Why Focus ST over Fiesta ST
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- Опубліковано 29 вер 2024
- Recently I reviewed and drove a 2016 Fiesta ST and some of the comments on that video were asking if I would trade my car for that car and what I thought of both of them. For that reason I created this video explaining why I chose the Focus ST over the Fiesta ST. I am not saying the Focus is better, just explaining my point of view. Enjoy!
Music: forrestdel.bandcamp.com
Great comparison. I test drove both the Fiesta ST and the Focus ST before making my decision, and to be fair, you have much more of a car with the focus for not to much money over the fiesta. It is simply a better overall performer. That being said, the fiesta is just a blast to drive in a different way, with great feedback of the road. I chose the little sister, but ford really nailed it through all the hot hatch segment!
Yea Ford owns the hot hatch segment in the US right now.
my friends work at ford and were like "get the focus are you dumb" literally wouldnt fit in my garage. the fist fits and i have room to walk around and work still. and im glad i went that route. focus is cool but the fist has the handling, ive never seen a vid of a fiesta spining out around a corner it grips so hard.. that cant be said about the focus. the fiesta stops faster than the focus as well. if you like doing highway pulls and a larger car get the focus. you like ripping through backroads leaving people in the dust and dont need the interior space get the fiesta its that simple. with stage 2 i think fiesta st would be perfect. stock both fist and fost get close 1/4 mile times. trap speed on the fist is almost as high as the fost. once the fist is going like on a track for example it just carries speed so well, corner exit speeds etc.
Well said. Different cars for a different purpose. The FiST is far from a highway killer without a turbo upgrade, and that's okay. On a straight, it can't really compete with the focus mod for mod. The handling department on the fiesta is near perfect, and with a stage 1 or stage 2, it has enough torque to have fun. The only downside is people saying: "but you paid that much for a.. fiesta?" :p
Jean-Philippe Champoux and quicker than focus st with stage 1. Also focus st is a porker!!
Depends on which Focus ST you get. Most of them are quite a bit more expensive than the Fiesta ST. The Fiesta is the better overall car.
The reason I went with my Focus ST over a fully loaded Fiesta ST is because I'm 6'3", so I didn't really want to get such a small car being so tall. I also wanted an upgrade in power from what my previous car had which was only 215, so I wasn't going to go down in power with a new car, I wanted to go up in power. So that's one reason. Another reason was for the seats even tho they both come with Recaro's, but I wanted Also more cargo room and more space for friends and people and stuff. So that's why I went Focus over Fiesta.
blueydsniper My Lexus is300 was 215 hp, now I have a focus ST
I feel the height thing, but still rock my FiST ST, 6'7 and I'm sitting pretty lol
i really do hope you keep your st for a long time. because the focus st is a very impressive car hands down.
The fact that the Focus has the turning radius of a semi-truck and weighs more than cars with AWD made it a deal breaker for me.
I agree it is heavy but I never had a problem with the turning radius.
michal janos 1450kg isnt heavy lmao
U serious? You must be a fat fuck haha. Also, the Focus is a FWD car that weighs as much as AWD cars. Either nice troll or good job idiot.
michal janos 👏
Too bad they aren't bringing the new ones to the States... was looking forward to getting one of them.
I love driving the Focus ST over the Fiesta ST. Both fun cars but I prefer the way the Focus feels and drives over the Fiesta
The fiesta is more tossable and the Focus is more rigid with a lot more power
what are your future plans with your focus? any more mountune uogrades?
I have some more engine component upgrades planned but I want to drive out to Mountune and have them do the install and film the process with the tech reps.
Nice sounds good
IMO Civic Type-R looks over the top in a bad way. Almost on the verge of ugly.....but I'll wait tell I see it in person!
