The V might be catastrophically borked/So it looks like I might be “Hot Hatch” shopping

I'll post more details on the V as they become available, but it ain't lookin/soundin good.

I'd kicked around the idea of trading it on a FoRS last year, and hindsight being 20/20, perhaps should have.

I'm not "borrowing trouble" or however that phrase goes on the V just yet, but at least preparing for the worst, and perhaps using new purchase daydreaming as a happy distraction.

I love the FoRS. I want the FoRS. Unfortunately, I was really hoping to get our old house sold and new house built before buying one, ideally that would be right around the time they hit low-mid $20ks with some "long term data" on reliability.

So I started thinking "Man, worst case, I could probably buy a 2nd gen Fit Sport for $5k." That search was almost laughably fruitless. Apparently people still pay Honda Tax, and manuals are surprisingly hard to find locally.

Then I started thinking maybe FoST? But I think every time I look at it, I'd say to myself "Shoulda bought a FoRS."

So what about the in-betweener? FiST? I dig the "dorky" looks. I dig the idea of sub 3k pounds. I dig the idea of decent gains with bolt-ons & tune.

Also awesome is the fact that there are quite a few available locally, including a couple leftover "new" 19's.

Sorry if this is a bit "stream of conciousness," but any thoughts from the hive mind? 
 

Also: Thots & Slayers for the V, please.

Fiesta, if you don't care about rolling it.

>80k miles in and my only regret with my fiesta st is not buying a GTI at peak dieselgate time when they were basically giving them away for free. But that time has passed so that's not really relevant. It's not perfect and there's things I don't love about it, but it's a great fun commuter car that can do good mileage if you drive it nicely and with a set of 16" wheels and shocks rides half way okay while still turning decently. Every few months I think about replacing it, then realize the only appealing replacement is a newer, lower mileage version. I've seen decent condition used ones listed for $10k or less and I'm not really sure you can get much a better deal than that for what the car is. Or the leftover '19s you mentioned should be getting pretty cheap soon. Maybe I'm too good at focusing on the negatives but from everything I know about the RS and a few secondhand ownership experiences...absolutely zero interest in owning one, or even really driving one for that matter.

What's wrong and if it's fubar do you want to sell it cheap and have a V vs V challenge showdown?

I have a FiST, I like it. It's hard to find anything more fun, especially within say 2x of the cost (ND is the only thing I've found). The best thing about it is how quickly it changes direction. Most publications suggest the FiST is better than the FoST, or indeed any other current hatch. It's not BS.

I honestly don't have a lot of interest in a tune. I don't really want to more torque steer, or tire spinning. I think it makes about the right amount of power/torque from the factory. It doesn't feel great at putting down the power at lower speeds, but a LSD might help with that.

I kind of like having a car which is inexpensive to run and own. I wish it was prettier and RWD, but there is no perfect car. I'm dying to put the summer tires back on. 6 weeks to go! :D

Poopshovel gets FiSTed has such a nice ring to it. 

Honestly, I've been shopping a ton too, and the fiesta St is high on my list. It looks to be almost as much fun to drive as a Cooper s, and that's about as much fun as I've had in a car with my clothes on. 

I have a Golf R and its awesome.  Yeah, yeah, I'm a german car slut, I admit it.  However it's such a nicer DD compared to the FoRS.  It's not as pointy but that's kinda the point.  It's just a super nice place to spend time, you can get the awesome flappy paddle gearbox if you want and the '18-19's come with a huge 6 year/72k mile bumper to bumper warranty.

Snrub said:

I have a FiST, I like it. It's hard to find anything more fun, especially within say 2x of the cost (ND is the only thing I've found). The best thing about it is how quickly it changes direction. Most publications suggest the FiST is better than the FoST, or indeed any other current hatch. It's not BS.

I honestly don't have a lot of interest in a tune. I don't really want to more torque steer, or tire spinning. I think it makes about the right amount of power/torque from the factory. It doesn't feel great at putting down the power at lower speeds, but a LSD might help with that.

I kind of like having a car which is inexpensive to run and own. I wish it was prettier and RWD, but there is no perfect car. I'm dying to put the summer tires back on. 6 weeks to go! :D

As annoying as the open diff is I like the configuration because it saves me money. The other thought I have every few months is getting a turbo and a tune for it, then I remember that it already has too much torque and it needs a diff before any of that stuff. And the cost and effort of putting a diff in it is enough of a non-starter that I come to my senses and just leave it stock instead of dumping money into making my DD less reliable.

As for other options...we have a civic type R at work and it's actually way better than any of us expected it would be. There's no way it's worth almost $40k for a new one but if you could find a used one for $20k (I honestly have no idea what the used market on them is) that might be about a comparable deal to a $10k used fiesta st. And I would consider that long before any of the focus options if I needed something bigger than the fiesta.

