Used Car Review - Ford Fiesta ST (2013 - 2018)

What's a used car worth? Get an instant report today on Trade values, Retail values & historical transactions.
Post Reply
User avatar
kingr
VWCSA Member
Posts: 3395
Registered for: 16 years 7 months
Car Make: VW, Mini, Slowyota
Car Model: Mk1 2 Door, Hilux D/C
Membership No: 3337
Location: Groot Gat

Used Car Review - Ford Fiesta ST (2013 - 2018)

Post by kingr »

Introduction
The world we live in today has changed dramatically - hot hatches now cost around half a million rand and up! They also produce the same amount of kW as super cars made in the 1960s, although some of them have lost the “wow” factor along the way. Back in 2013, Ford gifted us with the Fiesta ST. They then went back to the drawing board and refined a car that is truly worthy of being called a “hot hatch.”

The Fiesta ST is precise, driver-focused and accessible to the man on the street. The recipe was quite simple: take a small car, ask for help from the Ford Team RS, drop in a 134 kW/240 nm powerplant and do countless test laps at the Nürburgring Nordschleife! The resulting Fiesta ST is a very good package for anyone shopping for an affordable hot hatch. Prices have dropped low enough for you to pick up some great bargains, particularly if you shop the private used car market.

Related: Guide To Buying A Car Privately In SA

Drive and Comfort
The Fiesta ST drives hard, it really does. You will feel every imperfection and the slightest bump in the road. Even though the car is fitted with 17” wheels, uneven roads won’t be a pleasure to drive. The car is fitted with a sporty suspension and it begs you to push it into the corners and bends, while the handling and grip on good roads will make you forget the harsh ride. With very sharp and precise steering, you’ll be smiling taking back roads home from work or enjoying mountain pass drives. Even better - a track day! The car was really built to be driven and is very “chuckable.” You can just throw it into a corner and it will sit like a train on a railroad with immense grip.

Standard features on the Fiesta ST are best-in-class. You’ll get keyless entry, cruise control and three-mode electronic stability control (ESC) settings for the suspension, all out of the box, without ticking “extras.” The Fiesta ST also comes with an advanced feature called enhanced Torque Vectoring Control (eTVC). This uses the braking system to adjust the speed between the two front wheels to help enhance cornering agility understeer.

Performance
The Fiesta ST is very quick off the mark. You can immediately feel that you are driving a performance car and not just any model. Ford claims 0 - 100 in 6.9s, and in our tests we managed to trap the quarter mile in 15,4s at Killarney Raceway in Cape Town. The car only comes with a manual transmission, but you wouldn't want it any other way. The 6-speed gearbox compliments the car perfectly, as it’s slick and makes you feel fully engaged. Gear changes are easy with very short clutch pedal travel, making for quick gear changes.

The power range is broad and you can pull the gears all the way till 5600 rpm without the power dropping off. Being a small engine and turbo fitted, there’s no noticeable turbo lag. The car also makes you believe that you are going faster than you actually are, a common experience! The Sound Symposer system channels the engine noise to the cabin via the speakers to make you feel more engaged with the driving experience - a cool gimmick!

The Fiesta ST is a very usable car, and 134 kW power is enough to make the car enjoyable as a daily drive. It’s also awesome for weekends when you feel more spirited! Ford rates town driving fuel consumption at 7.9l/100km, and we managed to get a best of 8.5l/100km in town.

Interior
Inside the car is relatively spacious for a small hatchback. The best feature by far is the front Recaro cloth sport seats. These come standard and hug you comfortably. They also assist with side bolster support to prevent you from sliding out of your seat when cornering hard, something you might become a pro at! The center console layout with millions of buttons is overwhelming, as you won’t use half of the buttons and the designers at Ford could have simplified this. The main dials make use of red needles, and these look really cool! You also have dual climate control and bluetooth connectivity for your phone as standard features. The interior plastics are of good quality, a mix of gloss black and silver. The buttons feel sturdy and these also age well. Early models like the 2013 still look good inside, because of the overall interior quality with this car.

