The 2015 Ford Fiesta ST

2015 Ford Fiesta ST

1.6 Litre, 4-cylinder engine
197 hp
202 ft-lbs
6-speed transmission

$24,599

Non-car nerds – ST means it’s the performance model of the Fiesta.

Which is why the ST is ONLY available with a manual transmission; how rare and proper.

The 1.6 litre engine outputs a ton of torque for the vehicle’s small size. The dust in the top photo is from me tossing it around the windy Muskoka roads, shifting between second and third on the gear ratios that are good and close together, windows down to heighten the wrrrrr sound of the turbo.

Because that’s what you do
with a Fiesta ST – toss it.

Its sport-tuned suspension gives it a great grip on the road, steering is tight and direct, acceleration is brisk through the rev range, and its handling is as close to neutral as possible in a front-wheel drive car.

The list of standard features is strong – heated seats and mirrors, keyless entry, push start, fog lights, Sony speaker system and cruise control-  uncommon in a vehicle at this price point.

I’d forgo the +$495 racing stripe, and instead upgrade the rims to the +$550 black aluminum ones.

Know who else drives one? Ken Block drives a Fiesta ST.

At 8.3 L /100 km over 780km fuel economy is good, espeically because remember how I drive – like a pig.

My main complaint of the ST is a small thing, but big enough it has its own post.

The RECARO racing seats come standard, and actually, the car cannot be ordered without them.

And while the orange-coloured inserts are no additional cost, I find it makes the interior visually a bit busy. But really, styling is so subjective.

Beneath the trunk floor is a surprisingly large area for extra storage.

It’s not translating well in the photos below, but the space is quite cavernous.

This is an ideal car for the young, starter enthusiast.

It’s tough to beat the ST for the amount of fun at this price point.  Its competitors are Subaru’s BRZ and Mazda’s MX-5, but both those cars are 2-seaters, instantly making them a secondary car.

Right now is Ford’s annual Employee Pricing event, take advantage of the sale which ends September 30th, 2015.

Blog tag = Ford Fiesta

 

 

 

Trying to Define What Makes a Luxury Vehicle

At what point does a regular vehicle become a luxury one?

It’s tough to pin down! In trying to find one defining element, instead I came up with a bunch of what it’s not –

  • it’s not price,
  • nor number of units sold,
  • it’s not the type of gas it uses,
  • it’s not the number of features it’s equipped with,
  • nor the type of materials it’s finished with.

Plus! People’s benchmark of luxury can vary greatly.. what’s really nice to one may not to another, like – they’re happy with jewelry from People’s, I prefer Piaget.

Read it online at Autonet.

Favourite line:

The only argument that seems to hold is in regards to the one thing that can’t be held or touched – perception. Perhaps that’s it, then – luxury is defined by whoever’s advertising dollars are better at convincing us that something is high-end.

***

Back to ‘Keri on Driving’ – Index

 

 

How to Turn OFF the Seatbelt Chime in an F150

My neighbour discovered this. I didn’t believe him, so he hauled out the manual to prove it.

Turn to page 44 in your Ford F150 manual (don’t know if this works on older models.)

Note the two front seats must be done independently.  And this won’t work if you’re using a Ford MyKey.

Before starting:

– ignition is OFF
– truck is in Park (P)
– the parking brake is ON
– both front seat belts are unbuckled

Follow these steps:

1 – turn the key, but not all the way to start the engine

2 – wait about 1 minute until seat belt warning light goes off. Once off, wait 5 more seconds before starting step 3

You must complete steps 3 – 4 within 30 seconds.

3 – buckle and unbuckle the belt 3 times. End in unbuckled position. The warning light will turn on.

4 – With the light on, buckle then unbuckle again. The light will flash for confirmation.

Do it all again to turn the chime back on.

I canNOT believe this exists.