IgnasSRR

I've been looking at Fiestas for a while now, and while I generally like the <"08 ST (as much as I can tell without ever driving one), lately I can't help but feel that I'm not getting a lot of car for the money. Whereas in UK you can seemingly get great examples for£1500, in Germany they start at €3000 for just "OK" ones. Around €4500 - €5000 for something good. Add to that the cost of shipping it back home (as there are basically none for sale locally, at best a couple at a time) and a small hatchback with a 110kW just doesn't seem that great of a deal. Sure they're supposed to be nippy and maybe the power for its weight will be alright (bet it will feel plenty fast enough from what I'd be upgrading), but I wonder if it's something that would last me very long.

Not too long ago I drove a friend's T20 Celica, which got me questioning my options in the first place. It had I believe the 3S-GE in it at 125kW and, from what I can find on the internet, ranges from just a little slower to a little faster to 60/100 than the ST. Immediately I found it really enjoyable to drive in a way I can't quite describe. I didn't push it to the limit in any way, but it was easy to drive, nice to sit in and had the power when you needed it. Mind you, I drove very few cars in my life so far and that might just be the fastest one, so I can't really compare. But that's when I thought I'd be paying at least twice what that's worth for the ST with less power, possibly slower and arguably not as sporty looking. Of course it's a lot newer and I'm sure there are upsides, but still.

Right around where ST's top out, at 5000-6000 EUR, is where the Mazda 3 MPS's start, which I've looked into briefly. Fairly nice looking (even if I'm not a fan of the 5 door hatchback idea), well equipped and more power than I need. But then buying a turbo car at the low-end of the market sounds rather sketchy, nor is the gas mileage inviting, among other running costs. I've also got the impression that besides the power, it's not that engaging to drive, being a larger and heavier car, but I suppose that's more in comparison to it's actual rivals out there and not a Fiesta.

In the end I feel like I'd be the happiest with a 2 door coupe/ liftback of some sort rather than a typical hatchback, but I try to not be too picky in order to keep my options open. There's the second-gen Mitsubishi Eclipse, which I love the look of, but unfortunately they're on the older side and the only attainable engine at 104kW seems neither quick nor economical. Still, however, I'm slightly edging towards the idea that the looks alone are worth it.

Speaking of Celicas, the Mk7 seems pretty perfect on paper, with even the 1ZZ engine looking like an alright choice, but.. I find the styling really hard to digest. It's like it was created exclusively for the tuner scene and went out of style along with it. Okay, it's not that bad and I'd probably get used to it but it's definitely not something that I dream about. The 2ZZ models, which look like the go-to option and would probably make up for the looks, are few and pretty expensive at that, though not unattainably so. And if not with the top-end engine, I'm leaning a lot more towards the previous gen like the one I drove.

Any other odd choice that I may have not considered? Or just thoughts about the ST or anything else I named here? Any input is welcome, just looking for some wise words. For context I currently drive a perpetually broken EFI Pinto "92 Sierra saloon that I plan to keep as a long-term project.

Glenn_

iTrader: (1)

What about a mk2 mondeo ST220??

IgnasSRR

I've been mainly focusing on smaller, lighter cars and just in general something other than a four door family car for a change. Doesn't look like I'd be able to afford the fuel without going LPG either, which I was hoping to do without. But who knows, it looks and sounds good, so I might just return to it eventually.

Adam-M

Get an ep3 type r a much better car than the st

IgnasSRR

Bit dull on the looks, but yeah, I can see how it's miles better. I wonder if it's worth going up to an FN2 as they're not far off and seem a bit more common.