes that have been reviewed recently?
Very good point - over £10k for a Specialized S-Works full-suss. Now THAT is crazy.
Another 2 weeks on.. how are you finding it?
I'm still toying with the idea of getting one, but with the recession and COVID aftermarth still coming into full effect, I'm tempted to wait and see what happens to values.
Still loving it to be honest. I'm still comparing it to a 10 year old Panda so it feels amazing. Stuff normal people take for granted like not having to shout at each other on the motorway and being able to listen to music and actually hear it.
If you want one, just go and check one out. It's not like there's anything else in this segment that's better than it. I've heard they're stopping production until next year so not sure how many will be around in the near future.
I still haven't really thrashed it. I've never driven a FWD car with an LSD before and it's quite addictive to see how tight a line you can hold on a tight corner. Feeding the throttle way past the point where the inside wheel would usually light up and feeling it pulling the nose in tighter and tighter. It's magic.
I've also briefly driven it in torrential rain on some familiar roads up north and unlocked the lift-off oversteer function. I did it a few times just to get the feel for how much grip the tyres have obviously, for safety reasons.
If you enjoy driving and using the pedals to make a car shuffle about then it's brilliant. I'll have to do a track day or two. Although it's not monstrously fast it's still too much to fully unleash it on the road. I want to completely abuse it on some twisty corners and I don't really have the appetite for doing it out in the wild.
I think a trip to Cadwell Park is on the cards.
We’ve got a couple of Focus ST’s at work at the moment, one black, one the same vivid orange as the OP’s, and I really do like the orange, however, that one is a diesel, and for some reason that just doesn’t seem quite right. There are plenty of rapid oil-burners, like the Skoda VRS models, the Golf GTD, etc, but, I just can’t help thinking a Focus or Fiesta ST should be petrol!
Sadly, I only get to drive them short distances, so no opportunity to really play with them, but the same’s true of the Golf R’s and the Tesla’s, the Porsche Macan and the Merc GLC45 AMG we have on site. ☹️
know the st is meant to be a great little car but that is an insane amount of money for a small Ford.
Seems like a less insane notion than an old Porsche tbh.
Could be worse - could have been a faux SUV.
Stuff normal people take for granted like not having to shout at each other on the motorway and being able to listen to music and actually hear it
Moving from my old Civic EP3 to a modern(63 plate) Golf this difference was massive, so much quieter at motorway speeds. Having bluetooth and DAB built in as well has been great.
Seems like a less insane notion than an old Porsche tbh.
Could be worse – could have been a faux SUV.
True but there is so much in between. If you want performance here is a 2018 BMW M2. Its done 7k miles. That is 2x the car of the fiesta.
https://www.carsite.co.uk/used-car/bmw/m2/mtz_87181_57450773
but like the Porsche - when that starts to become fun on the public highway - its A. License losing B. dangerous for other road users and C. Feels like your in a fast sofa isolated from the outside world rather than a go kart fun car which it seems like the OP wants.