Potential Fiesta ST buyer

Haven't received my FiST yet, but have driven the Focus ST, and a '14 Titanium Fiesta... (And currently driving a '13 focus loaner vehicle while I wait for my ST).

I have already mentioned it in other threads but I always recommend, driving the Focus ST and a '14 Fiesta Titanium back to back if you can't get a hold of a FiST to test drive..... The titanium will give you a feel for the dimensions. The Focus for performance/suspension and for a good idea on which dimensions you are happier with.

Obviously the Focus has more power, and a different suspension setup... But still gives you an idea what a more performance based setup feels like. in a comparable vehicle.

Personally, I found the Focus ST to be a lot of fun, but the dimensions in the '14 Fiesta were far more exciting. I had a blast even in the titanium trim, and that was good enough for me. Given the increase in power in the Fiesta ST.....the ST is going to be a riot.

I think the Fiesta looks a lot better than the focus too. Front and back. My biggest criticism for the Fiesta's appearance is.... that it might look better if it was a little wider/lower. It looks a little narrow/tall. And the worst thing I ever heard that I can't get out of my head now is the "baby shoe" comparison.

In my commute, the power is nice, enough to put a smile on my face and easily overtake slower traffic.

I still haven't quite gotten used to the clutch and throttle when starting from a stop, I'm usually not giving enough throttle and bogging the motor but past that the shifting is very smooth except it can be easy to find second gear when you are trying a 5/6-4 downshift (not good on the highway).

The ride is a little bouncy but so far not uncomfortable or harsh and no bottoming.

The handling is more than you can reasonably use on the street, you really need an autocross to push the limits.

The brakes are good but create a lot of dust, not a big deal but I was surprised when my wheels were already dirty with less than 500 miles.

Cargo space is a bit limited.

I'm 5'9" and with the front seats adjusted for me, you wouldn't want a rear passenger much more than 5'9" in the back. If you are short, the car is fine, if you are average height, you can have average height rear passengers, if you are tall, your passengers will have to be short.

The car gets a lot of looks, especially by people who know what it is. I like the way it looks in person.

Parking is easy, rear visibility better than I was expecting, navigation and voice command pretty impressive.

I gave my parents a lift to and from the airport and they liked the space compared to the Fiat 500 they rented.

My one little gripe is that they should have put a little pocket in the door arm rest so you can control the door better when opening it.

Well I'm obviously basing everything I know about the Fiesta off from what I read and what I see which is a bit rough. I know someone who has a Focus ST and they absolutely love it. I can say that the Focus is a very fun car with surprising power in my opinion. I currently own a 2010 Fusion so if I end up with a Fiesta I obviously know I'm losing a lot of room, however my Fusion is way bigger than what I need. Funny you mention the brake dust cause the Focus has the same problem and I've read a lot of griping about that, not a big deal in my opinion. I hope the chose to put the cup holders in the Fiesta farther away from the gear lever than they did in the Focus cause I can say that is a big annoyance on the Focus constantly bumping into your drink while shifting. As I stated before in my opinion I do agree the Fiesta is a far better looking car than the Focus. As far as the cargo space goes that won't be a big deal for me as I don't carry much cargo. I was a bit surprised how little cargo space the Focus had so I kind of figured that would be the case with the Fiesta. Thank you both for the feed back! If I end up with one it won't be until the spring as I wanna save up a hefty down payment and I don't want to put a brand new car through a New York winter right away.