Item: Used Ford Fiesta ST 2018-present
Rating: 5
Author: What Car? Team

The <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/suzuki/swift/hatchback/used-review/n959">Suzuki Swift Sport</a> has made a name for itself as a small bundle of fun. The latest version isn’t quite as successful in that regard as the earlier one, but it’s still a likeable thing, and there are plenty of older cars available. You’ll also get plenty of standard equipment, and it’s a hoot to drive and relatively cheap to run.

The <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/volkswagen/golf/sports/used-review/n17575">Volkswagen Golf GTI</a> is the go-to hot hatch for many, and deservedly so. It’s fast and capable, yet also refined and easy to drive. The interior is classy and roomier the Fiesta's.

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If you're interested in finding a <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-cars/ford/fiesta?used=true&amp;nearlynew=true&amp;derivative.trim=st-2&amp;yearFrom=2018">used Fiesta ST</a>, head over to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-cars">Used Car Buying</a>&nbsp;pages to find lots of cars listed for sale at a great price.

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What is it like?

Ownership cost

Advice for buyers

Our recommendations

Alternatives

Hatchback

Ford builds some of the most popular cars in the UK, including the Fiesta and Focus hatchbacks.

This success is partly down to longevity and the fact that there’s a Ford dealer around every corner. However, it’s also because Fords tend to offer good value and be among the best cars in their respective classes to drive.

The company’s huge range also helps; it offers everything from the small – but surprisingly practical – Ka+ to the large and lavishly equipped Edge SUV.

Meanwhile, other highlights of the range include the S-Max and Galaxy people carriers, the Mondeo executive car and the Ranger pick-up.

FORD

FIESTA ST

Few cars are as much fun to drive as the Fiesta ST, and not many are as good value either

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Used Ford Fiesta ST 2018-present

<h3 dir="ltr">MPG</h3>

The Fiesta ST’s new engine is responsible for an improvement in official fuel economy over the previous model. On paper, the car is good for 40.4mpg according to the latest WLTP ratings, with a CO2 emissions output figure of 136g/km.

<h3 dir="ltr">Road tax</h3>

All third-generation STs were&nbsp;registered after April 2017&nbsp;and will therefore attract annual VED tax, currently £155&nbsp;per&nbsp;year. You can find&nbsp;more information about the current&nbsp;road tax costs&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/advice/buying/car-tax-changes-in-2019-%E2%80%93-what-do-i-need-to-know/n1153">here</a>&nbsp;

<h3 dir="ltr">Insurance</h3>

Insurance shouldn’t be too expensive&nbsp;despite the performance on offer, as the ST sits in group 28.

<h3 dir="ltr">Servicing&nbsp;</h3>

Servicing costs should be moderate. Ford offers a number of servicing plans for cars up to three years old, allowing servicing costs to be planned for and paid by direct debit if needed.

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Few cars are as much fun as the Fiesta ST, and not many are such good value either


You’ll need about £14,500 to get inside an ST, and that should buy&nbsp;you a 2018 car with around 30,000 miles on the clock&nbsp;and a full history from a franchised dealer. You'll find plenty of examples in&nbsp;ST-2 form at around that price. To net an ST-3, expect to pay circa&nbsp;£15,500.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

That represents a good saving on the cost of a&nbsp;new one (although part of the ST’s great appeal is its value for money new). If you're willing to spend between £16,500 and £19,000, you’ll find plenty of excellent examples from 2019 and 2020&nbsp;in ST-2 and ST-3 trims. Spend not much more than £20,000 on nearly-new cars.&nbsp;

<h3 dir="ltr">Trims</h3>

There’s only the one engine option, and the Fiesta ST is great in any trim, but we’d seek out a favourably priced ST-3 for goodies such as sat-nav and heated seats. We’d edge towards a five-door version for its added practicality, although we’d quite understand if the sportier dynamic of a three-door car took your fancy.

Our favourite Ford Fiesta ST: 1.5 ST-3

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<h2>What we're looking for:</h2><ul><li>Engaging handling </li> <li>Thrilling performance </li> <li>A characterful engine with an enticing soundtrack </li> <li>Reasonable running costs </li> <li>Not hard to live with day to day</li></ul>

A popular choice with UK buyers since the days of the original Volkswagen Golf GTI, the hot hatchback mixes everyday practicality with higher performance and the sort of handling and agility that’s ideally suited to British roads. A good hot hatch should be fun and, since it’s likely to be your daily drive, it should also deliver respectable running costs.

The Golf GTI remains one of the best hot hatches on the market, along with its main competitor,&nbsp;the&nbsp;equally as responsive and cheaper to buy Hyundai i30 N. But there are some terrific options for even less money than both of these cars. We're big fans of the Ford Fiesta ST, which is definitely one of the best hot hatches ever and certainly one of the most fun to drive. It's full of character and its engaging handling makes it a bit of a hoot at all speeds.&nbsp;

If you’ve got a bit more money to spare, there are even faster cars available, such as the Honda Civic Type R. This latest version is sublime to drive, either on road or on a track, as it's so sweetly balanced. It's also incredibly quick in a straight line&nbsp;and round a corner, and yet it's as practical as a regular Civic.&nbsp;

Hot hatch

Many Ford Fiesta STs&nbsp;will have been used in towns and quite possibly on school runs so it’s worth checking the extremities of the car for any damage to the bodywork. Check the condition of the alloy wheels carefully&nbsp;as any kerb damage could be expensive to put right.

Some owner will have used their&nbsp;ST vigorously so, as well as taking care to do proper visual checks on the car when you’re buying it, it’s vital to watch out for obvious signs of misuse.

