Long-term Tester Update: Heading Down The Homestretch With The FiST

Mark "Bark M." Baruth
by Mark "Bark M." Baruth

It’s hard to believe that it’s been a year and a half since I said “I do” to Ford Credit and the 2015 Ford Fiesta ST. In that time, we’ve gone autocrossing, battled tractor trailers, bought a whole lot of groceries, and even got rid of the FiST’s big brother.

However, it’s been a little while since I’ve given you an update on TTAC’s first Fiesta, and as I made my eighteenth electronic payment on it this week, now seems as good a time as any to let you know how the little four-door is doing.

Spoiler alert: it’s still the best car I’ve ever owned.

Case in point: I spent last weekend whipping a 2017 Acura NSX around the road courses and highways of the southeastern United States. When I arrived back at the Blue Grass Airport to pick my my little Zippy, I fully expected to be disappointed when I got back behind the wheel of the hatchback.

Nothing could have been further from the truth. In fact, it was a joy to experience the raw, connected feeling of the feedback from the FiST’s steering wheel. And while the Fiesta is certainly no ten second car, it just doesn’t feel slow, no matter what you compare it to. While I somewhat detest the phrase “usable speed,” it’s true that one can comfortably use all of the speed that the FiST can give you on the streets without worrying too much about getting an increased insurance premium. Insert some sort of cliche statement about “driving a slow car fast” here if you like, but the FiST doesn’t feel like a slow car. It feels like it can hang with just about anything south of $40K on the roads. (And yes, I’ve heard of the Mustang GT. I said it feels like it can.)

There is, however, one little annoyance. The clutch pedal squeaks. Sometimes. Not every time, mind you, but occasionally when I engage it, there’s an audible complaint from the somewhat flimsy arm of the pedal, one that I’m always hoping that nobody else in the car can hear. And therein lies the reality of driving an economy car with a boosted motor. Despite the fact that the ST is, in theory, the top trim of the Fiesta, underneath the gorgeous blue paint and the ST badges lies a car that shares more than a few parts with a car that will likely be driven by a 16-year-old girl, not a grownup with a family and the occasional need to transport actual business colleagues.

If you didn’t love the interior of the FiST on first glance, well…it doesn’t get better after 18 months. However, it has been durable. While I’ve been driving it exactly as much as the lease allows (17901 miles when the 18th payment was made), the seats and the interior have been more than up to the challenge of daily commuting and two small children in the back. Juice boxes and soccer cleats have done their combined worst to the back seat of the FiST, but it looks no worse for the wear.

Fuel economy continues to be a highlight of the Fiesta ST, as it has averaged 29.5 miles per gallon over its lifetime. Considering that most of my driving is around town, I find that to be an excellent number. On my occasional highway jaunts up to the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky airport, it’s not uncommon for me to get over 35 mpg. The older the FiST gets, however, the less it seems to like regular old 87 octane. Perhaps it’s because I tend to drive like I’m in a European rally most of the time, but the engine definitely does not provide the response you want on 87. As such, I’ve been running 93 exclusively for almost a year now, and the FiST seems much happier because of it.

There hasn’t been a single maintenance issue on the car. Everything works just like it’s supposed to, and as I just mentioned, I haven’t been easy on it. Part of my reason for leasing the Fiesta instead of buying it was that I wasn’t sure what the build quality of the car would prove to be like in the long term. Not that I consider 18 months to be the “long term,” but thus far, the car has proven to be a real quality champion.

Tire wear has become somewhat of an issue, but that’s to be expected. I have probably put somewhere in the neighborhood of 12,000 miles on the OEM Bridgestones (I use Blizzaks in the wintertime), and the center of the tread is getting somewhat thin on the fronts — right around 3/32. However, I have put the FiST through both a Track Night in America and an autocross on these tires, and they aren’t completely done yet. Rear tires still look brand new. God bless front-wheel drive.

I’m on my second set of front brake pads (the first set was entirely consumed by Track Night), and they’ve been squeaky ever since I put them on. That doesn’t bother me too much, as it reminds me of having Hawk Blues on my Boss 302. However, I imagine that I’ll be replacing them again before the lease runs out in February.

Ugh, that reminds me. My lease runs out in February. Honestly, I originally viewed the FiST as a bridge between my Boss 302 and a Shelby GT350R. There’s been a few hiccups with that strategy. The first one is that GT350 motors have been blowing up with some regularity lately — including one right in front of me at Charlotte Motor Speedway last weekend (which is not my story to tell, but I’m sure it will come out soon). If the 5.2 won’t hold up to track conditions over extended time…then what’s the point? Secondly, I’ve gotten very, very used to making a car payment that’s less than half of what my Boss payment was — and is more than likely about 40 percent of what a GT350 payment would be. Would the Mustang be three times as much fun as the FiST has been? I can’t imagine that it would be.

So as I stare down the last six payments on the FiST, I can’t think of anything that I’d like to have more than, well, another FiST. I haven’t spent much time behind the wheel of the Focus RS yet, but that’s scheduled to change here shortly, so I guess we’ll see what happens. I wanted Molten Orange originally, but I had to settle for Performance Blue. Hmm. I wonder if I can dig up a ’17 in Molten Orange when the time comes?

Mark "Bark M." Baruth
Mark "Bark M." Baruth

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  • BillGammon BillGammon on Aug 23, 2016

    A great look at the FIST. I have to agree with just about everything stated, including that there really isn't anything in the market to replace it with. I have a 2014 on which I just made the 36th payment. Every month when I make that payment, I smile. The car is just that good and it makes me that happy every time I drive it. Looking ahead, there is nothing that I would trade it for. I've been keeping an eye on inventory of the FIST and if I find just the combination I want, I might just swap for a new one. But, this late in the model year, I may want to see what 2017 brings in the form of colors. 40k in my car and it was turning laps at Summit Point with just 900 miles on it. I've been through 7 sets of front pads, 3 sets of front rotors and a commensurate amount of rear components. Tires, too many sets to recall. I've bent each wheel on potholes (sidewalls are too small for our roads) and I set the brakes on fire at least twice on track. Even with all that, the car has performed in a near perfect fashion. Only in the last few weeks has the AC seemed to be waning. I'll get it checked in a week or so. Otherwise, the FIST is a near perfect combination of what true enthusiasts want. Sure, it's kind of ugly and based on a bare-bones econobox that leaves a lot to be desired in some ways, but once you drive it and spend some time enjoying what it offers, a lot of those issues just melt away. If I could find a Magnetic with Orange Recaros, a sunroof, the summer tires and NOT drilled through the nose for a front plate anywhere near my home, I likely would have already traded up to assure more years of enjoyment in a FIST.

  • Brettc Brettc on Aug 23, 2016

    I'm considering one of these to replace my Sportwagen. Used without a warranty and 20k miles they're $17k. New are $22k, which is about what VW will give me. Crappy thing is you have to get the Recaro package for heated mirrors and heated seats, so I don't know. M/Bark, how are the headlights?

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