Between the 2, I would go with 4C.
-
Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.
Automotive Discussion Thread | OT2 | Zero to pointless fighting faster than a GT86
- Thread starter AlphaSnake
- Start date
Between the 2, I would go with 4C.
David Incorporated Esq.
Member
Why did you think it was okay to put "Alfa Romeo" and "reliability" in the same sentence?
The 4C is next level stiff. It's basically an Italian Lotus. Hard to get into and out of. Very low. Very compact and very noise interior. Very bare bones (beautiful carbon bones). No cargo space. It's gorgeous. It sounds good. It's fun to drive. It's rare... very rare, but there's no Alfa club to hang with in your area. There's no Alfa dealers only trained service people at Fiat dealers. And Alfas are notorious for terrible reliability.
It's a baby Ferrari, but it has tons of hassles associated with it. The 4C just isn't a daily driver and it'll be a drastic change from the comforts of a 3 series. It's a weekend car only.
The Cayman gives you the same amount of mid-engine/rwd fun (to be honest, more), way better creature comforts, more storage space, strong reliability. It's not rare, but on the flip side there's lots of local Porsche club support. It's not as beautiful, though the Cayman GTS is hawt.
It's a daily driver you can have a ton of weekend fun with. I think if you want something super wild, rare and completely impractical and you don't care about potential maintenance issues go for the Alfa. On the other side of the coin Porsches are made to be the daily driver's sports car. They aim to be the best of both worlds, just a bit more standard, a bit more boring. That's why they're so popular.
Auto Express did a comparison of the base Cayman vs the 4C and they tied in lap times, there's still 3 more trims to go with the Cayman
http://youtu.be/rgO0ir7DPLc
Chris Harris did a compare between the S and the 4C and basically said Cayman is incredible (it is) and is easily best in class chassis, gearbox and engine. He says you should get the 4C if you simply crave something different, but still special even if you lose a bit in perf/handling department.
http://youtu.be/5PGC-7IldYw
Auto car did Cayman, 4C and the FRS and said the Cayman is just a better sports car overall, but the 4C looks great.
http://youtu.be/aI-WkHBUFN4
That's a nice list of mods and looks like a well sorted car. I wish mine was that nice. When you do E85 you might want to consider upgrading your rods, even more so if you decide to go with larger turbos. I've read the joints on the cheap axles tend to blow out in no time so try to avoid those, maybe consider raxles.
So I'm really considering a Fiesta St as a new daily. It's cheaper than a damn corolla. Anybody want to talk me out of it?
I would definitely take a Fiesta ST over a Corolla. No question about it. One will make you smile while you drive it and the other will put you to sleep. Good luck!
Yeash I wasn't ever considering a corolla, just comparing what you could get for relatively the same price. When I test drove the fiesta st I
Code:
jongkookie
Member
The sad part about it is that I believe this is what's finally going to kill diesels here in the US.
Honda and Toyota have given up on diesels a looong time ago and I believe Mazda USA effectively gave up when they canned the Mazda6 diesel prototypes running in the IMSA-Tudor races early this year or last year. VW was the only "bastion of light" in regards to diesels here in the US, but after this?
They really done fncked up if you ask me.
Haha I was thinking the same thing, especially now since they've been under FIAT for almost 30 years.
djSyndrome
Member
The Recaros work if you're thin, not so much if you're not. Try them for a long drive before you buy. I loved the Fiesta ST's hustle but the one I test drove had rattles and squeaks already - in a car with 200 miles on it. Still, for the money it's hard to beat. Nothing else can catch it at 20k new.
An 86 for $15k may have been modified or crashed (or high mileage), but they are fantastic cars. Fiesta ST is way more practical, though. Also - check with your insurance company. I pay slightly more for the FR-S than I was quoted for an STI.
I'm surprised they gave you the time of day with how many bans you've had.
2002whitegt
Member
So I looked at the Fiesta ST today and that was a blast to drive. It's not exactly a looker but with some new wheels, fatter tires, and maybe a slight drop I'm sure it would look a lot better. Thing is there is only one dealership in Tampa that has a Fiesta ST with Recaro seats and it's a used 2015 with 7,000 miles. They want $22,000 which is crazy to me since it's used and that price is more than msrp for a new 2015. The 2016 models are already trickling into dealerships so I'm going in there tomorrow to try and haggle off hopefully $5k. Otherwise I might be looking at ordering one off the website unless another one pops up or a different car grabs my interest.
