STi for ST? Am I crazy?

[mp3moose]

Seriously considering selling my 06 sti to pick up a Fist. Love my sti for it's basic layout, superb hell toe layout and fun to drive feel. But, it's bloody expensive on parts and fuel, and living in a built up area with terrible traffic means I can rarely get it up and running to enjoy it.

On paper the Fist is all I need, however I have reservations. After a test drive I found the heel toe was nearly impossible with the extremely sensitive brake pedal and low gas pedal. Shift movement leaves a lot to be desired as well compared to the bolt action I am used to. The electric steering was completely vague as well. I want to want it but I am not sure I can write the check without some comfort that I can fix some of these items.

Anyone else made this change? Worth it? Regret it?

Thanks guys

 

[BryanD]

I came from a heavily modded 2010 WRX, and love the FiST more than I could have ever dreamed of loving the WRX. Granted the newer Subarus don't have "that" essence about them that the GC/GD chassis did, but the FiST definitely has had me feeling the need to get out of bed at 3am, and just go drive for hours. There are a few different gas pedal spacers on the market, but after i got used to the pedal layout, heel toes are a breeze without spacers. Plenty of shift brackets/bushings available as well as Boombas short shifter kit. As far as the steering feel, it is what it is.

 

[D1JL]

Welcome Aboard.




Dave

 

[Flaco]

Welcome

 

[MPA]

Not crazy - I was looking to buy a '15 WRX, and ended up with the FiST. Coming from a C6, the FiST is definitely one of my favorite cars I've owned already.

 

[GAbOS]

As everyone else and yourself has stated, is the pedal issue. There are fixes for that and they are cheap.

The steering feel is crap, imho, but so is most, including the Subie. I wish manufactures would keep the cost down on tech and lose the overly speed sensitive steering. After living with it after the Mitsu (which trumps your Subie. but that's another discussion), my biggest complaints are the turning radius to turn to lock ratio and the accelerator pedal being too low. The brakes are doing what they should and more. The FiST came from the factory with 180 wear rated tires and the brakes to back them up. Want a factory rocket? Get the Fiesta. You can add 20 grand and get a softer more numb drive with the STi if the embalm is all you are looking for. That "i" is damn expensive though. Do what I did and trade that resell whore in now and get your Fiesta paid off!

 

[mp3moose]

Thanks for the feedback guys. I'll try another drive and make a decision.

 

[SPhilli911]

Seriously considering selling my 06 sti to pick up a Fist. Love my sti for it's basic layout, superb hell toe layout and fun to drive feel. But, it's bloody expensive on parts and fuel, and living in a built up area with terrible traffic means I can rarely get it up and running to enjoy it.

On paper the Fist is all I need, however I have reservations. After a test drive I found the heel toe was nearly impossible with the extremely sensitive brake pedal and low gas pedal. Shift movement leaves a lot to be desired as well compared to the bolt action I am used to. The electric steering was completely vague as well. I want to want it but I am not sure I can write the check without some comfort that I can fix some of these items.

Anyone else made this change? Worth it? Regret it?

Thanks guys

I think there are a few members here that have made a similar change. I sold my 2004 STI for a brand new Fiesta ST and I think it was the right decision. I regret it slightly, because the STI was just a cool car, it had way more power than the ST will ever have and I will never have a 2004 STI as clean and well looked after as mine was again. However, it wasn't a smart choice in my case to keep the STI. It was bad on gas, it wasn't exactly comfortable to commute in, and it was getting old, needed some big dollar maintenance repairs. The ST, although slower, is more fun to drive and far better handling.

I think you can raise the pedal, there might be a mod out there for that, but someone else can probably chime in on that. As for the bolt action shifter, man I do miss that in my STI, I had the Kartboy short shift kit which was fantastic. You can get short shift kits for the ST, but they likely won't be as satisfying as the STI was.

Good luck with your decision.

 

[Atomic17]

No, you are not crazy. My buddy traded his heavily modded '06 STi for his 2015 FiST, and hasn't regretted it one bit!

Go for it!

 

[NorthernProducer]

Welcome!

 

[RoboEmu]

I test drove a 15 WRX and a ST on the same day. The Subaru is a fantastic car, don't get me wrong, but it lacks that soul you get with older cars. To me it seems like the ST is the first soulfull car I've driven in a long time. It reminds me of a puppy, you get in it and it just wants to go go go, kiss that apex, let me wag my tail a little bit, hell I think it even pees on the floor a little when you first walk up to it. Lol.

 

[blurred]

I could never get rid of my 06 STI... so I have both.

STI is better in every way except the financials for fuel and ownership costs (except insurance where its more...). GD STI is still a more special car, being a homologation version, but the ST, if you can only afford to have 1 car and want something tiny, is 80% of the fun.

Having driven a different daily for the past few years that had electric power steering, the ST unit is actually feelsome in comparison. I used an OMP gas pedal cover and it transformed the throttle/brake relationship, I know exactly what you mean with the STI placement and this makes it feel almost identical.

