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Thinking about switching cars!
- Thread starter coler12331
- Start date
What are you looking in a car? Something that does not require any changes to have fun? One that has lots of aftermarket? Looking for a daily driver or a track car or a winter beater? Or simply want a 6 speed with working AirCon? Until we know why or what you are looking in a car all we can say is why we choose our FiST.
For me it was price, fuel economy for a DD and the 6 speed with working air-con. BUT now I'm seeing a lot of aftermarket stuff for cosmetic and performance that will make the small investment in the FiST give me even more smiles per miles. I plan on puttering on the cars for years.
For me it was price, fuel economy for a DD and the 6 speed with working air-con. BUT now I'm seeing a lot of aftermarket stuff for cosmetic and performance that will make the small investment in the FiST give me even more smiles per miles. I plan on puttering on the cars for years.
Thread Starter
#3
im basically looking for a dd that i can have fun in.
i want the 6speed gearbox: check
i want something fun and peppy: check
id like something with more torque than my honda: check
something i can mod as easily as a honda: check
all those add up to saying i should get it BUT i have those with my honda (- the torque) Id rather have torque than hp, IMHO
i want the 6speed gearbox: check
i want something fun and peppy: check
id like something with more torque than my honda: check
something i can mod as easily as a honda: check
all those add up to saying i should get it BUT i have those with my honda (- the torque) Id rather have torque than hp, IMHO
Well the best advice everyone is test drive one. If there is not one local maybe there is a local member that is willing to do a meet.
Now what about the other things you have not looked at? Is the Hatchback ok or is that a problem? What about fuel economy 1.6 vs 2.0? Could that be a benefit or not? Overall the FiST is a smaller car. The Civic compares more to the Focus. Problem?
Now what about the other things you have not looked at? Is the Hatchback ok or is that a problem? What about fuel economy 1.6 vs 2.0? Could that be a benefit or not? Overall the FiST is a smaller car. The Civic compares more to the Focus. Problem?
Thread Starter
#5
nope i love the hatchback body style. and call me weird but smaller cars just apeal to me more!
As for fuel economy goes, i average between 26-30 mpgs in my Si. Now from everything i have read on here, the FiST gets the same. (give or take) its comparable.
and one thing that stands out to me about the fist is how unique it is. meaning that you dont see one everyday, let alone one a week. (around here atleast)
For me its just a big decision, whether i need it or want it haha![[driving]](/images/smilies/icon_smile_driving.gif "Driving [driving]")
As for fuel economy goes, i average between 26-30 mpgs in my Si. Now from everything i have read on here, the FiST gets the same. (give or take) its comparable.
and one thing that stands out to me about the fist is how unique it is. meaning that you dont see one everyday, let alone one a week. (around here atleast)
For me its just a big decision, whether i need it or want it haha
I previously had a '07 4 door Si in Fiji Blue Pearl. Man that color looked good! Anyway, as you already know, torque is the major difference in engine characteristics. The Si has an amazing high RPM rush whereas the FiST just has grunt, especially in the mid-range. Totally different power delivery. With the FiST you'll miss the high RPM scream, but the FiST gives you much more usable power. With the FiST you also lose a LSD, at least from the factory. Your generation Si is actually much more developed and supported by the aftermarket than the FiST, at least for now since the FiST is relatively new and Fiestas just don't have nearly as much aftermarket support.
If you like hatches, torque, and turbos the FiST is the way to go![[loveboost]](/images/smilies/icon_smile_iloveboost.gif "Love Boost [loveboost]")
If you like hatches, torque, and turbos the FiST is the way to go
Thread Starter
#7
I previously had a '07 4 door Si in Fiji Blue Pearl. Man that color looked good! Anyway, as you already know, torque is the major difference in engine characteristics. The Si has an amazing high RPM rush whereas the FiST just has grunt, especially in the mid-range. Totally different power delivery. With the FiST you'll miss the high RPM scream, but the FiST gives you much more usable power. With the FiST you also lose a LSD, at least from the factory. Your generation Si is actually much more developed and supported by the aftermarket than the FiST, at least for now since the FiST is relatively new and Fiestas just don't have nearly as much aftermarket support.
If you like hatches, torque, and turbos the FiST is the way to go
If you like hatches, torque, and turbos the FiST is the way to go
My buddy used to have an 08 Mugen Civic. Fun little car to rev out but it did seem to lack umph in the lower RPMs (He now has a '14 STI, fast, but is just "numb" to me).
