The Ford Fiesta ST Gave Me Some of My Favorite Driving Memories and I Didn’t Even Own One

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In 2013 I was freshly 19, working two part-time jobs trying to piece together a living. One was at a car dealership as a lot jockey and I was, how the kids say it, “down bad” for a Fiesta ST. It was not an expensive car but still beyond my minimum-wage means. Imagine my surprise when I waltzed into a rural Ford dealership and had a salesman hand me the keys to one saying “go nuts, just don’t kill yourself.”

Car Bibles is a new sister site to The Drive focusing on DIY culture, pro tips for maintenance and modifications, and fun takes on the car scene. The “Car Bibles” themselves are comprehensive rundowns on specific generations of cars. Click here to check out the Fiesta ST Car Bible which just went live!

He knew I didn’t have the money for that car. Was it his last day, and didn’t care if some wiseass kid drove the piss out of a brand new hot hatch? Did he just take pity on me, understanding I had driven 45 minutes out of my way to check the car out? Did he somehow think I had the money even though I explained that I didn’t? Whatever, I’d examine the implications later—I had the keys in my hand and I wanted to drive the damn thing.

I remember it clearly. It was a brand new 2014 model, in Race Red, with the optional Recaro package. The car built torque quickly and effortlessly—it was quick, but the motor wasn’t overwhelming the rest of the car. The steering was well-weighted, direct, and easy to place. The car handled great, but the ride wasn’t punishing either. I didn’t have much in the way of driving skill, but the Fiesta ST made me feel like I did. The Fiesta ST was so forgiving; it’s a car you can’t help but smile because of when you’re behind the wheel.

The Fiesta ST was great. Punchy in a way I hadn’t experienced before, super-connected in ways that my 2007 Toyota Yaris I was driving at the time wasn’t.

It almost felt like we didn’t deserve the Fiesta ST in America, its smallness and spryness were (and still are) unusual for this car market. The latest one in Europe is supposed to be even better. (Sigh.)

But at least the Fiesta ST was around in the U.S. for long enough to give us a sizeable crop of used cars, so you can still enjoy one if you missed the chance to buy one new like I did. To help you out with finding, buying, maintaining, and modifying one yourself we’ve just published the Fiesta ST Car Bible. This will be the definitive tome on the U.S.-spec version of this hot hatch; it’s already chock-full of information and will only get better as we find more scraps of info to include. Please check it out, and let’s keep more Fiesta STs on the road!

Kevin Williams is a writer at Car Bibles, a new sister site to The Drive focusing on practical tips and DIY advice to help you get the most out of your car. Come see the freshly redesigned Car Bibles right now! Or check us out on Twitter, IG, and Facebook. Actually LinkedIn too, if you’re on there.