The Hot Hatch Discussion Thread: VAG? I prefer my FiST.

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Automotive Insanity > The Hot Hatch Discussion Thread: VAG? I prefer my FiST.

«‹›396 »

What hot hatch do you own? This poll is closed.
Golf GTI / R / R32	196	0.02%
Impreza WRX / STi	133	0.01%
Mazdaspeed 3	92	0.01%
Veloster Turbo	20	0.00%
Focus ST	149	0.01%
Other Hot Hatch	230	0.02%
Elantra GT	1000001	99.92%
Total:	1000821 votes

[Edit Poll (moderators only)]

Literally Lewis Hamilton: Feb 22, 2005

Defghanistan posted:

Ok I hate that spoiler but the rest of it...drat.
Seriously, the day they bring that to the states (never, probably) is the day I trade in my R and buy one. That's how much I like it.

Someone here had one, but yeah, the odds are pretty much never.

# ? Jun 22, 2015 04:25

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# ? Apr 24, 2024 10:31

MetaJew: Apr 14, 2006; Gather round, one and all, and thrill to my turgid tales of underwhelming misadventure!

Bovril Delight posted:

Someone here had one, but yeah, the odds are pretty much never.

He was in Australia and the car was over $100k USD, I thought. Madness, but I kind of want one.

# ? Jun 22, 2015 06:06

Ehud: Sep 19, 2003; football.

A Loud Fart posted:

I would like to know too. I test drove an abarth this weekend and loved it. It looks cool, especially in red, sounds awesome, and is agile with the 17"s. The cloth seats were meh and the cargo space was laughable, but as an affordable Italian vanity car, well, gently caress, I want one for irrational reasons.

I can't find a FiST near by, are they as rowdy as the Abarth?

I want one too. There are a ton of affordable used ones within a day's drive of me. My wife keeps seeing me look at them online and she's been encouraging me to just go for it and buy one. I love the white ones with white rims:

I just wonder why so many people are getting rid of them :ohdear:

# ? Jun 22, 2015 11:02

crazzy: Jul 1, 2004; Martial Arts Master

Ehud posted:

I want one too. There are a ton of affordable used ones within a day's drive of me. My wife keeps seeing me look at them online and she's been encouraging me to just go for it and buy one. I love the white ones with white rims:

I just wonder why so many people are getting rid of them

Super low rent interior, everything felt cheaper than my 97 jeep cherokee, which is saying something.

Very buzzy on the highway, not really its forte, much better as a city/around town car.

Handling is not the best, very top heavy, and leans a lot around corners, doesn't inspire confidence.

Fiesta ST is a better car in every tangible way, and new, they were around the same starting price tag.

..........that being said, I share your affection for a white on white one, and would love to pick one up as a daily driver/beater once they drop below $10k

# ? Jun 22, 2015 14:23

Ehud: Sep 19, 2003; football.

crazzy posted:

Super low rent interior, everything felt cheaper than my 97 jeep cherokee, which is saying something.

Very buzzy on the highway, not really its forte, much better as a city/around town car.

Handling is not the best, very top heavy, and leans a lot around corners, doesn't inspire confidence.

Fiesta ST is a better car in every tangible way, and new, they were around the same starting price tag.

..........that being said, I share your affection for a white on white one, and would love to pick one up as a daily driver/beater once they drop below $10k

Thanks for the feedback!

I've been looking at Fiest ST's, MS3's, and Cooper S' too. I'd love to stay around $15k at the higher end if possible. Here is some of what I've found so far in the used market.

Abarth:

Wide variety of price ranges. Starting as low as $11.9k and going up to the low $20's. Lots of inventory.

I could go with something like this for super cheap:

- 2013 20k miles, $11.9k, grey w/ standard rims, no Abarth stripe, cloth.

Or I could go with something like this for a few thousand more:

- 2014 16k miles, $15.9k, white w/ white rims, Abarth stripe, cloth.

Fiesta ST:

Much more limited inventory which is to be expected from such a new car. Most of the used ones start around $17.5 - $18k. This is for base trim, no frills. This is just more than I wanted to spend on a car. If I wait another year I feel like they would be closer to my price range.

MS3:

Okay inventory, but hard to find something with low miles in my price range. Found some with 50k miles around $16k. I'd have to spend closer to $20k to find something with lower miles.

Cooper S:

Lots of inventory and prices are all over the place. With some patience i think I could find something in the 2012/30k mile range for around $15k.

Oh, and Volkswagen GTI's are on the table too, but I'm having trouble finding them in my price range (with low miles) on a consistent basis. I would need to be really patient.

