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Things I'm missing in the FiST vs things I like

Messages
146
Likes
10
Location
Miami, FL
#1
I'm gonna step on some people's toes tonight, when talking about the caveats of buying a FiST, but then again, I personally believe every point is valid.
Some of them are my personal preferences, some of them are more unanimous.
But I think there should be the freedom to express these points on a forum like this one:

Aside from:
- the hard suspension, which I wished was better adjusted for street use,
- A 20% too low final gear ratio (I'm not the first one to desire this), for better highway MPG, and
- an actual Sedan body (which I really preferred)

There are a few things I still am missing in the FiST:

- The non-ricaro seats bounce too much. I know the suspension does a lousy job on a bumpy road, but I feel the seats aren't really helping in absorbing the bounce. Sometimes I think they're made to propel me in the ceiling even more...
- 8 way driver seat; I would love for the bottom cushion to tilt back some. For a car sold for nearly $24k this should be included.
- The Cruise control has an 'off' and a 'can res' button. Both do nearly the same thing. I find they could have made better use of the 'can res' button (like make it a play/pause button)
- The Cruise Control 'on' button does not light up any notification on the dash indicating that the cruise control has been turned on.
- The Res + does not show what speed I've set it on. Tap it a few times, and I have to wait until the speedo stabilizes, to know what speed I'm on.
- The small internal screen is showing outside temperature, just like the radio's screen does. I would have preferred to see other info (like MPG and AVG MPG in one window, or MPG and ODO, or ODO and miles to empty or so). Showing the outside temp on that display is a waste of valuable estate to me.
- The radio has no play/pause button. I have to press 'speak' button, and then speak 'pause', or 'play'. And I can't say 'stop', because that command is not recognized.
- The radio rotary dial, has no 'press' function. It would make 'play' and 'pause', or 'select item on screen' so much easier,
- The 4 way buttons around the rotary dial on the radio, do not function as 4 way in settings. They still have vol +/- and next/prev function.
- The built in tweeters in the door handles, seem to be (I could be wrong) full range, rather than have a cutoff. They are small, so lower frequencies are pretty much inaudible, but they have a resonant peak at around 1-2kHz. There is no equalization to get rid of that frequency. It's extremely annoying when listening to audio books. The built in 3 band EQ doesn't address this offending frequency.
- Noisy road tires. I would have wanted regular streetcar 17" tires to fit the rims (like 205/65R17). The tires and suspension are more tuned for the tracks than the streets, while the rest of the car isn't.
- 5 bolt pattern rims. Not sure why they tried to save 1 bolt in the process, but 4x108 rims are scarce, and expensive compared to their 5 bolts counterparts.
- Sunglasses box on the ceiling.. Yup.. My glasses don't fit in the compartment in front of the gearstick.
- The compartment in front of the gear stick isn't only too small, it also is tilted down too little. Cards, keys, coins, whatever I put in there, slides out with some acceleration.
- This is the first car I've seen, with no cabin light bulb. I'm not really missing one, but the only light bulb is for the front 2 drivers. Nothing for the back seat passengers.
- I had hoped Sync 3 would come with a GPS and map included... Surprised my radio actually supports Sirius XM and FM HD (which I love), but no GPS and map? Makes me wonder if this is engineered as a vehicle, or an entertainment center?
- Sound customization. I would have preferred a multiband EQ, over the plain 3band EQ. This car really needs it, as the speakers aren't really that good.
- Disc brakes corrosion (literally, after 24 hours of no operation, the discs were showing signs of corrosion).
- A very short brake pedal travel (good for tracks, not so much for the road, where the brakes tend to drag due to corrosion on the discs causing MPG losses; and every little touch on the pedal causes me to lurch forward).
- position indicator of song, can not be modified on touch screen (FF/REW by dragging position across the bar; meaning FF and REW can only be done by pressing the appropriate buttons, not by sliding the slider).
- Not a lot of apps available for the radio; app integration from cell phone isn't very intuitive, and almost appears as if they'd be only paid apps (very little marketing on Sync 3 apps out there).
- Rear view mirror is manufactured to suit drivers of up to about 6'3". Taller drivers are out of luck, and will see no higher than their trunk lid, or back seat.
- Front/rear door style is in the way for left arm rest.
- Right (center) arm rest is located too much back.
- Gear knob could have been at least 1/2' higher.
- Gear stick has long travel for such a short stick. It works out well, but if I would be able to raise the gear stick by 1/2'-3/4', the travel from shifting between gears would be very long.
- The Sound Symphoser box should have been an aftermarket accessoire. Not something that comes stock with the car.
- Slow 1st gear
- Hard to drive in 1st or 2nd gear at idle RPM. (Sometimes necessary in slow moving traffic; engine electronics don't compensate very well at those low RPMs)
- I had expected this car to have a smaller turn radius

Before the ??????-storm starts, I am not dissing the FiST.
I just think a lot of the issues on the list make no sense for a car that's been around for over 40 years,
A friend once told me: "If you don't notice, it means it's well engineered".
Well, I notice a lot of things...

