ST Comparison

[Teki04]

Great Website with a comparison of the Renault Sport Clio Cup vs Ford Fiesta ST!

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/groupte...t_hatches.html

Here is what they said about the ST:

£13,595 Date: 01-02-05
Ford has a tradition of hot superminis. Is the ST up to it?

Ford had a good last decade. So good, in fact, that expectations for any new performance model have grown insanely high. How else does one react to the news that the people who brought us the Puma, the Focus, the MkII Mondeo, the Focus RS and the Sportka - fine driving machines all - are now turning their attentions to the Fiesta? This car should be something special.
It was with this hope in mind that we set off in the London dark in a blood-red Fiesta ST. Immediately, the ST feels raw and involving, even when clawing its way through early morning rush hour traffic. The suspension does not yield to the demands of the school-run mum or the long-haul commuter. It's firm; the Fiesta feels in constant quarrel with patched-up urban tarmac, jiggling occupants around and not relenting. Its rather fiercely sprung clutch takes some practice when crawling along in traffic, and a bootful of revs is necessary from standstill if you're to avoid stalling.

A motorway slog only increases our wish for a decent cross-country drive. The ST has a tendency to tramline along in the grooves left by lorries and there's a fair amount of tyre roar rushing off the natty 17-inch alloy wheels. Also, you miss a sixth gear on the motorway in the low-geared Ford.

You won't be worried about a missing sixth cog on the track, though. Swatting along the broad straights and sweeping corners of Bruntingthorpe Proving Ground, the ST was in its element. Here the Fiesta's greatest dynamic strength came to the fore: its steering. Turn-in is near-instant; no sooner have you thought about pitching the ST at the apex of a bend than the car's nose is diving in on the racing line. You can feel every sensation of the ST's grip through the steering wheel: bumps and kicks from changes in road surface, and the grain of the front tyres as they start to scrub wide in quick corners.

A delicate lift of the throttle corrects the ST's line, but try anything more sudden and you'll need your wits about you to avoid a tail slide.

Our test car came without the optional ESP system, and over wet, twisting roads the back of the car felt twitchy. Still, if you were about to have an accident in any of these four cars you'd know about it first in the Ford - such are the levels of feedback on offer.

Although the Fiesta can't match the Clio 182 for composure, it still feels fantastic over the sleet-lined rural roads of the Scottish borders. The ST's two-litre, 148bhp Duratec engine charges round to the redline to the tune of a hearty induction roar, aggressive as a nightclub bouncer. With a 0-60mph time of 7.9 seconds it won't break any records for outright speed, but it's the right engine for this car.

The ST's brakes are good, with a strong, progressive response throughout the pedal travel. Nor does the gearchange disappoint. Its slightly notchy action requires a firm hand, but there's no disguising its accuracy.

The Fiesta ST can be placed in the company of the best-driving Fords of recent years. It's an exciting, agile car to drive and fans of fast Fords will not be disappointed. However, competition is fierce and, in the shape of the Renault Clio 182 Cup, the Fiesta ST is up against a modern motoring legend.


PERFORMANCE: The ST scores well here partly for its frisky acceleration, but also for the engine's charisma and revviness. The brakes and gearchange also impressed

CHASSIS: The Fiesta is blessed with a nimble chassis, even if its handling composure can't quite match the best. Better are the levels of feedback through the sharp, direct steering

INTERIOR: Ford could have made more of an effort to make the ST sportier inside, and we found the driving position a little high. The quality of the dashboard plastic also feels a bit low rent, considering the Fiesta's price


PRACTICALITY: The cabin is spacious enough. The ST has room to carry four adults in comfort, plus a reasonable boot

RUNNING COSTS: The ST returned the worst fuel economy figures of the test, and is the second most expensive to buy, although insurance and tax costs aren't as bad as you might expect

FORD FIESTA ST
It is not just the outside, not just the spoilers and the alloy wheels that should make these cars feel special. The interiors should be smart too. Things start out relatively well in the Fiesta. When you open the door, you'll notice an ST logo on the kickplate. And once inside, you sit on leather seats that also carry the ST logo. But check out our spec table: those seats are a £925 option. We'd happily settle for the normal cloth seats, especially if they allow you to sit lower in the cabin. As it is, the ST leaves you perched too high and has you wondering if perhaps you have stepped into a Fusion by mistake. The steering wheel has an ST badge and we quite like the neat little instrument display with its silver surround. There are a few other little silver bits and pieces here and there, like the door handles but, in truth, the Fiesta isn't really that sporting inside. There's certainly not much about the big, thick gearlever or the nasty graining on the black plastics that elicits a feeling of well-being. Stowage space is average, although the Fiesta has a decent boot and the load lip isn't too high. Along with the Seat, it offers a reasonable amount of space in the back seats.