There's no way I'm settling for basic bitch seats like this.
These seats would be the only way I'd consider the car. Why is this even an option and why is it so hard to find them?!
I got a 2013 Mustang GT last year, and I kinda feel like I should have gone with a Fiesta ST. I love the Mustang, but I remember how fun it was to drive my old SVT Focus, and I hear the Fiesta ST is fun to drive.
Good luck man, hopefully the price will drop a bit, I'm looking forward to possibly owning one one day.
I forget how many miles was on that fr-s but that's good information, thanks. I'll call my insurance since I've yet to do that. The rattles you heard are concerning, I'm going to listen for any when I test drive the used fiesta st with 7k miles today. I would imagine I could fit in those seats as im not a big person, but I'll try and take a longer drive today. I don't think my test drive yesterday was even 5 minutes long.
I'm surprised they gave you the time of day with how many bans you've had.
Actually, believe it or not, some of the admins have been really cool with me and been extremely fair. I can't complain.
Spent the last few hours driving a 458 Spider and McLaren 12C.
Who says Mondays have to suck? lol
Bonus carbon Huayra, MC12, Singer 911 4.0 and Sergio Ferrari(1 of 6 in the world) content.
Some impressions.
McLaren suspension and carbon tub were super cool. They had a chassis cutaway on the floor that I forgot to snap a picture of. Very nice seating position once you get inside. Looks small from the outside, but very roomy on the inside. Steering was oddly light, but very precise. The different suspension settings actually made a huge difference compared to most cars. Easy to daily drive in comfort mode, but super stiff race car in track mode. Power is insane. Comes on smooth and strong all the way to redline. That wave of torque feels amazing and doesn't seem to have an end. A small burst on the highway got me to 130mph in absolutely no time and it was still pulling like crazy. Not much turbo lag to speak of, probably because of the decent sized V8, so even before the turbos kick in, it makes good power. Tiny paddle shifters that felt a bit weird and clicky. Transmission not as smooth or fast as PDK, but performed admirably. Looks better in person than it does in pics, and the gold flakes in the paint were killer. Overall, an amazing first effort by McLaren. Very happy to hear that they listened to customer feedback, and that this 2012 model had all the upgrades from the later cars.
Onto the 458. OMG, that noise is the first thing you notice. Much more theatrical car to drive compared to the McLaren. Steering wheel feels amazing to hold, and you never have to take your hands off it to do anything you would need to in a normal car. Turn signal buttons threw me for a spin a few times, but would feel natural and intuitive after a few days of ownership. Ridiculously sharp throttle response. Probably the most responsive motor I have experienced in my life. Revs to high heaven, and doesn't feel much slower than the McLaren once you get on it. It doesn't have that surge of torque, but when you hear that engine behind you at damn near 9K RPMs, you don't care!
Of the two, I felt like the McLaren was an amazing engineering and technical show piece and the better car to drive day to day, but the Ferrari is the one that spoke to my heart. Whether that is worth the 60K premium over the McLaren, I'm not sure about.
I wish I had more time to spend with the vehicles, especially on my favorite back roads or track, but even with the time I had, I could tell that both are the upper echelon of sports cars and a big upgrade from my Cayman GTS, mostly in terms of power. When it comes to steering feel, interior quality, transmission, and handling, I feel like my car is just as good if not a little better in some respects.
Anyway, enjoy the pics!
Who says Mondays have to suck? lol
Bonus carbon Huayra, MC12, Singer 911 4.0 and Sergio Ferrari(1 of 6 in the world) content.
Some impressions.
McLaren suspension and carbon tub were super cool. They had a chassis cutaway on the floor that I forgot to snap a picture of. Very nice seating position once you get inside. Looks small from the outside, but very roomy on the inside. Steering was oddly light, but very precise. The different suspension settings actually made a huge difference compared to most cars. Easy to daily drive in comfort mode, but super stiff race car in track mode. Power is insane. Comes on smooth and strong all the way to redline. That wave of torque feels amazing and doesn't seem to have an end. A small burst on the highway got me to 130mph in absolutely no time and it was still pulling like crazy. Not much turbo lag to speak of, probably because of the decent sized V8, so even before the turbos kick in, it makes good power. Tiny paddle shifters that felt a bit weird and clicky. Transmission not as smooth or fast as PDK, but performed admirably. Looks better in person than it does in pics, and the gold flakes in the paint were killer. Overall, an amazing first effort by McLaren. Very happy to hear that they listened to customer feedback, and that this 2012 model had all the upgrades from the later cars.