Jordan B S It's ugly. #FunctionOverForm
Focus is more expensive than fiesta pal..............it's supposed to be better
they are two different sized cars
i Just got my 2017 St 1 i, just wondering what kind of oil you use for yours. Also when i got my car it had 11 miles on it and it now has 1,700. Was your gas mileage shitty or is this still a break in period. Because i'm not getting good gas mileage at all its like 21.6 miles a gallon.
Andrew Shaffer I use motor craft full synthetic from ford. It's a break in period so it should increase dramatically soon. Also depends on what kind of daily driving you do. Mine is all highway
Thanks
Andrew Shaffer I just got mine too and am not getting good gas mileage either
25-27 mpg should be normal if you do highway driving. My commute to work is 13 miles each way 5 days a week and I'm at 27.0mpg
type r is going to start at 35k
I hope it's not that expensive! I read just over 30k
It will be over 35k plus dealer ADM
Fiesta st is for mcdonalds carparks. Focus or nothing lol
Fiesta has more rally heritage and has outperformed the Focus, so that's a dead opinion 😂😂
I feel like the RS has a cult following and the type R is more of a 13 year old boys dream car . Kinda like the RS is sonic and the R is tails .
Both clutches are light. "A Lot Heavier," LMAO. After my STI, I got a Fiesta ST, both of the clutches are insanely feather weight
STI to Fiesta ST...that interesting. why did you do that?
@@GG-wm5bd I went from a speed3 to a fiesta ST reason is simple, lighter car, far better dynamics, far better handling, far better gas mileage and an incredible and extremely reliable tuning platform. Those are my reasons, but I'm sure @Steven H has similar reason's. Stock speed 3 is slightly faster than the focus, driven both and the fiesta is hands down the most fun. Heavy clutch lmao the ST clutches are feathers, The speed 3 clutch feels like it has 10lb weight tied to it in comparison xD
@@Meqanicull I got a speed 6 honestly might be about to do the same thing lol I wanna at least own one of those lil beans for a bit
@@NinaMango789 I’ve had my Fiesta ST for about a month now, and I’m yet to regret trading my speed for it. I thought the size of the car would be bothersome, but I really don’t feel a massive size difference from my speed 3. It’s absolutely smaller but space is used really well and feels almost as spacious inside, my only complaint is the torsion beam suspension setup which has certainly taken me a fair bit of time to get used to. I definitely prefer an independent multi link suspension setup, but only noticeable disadvantage of the torsion in the fiesta is really high speed stability(100+ mph which can be fixed in the aftermarket) more frequent alignments, and more delicate on rough roads. The fiesta is the closest you will get to a rear wheel drive feeling in a front wheel drive car, the only time it truly feels FWD is straight line pulls and when the tarmac is wet.
The focus st is in no way "more rigid" than the fiesta ST...
I drove them back to back it feels way more rigid. Don’t know what to tell you
by rigid do you mean to say the suspension was firmer, or you actually think the bodyshell is more rigid
That's really interesting, I was for sure thinking along the lines that you'd like the dynamics of the Fiesta ST more because people usually prefer the Fiesta ST when driving them both back to back. I really liked that you highlighted some things about the Focus ST that people don't always mention, which is that feeling of stepping up into "the next level" and having more refinement, quality, power, etc. I definitely value both sides of the coin. The Focus has all that stuff you mentioned, and the Fiesta has the lighter nimble feeling, sharper steering, that playfulness, etc. It's really hard to choose which is more preferable. I come from a line of Hondas too but Ford is really shining through to me
maximus9401 yea Ford is doing one hell of a job right now. Honda will make a dent with the type R for sure
RGBGFIVE First, thanks for the video. Also, you make a good point about the Type R. But personally I'm going the direction you did. I'm a longtime Civic owner, and I was about to get the Type R last week (front of the line at my local dealership, and the car just arrived), but I changed my mind last minute. The final $$$ are just so high, adding in financing costs, and my bottom line was actually going to be almost twice as much as what I'd pay for a Fiesta ST. So, thanks to your videos & others, I'm switching over to Ford and I'm going to get a Fiesta ST. I want a fun car that handles well with a respectable 0-60 time. Space isn't an issue (my wife has a Murano... great vehicle BTW... on family outings we take hers). I'm expecting the FIST to feel a bit cheaper than my current Civic, but if I'm trading that off for a car that's more nimble, I'm all good. Besides, my current Civic is a 2007 LX... I have it done up to look nice and sound cool, but I have NO power at all... so the FIST will feel like a huge power jump. Like you said, it's all about what you came from!
