After a lot of talks about the new fiesta ST I thought I might go down and check out what all of the fuss was about. (also had a quick bash in an 08 civic type R)
So went down to a ford dealer outside Church Minshull and had a quick chat with one if the guys there and he offered to take us out in the test car (st-2). Had a quick 10 minute bash in it and must say, I was impressed
.
First impression: The interior (as expected) was a little plasticky but had all of the mod cons you'd come to expect. The cabin felt quite tight/cosy compared to the 197 and this brought back feelings of a small hot hatch (reminiscent of the old 172's etc). The seats were grippy like the standard ones in the 197 but not too much that you had to be tiny to get comfy.
Looks: The sharp edges make the car look great with a real sporty feel (without a doubt a future boy racer special). Could have benefited from a twin exhaust to go with the modern look but can do without. The car does look quite thin from some angles which I thought sometimes made it look a bit dainty but then again it still is a small hot hatch.
Drive: The first thing I noticed was the torque, this thing really pulled. One thing I was worried about was that the car would drive like a 1.6 and then pull when the turbo kicked in and eventually go back to running like a 1.6 but no. The low pressure turbo really gives the feeling that you have the power all the way through the rev range if needed.
I really liked the car however I couldn't warrant spending 17k (20k if I want the upgrades that I would prefer) especially on a car that may not hold its price, it a shame really because a few K less and I would have considered it. Great car and when people come to sell in 2 years I'll probably be looking to buy.
(Test drove the civic and found it to be no where near as nimble as the clio, it had the charm with the fighter jet dash displays and the stunning interior but just didn't drive any better than what I already have).
So went down to a ford dealer outside Church Minshull and had a quick chat with one if the guys there and he offered to take us out in the test car (st-2). Had a quick 10 minute bash in it and must say, I was impressed
. First impression: The interior (as expected) was a little plasticky but had all of the mod cons you'd come to expect. The cabin felt quite tight/cosy compared to the 197 and this brought back feelings of a small hot hatch (reminiscent of the old 172's etc). The seats were grippy like the standard ones in the 197 but not too much that you had to be tiny to get comfy.
Looks: The sharp edges make the car look great with a real sporty feel (without a doubt a future boy racer special). Could have benefited from a twin exhaust to go with the modern look but can do without. The car does look quite thin from some angles which I thought sometimes made it look a bit dainty but then again it still is a small hot hatch.
Drive: The first thing I noticed was the torque, this thing really pulled. One thing I was worried about was that the car would drive like a 1.6 and then pull when the turbo kicked in and eventually go back to running like a 1.6 but no. The low pressure turbo really gives the feeling that you have the power all the way through the rev range if needed.
I really liked the car however I couldn't warrant spending 17k (20k if I want the upgrades that I would prefer) especially on a car that may not hold its price, it a shame really because a few K less and I would have considered it. Great car and when people come to sell in 2 years I'll probably be looking to buy
.(Test drove the civic and found it to be no where near as nimble as the clio, it had the charm with the fighter jet dash displays and the stunning interior but just didn't drive any better than what I already have).
