Ford Fiesta ST (2018-2023) review

The Fiesta ST was no longer a conspicuous bargain when it made its final journey through the pearly gates. In your head, this car was about £19k, right? Ours too. And it was, when it launched. But as a five-door ST-3 only, costs went through the roof: it was a £27k Fiesta if you so much as looked at the options list. Ford's own finance calculator pitched the ST at £303 a month.

Seemed a shame to us that there was no longer a bargain way into a Fiesta ST; that you can't choose to do without leather, heated seats, a back-up camera and a fleet of driver aids and lop some cash off the monthly repayments. Good job it should be cheap to run. 

Ford claimed 42.2mpg, which is eminently match-able: you can get close to 50mpg on the motorway, while CO2 emissions are a modest 151g/km: not bad for a manual six-speed. There's no automatic option with a longer top gear, see.

Can you give me some second-hand estimates?

The fact that you can't buy a Fiesta ST new any more means used sellers can now claim 'rarity', which should push up prices forever more. Hunt down an example with modest mileage from 2021 and - at the time of writing - you'll be parting with £19k or so.

What do I get as standard?

Find a late ST-3 and the answer to that is 'pretty much everything'. 18-inch rims, matrix-beam LED headlights, a heated windscreen, heated seats and steering wheel, keyless entry and start, cruise control, lane-keep and traffic sign assist, parking sensors... it's a very well equipped car. And so it should be. 

Oh, the rear-view camera's actually quite handy as the Shrek's ear door mirrors are rather small.

What if I want a brand new hot hatch?

The Hyundai i20N is your saviour. Priced from less than £27k, it's a tad faster than the Ford on paper with just as much equipment included. A promise of 40.4mpg and emissions of 158g/km aren't far off what the ST can offer, either. Food for thought.