FR TDI Vs ST FIESTA

[Randomman]

The ST hardly broke any records in the handling stakes. Its still a heavy engine up front.

As standard though I sadly suspect the Fraud would win. But get a remap and you will win. If he moans - tell him to get a remap and try again. You will still win.

Just dont tell him about the remap and say diesels take 60k to loosen up and all the magazines tested them from new.

 

[rob1]

i was originally looking for a 1.4 when a few years ago, then i noticed the mk4 had just come out and had real good reviews and the 1.9 tdi was faster, better equipped and the economy was there!! initial test drive with the torque so high was an amazing ride and bought it in a few days after haggling!

then soon as the cupra came out i went out and got that instead!

for a while most normal cars on the road would find it hard to beat.. but now the new boy racers out there are getting the corsa vxr and focus st which proves to be a bit more of a challenge...

time for mods me thinks!

 

[keefy]

Rob1 you could be right about a 1.8 diesel in the Fiesta messing up the handling, but if it's one thing that Ford can do it is handling.

Chris285, you have cited pretty much the exact reasons why I got my 130Sport. I couldn't come up with another car (bar the VRS, which seems to hold it's 2nd hand value better) that offered the performance/economy and equipment.
I was VERY tempted by the ZetecS TDCi, but it lacked that last bit of punch in the performance stakes and didn't have half the kit I was after; electric windows and AC were about your lot.

If you are doing long journeys and take it relatively steady you should easily see 55mpg, perhaps closer to 60mpg.

 

[rob1]

im hoping if i get a rear arb and maybe lower the rear suspension to it looks the same as the front that it will improve things for me. I assume keeping standard front suspension wont interfere with geting something like eibach springs and dampners at the rear?

 

[Randomman]

well, nothing mechanically would stop you mixing and matching springs and shocks, but I dont think it is good for handling if the front of car dips more than the rear. Or if it is, its probably very scientific. Or everyone would be doing it!

 

[rob1]

it just looks like the front of my car is right in the arches but the back has loads of room, suppose its to account for the passengers and boot being fully loaded.... that might change again though when i put my subs in so it shouldnt be as heavy as with all the 'crap' i got in there atm.

 

[RichieRich]

i got vxr's and bmw's to contend with as boy racers go lol or just there norm crappy slow as cars which i could beat if i wanted to .. but after the arb and remap it might beet some of my mates cars finnaly!

 

[Ant FR]

you may be ok in a straight line, but an ST will whoop you on the twisty stuff, amazing handling cars, real fun to drive.

 

[rob1]

is the fr setup much different to the cupra handling wise?

 

[mexicorich]

Mate had an ST
Never put my 130 up against it but have to say the ST did go well if you used the rev range and hit the gaer change just right. Driven 100% I think th ST would have just had a slight edge as much I hate to admit it

 

[Nath.]

FR derv would be a tad behind an ST but an FR petrol would be a length or 2 in front

methinks both the cupra's would say byby

 

[Ibiza 130 tdi]

All I know is that the Fiesta ST is crap. I test drove one a few months ago. The engine felt totally life-less. Theres hardly any pull even when I revved the hell out of it.

We had one in at work and I needed to take it down the road to get the stripes put back on it, i thought i'd plant it to see what it would do. I was soooooooooooooooooooooo disappointed. Absolutely crap. You could watch the speedo and it really didnt do anything exciting at all. The FR would definitely beat it. so i must agree with you!

 

[Baz1]

Hmm well.

I had a lil play with a fiesta ST a couple of weeks ago and he just about managed to keep up with me. Off a roundabout and up a dual carriageway. He was behind me and i was deffo pulling away from him ... uphill

Then saw the 40mph signs up ahead so slowed down and he flew past me.

So, I reckon this calls a standing start somewhere safe... a track maybe?

 

[mexicorich]

Perhaps there is actually a bit of variation in ST engines - not what you expect nowadays

 

[idge]

Went from an ST to a 130 sport. The sport was quicker 30-70, but wouldn't launch as well and stopped pulling after 3rd gear. The ST would just keep pulling at a constant rate, nothing amazing, but you could rev it crazy high so you hardly ever had to change gear.

I went from the Sport to a Cupra TDi. The grip in the Cupra is similar to the ST, but the Fiesta was much much sharper and less squidgy! Cupra is defintely quicker than the ST

 

[mexicorich]

As I suspected

 

[rob1]

i went from the sport to the cupra, handling seems a bit better, even when i put my tyre pressues stupidly high all around to save some tread

 

[micky 32]

A guy on briskoda reckons that he was in a remmapped PD130 fabia and that an ST overtook them going up a hill! Thats where the Diesel should have been better, Unless he was telling lies and acting the troll an ST is faster than a remapped PD130.

 

[dozza.13]

Didnt top gear do a feature a while ago with a fabia vrs and fiesta st, they raced em round the track and the st came out on top, but only just, im sure a remapped fr or sport would beat a fiesta!

 

[AvRS]

I have a Fabia vRS and my mate has an ST. When we last had a play I was running 177bhp/271lbft I only just got ahead where his nose was level with my rear, this was from side by side in gear. He is a crazy driver and at one point thought he was going to smack me one but he told me different. Anyway the ST is quicker than you think and in standard form the ST would have a standard vRS/FR without too much problem given it is driven by an enthusiastic driver. I was pretty suprised how well it kept up and then done me off the next roundabout but that was driver error as I had it in the wrong gear and suffered for that but even then the pace he took off at was impressive. Anyway I'm now running around the 200 bhp mark and he knows I'll beat him however he's also done mods to his though on a much more basic level. If it was done round the twisties I think he'd do me every time as when I was a passenger you can corner much more confidently and with far more pace than in mine even with my suspension mods. Oh and off the line the ST is quicker too but that would be expected as the derv is always gonna suffer with you having to change gears more frequently and first is rubbish.

Anyway that's my thoughts.