2014 Ford Fiesta ST Review – Hatchback with a Sporty Edge
One-week vehicle loan was provided for review purposes. All opinions are my own. Type: Hatchback Price: $21,400 Fuel Efficiency: 26 city/35 hwy Seats: 5 Best Suited For: Thin-framed singles Notable Features:…
| Type: Hatchback Price: $21,400 Fuel Efficiency: 26 city/35 hwy Seats: 5 |
Best Suited For: Thin-framed singles Notable Features: Sporty interior, peppy transmission, fun colors Links: Official site |
Previously, I shared with you my thoughts on the 2014 Ford Fiesta sedan and how the hatchback version might make it less boring. Well, I finally got the chance to review a 2014 Ford Fiesta ST. This sportier version does look much better on the outside and the electric colors it comes in definitely helps. Love the rims and the stylish spoiler!
2014 Ford Fiesta ST – Sporty Changes
The Fiesta ST has a nice bit of oomph and smoothly transitions between gears. The manual transmission was nice but I would have loved some gear paddles on the steering wheel. Most everything was okay but, again, the Fiesta just doesn’t provide any “wow” factor for me.
I never thought I’d say this but this Ford does not have enough buttons! The navigation is somewhat cumbersome with the the scaled back controls and even my daughter was complaining about the lack of dials to control the sound system. It seems all the buttons were saved for the ventilation settings but those are just plain confusing when your visual focus should be on the road, not trying to figure out how to turn the defrost on.
One major, and I do mean major, drawback are the seats. Now, if you’re a Skinny Minnie, this might not be a factor but, for most average people this could present an issue. The sporty front seats are designed to hug your body but, instead, they squish it to death. The seats feel so narrow that even I felt uncomfortable. Now, I’m no size 2 but you’d think the car would be able to handle my smaller Asian frame. Nope. My husband was basically sitting 1-2 inches from the back of the seat at all times as he simply did not fit (unless he wanted to feel claustrophobic).
Legroom in the back is one the smaller side but has space for five people. Trunk/cargo space is good. If more is needed, the back row of seats do fold down all the way but not unless you flip down the headrests first.
2014 Ford Fiesta ST – Try Before You Buy
The 2014 Ford Fiesta ST does look a lot better than its standard sibling but I’m not sure the upgrade is worth it. Part of the appeal of the Fiesta is the economical price, which makes the less than interesting performance and materials acceptable. Adding the sporty upgrades for an extra fee bumps it up to a price range where there’s a lot more competition that does the job better. Plus, it seems like a silly oversight to add such narrow bucket seats without the ability to even adjust it.
