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What made you decide to buy a Fist?

Messages
98
Likes
26
Location
syracuse
#61
My wife and I were binge watching Top Gear. We watched the episode they tested the fiST and I just watched in amazement.
These guys drive the baddest cars in the world for a living and they couldn't stop smiling while driving it. I knew it had to be good.
 


Messages
134
Likes
25
Location
Langley
#62
I commute a long way and a Mustang (what I wanted) was impractical. The dealer let me take the car out alone just telling me to "be back for closing". I drove it for about an hour and a half in the country and was sold..... So was the car!
 


Messages
113
Likes
18
Location
Mountain House
#63
Although the tuners may be selling them off and Matt Farah is moving on to a Focus RS, I simply could not deny the fun, practical, fast little car that IMO has no competition for hot hatch drivers cars in the 22-25k range. Ford simply got it "just right" with high scores for what it is. There are faster, better hatches but not at this price you have to spend well above to get truly better.

Then there is the tuning factor, want a 12sec car....yes that is doable, want a respectable sleeper that could embarrass many higher priced options, stage 2 or 3. Although I am a late adopter to this platform, I have been lurking for a while and after spending bank on an FRS with full NA bolt ons and a couple g in custom tuning it felt like a more practical road that still had tons of potential and fun factor. Once Ford outdoes themselves with a Mk8..... Then it will be outdated, or maybe I will just wait for the Focus RS with a dual clutch auto....
 


Messages
3
Likes
0
Location
Florence
#64
I owned a 2012 Fiesta ses and had all kinds of trouble with the transmission. After 3 years of issues it had to go but I loved the car. After doing lots of research I decided to test drive one. Once I got behind the wheel of the Fiesta ST I never wanted to get out. So I traded in my ses for a sweet molten orange FiST.
 


Messages
387
Likes
59
Location
Fort Carson
#65
I have loved these cars since before I knew they existed, really. I loved the Focus ST when it came out, and liked the design and size of the Fiesta. Me being me, I thought it would be cool, but far fetched, for Ford to cram that motor from the Focus ST into the Fiesta. I almost got what I wanted when they came out with the FiST, but I am very happy with what they came up with.

I traded my Sonata in for it, which was my daily driver. I despised that car, not because I didn't like it but because it wasn't fun to drive at all and was about as boring as it could get. I was between a few cars that were similar, mainly the Focus ST, GTI 4-door, Sonic RS (not as good performance-wise, but cool little cars and still economical), and this. Found a '16 shadow black fully loaded locally, but not a fan of black. I found a new '15 in kona blue identical to mine except a leftover, but it was 100 miles away and I'm impatient. Found mine 40 miles away, with some good discounts and went and checked it out that evening. Drove it home that evening as well...love this little car already. So much like my Focus SVT, but so much different at the same time.
 


OffTheWall503

1000 Post Club
Messages
1,991
Likes
455
Location
Memphis, TN
#66
I spent a lot of time reading online reviews and watching many videos, I decided to test drive one. The drive verified everything I had read and watched. I loved it and knew I had to get one.
 


Messages
56
Likes
8
Location
San Diego
#67
What made me decide to buy a FiST?

The maintenance cost I have spent on German sport hatches/sedans
Reviews on the FiST
Test drive
...but mainly the fact that it is a small hot-hatch with a great value in terms of performance for the $, tons of aftermarket mods and it looks great
 


Capri to ST

1000 Post Club
Messages
1,602
Likes
1,982
Location
CHAPEL HILL, NC, USA
#68
my wife and i were binge watching top gear. We watched the episode they tested the fist and i just watched in amazement.
These guys drive the baddest cars in the world for a living and they couldn't stop smiling while driving it. I knew it had to be good.
They mentioned it a lot in their magazine, too, I found all of them and all were raves. In one test of a regular Fiesta, Richard Hammond said-

The Fiesta, in any guise, is a brilliant little car. The chassis is so sorted
out. I?ve driven the ST version, the hot one, and it?s simply superb.
 


Capri to ST

1000 Post Club
Messages
1,602
Likes
1,982
Location
CHAPEL HILL, NC, USA
#69
I spent a lot of time reading online reviews and watching many videos, I decided to test drive one. The drive verified everything I had read and watched. I loved it and knew I had to get one.
I did the same thing, I think counting the time before I put a deposit down, and the time since that I've been waiting for it, I've read or watched almost everything that's been said about it. Reviews are overwhelmingly positive, which helped convince me,with only a few complaints about hard ride or Recaros. I'll have mine in a couple of weeks (with Recaros, they're too cool to leave out), can't wait.