U can mountune a FIESTA ST and get the same power like the focus😎
mazda man 09 how much does that cost though?
@@neptunefitness1866 literally not that much man, they got stages and quite cheaply so, hence most for sale have them
I went from Focus ST to a Fiesta ST with the mountune215 kit, on paper the Fiesta ST with mountune is faster than the Focus apart from top speed
Fiesta is much more fun to drive
Fiesta is faster. But I like my focus, just because it's bigger. And I used all the space
After getting to drive both on a track I've concluded that the driving experience is almost identical- they're two versions of the same car. They both feel like an ST, and it's clear they were designed side-by-side with the same language in mind. Maybe this was more of an issue when they were new, but now that they're both used cars in the US, the price gap has closed considerably. The only real differences in terms of flat out driving is the fact that the focus feels faster, and oversteers more on the stock tires (fiesta has more grip in terms of weight).
I put aftermarket tires on my focus, and now it feels like the fiesta did on the track. Much more balanced front to rear, with all four wheels breaking traction at nearly the same time. By proxy, I'm sure you could get a fiesta to drift like a focus by slightly reducing grip.
My #1 gripe with the fiesta was a lack of power coming out of the turns. The focus really threw me back, and going to the fiesta I really missed that. But that was it. The focus has slightly more room, and will put you back in your seat. So if you don't have kids and live near windy roads where you never really get to go full throttle for very long, get the fiesta... it's just a focus for less money. If you blindfolded me and gave me a ride in each I wouldn't know the difference and I really mean that.
I went from a fiesta st to focus st the reason being a daily driver in LA , work and back , taking my boy and his boys to soccer practice.. its a more mature car
But i wish i could afford to keep em both, the fiesta st is nothing but fun specialy if ur into driving on dirt roads and know how to left foot brake to slide around
There's dirt roads in LA?
Speaking about power and what you owned before... I feel my Fiesta ST pulls harder in gear than my 2015 STI. After only an AP and Cobb Exhaust, I would gap my best friends 2015 WRX in 3rd gear and up. Same with Legacy's and EVERY STI I've rolled with on the highway. My bud actually sold his WRX after that. Obv i miss my AWD, but economically for my age, i LOVE this car. I owned my STI and only had problems. Maintenance was absurd as well. However, Brakes for the Fiesta are frustrating. They are hard to find and expensive to install if you don't do it yourself. Ford where I live charges $400 per axle including installation. But roughly $160 for fronts and backs if you do it yourself. I've owned an Evo X, STI and this. Although my Evo was and is my dream car, it kept falling apart even brand new. My STI was cool, but I didn't like seeing 1000 a day. I see about 20 Focus STs a day in Boston and MAYBE 2 Fiestas a week (Also why I chose my Evo Initially over the STI). Engine has been super reliable. My STI blew up stock after my one year of ownership anniversary ($18,000 rebuild, I had to fight to get Subaru of America to cover). Dealing with Mitsu dealerships was a nightmare no matter where. I had an SST (I miss that gearbox) and it kept slipping and leaking. I would then find out that they would not service the clutch plates... I'd need to send it to japan out of pocket. Obv I wanted a GSR, but at the time there were few around and I was intimidated because I didn't know how to drive stick at the time. Ended up getting a brand new MR fully loaded for almost GSR mid level package price (Some small shop in NH). Anyways, Evo X MR stickered for $48,000 (Paid around $35K), STI was $35,500K and they wouldn't budge on the price, BUT!!!!!!! My Fiesta ST was priced at around $25K (stupid packages) and paid only $16,500 out the door not including incentives (Tiny ford dealership in Maine and probably needed the sale). They really took a dive and lost some