But it has a lot of good things, like:

- Nimble, light, turns well
- Good engine balance between fuel efficiency and power. In fact, one of the few cars with a 1.6L turbo engine, which is close to my personal 'golden standard' for engines.
- Fun, and good looking small car
- Easy to mod
- Good brakes; Brakes have a good bite
- Excellent and seamless transmission shifting
- Radio system plays back a variety of formats
- Possibility to upgrade car radio firmware via Wifi
- Just enough trunk space to fit a cart of groceries.
- Downward spoiler for better fuel economy, doubles to keep rear window relatively dry in a downpour.

There may be more things to mention about the Fist, but for now that's what I have.
I may update it later.
 


Ford ST

2000 Post Club
Messages
2,921
Likes
3,051
Location
Pleasant Garden
#2
My 2017 has lights in the back, you can even set the direction of them. You can use Android auto on your phone for maps works great. Also there was a built-in GPS option. 205 65 17 tires what do you want a jacked up SUV, it's a sports car. You say you have a 2017 with no rear cabin lights big fat Lie. You are a nut Job.

Sent from my LG-LS997 using Tapatalk
 


OP
P
Messages
146
Likes
10
Location
Miami, FL
Thread Starter #3
My 2017 has lights in the back, you can even set the direction of them. You can use Android auto on your phone for maps works great. Also there was a built-in GPS option. 205 65 17 tires what do you want a jacked up SUV, it's a sports car.

Sent from my LG-LS997 using Tapatalk
I think most street cars have 55 or 65 aspect ratios.
 


cxwrench

Active member
Messages
500
Likes
281
Location
Marin County
#9
After that I can't believe the OP actually bought an ST. I think the only one I agree with is the dumb little cubby in front of the shifter...everything else...[8] But hey, it's all personal opinion. I just happen to think the OP has no idea what he's talking about, no way I'm going to waste the time to pick them apart one by one.
 


Ford ST

2000 Post Club
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2,921
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Location
Pleasant Garden
#10
Like said, my cabin only has those at the front (for driver and passenger), not the center.
Is my car defective?
Don't know what to tell you I have a 2017. The only option mine has is a sunroof. I have 5 lights in the cabin 2 up front, and 3 in the rear light assembly.

Sent from my LG-LS997 using Tapatalk
 


D1JL

7000 Post Club
Staff Member
Premium Account
U.S. Navy Veteran
Messages
7,822
Likes
4,060
Location
SFV, So.Cal.
#11
I can't speak for what happened in this case.
However, I do know that it is possible that Ford left the rear cabin light off.
I have seen this kind of thing happen before.
I fact it has happened to me.


Dave
 


A7xogg

Active member
Messages
580
Likes
143
Location
Hampton roads
#12
I'm gonna step on some people's toes tonight, when talking about the caveats of buying a FiST, but then again, I personally believe every point is valid.
Some of them are my personal preferences, some of them are more unanimous.
But I think there should be the freedom to express these points on a forum like this one:

Aside from:
- the hard suspension, which I wished was better adjusted for street use,
- A 20% too low final gear ratio (I'm not the first one to desire this), for better highway MPG, and
- an actual Sedan body (which I really preferred)

There are a few things I still am missing in the FiST:

