test drove 2014 fiesta st, questions

[meGrimlock]

• 23k miles
• Nav
• Recaro
• all original parts

The position of the steering wheel and the height of the entire dash seems high. I'm 5'7" and i had to lean forward and stick my head out to see over the dash, and i still couldnt see past the hood. I'm exaggerating here; but imagine holding the steering wheel above your head...that's what it felt like. I tilted the steering wheel down but didn't really a chance to play with the seat adjuster. is this layout meant for taller drivers? my current Mazda i could at least over my hood and the wheels of the car infront of me.

The clutch engagement was mysterious. I couldnt find it at all. i kept missing gears because the gates are really close and i had no idea what my left foot was doing. then again i'm also used to 12 years with the clutch/shifter of my current daily driver. is there a delay valve in the master or slave cylinders? could this a sign of transmission/clutch issues or just a sloppy job by Ford?

Any other thoughts, pitfalls i should look for when shopping for a FiST? Thanks for any insight!

 

[willsolo]

I'm 5'9 and I had to adjust the seat a bit to get the proper seating position for me. Although thinking about it, I think I'm at the lowest setting as far as seat height. The back part of the seat though, I'm pretty high. If I try and sit back, I agree with what you are talking about.

The clutch is a little weird at first. The engagement is REALLY quick. Basically lifting the clutch ever so slightly will engage the clutch. I still have a little trouble with it some days, and especially after driving another manual tranny car for a long period of time.

 

[Phreak]

You have to jack the seat up to get a higher driving position (it jacks forward and up), and then slide it into a position you feel comfortable with. The other thing is the seats favor a more upright position, it can feel a bit weird if you are coming from a car where it leans back more.

I had no issues with my clutch when I first started driving, it felt very natural and easy

 

[SiestaFiesta]

Im 5'8 and I had to adjust the seat up a bit. The clutch does engage quickly, it was however, the first manual I had driven in a long time so I didn't really have anything to compare it too.

 

[meGrimlock]

Thanks for the replies, the car i drove is no longer for sale, but i've been looking for another ST on the market to test again. I'm really trying to like this car because it seems to put a smile on everybody's faces.

 

[Xaendeau]

Yeah they really are great vehicles. I test drove at least 20-30 different cars before buying my Fiesta ST used. Drove the Focus ST, Golf GTI, subaru, literally 2-3 cars from *every* car company here in the USA. I drove 6 hours to find the exact trim/paint that I wanted at a price I liked. It just gave me the most smiles, and it still does.

The steering wheel moves up and down *and* forward and backwards. Took me a week to figure that one out. Requires a little bit of effort. My girlfriend had similar complaints but it was solved a lot when we got the seat and steering wheel position just right.

The weird clutch thing you mentioned is the clutch assist spring in the pedal. A few car companies are putting these types of assists with really stiff springs in now; lower pedal effort. Ford has them in all the manual fiestas, foci (?), and mustangs now.

Good news is it isn't a big deal if you don't like it. I went to the local hardware store and spent $10 on a few different springs. Swapped them around for two days until one gave me the best feel, a much softer spring made the clutch petal like normal. Only potential downside it the clutch is a little stiffer, (think 90s-00s car stiff...not old school muscle car) but I like it. Some people just remove the spring entirely.

Downsides to this car? Tires are a bit...super brutal on rough roads or gravel/dirt in 205/40-17. A lot of people here switch to 45-17 for more sidewall. A number here also have downsized to 16" or 15" rims for the extra meaty rally car look. I went with the common 55-15 summer tire size for utility reasons and I must say the car is just about perfect like this. Granted, I drive out in the sticks a few times a month. Hitting unexpected unpaved roads with loose gravel and dirt at 50 mph on stock tires is a...religious experience.

 

[meGrimlock]

Downsides to this car? Tires are a bit...super brutal on rough roads or gravel/dirt in 205/40-17. A lot of people here switch to 45-17 for more sidewall. A number here also have downsized to 16" or 15" rims for the extra meaty rally car look. I went with the common 55-15 summer tire size for utility reasons and I must say the car is just about perfect like this. Granted, I drive out in the sticks a few times a month. Hitting unexpected unpaved roads with loose gravel and dirt at 50 mph on stock tires is a...religious experience.

Good to know that 15" wheels will fit. I was pricing 16" wheels and tires for the winter, wondering if the wheels would even fit. i had 17" wheels with 205/45-17 tires and the rims got bent by pot holes.

 

[meGrimlock]

going to a dealer after work today to try and buy a used 2015 with 9300 miles.

i tried the seat height adjuster. in order to see over the hood, my head is touching the ceiling. i'll have to avoid speed bumps for the rest of the car's life.

any tips for negotiation?
dealer price: $18450
Out the Door after tax/tags/fees/lojack (only dealer add-on): $20654

i'm mainly concerned with the OTD price. should i decline the lojack, $795, and negotiate the price down from there? or can i leverage it since i know they'll get a nice margin from it?

 

[Seijou]

going to a dealer after work today to try and buy a used 2015 with 9300 miles.

i tried the seat height adjuster. in order to see over the hood, my head is touching the ceiling. i'll have to avoid speed bumps for the rest of the car's life.

any tips for negotiation?
dealer price: $18450
Out the Door after tax/tags/fees/lojack (only dealer add-on): $20654

i'm mainly concerned with the OTD price. should i decline the lojack, $795, and negotiate the price down from there? or can i leverage it since i know they'll get a nice margin from it?

Seat and steering wheel are both quite adjustable. Steering wheel can be adjusted up and down, and also telescopically.

FYI - Moonroof versions have a lower roof. I would avoid those if you are tall. I have a regular (non-moonroof) and plenty of head space. I did test drive a moonroof version and found it claustrophobic.

 

[meGrimlock]

bit the bullet. took it home tuesday night. got the buyer's remorse (i might be confusing it with buyer's high)...so it'll have to grow on me i was planning on owning my last car for 2-3 more years so i can start saving for a bigger cash down payment.

has some good get-up, haven't pushed it yet. Black, Nav, Recaro, Potenza summer tires, 9300 miles.