Like some others, I wanted to get out of the high cost of owning a German car. My E90 M3 got 12mpg, an oil change was $250, and you couldn't really open it up. I wanted something you could enjoy more in everyday driving, that would have more accessible performance. To be honest, when I first saw the FiST, it seemed like a toy car, but then I saw the guys on Top Gear as well as people at magazines like C&D and R&T that I respected raving about it. This put it on my radar as a serious car, and as I learned more about it I became more and more impressed.
 


Messages
13
Likes
2
Location
Tampa
#71
I drove a diesel Fiesta on my honeymoon and found out first hand how fun it could be. (In Scotland's mountain roads in November on 15" all seasons) So I did some research on the ST and saw on paper it was pretty similar to my MINI Cooper S but with legitimate rear passenger room and a decent boot. Went for a test drive and was sold. Put off pulling the trigger for about a month looking for Kona Blue and saw the local dealer still had the black one I test drove. Went in and they made me a much better deal than any other dealer would and drove it off the lot.
 


Intuit

3000 Post Club
Messages
3,603
Likes
2,208
Location
South West Ohio
#72
My old vehicle is a Ford and has been unbelievably reliable.

I wanted something that was small and quick.

The styling, dark blue and black wheels... nice... really nice.
 


Messages
58
Likes
5
Location
Dundalk
#73
My 2014 wrx started to eat the motor at 15k miles and I just happened to see a silver fiesta st sitting on a local dealer lot and it's history from there.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 


Messages
43
Likes
15
Location
Palestine
#74
I originally wanted something brand new, Japanese, and turbocharged but after looking, I soon found there wasn't a single car in the price range I wanted. I sure couldn't afford a GT-R. So I decided to do some research...I kept looking in the >$25k range. The focus and fiesta popped up pretty quick and stayed there. Sure there were other options in the used market like a WRX, other ST's, or Genesis coupe to name a few but I was tired of fixing beat up cars. I wanted something brand new. With a warranty. I remembered a long time ago during my teenage years (don't laugh to hard since it was only 10 years or so ago) I had a ford escort ZX2 which I definitely had pretty modified by the time it was sadly taken from me by a tree during a heavy storm. Awesome car that was. It had 338,000miles and still drove like a champ on the original motor, which as a teen wannabe-race-car-driver, I beat profusely. So I figured alright, I guess I'll try a ford again. Shortly after looking around at specs, I made my decision to look into it. The reviewers raved about how it drove and you could fling it around on 3 wheels..sounded like fun since I like the way a car drives, not how fast it goes in a straight line...although having a fast car is a great plus, 200hp isn't fast. Anyway, to shorten a long story up after 200 youtube reviews, and a good episode of Top Gear UK I test drove one. Loved it instantly and setup ordering one. Base. I didn't want navigation or the recaro package or anything of that sort except window tint. Black interiors are atrocious during texas summers. After about 3 weeks of gathering funds up and looking, the local dealer found what I wanted. Sadly my discount available from work wasn't applicable to specialty vehicles but I still got a killer deal with 0 interest. 4 months later, I couldn't be happier.
 


Messages
367
Likes
46
Location
Huntington Beach
#75
I owned a 13 Mazda3 base base base model and planned on buying my lease out and getting an RS next year. Well I didn't want to pay 12k for the Mazda because I didn't feel it was worth 12k, a great and reliable car sure, but it never excited me it was just a tool that got me from A to B. That being said, I did love the car, it was my first manual and I took many a road trip in it, but it just didn't have very good smiles per gallon.

After the RS debacle and seeing markups of 7k, plus the overheating issues I thought about the car I wanted before the RS, A FiST. I'm big and every person tried to sell me a FoST, but I knew one day I would pull up to a FoRS and feel ashamed, so that turned me off of it. Then I took a test drive in the FiST....One week later I had my baby!
 


M-Sport fan

9000 Post Club
Messages
14,000
Likes
6,700
Location
Princeton, N.J.
#76
This was the ONLY car < $25K NEW, I would consider (unlike 99.9999% of the rest of the U.S. population, I REFUSE buy a Nippon/Korean nameplated car, no matter where, or how well they are screwed together; I have MY reasons, as irrational as they might appear to be to the consumerist masses [wink]).

Besides, it kicks the azz of any of the competition anyway, so it made the choice easy!