DAY IN - DAY OUT Living with the Ford Fiesta ST

The Fiesta has one of those maddening boots that you can't open from the outside without using a key

Out of our four cars, only the Seat offers xenon headlamps, but as an £690 option. However, it is the Fiesta that could do with them most. The Ford's headlamps just don't penetrate the darkness far enough. And we even once flicked them onto side lights to make sure they were fully on. Sadly, the days of fitting extra rally-style spotlamps - an absolute must when some of us were growing up - are long gone. Modern electric systems make it almost impossible

Having resigned yourself to letting the dealer do the dirty work, the good news for Fiesta drivers is that there are still a huge number of Ford dealers, so the chances are there will be one not too far away. Ford has 700 dealers in the UK, Citroen 250, Renault 190 and Seat 126

When the Fiesta's windscreen wipers were on full speed (most of the time on this test) the right-hand one was hitting the A-pillar, resulting in a loud clicking noise

Ford will offer optional stability and traction control on the ST, but it won't be available for another two months. You're forced to use your brain and to moderate the throttle when pulling out of a junction in the rain. You can't just floor it and let the traction control do the rest

The Fiesta's doors needed the firmest shove to close them properly

Here was the FINAL VERDICT:

Cards on the table - we're putting fun as our priority. The affordable C2 is a good entry-level hot hatch, but it's outgunned by faster rivals. Seat's Ibiza can keep up with the best, no problem. It's highly competent, but a hot hatch needs to be more than that and the Seat just isn't exciting. The Fiesta - with that raw engine and no traction control - certainly is. But the Clio, with its superb performance and handling, shows them all the way home. It may be the most expensive, but it's worth it.

1st: RENAULT SPORT CLIO 182
BEST BITS Best bit: Performance, handling, sheer fun
WORST BITS Driving position, insurance costs 'Renault clio
PERFORMANCE 5/5
CHASSIS 5/5
INTERIOR 3/5
PRACTICALITY 3/5
RUNNING COSTS 3/5
FINAL SCORE 4/5


2nd: FORD FIESTA ST
BEST BITS Sharp steering, turn-in, revvy engine,
WORST BITS Bland interior, motorway refinement
PERFORMANCE 4/5
CHASSIS 4/5
INTERIOR 3/5
PRACTICALITY 4/5
RUNNING COSTS 3/5
FINAL SCORE 4/5

3rd: SEAT IBIZA FR
BEST BITS Mid-range punch, sporting driving position
WORST BITS Ride quality, brakes, lifeless steering
PERFORMANCE 4/5
CHASSIS 3/5
INTERIOR 3/5
PRACTICALITY 4/5
RUNNING COSTS 3/5
FINAL SCORE 4/5

4th: CITROEN C2 VTS
BEST BITS Wallet-friendly insurance, brakes
WORST BITS Lack of speed, lacklustre gearchange
PERFORMANCE 3/5
CHASSIS 3/5
INTERIOR 3/5
PRACTICALITY 3/5
RUNNING COSTS 4/5
FINAL SCORE 3/5

[Teki04]

Pretty cool read.... I WANT ONE!

[Cypher]

Is that the Clio or the ST?

I cant wait to see the ST in OZ! All it needs is a turbo for more rock n roll!

[zetec]

Yeah they're a cracking good drive those Fiesta ST, one of the most fun cars I have EVER driven :the_finge Just pure insanity on wheels.

[Danny]

I'd love one.... Simple....

[RedStar71]

I WANT ST!!!!!! :evil3:

[Teki04]

Originally Posted by zetec

Yeah they're a cracking good drive those Fiesta ST, one of the most fun cars I have EVER driven :the_finge Just pure insanity on wheels.

HOLLLLLLLLLLDDDDDDDDDDDD UPPPPPPP, when did you drive one?!?!??!!?

and yes, the review is on a ST, if you read it!

[zetec]

Lol not telling : Remember the blue one at the Motorshow in Sydney last year? : Fiesta ST with a 150hp ST engine and ST170 brakes... pure insanity. Never driven a Clio but the ST was amazing so the Clio must be breathtaking. ST Changes directions like you're thinking about it, brakes so hard your eyeballs pop out and pulls harder than a freight train. Great little car.

[Teki04]

Originally Posted by zetec

Lol not telling : Remember the blue one at the Motorshow in Sydney last year? : Fiesta ST with a 150hp ST engine and ST170 brakes... pure insanity. Never driven a Clio but the ST was amazing so the Clio must be breathtaking. ST Changes directions like you're thinking about it, brakes so hard your eyeballs pop out and pulls harder than a freight train. Great little car.

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm, i want one! And, so... this COULD be implying that Ford STILL have this ST test mule in Australia... HENCE they must be considering it... just maybe (you dont have to answer to that matt, just speculation). Damn you... i wanna drive it! lol. So, since you mentioned it, you dont have any pics of it on the road would you? :

[zetec]

can't find my old Motorshow pics I took ages ago. No onroad pics sorry.