Having a GD just remember that it will be difficult to find another good one in a few years when you yearn for a proper homologation car again so keep both

 

[yulysia]

Current 15 Sti Owner here and before my Sti I had 2011 Fiesta SE I'm waiting for my factory ordered 16 Fist. It's fun to drive slow car(albit fist isn't really "slow") fast vs fast car slow. Don't get me wrong. The STi is hands down a better car overall but if you think about the maintenance gas cost plus the insurance premium it really didn't make sense for me anymore. I had my fun with a AWD beast for littler over a year and I'm looking forward to more money in my pocket and getting back in fiesta which I am having a hard time containing the excitement.

But don't let others justify your purchase. You do it because you feel right about it. I don't ever regret my car purchases, at the end of the day its a machine that takes me from point A to point B. In between fun factor is always secondary

 

[jcr557]

I went from a 2014 Fiesta ST (now rally car), then bought a 2014 WRX, sold that and bought a 15 ST. I sold the 15 ST and bought a 15 STI. I sold the STI and bought another ST. The Subaru's I've owned are amazing, but the ST is just great in it's own class. It's a fun car to own + even when you race it (1/4, autocross, track days), you still get better fuel economy than when you baby the STI

 

[Bonesaw]

Steering vague?

Steering feel is crap??^^^

Am I missing something? Mine feels razor sharp but ti each there own
... oh and welcome from Virginia Beach

 

[pelotonracer2]

Seriously considering selling my 06 sti to pick up a Fist. Love my sti for it's basic layout, superb hell toe layout and fun to drive feel. But, it's bloody expensive on parts and fuel, and living in a built up area with terrible traffic means I can rarely get it up and running to enjoy it.

On paper the Fist is all I need, however I have reservations. After a test drive I found the heel toe was nearly impossible with the extremely sensitive brake pedal and low gas pedal. Shift movement leaves a lot to be desired as well compared to the bolt action I am used to. The electric steering was completely vague as well. I want to want it but I am not sure I can write the check without some comfort that I can fix some of these items.

Anyone else made this change? Worth it? Regret it?

Thanks guys

I had a Cobb RT-spec WRX back in the day. While the WRX might have been quicker/faster in a straight line, my FiST in it's current form is MUCH MUCH more fun to drive.

You are the first person I have heard call the Fiesta ST steering feedback as "vague". However, lowering the car, adding sway bars and a RMM have improved the steering feel tremendously. In all honesty, it was pretty good for a stock car as it was.

I went from a 2011 Mazdaspeed 3 to the Fiesta ST. I love small sized, light weight and good handling platforms. The first time I saw the FiST and eyeballed the specs, I knew I had to have one. I wanted a smaller car payment. Check. I wanted to save 15% or more on my car insurance. Check (laughs). I wanted better fuel economy. Check. I didn't want to see myself coming and going every day. Check (the FiST is quite exclusive, I've only seen 5 of them since October 2013).

The Fiesta ST is just a hoot to drive, especially around town and in tight places. You will not be disappointed.

 

[ogsigh]

Take another drive in it turn tcs off get a feel for it and do what feels right. pedal issues can be fixed very easily as can some handling improvements be made with the money you start saving from dumping the subie

 

[RyFiST]

I came from a modded 2011 WRX sedan (278whp/322tq, 12.1@109mph 91oct.) with the most custom road ready powerband that had many baffled on how fast it was. And I actually almost bought a 2016 WRX, but the FA20T motor in stock form didn't impress me enough to pay the higher price tag.

The FiST however, holds it's own in the small compact car department at its price point. It's pretty quick, very nimble, stealthy & so much fun to drive. Makes me giggle through the windy roads. Though, I still want a 2016 FoRS or maybe the 2017/18 FiRS. There's "NO RAGRETS" here with the FiST!

 

[Cheepspeed]

Do It!

Not crazy at all! Owned a 2004 Sti that I bought brand new. Owned it for ten years before selling it.. Let me tell you that one drive in the FIST brought me back 10 years. The "rawness" that the STI exhibited is not the same level as the ST. The ST is really like two cars in one - drive it like an economy car and it behaves like one. Drive it like you you stole it and it comes close to the Sti in driving and aural excitement. Tamer yes, but in a good way. After all, almost 200hp compared to 300hp makes a big difference but on real road driving the ST can't be beat on a dollar/enjoyment/performance value.

Let me add here that the ST is my wife's DD. We traded her Fiat 500C in because she said she wanted "four doors, stick shift and a sunroof" (four doors to haul the grandson around). And she didn't want a "grandma car". When we went to the dealer I told her (beforhand) that we would negotiate first prior to test driving the car. Don't think the salesman liked that idea but I knew the my wife would be spoiled by the test drive if the money wasn't right and finding a car that performed like the ST would be hard to duplicate for the money. All I can say is I'm happy, she's happy and the grandkid is loving the "g forces" riding in his car seat.

 

[BronxBomber]

Had a pretty well modded 05 Legacy GT. Sti Block & Nitrided crank, Cosworth Pistons, BC cams, Aem meth injection, Hta 86 billet turbo, DW 850cc injectors and Fuel pump & tuned by Efi Logics in Connecticut. Car ran 12.05 off Meth. Super comfortable with heated leather, but handled (BC racing coil overs and Hotchkis front and rear sways) anyway, what I'm trying to say is that I regret selling there car everyday, but I'm so glad that I bought my FiST. I love it. It's different, but so much fun. I've owned 3 modded Miatas, and this car is the most fun I've had, even being FWD. I don't know anyone who has regretted their purchase.