Thanks for that, that's really helpful. I know the interior is pretty basic and cheap but does it rattle about?
Fiesta ST is also on the list, I'd drop the budget to 5-6k for one though - Other than the obvious power difference, how does the 197 compare with the ST on the road? I'm asking you this as I'm 99.9% sure you've had a Fiesta ST
On the whole it's not too bad, there aren't any rattles I can pick up in my one as it stands now, the worst time I found though was in winter time (with my old 197 and also Megane) with very low temperatures, the dash sound would creak and rattle a bit until up to a more normal temperature.
Good memory! I had mine a long while back now, but my missus has one so I still use one on a fairly regular basis (albeit hers has the mountune 185 kit & kw v1s). The ST and 197 are a little difficult to compare because they're cars from different generations but I'll take that out of the equation and also compare standard vs standard.
The engine in the ST has a different power delivery, it's very linear and has a decent amount of torque even from low down. Some people may quite like this sort of delivery as it's pretty flexible for a NA, some however won't because it's quite boring, no revvy top end urgency.
Handling is quite decent on the ST up to a point, I never found it inspired confidence in the higher speed stuff, you tended to get round higher speed corners because you knew it could, rather than because it felt it could - the total opposite to the 197 imo which is very flattering. Steering wise the 197 takes a bit of getting used to due to it's electric steering, the ST is much more conventional in this regard and easier to get used to.
Interior wise I've seen lots of arguments about which is better or worse between the 2 cars, the 197 is quite drab, the ST is much more colourful by comparison, but wouldn't say it's amazing by any stretch, both have swathes of cheap switchgear and plastics everywhere you look. Hands down though the 197 is a nicer place to be when driving, the driving position is a lot better, lower down and better proportioned to the controls, the steering wheel is nice and chunky and you're far less cramped overall, you'd hope so really as the 197 is a bigger car but I never really feel I can get comfortable driving the ST, just little things like no clutch foot rest for example.
I think overall and as said earlier it's the generation gap between the cars more than anything, the fiesta is less refined, not as space efficient, strange driving position etc, in the same way that the mk2 clio was before.
Of course the elephant in the room with the ST is that you're more likely to find a modified one, even a lightly modded one, than a totally standard one and some of the niggles can be very quickly ironed out, induction kits, lowering springs, exhausts etc can start to close the performance gap and make the car behave more like a hot hatch should. I personally think though that you have to go really far and spend a lot of money to even get to the same level as the clio as an overall package.
Of course the other issue is price and like you've mentioned, you wouldn't need to keep the same budget to get a decent condition ST so you'd have a good few k in the bank and still have a pretty decent hatch. Of course sort of being in the same situation and a similar budget only a month ago it was a no brainer for me and had the be the 197, I'm not a big car modder but even so I think the 197 is a much better car overall so the ST wasn't even on my radar.
A total jabbering post proving I won't be a writer any time soon and possibly not helping your decision either
, won't own a car as good as that again for a long while.
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