Ehud fucked around with this message at 16:44 on Jun 22, 2015

# ? Jun 22, 2015 16:35

Nodoze: Aug 17, 2006; If it's only for a night I can live without you

Protip: Do Not Buy A Mini

Best car of that bunch is the Speed3 IMO

# ? Jun 22, 2015 16:55

crazzy: Jul 1, 2004; Martial Arts Master

Nodoze posted:

Protip: Do Not Buy A Mini

Best car of that bunch is the Speed3 IMO

I just sold my wife's 2010 speed 3. Most reliable car we've ever owned. Its also the most paint can shaker-like car i can think of. most vibratey engine i've ever owned. clutch pedal is a pain, shifter sucks. A/C is very strong though, very similar to my wife's 135i. much much better than my sti.

# ? Jun 22, 2015 17:06

Ehud: Sep 19, 2003; football.

Nodoze posted:

Protip: Do Not Buy A Mini

Best car of that bunch is the Speed3 IMO

crazzy posted:

I just sold my wife's 2010 speed 3. Most reliable car we've ever owned. Its also the most paint can shaker-like car i can think of. most vibratey engine i've ever owned. clutch pedal is a pain, shifter sucks. A/C is very strong though, very similar to my wife's 135i. much much better than my sti.

Thanks for the responses. My wife has a regular Mazda 3, so I have some experience with them. I do like the MS3 a lot, especially since I just got a big dog and I'd like a backseat to take him places. I've kind of narrowed it down to MS3, GTI, and the Abarth.

Those MS3 seats are hilarious, by the way. They look like something from a skating rink or a background from a 1992 yearbook picture.

# ? Jun 22, 2015 18:08

crazzy: Jul 1, 2004; Martial Arts Master

Ehud posted:

Thanks for the responses. My wife has a regular Mazda 3, so I have some experience with them. I do like the MS3 a lot, especially since I just got a big dog and I'd like a backseat to take him places. I've kind of narrowed it down to MS3, GTI, and the Abarth.

Those MS3 seats are hilarious, by the way. They look like something from a skating rink or a background from a 1992 yearbook picture.

Hah, that's what everyone says, and the dash and door have the same pattern. Never bothered me or the wife, but some people just can't stand it. Hatch space is awesome, we've moved tons of stuff in them, and a big dog should fit great in the hatch or back seat. Way more space than an abarth. not sure how much bigger the hatch is than the GTI, i think its a bit bigger, but never had one to compare.

# ? Jun 22, 2015 19:17

GutBomb: Jun 15, 2005; Dude?

I love the FiST, but sometimes I have moments of clarity where I realize that I really should have gotten the MS3 instead. It would have been cheaper, more solid, and larger, and I really did like it. I was basically just seduced by a new car.

# ? Jun 22, 2015 21:57

opengl: Sep 16, 2010

Ehud posted:

Those MS3 seats are hilarious, by the way. They look like something from a skating rink or a background from a 1992 yearbook picture.

That's why you get an 08.5/09 GT with the leather/alcantara seats.

# ? Jun 22, 2015 22:13

Farking Bastage: Sep 22, 2007; Who dey think gonna beat dem Bengos!

crazzy posted:

I just sold my wife's 2010 speed 3. Most reliable car we've ever owned. Its also the most paint can shaker-like car i can think of. most vibratey engine i've ever owned. clutch pedal is a pain, shifter sucks. A/C is very strong though, very similar to my wife's 135i. much much better than my sti.

Those are fairly notorious for motor mounts coming apart.

In other news, I promised myself I would keep the '13 WRX until it's paid off. I intend on keeping that promise so I'll have to avoid any and all Ford Dealerships when that new Focus RS hits :getin:

# ? Jun 22, 2015 22:14

Wheeee: Mar 11, 2001; When a tree grows, it is soft and pliable. But when it's dry and hard, it dies.

Hardness and strength are death's companions. Flexibility and softness are the embodiment of life.

That which has become hard shall not triumph.

Ehud posted:

I just wonder why so many people are getting rid of them

Because it is simultaneously a great car and a lovely car, in proud Italian fashion.

500s make me smile every time I see one and the Abarth is like an angry puppy, I can't not love it.

# ? Jun 22, 2015 23:00

IOwnCalculus: Apr 2, 2003

crazzy posted:

I just sold my wife's 2010 speed 3. Most reliable car we've ever owned.

My '07 was easily the least reliable car I've ever owned (especially in terms of the money required to repair it when poo poo went wrong) but I still loving loved it. I'm also thoroughly convinced I had some of the worst reliability of any MS3 save for the guys who actually blew up engines, so take that for what it's worth.

