Hi all,

I'm hoping someone can do me a favour and and i hope i'm not going to upset anyone by asking this but let me explain about my situation quickly...

Basically i'm Adam, 21 years old and at present drive a Mazda RX8. However i've had a few problems with my car since i've had it the last year and the fuel economy takes the piss to be quite frank (20mpg or £55 of fuel for 240 miles if your lucky ) so i was driving back from the dealers the other day thinking ok it's about time for a change me thinks, but what? Then poetically i saw just very quickly going the other way a white fiesta st with blue stripes and thought that looked ******* smart! but i only got to see basically a flash so i thought i'd try see more and so far i've been to 3 dealers and they all only had plain black ones (no offence to anyone with black but i just liked the white) and i can't see it any other colour without seeing it in the flesh even images won't make me sure until i've seen it.

So what i'm asking is... is there anyone in the wiltshire, oxfordshire or gloucestershire area with a white with blue stripes or a red with white stripes (seen pics of this colour and quite like the look as well) that i could come and have a look at? I live near Burford so i'm in the middle of all these countys so i'll travel to you i just need to see it in the flesh and get a good look before i sell my RX and buy one of these!

Oh and just a few questions if i may? I hope this doesn't annoy too much as i bet you get asked these all the time....

I read the combined mpg is 38? is this a fair TRUE figure? (As the RX says 26 combined which is a tiny bit high but then again maybe thats my driving? )

Is the 0-60 7.9 or 8.6 as i've read both? I know it's going to be slower than the RX but tbh i'm not that bothered as long as it has a fair amount to boot when needs must :P

Just how good is the Handling? I've read good things, I think i read somewhere that when ford were testing it was as fastor just off as fast as the focus ST (or maybe even RS?!?) round thier track? Because the main reason for buying the REX was for the handling i know the ST will not be as good but i love the twistys to thats why performance don't matter too much but handling yeh it's gotta be good as least high in it's group (FWD hatch)

Think thats all and thanks alot in advance everyone and hopefully someone can help me get a proper look at one of your babies :P!!
Adam

I would suggest going to your Ford dealer and getting a test drive, will be the only way to get a good feel for what the car really drives like.
It is not the fastest thing going however and I don't know how you are going to feel coming from a Mazda RX8.
The handling is very good and the Fiesta ST is a nice solid car. As for the MPG, my car has done 8,000 miles and on a long run will do 38-42 MPG and town/mad driving 32 MPG.
Hope this info helps.

Thanks for your post. Yeah i'm going for a test drive hopefully tonight if not tommorrow but your very limited with how you can get a feel for handling with a test drive and dealers are often generous with specs like mpg so i wanted some input from people who have had the car with real life experience so thanks for the input about the mpg
I know it's a step down from the RX but I do too many miles to warrant 20mpg i'm spending about £400 a month on fuel alone!!!
I know performance and handling will all be down from the RX but i'm ready and expecting that I just wanted to see the red w/white and white w/blue in person really.

Cheers Ad

Yes it will be very different to your RX8.

But for the money, you won't get better!

On the twisty's the ST is excellent, fuel takes about £35 to fill (shell V-max)from the petrol light being on and will return about 320 miles. I get @32 miles to the gallon, that's combined, I know on a run (Northampton - Yorkshire and back) it does @40 to the gallon. Some ST's are better, some are worse.

Things that you'll notice instantly..... Drop in insurance costs, drop in car tax cost, drop in oil use and a big grin.

I've had some excellent motors in the past, Clio Williams (12 years ago) and the ST rates up there with that. But let's be honest you're only going to get people on here raving on about the ST, so yes there are flaws.... Ford customer services, hope you never have to contact them, the ST characteristics, rattles, squeaks, not the best aircon, but I for one am on my 2nd ST.

Enough said, oh and I still smile when I drive it, and still wash it whenever it's dirty, so my care factor is still there!!! (the wife knows the car will change when I no longer look after it)

Rob.

Mine normally costs about £43 to fill also, and now I can get about 300 miles maybe a little more out of the tank if I drive it sensibly

Petrol tank capacity = 45 litres

I pay @95p a litre, so it would cost £42.75 if bone dry. I normally fill up when the light comes on, with 50 miles left on the trip computer. This would mean I have @7-8 litres left. So a figure of £35 is about right!!

Anyway, I don't think I've ever got near the £40 mark!!

Rob.

the ST is very good for handling less for motorway driving!as for MPG that will depend if ur doing mostly motorway mileage otherwise the MPG would be very good! like other u would save money on petrol, tax, insurance! the ST is probably the best 150 BHP car available to buy now!

the Focus maybe quicker in a stright line but there aint much in it on the twisty stuff and a few Focus Mk2 owners have confirmed that. TheFez is going to be very difftrent to the RX8 but is a good fun drive