Enough tributes have been paid to the Ford Fiesta ST of 2012-17 for us not to add to them here, save to say that if you’re looking for a class-leading hot hatch that’s also great value for money, you’ve just found it.
Prices start at around £6000 for the first cars and go all the way to £14,000 for the last ST-3s with low mileage.
All are powered by a 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol engine producing 180bhp and, thanks to an overboost function, 197bhp for a maximum of 15sec under full throttle. Lifting off briefly is sufficient to reset the timer and away you go again.
This generation of Fiesta ST was the first to use torque vectoring, a system that brakes the front wheels individually to tame any incipient understeer. The ST also sits 15mm lower than standard models and has disc brakes all round. In short, it’s ready to play straight out of the box.
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This applies even to the most basic spec, called ST-1. Basic but still with a few welcome features, including 17in alloy wheels, a bodykit, Recaro front seats, a digital radio, air-con and twin tailpipes. An additional touch was the standard-fit ST mats but they’re probably looking a bit tired now.
This version cost just £16,995 when new, but for another £1000, you could buy the ST-2 and most buyers did, attracted by its part-leather Recaros, rear privacy glass and starter button.
Later on, the top-spec ST-3, costing £19,250, arrived bearing gifts such as a sat-nav, automatic headlights, climate control and power folding mirrors. Despite its price premium over the ST-2, it came a close second to it in terms of sales.
As we explain below, the ST-2 is our pick. However, it’s worth pointing out that with so many used STs for sale, prices are all over the place and you could well bag a better-equipped ST-3 for the same or even less money. For example, we found a dealer-sale 2015/15-reg ST-2 with 40,000 miles for £8995 and a same-age, dealer-sale ST-3 with 45,000 miles for the same price.
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That was really helpful Mariam Cardus. Does this mean I might be able to afford a second hand fiesta ST?