- The non-ricaro seats bounce too much. I know the suspension does a lousy job on a bumpy road, but I feel the seats aren't really helping in absorbing the bounce. Sometimes I think they're made to propel me in the ceiling even more...
- 8 way driver seat; I would love for the bottom cushion to tilt back some. For a car sold for nearly $24k this should be included.
- The Cruise control has an 'off' and a 'can res' button. Both do nearly the same thing. I find they could have made better use of the 'can res' button (like make it a play/pause button)
- The Cruise Control 'on' button does not light up any notification on the dash indicating that the cruise control has been turned on.
- The Res + does not show what speed I've set it on. Tap it a few times, and I have to wait until the speedo stabilizes, to know what speed I'm on.
- The small internal screen is showing outside temperature, just like the radio's screen does. I would have preferred to see other info (like MPG and AVG MPG in one window, or MPG and ODO, or ODO and miles to empty or so). Showing the outside temp on that display is a waste of valuable estate to me.
- The radio has no play/pause button. I have to press 'speak' button, and then speak 'pause', or 'play'. And I can't say 'stop', because that command is not recognized.
- The radio rotary dial, has no 'press' function. It would make 'play' and 'pause', or 'select item on screen' so much easier,
- The 4 way buttons around the rotary dial on the radio, do not function as 4 way in settings. They still have vol +/- and next/prev function.
- The built in tweeters in the door handles, seem to be (I could be wrong) full range, rather than have a cutoff. They are small, so lower frequencies are pretty much inaudible, but they have a resonant peak at around 1-2kHz. There is no equalization to get rid of that frequency. It's extremely annoying when listening to audio books. The built in 3 band EQ doesn't address this offending frequency.
- Noisy road tires. I would have wanted regular streetcar 17" tires to fit the rims (like 205/65R17). The tires and suspension are more tuned for the tracks than the streets, while the rest of the car isn't.
- 5 bolt pattern rims. Not sure why they tried to save 1 bolt in the process, but 4x108 rims are scarce, and expensive compared to their 5 bolts counterparts.
- Sunglasses box on the ceiling.. Yup.. My glasses don't fit in the compartment in front of the gearstick.
- The compartment in front of the gear stick isn't only too small, it also is tilted down too little. Cards, keys, coins, whatever I put in there, slides out with some acceleration.
- This is the first car I've seen, with no cabin light bulb. I'm not really missing one, but the only light bulb is for the front 2 drivers. Nothing for the back seat passengers.
- I had hoped Sync 3 would come with a GPS and map included... Surprised my radio actually supports Sirius XM and FM HD (which I love), but no GPS and map? Makes me wonder if this is engineered as a vehicle, or an entertainment center?
- Sound customization. I would have preferred a multiband EQ, over the plain 3band EQ. This car really needs it, as the speakers aren't really that good.
- Disc brakes corrosion (literally, after 24 hours of no operation, the discs were showing signs of corrosion).
- A very short brake pedal travel (good for tracks, not so much for the road, where the brakes tend to drag due to corrosion on the discs causing MPG losses; and every little touch on the pedal causes me to lurch forward).
- position indicator of song, can not be modified on touch screen (FF/REW by dragging position across the bar; meaning FF and REW can only be done by pressing the appropriate buttons, not by sliding the slider).
- Not a lot of apps available for the radio; app integration from cell phone isn't very intuitive, and almost appears as if they'd be only paid apps (very little marketing on Sync 3 apps out there).
- Rear view mirror is manufactured to suit drivers of up to about 6'3". Taller drivers are out of luck, and will see no higher than their trunk lid, or back seat.
- Front/rear door style is in the way for left arm rest.
- Right (center) arm rest is located too much back.
- Gear knob could have been at least 1/2' higher.
- Gear stick has long travel for such a short stick. It works out well, but if I would be able to raise the gear stick by 1/2'-3/4', the travel from shifting between gears would be very long.
- The Sound Symphoser box should have been an aftermarket accessoire. Not something that comes stock with the car.
- Slow 1st gear
- Hard to drive in 1st or 2nd gear at idle RPM. (Sometimes necessary in slow moving traffic; engine electronics don't compensate very well at those low RPMs)
- I had expected this car to have a smaller turn radius

Before the ������-storm starts, I am not dissing the FiST.
I just think a lot of the issues on the list make no sense for a car that's been around for over 40 years,
A friend once told me: "If you don't notice, it means it's well engineered".
Well, I notice a lot of things...

But it has a lot of good things, like:

- Nimble, light, turns well
- Good engine balance between fuel efficiency and power. In fact, one of the few cars with a 1.6L turbo engine, which is close to my personal 'golden standard' for engines.
- Fun, and good looking small car
- Easy to mod
- Good brakes; Brakes have a good bite
- Excellent and seamless transmission shifting
- Radio system plays back a variety of formats
- Possibility to upgrade car radio firmware via Wifi
- Just enough trunk space to fit a cart of groceries.
- Downward spoiler for better fuel economy, doubles to keep rear window relatively dry in a downpour.