As said above, the FiST gives more range of power than the si . No doubt feels quicker, even if on paper, stock for stock, performance numbers are similar. FiST has soooo much aftermarket stuff for performance being turbo'd. Pack it with people, yeah it feels snug being small, but it does have more usable space than a sedan having a hatch and all.
*I see you are in Uniontown, my buddy with that Mugen lived down in UT. My parents live in Connellsville. If come mid june(when I will be back home) you have not driven or bought one you can check mine out.
As said above, the FiST gives more range of power than the si . No doubt feels quicker, even if on paper, stock for stock, performance numbers are similar. FiST has soooo much aftermarket stuff for performance being turbo'd. Pack it with people, yeah it feels snug being small, but it does have more usable space than a sedan having a hatch and all.
*I see you are in Uniontown, my buddy with that Mugen lived down in UT. My parents live in Connellsville. If come mid june(when I will be back home) you have not driven or bought one you can check mine out.
Also, the FiST should be reliable to own. Maybe not as much as a civic, but they pretty much beat out anything. As with any car though you can get a lemon. Mine does have a whiney gearbox issue that needs addressed though.
In regards to want/need...
Are you upside down on your SI? If you can get money from it to put on a trade in what would it do to monthly payments with the ST vs your SI (you don't need to answer these here, just thinking points) *If your SI is owned outright then going from no payment to a payment sucks! How many miles on the SI?
In regards to want/need...
Are you upside down on your SI? If you can get money from it to put on a trade in what would it do to monthly payments with the ST vs your SI (you don't need to answer these here, just thinking points) *If your SI is owned outright then going from no payment to a payment sucks! How many miles on the SI?
I owned a 2007 Fg2 for about 6 years.
I really liked the car, though my particular model started having transmission and clutch issues that drove me nuts and Honda gave me the same run around that they'd been giving 6 speed owners for years and years. I got rid of it, and based on the incredibly negative experience I and many many others had just trying to get this simple problem fixed has stained Honda's reputation for me. Heck, I knew people who drove hundreds of miles and stayed up in hotels or at friends just to get a shot at having their transmission serviced by a reasonable dealer.
Anyway that rant aside, there is a lot of likeness between these cars.
The FG2 had a respectable trunk space and carrying capacity for a coupe, but then again it was a pretty big coupe. The Fist manages similar storage space (albeit shaped differently) despite being a significantly smaller car. Plus hatch functionality. Rear seat room is comparable.
Seats, the base seats are nothing to write home about. The Si seats versus Recaros... To me they're both good but flawed. The Recaros are much more heavily bolstered and hold very well and give great support, however they're hard as a rock. The Si's are softer with little support. In the Si my back and especially lower abdomen started to ache and I couldn't find a comfortable posture after several hours and frequently had to arch my back to relieve it and my abdominal area. With the FiST my whole body stays comfortable, but without getting into uneccesarry detail, my midline including tailbone forward get numb and sore. I am currently working on a solution for long drives. More info to come...
Interior build quality is somewhat similar. The plastics in the FiST are considerably more resistant to scuffing and marring. The armrest setup is markedly inferior on the Fist. I'm historically opposed to auto climate, but the way the Fist's works I have somewhat begrudgingly decided I like it. It can fake manual mode passably well. The wipers don't do that cool swipe when you lift the brake pedal from a stop like the Honda.
Low beams in the FiST are noticeably better. The FG's low beams sucked. I miss my Civic's massive 'still legible even though you're looking in a completely different direction and focused on something a mile away' digital speedo something awful. Stereo in the fist may be a hair better overall but you'll miss your factory trunk sub.
Handling is somewhat comparable, though the Fiesta is more lively/nervous feeling, as well as a bit more top heavy. The fist is slightly more prone to oversteer.
I haven't had much experience testing the mettle of the Fist's driver's aids, but they seem pretty competent and well tuned thus far, very much unlike the 8th gen civic's which was a cluster that I felt was more likely to get you into trouble than not.
Steering feel, feedback, weight is quite similar, though the Fist is quite a bit faster ratio from what I recall.
