Guys, I've been looking into cheap lease deals on the the mk7 ST3. Am I stupid for looking at them? I like the look of them and the interior is a much nicer place to be and are very well spec'd. Performance is decent and running costs very low ... I'm looking to buy a house later on in the year and it'll allow me to release the equity in my megane to put into my house deposit. Monthly costs are more than affordable and only in the region of £170 pcm. This isn't the best place to get an unbiased decision but what do you guys think?
For the reasons you listed then aye, I would probably go for it. They are surprisingly quick cars. Get it mapped and it will be as quick as a stock 250! They are just a great fun little car. Throw it about and not really worry about it. Cheap to repair, Consumables are cheap. I may even consider one on a cheap lease as a daily when the Megane is taken off the road.
My friend works for ford so regularly brings the fiesta ST's home. I can can confidently say it's without a doubt the best car I have ever driven "spirited". The handling is out if this world, extremely adjustable, very light, bags of power and I never ever want to get out if it. My brother has a blue ST3 with the mountune package and this makes a difference. As Jamie says my 250 is stock and my brother has no problems keeping up with me. Only yesterday when I was out for a blast I came up against a stock ST (no mountune badge) and on the twistes it was exactly the same! I always say to my brother the day he sells it I'm having it 100% they are superb. Only thing that puts me off is it's a little small and I prefer the looks of the megane for me to swap now! Id id say don't even consider it, they are awesome!! Best car I've driven by far!
Wouldn't the R26 be worth less than the ST? I'm just thinking if the R26 is worth say £8-9k at a rough guess so you're planning to sell that and pocket the cash which makes some sense but then having finance/leasing costs per month will be taken into account by a mortgage lender. The less outstanding 'debt' be it finance or credit cards etc the better for your mortgage mate. So from a financial perspective, running costs or not the R26 is better. I'm assuming you own the R26 outright so it doesn't cost you £170 a month I mean. Performance wise the ST will feel slower but no doubt it's a great place to be sat and a good laugh to chuck about. It's probably different enough to not be too closely compared if that makes sense so it'll still put a smile on your face. In my opinion, financially it'd be a no but performance car wise, why not have a chance.
Never been in these ST's, but you can't deny every car mag loving it and in a lot of them, naming it as (junior) hot hatch of the year. I've come up against one before on the way to Goodwood and left it for dead in the twisties (maybe because mine isn't stock), but it gave a good account of itself. Maybe a better driver could have got closer. I can't force myself to like the styling though.. the front is OK, but the rear looks like an elf. On the road they look too lofty and like they're about to be blown over to me. I'll be coming to getting a house soon so will probably face a similar decision to you though!
Over the 2 years it is cheaper to keep the megane definitely. It's more about the hassle free driving for two years, tax is included in the lease so I'll probably have to have 1 service and one set of front tyres in the 2 years I'll have it and pay the monthly costs as well. The list for the megane could be endless? I've had it 14 months now and it's been absolutely solid but as with most cars whats stopping the turbo and clutch going 3 months down the line? Im so shit a decision making lol I really like the looks of the fiesta as well, I'm just worried ill miss the power of the megane.
I can't get away with the looks, very boring not much different to the standard one. In fact I saw a Fiesta the other day which I thought looked quite nice for an St but the badge said it was just a Zetec sport or something. They look too tall with small wheels. My choice would be the old shape 200 or a Peugeot 208. However I've never drove the Fiesta so can't really say how good or how bad it is, just going on the looks.
I'd be worried about 'downgrading' in terms of performance. The Fiesta may be a hoot to fling about, but so is the Meg. I know not everyone goes by track times religiously, but the R26 is in a different league http://fastestlaps.com/comparisons/renault_megane_sport_f1-team_r26-vs-ford_fiesta_st_2013.html
I've gotta be honest seriously there would be zero difference on any road by any average driver! They really are that good! Mountune vs a R26 standard it would exactly the same!
Well that's the thing you have to consider, the Fiesta will cost you a little over £4k which yes potentially the Megane could but they're not a ticking time bomb as such so you'd have to weigh in whether you think the R26 would cost you this amount. Also that £4k you'll never see again which would deter me a little as if you put that money into the Meggy you'd still have it in 2 years time. £170 per month isn't a great deal but it's money you'd never see again and I don't know if that would tarnish it a little for me if I didn't have another car to fall back on. It is personal preference though mate as I'm not a fan of leasing a car and if it were me probably wouldn't consider doing so until after you've got the mortgage agreed, just in case it stands against you as a monthly outgoing. Something to check out first I guess. My 2005 225 Trophy has just ticked over 45k and this year needed two rear tyres, an engine mount, service and insurance which when I work it out is about £65 per month. Obviously that's not definitive of all examples but it's still a 9 1/2 year old car but low mileage. Hope that helps anyway haha. Good to weigh up both sides of it.