There may be more things to mention about the Fist, but for now that's what I have.
I may update it later.
I just wanna give some time to respond to some of the negative things you mentioned, won't them all but some.
This is a car you can daily with ur small family and then kill it when you take it to the track, autox, or the caynon. The suspension and tires are designed for this so the shocks have a strong dalening to help keep you from leaning in the car since the roof line is a little tall for how wide the car is(a tall roof means you have more head room). This combined with the no flex sidewall tires and the rest of the chassis makes the car turn way better than anything in the money category, which it gives the car more nhv but you didn't buy an st for a catilac ride. You bought it to hopefully do some of the things I mentioned. The bumpy seat is just probably the car throwing you around showing you the roads you drive on suck like most roads. A fiesta sedan st would make the car not turn as good + this was designed in Europe where a hatch is preferred. My st along many others gets between 35-45 mpg with 60-80 mph on the highway. Mabye your in the throttle more than you need to be or modded. You paid 24k for no recaros? I think you got ripped off or st a really in demand in your area. Mine has a green speedo that lights up when cruise control is on and goes off when it's off. You can switch that temp on the dash with the button on the left stalk.i think your audio books may have a frequence ur hearing cause these speakers are pretty damn clear for oem speakers. Radio apps I get. Wheel bolt pattern is an issues but price I say is about the same for quality wheels.sound symoposer is getting very popular in oem. Take off traction control in 1st gear. It's not slow when it's off. I haven't driven a car that likes under 1k since driving really old v8's and diesels. Not trying to talk shit just some of these things I disagree with you. Oh and this is one of the most satisfying cars to drive hard
 


Messages
292
Likes
203
Location
Front Royal
#13
Most of the negatives on the the list seem a bit silly to me, most should have been noticed when researching and on the test drive. Navigation maps built in is a waste of money IMO since sync 3 can pull maps/gps directly off of your phone. No need for expensive updates every few years doing that.


I honestly think you bought the wrong car. Most things on your list is what makes the FiST a FiST and is exactly why I love the thing. Also, you've owned for what, a week? Usually people will still been in the honeymoon stage with their new purchase and overlooking the small things they dislike. I don't see you keeping the car very long.
 


Truth in Ruin

1000 Post Club
Messages
1,177
Likes
955
Location
Lincoln
#16
[MENTION=9864]ProDigit[/MENTION]

In all fairness, have you had introduced yourself (not the car), and explained what your goals/agendas are, there would have been less people scratching their heads at your posts earlier.

That said, I think you may have bought the wrong car. Maybe you had an idea of what you were buying, but really didn’t KNOW what you were buying. But that’s okay; the good news is your FiST will hold its value. You could have easily bought a Chevy Cruze for the same price only to have it be worth less than the FiST two years down the road.

Just mod the car to your liking to fit your style. I’d suggest getting 15” wheels, so you could use a higher series tire. That would soften the ride quite a bit. I’d also get a short shift kit, and a shifter extension. You could also get a Cobb Accessport and use the eco, low boost tune for better MPG’s. Also, have you thought about using 87 octane mixed with E85? I don’t think anyone here has done it, but you’d probably save a lot of money running that mix.

You can easily run 20%, or higher of ethanol on the stock tune.

http://www.georgebelton.com/E85Calculator.php
 


OP
P
Messages
146
Likes
10
Location
Miami, FL
Thread Starter #17
Don't know what to tell you I have a 2017. The only option mine has is a sunroof. I have 5 lights in the cabin 2 up front, and 3 in the rear light assembly.

Sent from my LG-LS997 using Tapatalk
Ok, saw the lights are all the way in the back, not in the center where they usually are...
I'll adjust the thread main post.
 


BRGT350

1000 Post Club
Messages
1,075
Likes
762
Location
Grand Haven
#18
Hi, I bought a ST and don't like anything about the ST and will complain about the ST to those who really love the ST. I really should have bought a normal econo-sedan with stupid tall gearing, all season low resistance tires, and a measly engine. I don't know why I bought the finest handling hot hatches ever built when what I really wanted was something barely suitable for a rental car.
 


Messages
392
Likes
99
Location
Chesapeake
#19
You would lose quite a bit of the nimbleness and handling characteristics of the car with a 55-65 series tire... not to mention it would look ridiculous. Sounds like you may want to look into swapping suspensions with someone who owns a non-ST and then address your larger tires. However the added rotational mass from the heavier tires is only going to decrease fuel efficiency further.

I agree with others, sounds like you bought the wrong car.
 


BRGT350

1000 Post Club
Messages
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762
Location
Grand Haven
#20
I don't think I have ever seen somebody have so many gripes about a car go test drive one to come back with more complaints and then buy it only to have more complaints. If I came back with a list of complaints as long as ProDigit, I would have not bought the car. My only complaint with the Fiesta ST is that it doesn't make RS pops and gurgles from the factory. Oddly, my neighbors don't have that complaint.
 




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