The transmissions are very similar in use! The position of the lever, the length of the throws, the notchiness and general feel, all pretty comparable, though perhaps the fist is a tad less refined if you have a good example of the honda's box. Even the clutch had a similar weight and feedback from what I remember, though the fist's grabs with a tad more authority. The biggest difference between them is the Fist doesn't seem to mind being hurried. An aggressive 1-2 on the Fist seems to be taken in stride. My civic started faltering very early in its life, even on slow shifts. Now granted I have had the Cobb RMM installed from early on, but by the same token, even rock hard triple motor restrictors from boomba on the civic didn't help shifting.
Where the cars tend to vary most is how they make and use power, and especially how the chassis responds powering out of a corner.
The K20 sung and pulled with satisfaction once you got it up high. Down low, as you know, you got nothing. Still, especially with an SRI that car sounded fantastic and was a joy to wring out to redline all the time. It felt like a proper high strung sporty engine should, slightly overdone vtec changeover not withstanding.
The good news is, stock at least, the Fist is a lot of fun to wring out to redline. It doesn't sound as good as a K20 but it is still invigorating. The big difference of course is even down low, if you leave the pedal down for a brief moment, the car starts pulling with a little wave of torque that makes most people furrow their brow in impressed admonishment. It continues pulling pretty well to redline, stock at least. Also, while the car's induction note isn't quite up to par, with the windows down the turbo makes pretty delightful noises, buy an intake if you want to hear them clearly all the time.
You may be wondering why I emphasized the engine's personality stock. Well, if you pursue the normal Cobb style tuning path, it extracts more power from down low and midrange, leaving the top end relatively unchanged. So while it will feel like a monster up to 4-5ish grand, it is going to feel like the engine is running out of steam up high by comparison. If you have driven wrx's they are probably going to be representative. If you absolutely have to have the run it to redline with a constantly ascending power band feel, I'd say either enjoy the stock power, or expect a turbo upgrade in the future.
So this brings me to my last point, and it is a lengthy one, but worth noting for someone coming out of a well sorted FF into another well sorted FF and expecting much of the same...
The civic has low torque and a mechanical LSD. The Fist has high torque and an electronic brake based "dif." They are VERY DIFFERENT in practice.
The Si makes use of it's power well and steers fairly neutrally out of a corner as a result. The Fist on the other hand feels less natural as it brakes selectively both to put power down but also minimize under steer.
As a result it feel like it is dramatically grabbing the nose and pulling it toward the direction of travel with an unnatural fervor. You can feel it through the chassis and you can definitely feel it in the wheel as it pulls this way and that as a result of natural torque steer and the car's computers fighting it to varying degrees of success.
Yes, purists be damned, it is a bit involved on the "computery" side of things and some folks may take issue (especially when you cannot disable it at all), but...
It is very capable and it is fun to have a fwd so angrily ignore the ass end and just shoot for wherever the front is trying to go. Yeah, we're in the era of brake based power distribution. It ain't perfect and it is a faaar cry from the neutral steering of an FR that purists diefy, but damn it sure is something!
So yeah, just be aware the first time you hammer it out of a bend.
If you have other questions or want any insight I might be able to provide feel free to ask. The FG2 is a fantastic car, and if I hadn't had all those transmission problems there's a chance I'd still have it today. Still, the FiST is handily my favorite over the Si and my old FR-S.
I really liked the car, though my particular model started having transmission and clutch issues that drove me nuts and Honda gave me the same run around that they'd been giving 6 speed owners for years and years. I got rid of it, and based on the incredibly negative experience I and many many others had just trying to get this simple problem fixed has stained Honda's reputation for me. Heck, I knew people who drove hundreds of miles and stayed up in hotels or at friends just to get a shot at having their transmission serviced by a reasonable dealer.
Anyway that rant aside, there is a lot of likeness between these cars.
The FG2 had a respectable trunk space and carrying capacity for a coupe, but then again it was a pretty big coupe. The Fist manages similar storage space (albeit shaped differently) despite being a significantly smaller car. Plus hatch functionality. Rear seat room is comparable.
Seats, the base seats are nothing to write home about. The Si seats versus Recaros... To me they're both good but flawed. The Recaros are much more heavily bolstered and hold very well and give great support, however they're hard as a rock. The Si's are softer with little support. In the Si my back and especially lower abdomen started to ache and I couldn't find a comfortable posture after several hours and frequently had to arch my back to relieve it and my abdominal area. With the FiST my whole body stays comfortable, but without getting into uneccesarry detail, my midline including tailbone forward get numb and sore. I am currently working on a solution for long drives. More info to come...
