Top Gear Festiva ST review

[GQ_Smooth]

Finished watching the first episode of season 20 Top gear last night, they compared the Festiva ST to the Peugeot 208 Gti and Renault Clio sport. While being slowest in a straight line and 2nd quickest on the track, they said it was by far the better car. Looks like it's more than lived up to the hype.

[LeadFoot81]

I was surprised with Clarkson's praise for it, as he's more a fan of a big boofy cars with 'powerrr' but he and Hammond agreed the Fiesta ST was an instant classic.

September can't come soon enough!!

[Yellow_Festiva]

They are bringing back the Festiva in a performance model?

Bout time!

[Vincenzo]

Originally Posted by Yellow_Festiva

They are bringing back the Festiva in a performance model?

Bout time!

FIESTA not Festiva!


Cheers Vincenzo

[LeadFoot81]

Originally Posted by Yellow_Festiva

They are bringing back the Festiva in a performance model?

Bout time!

Festiva Demon FTW!!

[Alan D Segal]

They might as well call it the Festiva. Anyone I know who is older than about 35 still calls them the Festiva.

[GQ_Smooth]

Originally Posted by Alan D Segal

They might as well call it the Festiva. Anyone I know who is older than about 35 still calls them the Festiva.

Jesus, I really am getting old, sorry all.

There is still a GL Falcon isn't there?

[Wretched]

Originally Posted by LeadFoot81

I was surprised with Clarkson's praise for it, as he's more a fan of a big boofy cars with 'powerrr' but he and Hammond agreed the Fiesta ST was an instant classic.

September can't come soon enough!!

actually Clarkson has a soft spot for fast Euro Fords.
He's often drooled over the Escort Cosworth, Sierra Cosworth, the Escort RS2000, he like the Focus ST (LS/LT model) and loved the RS Focus of late.

[LeadFoot81]

Originally Posted by Wretched

actually Clarkson has a soft spot for fast Euro Fords.
He's often drooled over the Escort Cosworth, Sierra Cosworth, the Escort RS2000, he like the Focus ST (LS/LT model) and loved the RS Focus of late.

All amazing cars!!

[EB#]

They look the goods too I reckon!

[Cuyper]

Unfortunately with it being perhaps the best car in Ford Australia's line up later this year and also one of the cheapest I don't think actually getting hold of one will be very easy. I can't see them importing many and I bet you'll have to wait a long time to get one.

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by Cuyper

Unfortunately with it being perhaps the best car in Ford Australia's line up later this year and also one of the cheapest I don't think actually getting hold of one will be very easy. I can't see them importing many and I bet you'll have to wait a long time to get one.

They screwed up on the WS Fiesta release in 2009, they imported lots of base model CLs instead of Zetecs I think and people were more after the latter, causing huge delays because lack of stock.

[Fordman1]

I really, really want one in blue.

My wife only drives autos !

Perhaps she will be driving my car soon .....

[Lukeyson]

Originally Posted by Barraxr8

I really, really want one in blue.

My wife only drives autos !

Perhaps she will be driving my car soon .....

I have exact same issue, I would love a Fiesta or Focus ST for a work chariot, but if the wife drives she only wants auto.

[DJM83]

Originally Posted by Wretched

actually Clarkson has a soft spot for fast Euro Fords.
He's often drooled over the Escort Cosworth, Sierra Cosworth, the Escort RS2000, he like the Focus ST (LS/LT model) and loved the RS Focus of late.

Always thought this aswell. But its not only Euro Fords he also loved his Ford GT, although it was a love hate relationship. But that is often the case if you know much about the Euro Ford that OZ didnt get like MK1-5 Fiesta etc.

I doubt availability will be an issue though. Ford played this card with the Focus ST aswell.

So nice in white (But im biased)

[Cuyper]

Originally Posted by Barraxr8

I really, really want one in blue.

My wife only drives autos !

Perhaps she will be driving my car soon .....

I made my wife convert to a manual last time and now she loves manuals and wont have anything else, it can be done!. Well worth it for the better cars you can have as a whole family to share.

[NX74205]

Buy a manual so she can't drive it. Isn't that the idea? :p

[Fordman1]

Originally Posted by Cuyper

I made my wife convert to a manual last time and now she loves manuals and wont have anything else, it can be done!. Well worth it for the better cars you can have as a whole family to share.

We watched the Top Gear review last night together, and she says she is willing to convert

Not only that but my "father in law" dropped in, watched the review and told her she's got to get one

I'm really excited !!!! IF we get one, I think it'll end up being my drive to work car regardless

[Yellow_Festiva]

So, they will only come in manual??? I can't find a reference to it being sold with an auto box.

What if people don't want to 'convert'....

Reminds me of the ill fated Econetic. Great car, bit pricey but manual only when just under half of the people in that segment bought an auto.

If you look at carsales right now,there are MORE auto WT Fiestas for sale than manual ones... I know it's a sporty variant, but at least give buyers the option to get one in auto?