money, but the economy is so awful in Maine, dealerships never move cars. I love this little car. The TQ is much more usable than my other cars and is a quicker car in everyday situations because of that. My STI, I had to wind out and the clutch was so heavy that it was a chore for light city driving... especially with a herniated disc. Loved the gear box and the direct rod connection, but was awkward at times and way too notchy if you were in mild traffic. Cops would pull me over all the time even doing the speed limit. This little Black hatch i got, if you're not a car guy (or woman), it just blends in. Less attention can be good sometimes lol. Oh, tires suck. Weird Lug pattern and not a lot of room for bigger tires. 17's are stupid on this car and leave no rubber so you are constantly scratching your rims on the slightest potholes. I'm going to probably get 15's to avoid this. It's ok in the snow with Blizzaks but no STI or EVO :(. All other seasons though, Great gas mileage and a delightful/ direct gearbox. I feel that if I got a focus ST, I'd always deep down want an RS. With my Fiesta, I STILL WOULD LOVE AN RS LOL, there's nothing with this chassis above it and stands alone as it's own. If they made a Fiesta RS... That would be the dream car. Can keep the same power figures, just would love that AWD. I'd take that over a Focus RS any day. But the Focus and Fiesta STs are BOTH awesome cars.
It's great that you enjoy the Fiesta, but I have a question? How are brakes hard to find for the car. I haven't had any trouble with mine, and they're easy to do by yourself, provided you have the necessary tools. It might just be the fact that we live in different states (I'm in North Carolina), but I don't see why we'd have different experiences on brakes, of all things.
@@zoelames3150 sorry i should have expanded more. I went to dealers because i never knew how to do it myself. Then Ford gave me an absurd price and said it would take up to 2 weeks to source them. I then said fuck it i'll have my grandfather teach me. the 3 ford dealerships near me (Boston MA) never had them in stock and had to source them. I ordered them from autozone and had my grandfather teach me. It was the 1st time i did breaks, and these weren't the easiest to be your first.
Fiesta is so much more fun to drive
Will be interested to hear your thoughts on the WRX. That was the only other car I was looking at before purchasing my Focus ST. Got a pretty good deal on the focus though.
You made me buy my 2016 focus st and I love it! Coming from a 400hp evo 8 it's a lot different but It is such a nice care to drive daily. You should do the clutch assistance spring removal makes a world of a difference
TeamHazard joe what's that ?
It's a spring right by the clutch pedal that makes it easier to push in the clutch but you can't really find the grabbing point and when you remove it makes it easier to find the grabbing point which makes for smoother takeoffs
Josh Liles
I am going to look into this. Thank you!
@@LIBWYAH Was Ford going for longevity with the clutch being a bit hard to push in?
I went from the focus st to the fiesta st. Focus felt like a turbo charged station wagon shifter felt like it was not in the right place torque steer is stupid and the 2.0 is not as strong ad the 1.6! I had the focus both my brothers have Fiestas I went home drove their's as soon as I got home sold the focus and bought the fiesta and never looked back!!
Don't ever let numbers or statistics deter your opinions of a car. The Fiesta ST may not be as powerful or as nice as a Focus ST, But it's just more fun.
Hey I've got a 2017 Toyota 86. I'm also paralyzed in a wheelchair so the video will be pretty interesting just to see how it all works. I live in St. Augustine.
Sorry to hear that man. I love the 86 !
Halo 86 Toyota 86 is one of the vehicles I would have considered, but I live north of Toronto. Not quite the same weather as St. Augustine! I live way out in a rural area too -- for about 5 months of the year, the roads aren't even plowed yet when I leave for work in the morning. Getting a RWD car in those conditions is pretty much like a one-way ticket into a ditch!