Do a visual&nbsp;check of the exhaust gases (they&nbsp;shouldn’t be too dark), the oil on the engine dipstick and the quality of the coolant. Also check for leaks under the car&nbsp;if possible, and look out&nbsp;for worn tyres that might need expensive replacement. It is always advisable to insist on a full service history, preferably with a Ford main dealer.

It's a little too early in the life of this generation of ST for there to be reports of any specific problems, but so far owners have only good things to say. At the time of writing, no recalls for the ST have&nbsp;been issued.

The ST didn't feature&nbsp;in the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/2020-what-car-reliability-survey-brands/n20069">2020 What Car? Reliability Survey</a>&nbsp;but the standard Fiesta did. It placed 17th out of 21 small cars.&nbsp;In the same survey, Ford as a brand finished in a mid-table 18th place out of 31 manufacturers.

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Sometimes it's true that the best things come in small packages. Consider the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/ford/fiesta/hatchback/used-review/n952">Ford Fiesta</a>&nbsp;–&nbsp;a&nbsp;bestselling car&nbsp;that's so accomplished in its standard form that it consistently wins top honours in the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/category/small">small car</a>&nbsp;category.

As if that weren’t enough, since 2004 Ford has produced a sporting version called the ST. The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/ford/fiesta-st/hatchback/used-review/n17883">first generation</a>&nbsp;car was a hoot, but the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/ford/fiesta-st/hatchback/used-review/n17883">second</a>&nbsp;was even&nbsp;better: it was quite sensational&nbsp;and a clear class-leader. Now, though, we have the third-generation ST, which is the fast version of the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/ford/fiesta/hatchback/used-review/n952">Mk 8 Fiesta</a>, launched in 2018.

Confused? Don’t be. This Fiesta ST is still the bee's knees, but it goes at things a little differently to the previous one. While its predecessor&nbsp;had a 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine under its bonnet, this car has an all-new 1.5-litre three-cylinder turbo one. It incorporates&nbsp;new technology that allows it to run on two cylinders when full power is not the top priority.

The third-generation car, echoing the standard Fiesta's evolution, is slightly longer and wider, too, and the ST now has quicker steering and the option of a limited-slip differential (LSD), for better handling.

Trim-wise, the ST is available in three different versions: ST-1, ST-2 and ST-3. Standard equipment isn’t stingy, with 17in alloy wheels, air-con, electrically operated and heated door mirrors, keyless start and cruise control all included with the entry-level trim.

If you step up to ST-2,&nbsp;you get an upgraded sound system, plus climate control and rear privacy glass. ST-3 adds 18in alloy wheels, automatic headlights and wipers, power-folding door mirrors, heated front seats, a heated steering wheel and keyless entry.

Cars fitted with the optional Performance Pack come with&nbsp;a traction-enhancing LSD, plus a launch control and shift lights that tell you when you're about to hit the engine's rev limit.&nbsp;

On the road, that all adds up to one little humdinger of a car. The engine may only have three cylinders but it blasts through the mid-range with a surge of punchy and pleasurable performance. Acceleration times from a standstill are pretty impressive, with the 0 to 62mph dash completed in just 6.6 seconds. The artificially enhanced engine noise adds a sporty and muscular note.

The standard six-speed manual gearbox has a short, snappy change, and the ratios are well chosen to make the most of the car’s potential. There are three driving modes available: Normal, Sport and Track. Moving to Sport from Normal makes the accelerator more responsive, adds weight to the steering and increases the volume of the exhaust. Moving to Track switches off the car's traction control and relaxes its stability control for maximum driver control and, of course, enjoyment.

The Fiesta ST is fab in corners. Its&nbsp;steering is quick and direct, and there’s plenty of grip. The handling is tremendously good fun and adjustable via the throttle, although cars with the LSD offer more traction in tighter or wetter bends. The payback for all the fun is a ride that's firm and occasionally too bouncy. On broken B-roads, it can feel too busy&nbsp;and on longer journeys can be quite tiring – but that's the price you pay for its undeniable cornering abilities.

Inside, the driver has a figure-hugging and very supportive Recaro sports seat. There’s plenty of adjustment in the steering wheel and the seat itself, so people of varying heights and shapes should be able to find the right driving position. Visibility is good, as is the perceived interior quality.

Ford's Sync 3 infotainment system is fitted as standard and comes with an 8.0in touchscreen. It offers sharp graphics, lots of features (including <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/advice/owning/what-is-apple-carplay/n1193">Apple CarPlay</a>/<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/advice/owning/what-is-android-auto/n1194">Android Auto</a> smartphone mirroring, a DAB radio and Bluetooth) and relatively simple menus. One gripe is that there are no physical shortcut buttons to make it easier to hop between functions. &nbsp;

There’s plenty of space for the driver and passenger up front, but rear-seat passengers will find it more of a squeeze, especially if they're sitting&nbsp;behind someone tall.&nbsp;This latest ST is at least available as a three-door or a five-door car, though. The boot trumps some of its rivals for outright volume, although dropping the 60/40-split rear seats does leave a slightly stepped floor. &nbsp;

If you're interested in finding a <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-cars/ford/fiesta?used=true&amp;nearlynew=true&amp;derivative.trim=st-2&amp;yearFrom=2018">used Fiesta ST</a>, head over to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-cars">Used Car Buying</a>&nbsp;pages to find lots of cars listed for sale at a great price.

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Used Ford Fiesta ST 2018-present review

Alternatives

What alternatives should I consider to a used Ford Fiesta ST hatchback?