[DJM83]

I disagree. Leave em as manual only.

[Yellow_Festiva]

Originally Posted by DJM83

I disagree. Leave em as manual only.

Would you agree they will access more of the market and sell more cars if they offered an auto?

Even top-end sports cars with huge racing pedegree have optional auto boxes now.

[Pub247]

no because the only market you'll access is people who don't care about performance cars. Those people can just buy the base models instead.

[Yellow_Festiva]

Originally Posted by Pub247

no because the only market you'll access is people who don't care about performance cars. Those people can just buy the base models instead.

Great attitude! Post 13 and 14 disagree.

Money is money. How much profit is there in a base model compared to a premium product?

I drove an auto Ferrari, Porsche and Aston Martin once. What would those manufacturers know about performance? Oh, add the GTR to the list.

[Boza]

Did ford steal the grille/front end from an aston martin. Most of the new us and euro models look like small aston's to me with the mew front end styling ford is adopting

[Pub247]

Originally Posted by Yellow_Festiva

Great attitude! Post 13 and 14 disagree.

Money is money. How much profit is there in a base model compared to a premium product?

I drove an auto Ferrari, Porsche and Aston Martin once. What would those manufacturers know about performance? Oh, add the GTR to the list.

The difference is that they (ferarri n co.) usually only have one or 2 models available. Not offering an auto option on a $100 k + car is silly.

When you comparing a fiesta and all it competitors in its market theres 30 or 40 models to chose from and 99% will be auto. they are aimed at a group of people who dont car how fast a car it is or how many gears or how much boost it runs. They care about it looks and it's price.

The people who look at a ST model are people into cars yet want something small and sporty and i bet that 99% of them can drive manuals.

I'm sure they make more money on a base model than they would on a ST version.


Your using post 13 and 14 as an argument? what i read there is 2 guys that want to buy these cars but their wives only drive auto's. Seems obvious to me that these can and would drive manuals and it does not deter them from buying it.
Would their wives actually buy this car? without any prodding from their husbands? would their wives actually care how fast it goes around corners and that it beat such and such around the top gear test track?

Maybe they can tell us....

[DJM83]

Originally Posted by Yellow_Festiva

Would you agree they will access more of the market and sell more cars if they offered an auto?

Even top-end sports cars with huge racing pedegree have optional auto boxes now.

Yeah might capture more market share. But from my point of view they should remain manual.

As for top end cars, if i could afford one id pick something that came with a manual.

If the Focus ST was an auto only thing (Like polo GTi) i never would have purchased it.

[Cuyper]

I myself think it would be pointless in auto form, sure you may sell some but it would compromise the car and it's image so much, if I was selling it, I'd rather not do that. Around the topgear track the thing cornered like a roller coaster, such a car needs a manual box in it and a good one at that.

[grandpa_spec_F6]

Just watched it last night, was very impressed, my only gripe is that I'm 6ft 3" so I might look like Mr Bean driving it :\

For a little 1.6L turbo it sure seemed to have some stick, especially when you consider it's only 2 seconds slower than our turbo falcons.

[tranquilized]

Originally Posted by GQ_Smooth

Jesus, I really am getting old, sorry all.

There is still a GL Falcon isn't there?

GL Falcon? Sheesh, get with the times man!

Its the Falcon GLi now.



Fiesta ST looks awesome, might download me that top gear ep Manual only FTW, keeps the pretenders out.

[Yellow_Festiva]

After a little digging, reviewers seem to mention the manual as a good thing, as well as mention the fact that other cars in the same segment are auto only.

I found this quote interesting:

And at least the Peugeot 208 GTI – as with the upcoming Ford Fiesta ST – offers a manual gearbox for purist drivers. Both the Volkswagen Polo GTi and Renault Clio RS200 come only with a dual-clutch automatic transmission.

So, there is an obvious market for hot hatches in both auto and manual form. Curious, did Polo GTI sales suffer when they went auto only? As for the Clio, it's more of a niche player at the moment but the question remains, did sales drop when it dropped the manual option?

Funny thing is, transmissions are always mentioned in a review. In some form or another, ratios, performance, gearing, feel as well as availability of a manual or auto. We are a nation of auto driving cars, much diferent to European tastes.

My reasoning behind offering auto as well was to give the reviewers nothing to complain about. We already know it's a world class motor, we know it will be safe, hopefully it won't be over priced, we know it should be well specced.

If the Fiesta is to be a winning formula it needs to be able to woo buyers from other brands that also have Hot Hatches.....

* Auto / manual box (especially after all the bad press VW has had).
* 5yr warranty standard (when will Ford adopt this???????) Or at least extra warranty on powertrain.
* Standard features to match / better the Koreans.

I would love to see this car win a 'Hot hatch Shootout' soon after launch.

Again, this is not personally what I want, but it's what I think will allow the Fiesta ST to be a segment winner.

Small cars are big business... make them attractive to as many people as possible and sales will follow.