Of course, IF I were wealthy, with unlimited 'disposable income', as far as new rides go, I would have a GT 350R, and a GT exotic, PLUS a Viper ACR right now (AND be building up a killer NA C7 Gran Sport, and Mosler LS7 supercar/Ultima GTR LS7, or the like for track use only), but for my fixed income level, the FiST was not only a 'no-brainer', but the only choice out there! [:)] [driving]
 


Messages
1
Likes
1
Location
chino hills
#77
My buddy asked if i wanted to go to Kansas City from California to pick up a Fiesta ST, we drove 2000 miles and i drove half of those miles and was convinced by the time I ended back home lol. I missed a car that handled and i was getting sick of my 2014 BMW 335i lol
 


Messages
315
Likes
87
Location
Weymouth
#78
Many reasons and it is kind of hard to think of where to start.

I think my biggest issue was my long term game plan. I bought my FoST anticipating a FoRS will come out and the FoST was just a filler car to play around with until then. Well my timeline was a bit off for the FoRS and the ability to get one was way worse then I anticipated as well. Knowing what I didn't like about the FoST and knowing the next steps I needed to take where each mod would cost over 1K+ each from a turbo kit, to suspension, brakes, LSD and so on. I pretty much had my FoST to a point where anything beyond was a big step and a hard one to take for a vehicle I didn't plan on keeping.

I kind of always wanted a FiST so it was always on my radar. I am into drivers cars and ones that balance power with an amazing chassis. The biggest decision is fun to drive. The FoST was to in between for me, it didn't have the power of my Balt SS and although it handles better it wasn't as raw so it felt less special. The FoST is an amazing car but for driving pleasure the FiST has it beat. It was my time at Team Oniel that really made me fall in love with the FiST, the way it changed direction with my inputs was amazing and I really couldn't ask for more. There is a reason most reviews will say a FoRS drives more like a FiST then a FoST.

The FiST fit all my criteria, I will always make weight a priority, and heated mirrors and seats are really the only options I want. The FiST comes equipped with everything I desire. The rebate is what really pushed me over though. They gave me an amazing trade in value for my FoST and with my discount I received a fully optioned - sunroof FiST for 21K. I honestly would of held out longer but knowing my trade in may have dropped a few grand, and possibly no rebates, I could of lost 5K if I did. Well that 5K to me just justifies me buying mods ASAP and that is what I am doing.

2 weeks and 350 miles later, I am very happy with my decision. I have TD wheels for summer and WS80's already sitting in my shop. I have a MAP intake and Tune+ tune but haven't been able to log yet. As some one who is into drivers cars it is really hard to explain how amazing this little car is. When I drove my FoST all I could think about is what I needed to do to make it better. There were many things that needed fine tuning, like the horrid wheel hop that took all 3 motor mounts to cure (also helped with feel). As I drive the FiST I'm thinking "WOW, may not be perfect but damn good". Like Heel & Toe, I haven't tried with my racing shoes but can already say it's better then the FoST stock, I most likely will do a spacer like I did in the FoST as well. The little things just add up, like brake feel in the FiST is better, wheel hop is way better, feel is way better and I was banging out butter smooth shifts on feel alone within miles, the FoST was too isolated and quiet until I modded. Mostly what I'm trying to say is when I drive the FiST I think, oh I really don't have to change this, where as in my FoST, I was saying I need to mod this now lol.

The last reason was mostly potential. There are many mods for the FiST like the FoST and they are proven. In my quick research though that I scrambled to complete (I research vehicle for years before I buy them, look me up on other forums, you will see) I found that the market isn't slowing down. Things like the X-37 and now the C39 really pushed me over the edge. I like balance and power to weight is what I focus on. My commute is very boring now :( and a small light vehicle that can hold it's own is what I needed and the FiST in no doubt delivered and still is blowing my expectations away, like a nice wet slow speed 90 where the ass end just gradually drifted around with such control and precision it brought me immediately back to my time at Rally School with a FiST on dirt. Some people chase numbers, I chase balance. Even with my base tune I feel the power is adequate (for now). The good news is there are many parts available with a great community to help my build.

The next question as I think long term is, what is next? Time will tell but no doubt the FiST will satisfy me and keep me busy. Who knows this may be the first car I fall in love with and actually don't think of what's next. When you drive the car and think what car doesn't need done to it, that is an amazing sign :)
 


Messages
360
Likes
108
Location
Dallas
#79
I rented one on the Nuburgring this summer when I was in Germany for work. It blew me away so I schemed on getting one when I returned.

[video=youtube;9ylfqhQ--OY]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ylfqhQ--OY[/video]
 


Messages
42
Likes
21
Location
Sweet Home
#80
After i got the OK from the wife to by a new car and trying to check all the boxes on her list and mine the FiST came out a winner. have no regrets and absolutely love this car[lovest]. one thing i was worried about was that i wanted a RWD or AWD car but the FiST completely won me over even though I never liked FWD. Besides it made my pants fit a little tighter on the test ride[:I]
 


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