DigitaWorld Oh yeah, I agree with you lol. I heard the snow mode works pretty good, but of course I couldn't say anything for myself. It's nice they actually have a dedicated snow mode though. But yes, absolutely, if it's your daily, RWD may not be good for you. I know some people up North who drive theirs in snow with no issues apparently, but still, RWD and snow don't mix lol.
Hey, I didn't know about it having a 'snow mode', thanks for telling me that. I think my 'plan A' is still to get a Fiesta ST as my daily, but I might think about something like the 86 for my summer fun ride (second hand, or else my wife would kill me for spending our kids' college funds!! LOL)
Absolutely! The dedicated snow mode is right underneath sport mode. It's a toggle switch. Accidentally flipped it a few times. I think it starts you off in 2nd gear but I haven't messed around with it too much to know. I almost bought an ST as well, but the 86 ended up working better for me.
Had 2 Focus Rs mk2 a Focus Rs mk3 a Focus St mk2 and Fiesta St.......my preference Fiesta ST
Just came across this video and I want you to know that I really appreciate your input. I’m shopping for a daily to keep the miles off my ‘12 Mustang and hearing a Focus ST owner’s thoughts on the Fiesta ST is very helpful. I still have to go test drive each one myself but now I feel much more educated before I head out to deal with pushy car salesmen. Thanks again!
You got it! I have a ton of Focus ST content so that should help as well!
32mpg on the highway!? I have a fiesta ST and I average 50 miles to the gallon, this is in the UK though so maybe our fuels better but jeez u guys need to tone down ur driving
WRX versus your ST will be an interesting head to head
Yea I am excited for that as well
you do know, aftermarket tuning you can get a fiesta st above 400 hp right?
I actually owned a fiesta st and now own a focus st
Another great video, Gjeebs. Gives me some good things to ponder. The little town in southern New Mexico I live in has a lot of potholes. Having those 17" tires and going over all those potholes, I wonder if the tires are gonna be rubbing the firewalls a lot.
Great video ! I just bought a 2017 Focus ST and I love it, I can actually use all the power in daily driving. In its own way it more fun than my 2015 challenger hellcat. That car isn’t as fun in town lol but it shines on the freeways ! Thanks 🙏🏻
After seeing the markup on the CTR do you still agree with what you said in this video? I am curious. almost 60k for a FWD import hatchback... no thanks. You can get the AMG GLA45 for that much.
I still stand by what I said and honestly it's just a hype phase of the car. For example an RS had the same problem at first, now there are incentives to buy them for 1500 off msrp. it will go away and honestly if you talk to the right people at the dealership you can get it removed. Sad the consumer has to deal with that.
WHY, WHY, WHY? C'mon man! This is like a sibling rivalry! What I see on the lo-lo are Fiesta's hating on it's big brother the Focus ST! C'mon man! Compare it to a car outside the Ford family because we're all part of the Ford Family! Shame on you RGBG FIVE! stirring up the hornet's nest like that!
+James McClendon it was more for a consumer considering both cars. SHAME!
Stirring up the bee's nest!
Which would u prefer? A Mazda RX8 or your focus? Just driving experience wise
I haven’t driven an RX8 but based on talking to other owners and how finicky they can be I would rather have my ST. I like high revving engines like the RX8 has but low end torque like the ST is so much more useful on a day to day basis and more fun IMO.
Mp275! I'm worried it can't put the power down! Stock myn spins in 1st in the dry and 2nd easy in the wet
Yea I feel like if you do that upgrade you have to get the differential as well.
306 hp for usdm type r...
2:42 Fost?
Focus St clutch is like pushing a feather compared to an evo. I don't even notice in any other cars.
The Dealer
I know they're not in the same class but I came from a 2016 mazda3
From personal experience, the Mazda feels much more confident in corners with zero hesitation that i had in the focus. But, the Mazda has almost no power in the higher rpms and the clutch in that, is like air. Love that car but I needed more power in the higher rpms
LeggoMySweggo
That's definitely new.
