Dislikes: Plentiful plastics and restrictive rear seat remind passengers it's based on an ordinary Fiesta, cargo volume is down compared with larger rivals. Likes: Available Recaro seats confirm this isn't an ordinary Fiesta, useful interior cubby storage. It completed our 200-mile highway test loop with flying colors, clocking 38 mpg to beat its EPA estimate by 5 mpg. The Ford floats near the top of the EPA ratings and had the highest real-world highway figure in our testing. The Fiesta ST and most of its rivals are exceedingly fuel efficient, offering more thrills than refills. The brake pedal is light but responsive and doesn't punish overeager inputs with neck-snapping feedback. Integral to the Ford's playful feel is wonderfully direct steering. Surprisingly, comfort isn't compromised by the firm suspension. Thrashing the ST around twisty two-lanes, deserted parking lots, and backwater byways is endlessly enjoyable. Its exuberant handling easily makes up for its shortfall in straight-line speed. Its forgiving chassis and seamlessly shifting manual transmission allow amateur drivers to flourish and wily vets to test their limits. The Fiesta ST is a performance party where everyone's invited-and the cover charge is cheap. The ST's exhaust doesn't growl or howl, but it emits enough noise to alert everyone it's no ordinary bargain box. The light clutch has a short travel and long engagement range that made ripping through the gears effortless. Thankfully, its easy-shifting six-speed stick matched our spirited enthusiasm. The miniature mill makes 197 horsepower and 202 lb-ft of torque, which helped spur it from zero to 60 mph in 6.9 seconds in our testing it feels peppy but still lags behind higher-powered rivals at the drag strip. A six-speed row-your-own gearbox is the only available transmission and pairs with a zesty, turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder. The Fiesta ST might singlehandedly save the manuals. Dislikes: Could drive Miss Daisy at the drag strip, longest emergency-braking result versus rivals. Likes: Power is easy to exploit, manual transmission only, bona fide sports-car grip. The rest of the options are unnecessary, especially since standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto replace the need for navigation. We'd add the dark wheels because they look cool and the heavily bolstered Recaro buckets for their extra support (we suggest trying them out first, since they're too restrictive for some). ![]() Its available accessories include metallic Orange Spice or White Platinum paint colors, black 17-inch wheels and red brake calipers, heated Recaro seats, power sunroof, and navigation. Even outfitted with every option, the Fiesta ST stays well under $30,000. That makes the Ford one of the best performance bargains money can buy. The Fiesta ST is cheaper than esteemed rivals such as the Honda Civic Si coupe and the Volkswagen Golf GTI. Meanwhile, the current generation of the feisty little hatchback carries over for 2019 without change. The entire Fiesta range will no longer be built after May 2019. While we're thankful that Ford saw fit to keep selling the Fiesta ST for another model year rather than ending production, it only prolonged the inevitable. Still, this pint-sized performance hatchback is a back-to-basics option that rewards drivers of all skill levels. While the Fiesta ST is extremely affordable entertainment, its cut-rate interior and cramped back seat carry over from the even cheaper and less exciting Fiesta. It's powered by a 197-hp turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder that drives the front wheels through a six-speed transmission. ![]() ![]() Its manual-only gearbox is approachable, its suspension is lively but not harsh, and it's actually thrifty on gas-if you care about that. The Fiesta ST isn't as badass as the die-hard Ford Focus RS, but that makes it all the more lovable, er, fun.
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