The 2014 Ford Fiesta ST is deceptively quick, aggressively styled and very fun to drive. You can fit four people into the Fiesta ST with room for a little cargo in the back, but it is not as roomy as the Ford Focus ST.
The Fiesta ST delivers 197 horsepower with a 1.6 liter turbo and 214 lb-ft of torque that you won’t get in a regular model. Drivers also get racing seats, a sport suspension and a six speed manual transmission paired to a sporty clutch. At the end of the day this is a Fiesta, so the interior is more spartan than the Focus ST.
The 2014 Fiesta ST starts at just over $20,000, and our Fiesta ST review vehicle is $25,610 with 17-inch Alloy Wheels, Recaro racing seats that include heat and MyFord Touch with Navigation.
Read our Fiesta ST review to see why this is more than just a small car.
Driving the Fiesta St is exciting, especially when you get a chance to take advantage of the power this small car provides. It is very easy to go 0-60 quickly and, if you want to keep going, you can wind the Fiesta ST up to much higher speeds.
Thanks to the small size, you can also park the Fiesta ST almost anywhere, which makes it a nice choice for a city car with more power than your average small vehicle.
2014 Ford Fiesta ST Review Video
2014 Ford Fiesta ST Performance and Driving
The 2014 Ford Fiesta ST is more substantial than it appears. From the small size of the car to Matchbox-like wheels this car doesn’t look like much at first glance, even with the aggressive body styling.
Here’s what it’s like to drive the Fiesta ST.
That all disappears when you press in the sport clutch and pull out of first with more speed than you’d suspect. Zipping around a corner and squealing the tires as you slip into gear further signifies to you and to the other cars around that this is not your average Fiesta. Simply put: this is a fun car to drive.
A short sports clutch delivers fast shifting with a tap of the foot, delivering access to power and speed in an instant. Turning Sport mode on changes the traction control to put the driver in more control for even more fun when you are able to open it up.
The steering is tight, and the Fiesta reacts quickly to small adjustments. While driving you’ll feel the road, too much in some cases, like when on the edge of highway construction. When you need to stop, the brakes are quite good.
This six speed stick shift pairs with a sport clutch for a fun and engaging drive.
The only thing I didn’t like about the Fiesta ST driving experience is the placement of the shifter. It feels farther from the driver than it should be. After spending a week in the vehicle I adapted to the placement, but the Focus ST shifter is in a more comfortable location.
Another advantage of a small car, even a sporty one, is good gas mileage. On the highway the Fiesta St delivered 36MPG, which is better than the EPA rating. The rest of our driving around town was closer to the 26MPG city fuel efficiency on the sticker.
2014 Ford Fiesta ST Design & Interior
ST or not, this is still a Fiesta, so Ford cuts some corners compared to the Focus ST. The MyFord Touch screen is smaller, there are no LCD displays in the instrument cluster and Ford also drops the Turbo and other gauges from the center of the dash.
The small car fits four, but on a road trip plan on two or three.
The Recaro racing seats are perfect for me, delivering a firm hug as I get in the car and while driving the Fiesta ST like one should drive an ST. Not everyone finds these seats pleasing. My wife is not a fan of them, nor is my father in law, who tells me they are designed for someone younger. Both front seats are heated, which is an option certainly worth getting.
The back seat is roomy enough for a short trip, but it is not somewhere I would want to sit for a long road trip. The rear seats fold down to add more cargo, but this is still a pretty small car. You’ll do fine around town, but it could be cramped on a long trip.
The front of the Fiesta ST shares the same style grille as the Focus ST and ST badges. The aggressive look carries over to the sides and the rear with honeycombed trim on the back near the exhaust.
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- The small car fits four, but on a road trip plan on two or three.
2014 Ford Fiesta ST Tech
MyFord Touch is at the center of the Fiesta ST tech experience.
Ford includes MyFord Touch with a Sony sound system that definitely fills the small car with tunes. The MyFord Touch screen is smaller than in the Focus ST and most of the Ford lineup, but still easy enough to use. Our model includes navigation, which lets the driver get directions using the MyFord Touch voice controls.
Once a smartphone is connected to the system it can make calls, show text messages and play music over Bluetooth or over USB, depending on the phone.
Ambient lighting throughout the vehicle is a nice touch and there are two 12 volt chargers and two USB ports for getting power to your gadgets.
Charge and connect your devices to the Fiesta ST.
The Ford Fiesta ST includes Intelligent Access with Push Button Start. With the key in your pocket you can press a small black square on the door handle to unlock the doors, and then once inside you just push a button with your feet on the brake and clutch to start, leaving the key in your pocket. The video above shows a demo of this on the Focus ST.
2014 Ford Fiesta ST Review Verdict
The 2014 Ford Fiesta ST is a fun small car that’s also a practical city car for drivers that need a vehicle that can fit into tight places, but still offers power you can’t get in other cars this size.
2014 Ford Fiesta ST Specs
| Motor Review Fast Facts: | |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer: | Ford |
| Model: | Fiesta |
| Trim Package: | ST |
| Fuel Economy: | 26 city / 35 highway / 29 combined |
| Engine: | 1.6L EcoBoost I-4 Engine |
| Transmission: | 6-Speed Manual |
| Horsepower and Torque: | 197hp and 214 lb-ft |
| Base Price: | $21,400 |
| Price as Tested: | $25,610 |
| Pros: | Fun, Sporty ride, yet practical enough to be daily driver. |
| Cons: | Small vehicle, interior is not as roomy as the Focus, shifter is at an odd position. |
| Final Thoughts: | The Fiesta ST is a small sporty car that you can drive everyday, yet still take it out on the track or open it up on the weekend for fun. |
| Vehicle provided by manufacturer for review. | |