Onto the 458. OMG, that noise is the first thing you notice. Much more theatrical car to drive compared to the McLaren. Steering wheel feels amazing to hold, and you never have to take your hands off it to do anything you would need to in a normal car. Turn signal buttons threw me for a spin a few times, but would feel natural and intuitive after a few days of ownership. Ridiculously sharp throttle response. Probably the most responsive motor I have experienced in my life. Revs to high heaven, and doesn't feel much slower than the McLaren once you get on it. It doesn't have that surge of torque, but when you hear that engine behind you at damn near 9K RPMs, you don't care!
Of the two, I felt like the McLaren was an amazing engineering and technical show piece and the better car to drive day to day, but the Ferrari is the one that spoke to my heart. Whether that is worth the 60K premium over the McLaren, I'm not sure about.
I wish I had more time to spend with the vehicles, especially on my favorite back roads or track, but even with the time I had, I could tell that both are the upper echelon of sports cars and a big upgrade from my Cayman GTS, mostly in terms of power. When it comes to steering feel, interior quality, transmission, and handling, I feel like my car is just as good if not a little better in some respects.
Anyway, enjoy the pics!
LucidMomentum
Member
I hate you. That is all.
The 4C is next level stiff. It's basically an Italian Lotus. Hard to get into and out of. Very low. Very compact and very noise interior. Very bare bones (beautiful carbon bones). No cargo space. It's gorgeous. It sounds good. It's fun to drive. It's rare... very rare, but there's no Alfa club to hang with in your area. There's no Alfa dealers only trained service people at Fiat dealers. And Alfas are notorious for terrible reliability.
It's a baby Ferrari, but it has tons of hassles associated with it. The 4C just isn't a daily driver and it'll be a drastic change from the comforts of a 3 series. It's a weekend car only.
The Cayman gives you the same amount of mid-engine/rwd fun (to be honest, more), way better creature comforts, more storage space, strong reliability. It's not rare, but on the flip side there's lots of local Porsche club support. It's not as beautiful, though the Cayman GTS is hawt.
I think if you want something super wild, rare and completely impractical and you don't care about potential maintenance issues go for the Alfa. On the other side of the coin Porsches are made to be the daily driver's sports car. They aim to be the best of both worlds, just a bit more standard, a bit more boring. That's why they're so popular.
Auto Express did a comparison of the base Cayman vs the 4C and they tied in lap times, there's still 3 more trims to go with the Cayman
http://youtu.be/rgO0ir7DPLc
Chris Harris did a compare between the S and the 4C and basically said Cayman is incredible (it is) and is easily best in class chassis, gearbox and engine. He says you should get the 4C if you simply crave something different, but still special even if you lose a bit in perf/handling department.
http://youtu.be/5PGC-7IldYw
Auto car did Cayman, 4C and the FRS and said the Cayman is just a better sports car overall, but the 4C looks great.
http://youtu.be/aI-WkHBUFN4
Thanks man, that's quite helpful actually. I mean in my gut I know the Cayman is a better choice, I will drive it daily and the 4C just won't cut it in the city, it makes no sense. But damn is it beautiful and just speaks to me. Anyway I will definitely test drive both when I am ready.
I mean, i'm jealous as hell that you drove a Ferrari 458, but basically none of this seems intuitive. They seriously changed all the controls found in most cars that require no extra thought whatsoever to operate and replaced them with non-standard controls. Why would they put the horn buttons there?
jongkookie
Member
While true, I highly doubt VW's subsidiaries are in trouble. Porsche for example, their profits margins are like 15%... one of the highest in the industry I believe.
While it's too early to predict what's going to happen, considering that GM basically got away scot free even after people died, I think VW might be in deep shit and recovering from this is gonna be a hard thing to achieve considering that they're now under criminal investigation for this mess.
Agreed. Everything else looks awesome and badass but not one of those spoke to my soul besides the Singer 911.
.. and the Cayman of course lol.