Do you have any kids? Particularly small ones that need to be placed in safety Tupperware? That would be my biggest concern for a FiST. My MK7 GTI was tight with one rear facing seat and my wife is just over 5 foot tall.

 

Poopshovel gets FiSTed has such a nice ring to it. 
 

Doesn't it, though!?

Would make a nice vanity plate, too. #patentpending

MTechnically said:

Do you have any kids? Particularly small ones that need to be placed in safety Tupperware? That would be my biggest concern for a FiST. My MK7 GTI was tight with one rear facing seat and my wife is just over 5 foot tall.

One outta the booster. One still in the booster. But berkeley em, honestly. They turn into shiny happy people the older they get. Commute from home to school is 7 minutes. They can deal with it or ride the bus.

Floating Doc said:

Fiesta, if you don't care about rolling it.

A Jedi fears not these things.

Patrick said:

What's wrong and if it's fubar do you want to sell it cheap and have a V vs V challenge showdown?

It's not out of the question. 

I've gotten to drive a Focus ST with the Ford Racing tune, Quaife LSD and Focus RS brakes, and that was a pretty awesome setup.  If you had to settle for an ST, it's still great.

In reply to docwyte :

If there was a VW dealership less than an hour away, I might consider one.

If it was me, I'd get anything but a Ford. I hear the turbo Sonic can be fun. The GTIs are nice. Subarus aren't using the 2.5 any longer so the head gasket jokes no longer apply.  Mazda3 with a stick. A Hyundai.

Pull a broken white creeper van that smells of mouse pee and stale blood from a field, just to set it on fire and walk everywhere. 

Literally anything but a Ford. berkeley Ford and their E36 M3ty timing chain driven water pump in the FWD 3.7.
 

Have you ever driven a FoRS vs a FoST? A friend of mine went S2k>FoST>FoRS relatively quickly(still has S2k, but those were his dailys). To me the FoST was better in every way. Even just driving around town the ST feels light and nimble where the RS feels like a hammer. Don't get me wrong, I love  hammers, but if you're going to buy a hammer, buy a BFH. The torque curve is really nice on the ST. The controls felt better to me. And both of them were infinitely better than the AP1.

You should check out a civic si at hennessey honda of woodstock

I'm only following this for the "V" diagnosis.....

In reply to poopshovel again :

Fits are crazy expensive, aren't they?  And all I could find locally-ish with a manual were ragged out 1st gen models for still way too much money.

The FoRS is getting down there.  There are a few 2016s locally for $27-29k and about 50-70k miles.  No 2018s below 35ish though.  I agree with you - get what you want, not what you settle for. 

buzzboy said:

Have you ever driven a FoRS vs a FoST? A friend of mine went S2k>FoST>FoRS relatively quickly(still has S2k, but those were his dailys). To me the FoST was better in every way. Even just driving around town the ST feels light and nimble where the RS feels like a hammer. Don't get me wrong, I love  hammers, but if you're going to buy a hammer, buy a BFH. The torque curve is really nice on the ST. The controls felt better to me. And both of them were infinitely better than the AP1.

I've been driving a final-gen Focus the past couple weeks, with the base 2-liter engine.  I could NOT imagine driving this chassis with the hard hitting torque of a small turbo engine unless it had all wheel drive.  It's spectacularly bad at putting power down unless the ground is perfectly dry.

The steering is very nice, and I'm going to miss it when I get my Volvo back.  It's not all bad.

What are those Veloster Ns doing these days?

Would a fly and drive help with funding the right car?

Knurled. said:

buzzboy said:

Have you ever driven a FoRS vs a FoST? A friend of mine went S2k>FoST>FoRS relatively quickly(still has S2k, but those were his dailys). To me the FoST was better in every way. Even just driving around town the ST feels light and nimble where the RS feels like a hammer. Don't get me wrong, I love  hammers, but if you're going to buy a hammer, buy a BFH. The torque curve is really nice on the ST. The controls felt better to me. And both of them were infinitely better than the AP1.

I've been driving a final-gen Focus the past couple weeks, with the base 2-liter engine.  I could NOT imagine driving this chassis with the hard hitting torque of a small turbo engine unless it had all wheel drive.  It's spectacularly bad at putting power down unless the ground is perfectly dry.

The steering is very nice, and I'm going to miss it when I get my Volvo back.  It's not all bad.

My coworker had a FoST and found that putting power down with the stock tires was exasperating with TC off.

Newer tires with a bit more grip helped, but then he traded it on a FoRS after riding in mine.  :) 

Def check out second gen Velosters. I'm still kicking myself for not getting the N over the new Si I picked up (went with my safety net of a Honda) as I've stated in other threads.

Also 3rd gen Fit Sports are much more comfortable places to spend time than the 2nd gens. They are much nicer on the inside than the FiST as well. 70hp down and no turbo; but, a proper dual cam N/A Honda which will likely be the last of the breed in that sense.