In the current car market, where new models are not only getting more expensive, they are also getting bigger, increasingly automated, and boring. It’s getting harder to find something simple, small, and genuinely fun. That’s what makes the Ford Fiesta ST so special. It’s a hot hatch from the golden age of the 2010s, and now, used examples are showing up for less than $10,000. At a time when tariffs are squeezing prices across the board, this is good news.
The Ford Fiesta ST Is A Great Option For A Used Car
First launched in the U.S. for the 2014 model year, the Fiesta ST was Ford’s answer to the European-style hot hatch. It came with a 1.6-liter turbocharged inline-four, good for 197 horsepower and 202 pound-feet of torque, all running through a six-speed manual to the front wheels. That’s not wild by modern standards, but the car’s lightweight chassis and short wheelbase made it feel alive in a way few new cars do.
Enthusiasts love it for exactly that reason: It’s analog. Engaging. Unfiltered. You can drive a Fiesta ST at 8/10ths on a back road without getting too outside the law. This little hot hatch greets a heavy right foot with communicative steering, surprising agility, and the kind of personality usually reserved for older, more expensive cars. Even the economy-car interior—cheap plastics and all—feels relatively charming when the mechanical bits are this good.
The Ford Fiesta ST Is Cheap
Now, the best part: they’re getting cheap. Low-mileage cars from 2016 to 2019 are regularly listed for $10,000–$13,000, while higher-mileage examples are dipping into $6K territory. That’s Toyota Corolla money for a car that’ll make your morning commute feel like a rally stage. Considering the average new car price has soared past $47,000, the Fiesta ST is becoming one of the last true enthusiast bargain cars.
The Fiesta ST Isn’t Just About Cheap Fun
Ford ended Fiesta ST production in North America after 2019, and thanks to the U.S. government’s 25% “Chicken Tax” on imported trucks and small vehicles, bringing over the newer, Euro-only Fiesta ST isn’t feasible. Combine that with rising tariffs on Chinese parts and cars—along with broader trade tensions affecting global supply chains—and the chances of seeing an affordable, small performance car like this any time soon are slim.
TopSpeed’s Take
That makes the U.S.-spec Fiesta ST an increasingly rare breed: a compact, manual, turbocharged hatchback that’s accessible, moddable, and cheap to maintain. It’s the last of a dying generation, and now that they’re dipping into commuter car pricing, the timing couldn’t be better.
In a landscape dominated by bloated crossovers, the Fiesta ST remains an enthusiastic middle finger to the status quo. And if you’ve been waiting for a reason to buy one, here it is: they won’t stay this cheap forever.
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