I'd say VW will be in a lot more trouble than GM. GM may have killed some people, but VW deceived the government. We're talking the EPA. You don't double-cross the EPA and get away with it.
If it speaks to you and you can afford it, go for it! Sports cars aren't about reality or what's best, they're about how they make you feel. I get out of my car every night and look back and go dayuuuum. That's how every car should make car nuts feel.
Man gotta be Lake Forest Sports Cars... lol When I was a teenager I'd drive up there in my civic lol, and then head to the beach where MJ be livin'.
They got a serious collection. I love the Huayra, one of my favorite cars, especially in carbon. And dat singer! I wanna buy a slantnose one day and give it to Singer to mod. lol
djSyndrome
Member
Well that was fast. Winterkorn potentially out (?) http://jalopnik.com/vw-ceo-martin-wintekorn-being-replaced-by-matthias-muel-1732285443
Also: this will likely give France the ammo it needs to finally ban diesels for good. Wonder if they'll go the Cash for Clunkers route.
Also: this will likely give France the ammo it needs to finally ban diesels for good. Wonder if they'll go the Cash for Clunkers route.
nabe_shogun
Member
That would be a waste of a lot of good cars, as I'm sure the percentage of diesel car is fairly high. Would be easier to just stop the sale of new diesel cars and let them slowly disappear.
Shadowlink
Member
Not sure if this is the right thread to ask, but I'm looking into purchasing a vehicle. Is it best to finance with a Dealership or Credit Union? I'm looking into getting an APR that is less than a percent. A lot of dealership commercials show 0% APR for the first 60 months. Your thoughts GAF?
BoboBrazil
Member
Credit union is best. Dealerships often offer 0%, but you lose rebates doing that while you keep all or most going to a credit union.
Shadowlink
Member
Most rebates that I've seen are $1000 cash back, but wouldn't that not matter if your APR is a percent?
BoboBrazil
Member
Why not go with a 1.49 through a credit union and get your rebate too? You are better off using that than a 0% with no rebates depending on the price of the car. Also you don't have to put up with the dealer finance office.
Shadowlink
Member
I've heard stories of dealer finance offices, so I guess paying a little extra with the APR wouldn't be a problem since I wouldn't have to deal with the dealer finance office. My plan is to get less than a percent.
Spent the last few hours driving a 458 Spider and McLaren 12C.
Who says Mondays have to suck? lol
Bonus carbon Huayra, MC12, Singer 911 4.0 and Sergio Ferrari(1 of 6 in the world) content.
Some impressions.
McLaren suspension and carbon tub were super cool. They had a chassis cutaway on the floor that I forgot to snap a picture of. Very nice seating position once you get inside. Looks small from the outside, but very roomy on the inside. Steering was oddly light, but very precise. The different suspension settings actually made a huge difference compared to most cars. Easy to daily drive in comfort mode, but super stiff race car in track mode. Power is insane. Comes on smooth and strong all the way to redline. That wave of torque feels amazing and doesn't seem to have an end. A small burst on the highway got me to 130mph in absolutely no time and it was still pulling like crazy. Not much turbo lag to speak of, probably because of the decent sized V8, so even before the turbos kick in, it makes good power. Tiny paddle shifters that felt a bit weird and clicky. Transmission not as smooth or fast as PDK, but performed admirably. Looks better in person than it does in pics, and the gold flakes in the paint were killer. Overall, an amazing first effort by McLaren. Very happy to hear that they listened to customer feedback, and that this 2012 model had all the upgrades from the later cars.
Onto the 458. OMG, that noise is the first thing you notice. Much more theatrical car to drive compared to the McLaren. Steering wheel feels amazing to hold, and you never have to take your hands off it to do anything you would need to in a normal car. Turn signal buttons threw me for a spin a few times, but would feel natural and intuitive after a few days of ownership. Ridiculously sharp throttle response. Probably the most responsive motor I have experienced in my life. Revs to high heaven, and doesn't feel much slower than the McLaren once you get on it. It doesn't have that surge of torque, but when you hear that engine behind you at damn near 9K RPMs, you don't care!
Of the two, I felt like the McLaren was an amazing engineering and technical show piece and the better car to drive day to day, but the Ferrari is the one that spoke to my heart. Whether that is worth the 60K premium over the McLaren, I'm not sure about.