Interior build quality is somewhat similar. The plastics in the FiST are considerably more resistant to scuffing and marring. The armrest setup is markedly inferior on the Fist. I'm historically opposed to auto climate, but the way the Fist's works I have somewhat begrudgingly decided I like it. It can fake manual mode passably well. The wipers don't do that cool swipe when you lift the brake pedal from a stop like the Honda.
Low beams in the FiST are noticeably better. The FG's low beams sucked. I miss my Civic's massive 'still legible even though you're looking in a completely different direction and focused on something a mile away' digital speedo something awful. Stereo in the fist may be a hair better overall but you'll miss your factory trunk sub.
Handling is somewhat comparable, though the Fiesta is more lively/nervous feeling, as well as a bit more top heavy. The fist is slightly more prone to oversteer.
I haven't had much experience testing the mettle of the Fist's driver's aids, but they seem pretty competent and well tuned thus far, very much unlike the 8th gen civic's which was a cluster that I felt was more likely to get you into trouble than not.
Steering feel, feedback, weight is quite similar, though the Fist is quite a bit faster ratio from what I recall.
The transmissions are very similar in use! The position of the lever, the length of the throws, the notchiness and general feel, all pretty comparable, though perhaps the fist is a tad less refined if you have a good example of the honda's box. Even the clutch had a similar weight and feedback from what I remember, though the fist's grabs with a tad more authority. The biggest difference between them is the Fist doesn't seem to mind being hurried. An aggressive 1-2 on the Fist seems to be taken in stride. My civic started faltering very early in its life, even on slow shifts. Now granted I have had the Cobb RMM installed from early on, but by the same token, even rock hard triple motor restrictors from boomba on the civic didn't help shifting.
Where the cars tend to vary most is how they make and use power, and especially how the chassis responds powering out of a corner.
The K20 sung and pulled with satisfaction once you got it up high. Down low, as you know, you got nothing. Still, especially with an SRI that car sounded fantastic and was a joy to wring out to redline all the time. It felt like a proper high strung sporty engine should, slightly overdone vtec changeover not withstanding.
The good news is, stock at least, the Fist is a lot of fun to wring out to redline. It doesn't sound as good as a K20 but it is still invigorating. The big difference of course is even down low, if you leave the pedal down for a brief moment, the car starts pulling with a little wave of torque that makes most people furrow their brow in impressed admonishment. It continues pulling pretty well to redline, stock at least. Also, while the car's induction note isn't quite up to par, with the windows down the turbo makes pretty delightful noises, buy an intake if you want to hear them clearly all the time.
You may be wondering why I emphasized the engine's personality stock. Well, if you pursue the normal Cobb style tuning path, it extracts more power from down low and midrange, leaving the top end relatively unchanged. So while it will feel like a monster up to 4-5ish grand, it is going to feel like the engine is running out of steam up high by comparison. If you have driven wrx's they are probably going to be representative. If you absolutely have to have the run it to redline with a constantly ascending power band feel, I'd say either enjoy the stock power, or expect a turbo upgrade in the future.
So this brings me to my last point, and it is a lengthy one, but worth noting for someone coming out of a well sorted FF into another well sorted FF and expecting much of the same...
The civic has low torque and a mechanical LSD. The Fist has high torque and an electronic brake based "dif." They are VERY DIFFERENT in practice.
The Si makes use of it's power well and steers fairly neutrally out of a corner as a result. The Fist on the other hand feels less natural as it brakes selectively both to put power down but also minimize under steer.
As a result it feel like it is dramatically grabbing the nose and pulling it toward the direction of travel with an unnatural fervor. You can feel it through the chassis and you can definitely feel it in the wheel as it pulls this way and that as a result of natural torque steer and the car's computers fighting it to varying degrees of success.
Yes, purists be damned, it is a bit involved on the "computery" side of things and some folks may take issue (especially when you cannot disable it at all), but...
It is very capable and it is fun to have a fwd so angrily ignore the ass end and just shoot for wherever the front is trying to go. Yeah, we're in the era of brake based power distribution. It ain't perfect and it is a faaar cry from the neutral steering of an FR that purists diefy, but damn it sure is something!
So yeah, just be aware the first time you hammer it out of a bend.
If you have other questions or want any insight I might be able to provide feel free to ask. The FG2 is a fantastic car, and if I hadn't had all those transmission problems there's a chance I'd still have it today. Still, the FiST is handily my favorite over the Si and my old FR-S.