Most people love the set up.
I personally think it's one of the best manual transmissions out there when it comes to smootheness whilst shifting.
Getting sum twilight action
Looking forward to the Mach 1 review. I own an 03. Fun cars for sure.
Looking to get it out tomorrow!
would you consider buying a lsd for your focus st?
Yea I think it’s a great upgrade but I don’t want to spend the $1000 on it
What's the actual range on a tank of gas? What kind of fuel do you use?
+Dan Soderholm about 340 miles highway and I use 91 because that's the best we have in Arizona sadly
RGBGFIVE thanks. I have at least a 50 miles a day for a commute and that would work good.
please make video why u did not get RS?? video about st vs rs
I will.
Johnlim Male cost? Lol
Clutch heavy?! lol you haven't driven an older car with a heavy Stage 2-3 clutch. All my manuals have been brutal, then I hopped in a Focus ST for a test drive and the pedal felt like a feather!
yfz450rider39 like I said in the video this is a direct comparison to the fiesta. Nothing else
Thanks
32mpg for the fiesta st? I get 50mpg in my focus which has the same 1.6 ecoboost 182 engine. I struggle to get it bellow 35mpg
NutCase Ginge strange, in my fiesta st at the moment averaging 31.5mpg
sam foster it my be due to the longer gear ratios in the focus.
I'm 6'3" 250lbs. The Fiesta ST was not an option! Lol. #Liked
haha yea that would be no good for you
same here but I bought the fiesta st
@@Moondoggy1941 Do you have enough room in there? How 'bout for two people in the front?
@@bwho As long as the second person is skinny I had my friend who is wider and shorter then me and it was cramped, the thing about this car it is narrow but tall, the Focus ST I hated the seats they were made for me 25 years ago when I was skinny. I use it as a commuter, not much room in the front for personel stuff if you have two people up front.
@@Moondoggy1941 Sounds like it would similar to our '11 Kia Soul up front. Which works out well for my wife and I - we have plenty of room.
To me it was all about living with the car for the extent of the car loan. Most people in the next 5 years (or whatever you chose) are going to need more room than the Fiesta ST offers. That's my whole reasoning to choose the Focus and after having it for 3 months I didn't realize how small it is. Absolutely love it and can't wait for more though!
There really is no comparison. The Fiesta compares better with the Golf 1.8.
Polo GTi to be specific
I have never gotten 30 mpg on my fiesta st, and I do not drive it hard and 80% of my driving is on the freeway, more like 25mpg.
Are you running your AC heavily? That doesn't make sense. My Focus ST get 27 mpg right now.
Two years old this May and 16k miles, I put in 10 gallons at the pump and I go about 250 to 270 if I am lucky, I always check my mileage. I do not hot rod it, race it, but I do have fun and goose it once in a while. So no A/C in the winter. So my mileage is not seasonal pretty steady. Thanks for the reply. PS great car and I love it.
Thanks for the support! Weird you aren't getting that good of MPG.
set your cruise control to 63 mph on 6th gear i get 40mpg +
jim carson I know this comment is old but I'm running the stratified e30 tune with 1 revision and i consistently average over 28 mpg average commute and I don't granny the car and it is about 50/50 interstate/everywhere else...Obviously you get less mpg on an ethanol mix and I'm still getting over 28 consistently. I would be doing 30+ if I ran 93 but e30 feels so good I run it all the time and mpg isn't bad. I vdyno at 213 whp and 271 wtq best so far only other mods is cpe intake velossa tech big mouth straight piped catback and depo racing intercooler and hot side charge pipe.
2004 Dodge SRT-4 top speed 155+ mph
I have a focus st. I was able to test drive a 16 fiesta st last week. Fiesta st is slower and not as quick in my opinion Side bolsters too tight . Shifter positioned too low .
Focus ST is a pig of a car and performance wise, stock for stock, it's a wash.