I wish I had more time to spend with the vehicles, especially on my favorite back roads or track, but even with the time I had, I could tell that both are the upper echelon of sports cars and a big upgrade from my Cayman GTS, mostly in terms of power. When it comes to steering feel, interior quality, transmission, and handling, I feel like my car is just as good if not a little better in some respects.
Anyway, enjoy the pics!
This post put a big smile on my face this morning. Thanks for the inspiration!
I mean I love my Porsches and all but VW group needs to be bent back for this in the worst way possible. It's unacceptable.
Skel1ingt0n
I can't *believe* these lazy developers keep making file sizes so damn large. Btw, how does technology work?
Fiance' and I just laid out our budget.
We committed to paying off my current Jeep Liberty by August 31, 2016 - one year early. It'll still have two years of warranty left at that point, so she will take it; and I'm going to trade in her Fusion.
I get a $35,000 budget for a new car on September 01, 2016. I basically have a year to pick something out. Was planning to pull the trigger sooner; but between the engagement ring, some unexpected expenses, and an upcoming wedding, we're pushing things back.
Almost definitely going to be between the 6th Gen Camaro SS or a new/used 2015/2016 Challenger. Since it was pointed out to me earlier, I'm going to keep a keen eye on 2015 Challenger 6.4L Scat Pack vehicles. They hover $36-$42, used, most the time. I think I could have luck finding a low mileage example at $35 next year.
We committed to paying off my current Jeep Liberty by August 31, 2016 - one year early. It'll still have two years of warranty left at that point, so she will take it; and I'm going to trade in her Fusion.
I get a $35,000 budget for a new car on September 01, 2016. I basically have a year to pick something out. Was planning to pull the trigger sooner; but between the engagement ring, some unexpected expenses, and an upcoming wedding, we're pushing things back.
Almost definitely going to be between the 6th Gen Camaro SS or a new/used 2015/2016 Challenger. Since it was pointed out to me earlier, I'm going to keep a keen eye on 2015 Challenger 6.4L Scat Pack vehicles. They hover $36-$42, used, most the time. I think I could have luck finding a low mileage example at $35 next year.
You'll regret any other decision. Unless you put a blower/turbo on the RT.
David Incorporated Esq.
Member
Look at the terms of the lease. How much down? How long is the lease contract? How many miles allowed per year?
Watch it be 5000 down, 36 months and 10000 miles a year lol
AlphaSnake
...and that, kids, was the first time I sucked a dick for crack
Based on a prior lease for the car in Spring 2015:
36mon lease w/ 10,000miles/yr
MSPR: $32,000
Residual value: $13100
Fiat Chrysler Limited Time Promo: -$2100
Federal Tax Credit: -$7500 (taken out during purchase)
State Tax Rebate: (CA) -$2500 (rebate)
Proof of a current lease with another OEM: -$1000
Total down: $0
Monthly payment: $82.75
10000 miles per year isn't so bad on a car that can only go 80-90 miles before being recharged, anyway.
<3
Oh yeah, the detail on that thing was amazing. That's actually a customer car. He loaned it to the dealer so other potential customers could check it out. If there is enough interest, they can do a group buy with Singer.
That video is seriously exaggerated to get views.
I was talking about the turn signals specifically, but the rest of the wheel isn't bad once you get a feel for it. If you have your hands at the proper 9-3 position, then the horn button is super easy to reach with your thumbs. The steering ratio is very low so you rarely have to move your hands from that position. The button has to be pressed intentionally so it's not like it's going off constantly on tighter turns. It's recessed a bit.
The part about the Mannetino switch breaking off is just silly as well. It's screwed on quite tight. You would have to use an absurd amount of pressure to break it. Lights are automatic, so you can ignore that button. Windshield wipers; who cares, are you really gonna take a 458 Spider out in the rain? Even so, it's a one touch, not complicated.
Engine Start button is fine. You turn the car off by just pulling out the key like normal. Not like they put a separate button in a hard to reach place to turn it off.
Ferrari wanted to build a unique driver-centric dash. It's not difficult to adjust to if you have a double digit IQ. Besides, aren't supercars meant to be a little quirky?
I was gonna give you shit, but that spoiler text saved your life. lol
Yeah, Huayra in carbon was pure sex. LFSC is probably the best dealership I've ever been to. Not only do they have some wonderful cars, but the sales staff is the nicest and most knowledgeable I've experienced.
