“A little party never hurt nobody!”
The 2015 Ford Fiesta ST looks like this…
Image via Wikimedia, By David Villarreal Fernández, CC BY-SA 2.0
I can’t be the only one looking at Ford and thinking they have something a lot more fun than water in their watercooler recently. Seriously: the Focus ST, The Focus RS, the Fiesta ST, the new track monster Mustang GT 350, a GT with a screaming twin-turbo V6, and making one of the most pedestrian sedans in America look like an Aston. I’ll have what they’re having!
…but feels like this:
Image via Pixabay
In all seriousness, the 2015 Fiesta ST is an absolute party on wheels. the 1.6 liter EcoBoost engine is a revelation, delivering the power in chunky little bites that make it a blast to drive. The instant comparison goes to the original Mini Cooper. It is a blast, it’s cheap, and it’s a properly good car. Seriously, if you’re looking for a cheap but riotous small hot hatch: stop reading this blog, go drive one. Bring your checkbook.
Well this is a bit shorter than I wanted it to be. Um ok. Well, the interior isn’t that bad, it’s not great. It just works. It’s not as refined as the Volkswagen GTI, but it’s not as shit as the Chevy Sonic. The sync system powered by Microsoft just works. I’ve said it before and i’ll say it again; mySync just works. I like how simple and pretty much flawless it is, and in these new generation cars, it’s polished to a mirror shine. The interior plastics really don’t help its case, but hey, it’s a cheap car so the interior is going to match the price tag. The Recaros are a very nice touch though.
Hatchbacks: No Longer Weird or Niche
The 5 door hatchback model I drove was just solid. It was small, but it didn’t feel tiny. I had plenty of headroom, plenty of foot room, and room for my dog. the trunk was decent. It’s a nice blend of utility and performance. As a 20 something man from Orleans County, if I want something uber-utilitarian, I’ll get a pickup truck. The garnet red exterior with black interior: is awesome. It perfectly captures the feeling of this car. Weirdly enough I think it will age pretty well too, and this is something that doesn’t happen with American cars very often. Often they work well for the here and now, but then hindsight and time eventually make them look like a pile of that sh**ty slush and ice that accumulates at the entrance of your driveway after the plows have gone by.
“Hey, I’m not that bad…”
Image via Pixabay
The performance was nice as well. The power is just there, and moreover, it’s manageable, despite there being nearly 200 horsepower. The front diff is clever, and the minimal weight makes it good in the corners. You can stick the apex and hold it because there isn’t that much car to hold, and when you power through the EcoBoost turbo is there, ready to kick you in the pants onto the straight.
Overall, the Fiesta ST represents a cheap entry to a fun class. The hot hatch is back with a vengeance here in the 20teens. With the recent arrival of the Focus RS, I’m stoked that America is in the hot hatch game, and upping the bar with some sublime entries. The Fiesta is a blast. It’s practical. It’s a party. Its cheap. Its basically New Orleans for Mardi Gras, without the impending venereal disease.