The test drive will sell you on the car. I am more impressed with mine day by day. I test drove the FiST then drove strait over and tested a FRS and That FRS felt like a total dog after the FiST. The FiST is my first FWD car in over 10 years because all I have had is RWD sports cars. I took a large step down in power when getting the FiST but it has not really bothered me that much. The car is responsive and fun and has a lot of features I like with the my ford touch that I had not even considered before I owned it. I am very much looking forward to getting some good tires and a stage 2 setup on the car.
Ive owned a 2007 Si Sedan previously, and then 3 EK's prior to that even (two coupes, one sedan). Ive got a soft spot for Hondas, always will.
This Fiesta is the closest thing i have driven to my 97 EX (with an SI swap). lightweight, direct, good gearbox, good fit inside, drives similarly.
Someone may see this as a backhand to the FiST, but that Civic is still my favorite car ever. Theres just something about a B16 with solid motor mounts and a short shifter.
Anyways if you liked 89-2000 Civics then you will LOVE the Fiesta. Even if you didnt, you likely still will. Look around for anyone who regrets purchasing one or dislikes how they drive, they are insanely fun and frugal for what you get.
This Fiesta is the closest thing i have driven to my 97 EX (with an SI swap). lightweight, direct, good gearbox, good fit inside, drives similarly.
Someone may see this as a backhand to the FiST, but that Civic is still my favorite car ever. Theres just something about a B16 with solid motor mounts and a short shifter.
Anyways if you liked 89-2000 Civics then you will LOVE the Fiesta. Even if you didnt, you likely still will. Look around for anyone who regrets purchasing one or dislikes how they drive, they are insanely fun and frugal for what you get.
I spent all my teen years in the 90's at the height of the import revolution. I bleed Honda valve cover wrinkle red & champion white. I thought I'd forever be attached to the Honda umbilical cord (so many cars). Until' I drove the FiST. Had a hiatus away from Honda due to fatherhood, economy and priorities. I got transferred to TX and had a stint with the so called status symbol cars. Yet finally decided go with what I know and truly enjoy regardless of what people say or called my car. You'll truly enjoy a FiST and if you can get it in the Performance Blue do so I think it's the best color plus reminds me of my custom painted 1991 CRX Si in Electron Blue Pearl of the 1999/2000 Civic Si. I wanted PB, but was also determined in buying used so beggars can't be choosers. The FiST will bring you smiles and giggles for days. One thing is for sure you'll miss the VTEC symphony, LSD, 4x100 lug pattern, dealership customer service (never had an issue) and expertise of; in my own personal opinion, superior Honda mechanics.
I had a 07 Si it was a fun car but i love this one. If i had to choose side by side the Fist hands down. It keeps getting better you i went with cobb and even stage one felt a big difference, currently i have stage 2 with a tune from Randy the tires will break loos in 2nd gear as soon as the torque hits its a fun car.
Well, no review here...just go buy one ! I just got mine last week and it's great on gas ![[rockon]](/images/smilies/icon_smile_headbang.gif "Rock On [rockon]")
. I bought mine based on watching youtube reviews, I bought this car on the phone and through emails. I never drove the car, never even seen it in person. I've owned 2 STi's, a WRX, spent 20k building an S13, had a boosted Miata, and yes a Civic too and have driven countless race cars!
Ford makes it, who cares. The cup holders are too small for my Thermos, there's only one button to lock/unlock the doors and it's in the center of the dash, you feel all the cracks in the pavement, the new car smell...who cares, just buy one because it's great on gas, it's fun to drive, it's cheap, it's got 5 doors, it's got a full sized spare, it's a total sleeper, and it's in H-stock!
! I just got mine last week and it's great on gas . I bought mine based on watching youtube reviews, I bought this car on the phone and through emails. I never drove the car, never even seen it in person. I've owned 2 STi's, a WRX, spent 20k building an S13, had a boosted Miata, and yes a Civic too and have driven countless race cars! Ford makes it, who cares. The cup holders are too small for my Thermos, there's only one button to lock/unlock the doors and it's in the center of the dash, you feel all the cracks in the pavement, the new car smell...who cares, just buy one because it's great on gas, it's fun to drive, it's cheap, it's got 5 doors, it's got a full sized spare, it's a total sleeper, and it's in H-stock!
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