Thanks for all the opinions guys! In regards to lap times, that's one of my problems is I have an R26 sitting on my drive and it just gets used for my daily commute. I doubt I'll get the time for a track day this year so it'll two years of having a 'track ready' car and hardly pushing it's capabilities. The fiesta will cost a total of roughly 5.5k over the 2 years. Repairs, Tax and MOT's are non existent on the fiesta as well as insurance being cheaper. Trouble free! I'm changing my mind by the hour, one minute it's keep the meg next it's get the fiesta .... FML!
Different league, Are you for real? Couple of seconds in not a different league. I would always take times from that site with a large pinch of salt as well. Theres never any info on who was actually driving or where they get their times from
I am for real, yes. Maybe a 'different league' could be a slight exaggeration, but considering they're both hot hatches, therefore in the same segment, 2-4 seconds is significant
I must admit there is something to be said about having tonnes of performance but applying it on the road is a different thing. Yes having the handling and speed of an R26 is one thing, great on a track but not that essential on the road. I own an RS Twingo which has a mere 131bhp, but the chassis to make the most of all of that power and you can have an engaging, smile inducing drive without driving like a tool. Ok, so you may be beaten by some big torquey diesel off the line but that driver wouldn't be smiling like a muppet after a B-road blast like you would in the Twingo. Same goes for the Fiesta ST vs the RS Megane, ok so the ST won't have the outright pace of an R26 but doesn't mean you wouldn't get a thrill or challenge driving it. I certainly wouldn't base it on performance, both are grin inducing and we don't all have to share the Clarkson sentiment, 'POOOWWEERRRR!!!'. You need to weigh up if your R26 will cost you that £5,500 in the next 2 years or not! Oh, plus the fact that if you don't have a Megane you're no longer part of our awesome gang, no pressure haha
Been given a decent deal on a st3 so going to let them carry out a credit check and we'll see how I feel then
The new fiestas are great cars. Very light and sharp to drive making them really quick point to point. Not much to lool at and apart from the seats pretty normal inside but beauty is in the eye of the beholder I guess. Id be very tempted by one in your situation.
Go on focusrsoc.com theres loads of people that have got rid of the rs's for similar reasons and bought the fiesta st ,everyone raves on about them and quite good for tuning with revo and the likes
All I can say is just wait till you come up against one. If you read my previous posts, my brother has a mountune one and I have a standard 250 and I can NOT pull more than a car on it!!! So 15bhp between a mountune and a 230 and the weight difference....... Good luck.
Its tempting guys ... still cant make my mind up as I'm such an indecisive person!! I personally like the look of the fiesta and the interior. I'll be getting the st3 so it'll be fukky loaded as well so includes nav, heated seats and Bluetooth etc. I don't need to release the equity in the megane just yet and it is only costing me in maintaince no repairs yet (touchwood). Its at 54k on an 08 plate so I wouldn't be suprised if the suspension as I drive down some horrendous roads and speed bumps everyday. Things could start going wrong whenever so it's just a guess .....
nope, but I can read countless reviews which I have done. An R26.R being less fun than a Fiesta is ridiculous
Reading reviews and actually driving one is totally different things. I read countless reviews on the Mk2 FRS that said it would torque steer into the nearest ditch and kill me, Real world couldn't be so far away. On the road i can safely say the ST is much, much more fun than my Megane on the road. Speed does not make fun car.
Agreed, speed doesn't make a fun car. But the R26.R is a special case of both speed and fun. I'm not fussed about yours or my car as they aren't .R's. A Fiesta may well be more fun than a 250, but ultimately (imo) they're not worth comparing to a bigger hatch like the Megane
I've driven both. A R26.R at the ring and the fiesta on the road and Fiesta is more exciting to drive and handles better.
Fair enough if you've driven both. Even though I haven't driven both, I would be staggered if the majority of people said the Fiesta handles better than an R26R. In fact, I'd probably eat my own trousers
Why though? It's shorter, narrower, lighter - all equals fun on the road imo. I really struggle with the dash on the Fiesta though - it looks horrid to me - really want to drive one though.
Yes that equals fun, but so is the R26R. As for it handling better, I can't believe that.. People can say I need to drive one all they want, there's no way it would handle better than the Meg
I didn't find the R all that special like people seem to make out. Don't get me wrong it handled very well indeed when I rented one at the ring but so does my standard F1 and really all the R26.R is, is an R26 with a little bit less weight and a pointless cage?
Ah OK, in that case I'll drop evo a mail to get them to rethink their best ever drivers car lineup and whack the Fiesta in