You're welcome! Driving these cars is inspiration for me as well.
Even though I am enjoying my Cayman very much, I love checking out the next level stuff for the future. They invited me back to drive a 650S Spider. I'll post some pics and impressions when I do. It's supposed to be a serious improvement over the already amazing 12C, so I'm sure it will be fun!
Ideally, I'd like to pick one up without having to trade in my Porsche, so I better get my ass in gear and find new ways to make money in the upcoming months.
User 479360
Banned
My Dad just got a new truck with Sirius XM, so I've been enjoying driving around and blaring Octane - my new favourite radio station.
Anyways, as per my OCD, I worry that I'll blow the speakers if I have it too loud. Is it easy to blow stock speakers? Or is it true that it's difficult because the volume isn't able to go higher than the speakers can handle?
Anyways, as per my OCD, I worry that I'll blow the speakers if I have it too loud. Is it easy to blow stock speakers? Or is it true that it's difficult because the volume isn't able to go higher than the speakers can handle?
From my own experience if you're maxing out the volume constantly or close to it, they usually won't last long.
User 479360
Banned
I wasn't at max volume, but I was 80-85% there.
EDIT: I've done it about eight times, maybe. Maybe less. This is counting the drive there and back separately.
I guess I should talk about my second test drive with the Fiesta ST. It seems as if I may have bought into all the hype after everything I had seen about the car online. My initial impressions were really positive but after the second drive that all washed away.
On the outside the car just looks beyond small and the styling evokes no feelings. It has a meager exterior and it's hard not to think econobox every time I look at it. On both drives I had people trying to merge right into me and I had to avoid them by switching lanes or flooring the gas pedal. Seems like I'd have to dodge cars every time I drive it based on that, which may sound like fun for some but that would wear out quickly.
I'm not sure which left me more unimpressed, the exterior or the interior. On the inside everything but the Recaro seats looked chintzy. The shape of the dashboard annoyed me from the first time I saw it, and while the steering wheel felt nice to grip it started bothering me that there are large silver plastic blades on each side of it. Oh ya and about the Recaro seats that I thought would just magically fix everything, those did end up having too much side bolstering even though I'm only 5'9" and 180lbs. All I was thinking while in those seats is how the hell does Matt Farah fit in them! Given the price of the car I wasn't expecting much on the inside, but it almost goes out of it's way to offend me. The only real good thing I can say about it is the back seats had a surprising amount of leg room given how small the car is.
The most appealing aspect of this car though was how fun it was suppose to drive. My first time driving the car was short and basically around the block that the dealership was on. It has a great feeling clutch and really easy to row through all the gears. When braking the car stopped with ease, but I never had a chance to really press them that hard. The engine has just a little turbo lag off the line but after that feels punchy all the way to redline. That combined with the noise of the turbo quickly became addicting. Mostly the reason I was so impressed on my first drive and left me yearning for more.
When I came for seconds those feelings quickly changed though. On my next test drive the other dealership let me take it on the highway and briefly on some twisty back roads. At highway speeds most of the fun dissipates as the Fiesta ST's small engine displacement and stiff suspension are more noticeable. I'm not saying it's too stiff but you can definitely feel the road more at 60mph. Still I was hopeful that the Fiesta ST would blow me away on the small twisties. I don't have that many small twisty roads nearby to drive on unless I go out of my way to find them, but I finally had a chance to test the cars handling ability. To sum up that part of the driving experience all I really have to say is it felt good exiting corners, but there was too much understeer (dd an Audi lol). Really surprising considering the amount of praise this car gets for it's handling. Maybe I just needed more time with testing it's limits but I did not feel confident throwing the car into corners.
Anyways I'm sure I'm just a tad bit cynical, but dealing with the dealerships helped push me away I think. From not letting me drive the car long enough, to talking to me the whole test drive about their bone cancer and treatment, telling me they do the numbers backwards when trying to negotiate, and then doing a "soft pull" credit check which I then received an email about from Credit Karma the following morning. I'm pretty much over the Fiesta ST at this point. The new models are coming out next year anyways so I'll take another look whenever that happens.
Just find out the size of the door speakers and start searching/saving for replacements in case they blow. Those are usually the ones to go first.