The infotainment system in the Fiesta ST uses the Ford SYNC platform, a system found across a number of Ford models. Infotainment is hooked up to a small screen that’s mounted close to the windscreen. The position of the screen is slightly awkward and could have been more focused on the driver if it was slightly tilted. It’s easy to change the car settings from here and you can also set the different driving modes. Alternatively, you can just press the “ESC OFF” button for the fun to start!

Form and Function
The configuration of all the controls inside the Fiesta ST feels very driver-focussed. The car has a very big windscreen with wholly unobstructed front visibility from the driver's seat. Rear visibility is also ample with rear park distance control (PDC) assisting with reversing manoeuvres.

The front seats are highly adjustable and can easily accommodate tall people. They can also drop down very low, if that’s your preferred seating position. The rear seats are spacious enough to transport two adults comfortably for short trips, although the car is more geared towards kids at the back. The rear seats can also fold flat and take the form of a flat load bay, giving you ample space to transport bigger items. The boot space is very reasonable for a small car, you will be able to fit a big suitcase or two and do the monthly shopping run easily. The boot also has solid plastic hangers inside, which can be used to hang single grocery bags - very nifty.

Cost Effectiveness
This is another area where the Ford Fiesta ST shines. These little pocket rockets are actually very affordable to both purchase and maintain. Cheaper to purchase than the Volkswagen Polo GTI by quite some margin and offering much better standard kit, the Ford Fiesta ST is truly value for money. Shopping in the used car market, the best deals to be had normally center on purchasing the early 2013/2014 models. These cars came with a four-year/120 000km warranty and four-year/60 000km service plan, and it’s quite possible to pick up one that’s still under plan.

Related: What is covered with a new car warranty?

Recalls
A recall for the Ford Fiesta ST was issued by Ford SA in December 2017 to replace coolant-related parts. The Fiesta ST shares the same engine (1.6 EcoBoost) as the Ford Kuga (2013 - 2018). The Kuga made headlines after owners reported fires from the engine bay! So, check the VIN with Ford if you plan to buy a Fiesta ST. Also check that the necessary coolant parts were replaced.

Rivals
  • Volkswagen Polo Gti 1.4 tsi (2010 - 2015)
  • Renault Clio RS III (2005–2012)
  • Opel Corsa D OPC (2007–2014)
  • Peugeot 208 GTI (2013 onwards)
Verdict
The Ford Fiesta ST brings back what a hot hatch is supposed to be: usable and fun! The 1.6 EcoBoost engine offers tremendous performance and the suspension has the handling to match. Limitations are that it’s only available in three-doors, and the ride can be very harsh at low speeds.

Pricing
All pricing data referenced from our online car valuation tool.


2013 Ford Fiesta ST
Trade-in value: R152,611
Retail value: R176,245

2014 Ford Fiesta ST
Trade-in value: R179,477
Retail value: R208,565

2015 Ford Fiesta ST
Trade-in value: R197,676
Retail value: R227,256

2016 Ford Fiesta ST
Trade-in value: R237,762
Retail value: R267,036

2017 Ford Fiesta ST
Trade-in value: R270,096
Retail value: R293,556

2018 Ford Fiesta ST
Trade-in value: R296,514
Retail value: R312,018
Kurt #3337

Current:
- 10" Mx5 NC2 (main daily)
- 12" Toyota Hilux D/C 2.5tdi 4x4 (tow car / vacay)
- 2020 Mini Cooper S Clubman (swambo)
- 80" VW Mk1 2 Door Golf 8vt project 192wkw/314nm

Ex: 07" G5 GTi, 13" ST180, 03" Mk4 2 door 1.8T Stage 2, 07" Velo 1.6, 83" Mk1 GT 2.0 8v MP9, 87" Mk1 1.6 CitiSport, 88" Mk2 2.0 16v, 83" Mk1 GT 1.6 + 40 webers
Post Reply