On the outside the car just looks beyond small and the styling evokes no feelings. It has a meager exterior and it's hard not to think econobox every time I look at it. On both drives I had people trying to merge right into me and I had to avoid them by switching lanes or flooring the gas pedal. Seems like I'd have to dodge cars every time I drive it based on that, which may sound like fun for some but that would wear out quickly.
I'm not sure which left me more unimpressed, the exterior or the interior. On the inside everything but the Recaro seats looked chintzy. The shape of the dashboard annoyed me from the first time I saw it, and while the steering wheel felt nice to grip it started bothering me that there are large silver plastic blades on each side of it. Oh ya and about the Recaro seats that I thought would just magically fix everything, those did end up having too much side bolstering even though I'm only 5'9" and 180lbs. All I was thinking while in those seats is how the hell does Matt Farah fit in them! Given the price of the car I wasn't expecting much on the inside, but it almost goes out of it's way to offend me. The only real good thing I can say about it is the back seats had a surprising amount of leg room given how small the car is.
The most appealing aspect of this car though was how fun it was suppose to drive. My first time driving the car was short and basically around the block that the dealership was on. It has a great feeling clutch and really easy to row through all the gears. When braking the car stopped with ease, but I never had a chance to really press them that hard. The engine has just a little turbo lag off the line but after that feels punchy all the way to redline. That combined with the noise of the turbo quickly became addicting. Mostly the reason I was so impressed on my first drive and left me yearning for more.
When I came for seconds those feelings quickly changed though. On my next test drive the other dealership let me take it on the highway and briefly on some twisty back roads. At highway speeds most of the fun dissipates as the Fiesta ST's small engine displacement and stiff suspension are more noticeable. I'm not saying it's too stiff but you can definitely feel the road more at 60mph. Still I was hopeful that the Fiesta ST would blow me away on the small twisties. I don't have that many small twisty roads nearby to drive on unless I go out of my way to find them, but I finally had a chance to test the cars handling ability. To sum up that part of the driving experience all I really have to say is it felt good exiting corners, but there was too much understeer (dd an Audi lol). Really surprising considering the amount of praise this car gets for it's handling. Maybe I just needed more time with testing it's limits but I did not feel confident throwing the car into corners.
Anyways I'm sure I'm just a tad bit cynical, but dealing with the dealerships helped push me away I think. From not letting me drive the car long enough, to talking to me the whole test drive about their bone cancer and treatment, telling me they do the numbers backwards when trying to negotiate, and then doing a "soft pull" credit check which I then received an email about from Credit Karma the following morning. I'm pretty much over the Fiesta ST at this point. The new models are coming out next year anyways so I'll take another look whenever that happens.
Just find out the size of the door speakers and start searching/saving for replacements in case they blow. Those are usually the ones to go first.
Zoolader, I've also considered the FiST in the past and have driven it at Ford events, but the interior was also a big turn off for me - the lower-grade materials and instrumentation constantly remind you that you're in an econobox. Also, the power didn't really impress me as much as I thought it would.
Lastly, the Focus ST is a much better proposition for only a couple grand more - much higher quality interior, better looking exterior, faster, and more room to carry people/stuff.
Lastly, the Focus ST is a much better proposition for only a couple grand more - much higher quality interior, better looking exterior, faster, and more room to carry people/stuff.
whatsinaname
Member
I came away with the exact same feelings after a Focus ST test drive. Wasn't comfortable with how it steered and an interior designed by Alienware.
I had to rent a focus once. I looked something like the above. 9 digit keypad, and mirrored climate control buttons so your passenger has their very own set of buttons was just beyond pointless to me. I couldn't figure anything out. I believe newer models have sorted some of it out, but I just don't know why you would design something like that.
User 479360
Banned
I'll lessen the volume next time around to avoid blowing them and needing to spend money.
On Fords lower end trims that don't have the touchscreen, such as in the Focus and Mustang, they put in that tiny, cheap looking screen and numpad. Those things make the center console look horrible and cluttered. Any numpad in a car is a fail. If Ford made the touchscreen standard, their interiors would make a much better impression.
Cow Mengde
Banned
What can't you figure out? I work for Ford and I'd be happy to explain some of the stuff to you. The driving part not so much since I'm not a very experienced driver.
Edit - Shit, looks like BMW might be caught doing the same thing as VW: http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2015/09/24/bmw-volkswagen-emissions-auto-bild/72727888/
It's only accusations right now, but who knows.