# ? Jun 22, 2015 23:46

Dr.Caligari: May 5, 2005; "Here's a big, beautiful avatar for someone"

GutBomb posted:

I love the FiST, but sometimes I have moments of clarity where I realize that I really should have gotten the MS3 instead. It would have been cheaper, more solid, and larger, and I really did like it. I was basically just seduced by a new car.

I thought this too, until I actually looked for one 'just for kicks'. There were only 3 or 4 within 60 miles of me, and they weren't that cheap. When I considered their age, no warranty and just them being a used hot hatch, I felt good about getting the ST.

I didn't get to drive one, but I do like the looks of the MS3 better. I could have also used more space than the ST has

# ? Jun 23, 2015 00:49

crazzy: Jul 1, 2004; Martial Arts Master

Farking Bastage posted:

Those are fairly notorious for motor mounts coming apart.

In other news, I promised myself I would keep the '13 WRX until it's paid off. I intend on keeping that promise so I'll have to avoid any and all Ford Dealerships when that new Focus RS hits

Yea, I replaced all the motor mounts with aftermarket ones, and that's when the paint can shaker reared its ugly head.......

I then understood why mazda made the factory ones so soft, to contain the paint can shaker beast.........

IOwnCalculus posted:

My '07 was easily the least reliable car I've ever owned (especially in terms of the money required to repair it when poo poo went wrong) but I still loving loved it. I'm also thoroughly convinced I had some of the worst reliability of any MS3 save for the guys who actually blew up engines, so take that for what it's worth.

Yea, I had an 06 Speed 6, and I had the same experience, thing was a pile of garbage, always having issues of some sorts. Had 5 transmission/transfer case leaks at the same time!

by '10 i think they ironed out all the kinks, since i never had any of the same issues with it.

# ? Jun 23, 2015 01:12

Residency Evil: Jul 28, 2003; 4/5 godo... Schumi

Defghanistan posted:

These are kind of poo poo pictures (because I haven't taken any nice ones) but here you go!
It's ridiculously fun and the interior puts the 2015 STI to shame. It's gorgeous, well built, and in sport mode it sounds AMAZING when it shifts.

Stick would be fun but I liked the DSG because:
I live in Seattle (traffic nightmare)
I eat and drink constantly in my car so having a free hand is nice
The DSG is fast as poo poo (.5 seconds faster to 60 than the stick) and having paddle/stick shifting anyway is pretty neato
I can't drive a stick very well ("Shame. Shame. Shame" - I am literally the naked Cersei Lannister)

What an awesome looking car, great choice.

# ? Jun 23, 2015 03:51

Trans Ferdinand: Oct 24, 2005; Take Me Out Of Gear

crazzy posted:

Fiesta ST is a better car in every tangible way

Exhaust note

and looks, IMO, but I know that's more subjective.

# ? Jun 23, 2015 03:56

dissss: Nov 10, 2007; I'm a terrible forums poster with terrible opinions.

Here's a cat fucking a squid.

I really don't mind the gearchange in my first gen MS3 - sure it's not exactly Honda slick but it's certainly better than the five speed in my dads older (2006) Fiesta ST and no worse than the manual in the Mk5 GTI or Focus XR5 (which were my other choices)

Maybe it's because mine has only done ~36,000 miles and they get worse with age or something.

E. I certainly do not like the thinness of the paint (especially on the roof) or how the dashboard rattles in cold weather.

dissss fucked around with this message at 06:34 on Jun 23, 2015

# ? Jun 23, 2015 06:29

The Ferret King: Nov 23, 2003; cluck cluck

I thought the Car Audio thread would be the more appropriate place for my questions, but since this thread is more focused (heh) on my type of car I'd like to make sure I get opinions from you guys too.

The Ferret King posted:

2014 Ford Focus ST with the upgraded Sony audio and MyFord Touch (irreplaceable).

This guy says a simple speaker replacement using the existing amp does a lot to improve the sound. He used Infinity Primus speakers due to the form factor most easily fitting the housings in the car. Apparently the subwoofer in the back is a bit of a pain to swap out with anything, and to do it properly you'd probably need to put a new sub box back there which would limit hatch space. I don't really want to do that, the hatch area is small enough as it is. I'm not a wub-wub chaser. The guy seems reasonably knowledgeable (he has a Youtube Channel that I found when searching for audio advice for this car) and he opines that a simple speaker replacement would satisfy the majority of listeners. I am not an audiophile, I just want my music to be loud-ish and balanced so I can hear all the widdly-widdly bits in my garbage death metal without stuff breaking up or getting totally lost in road noise. I listen to my MP3 collection off a USB thumb drive plugged into my center console, or stream off Pandora and connect via BT from my phone. I also listen to SiriusXM occasionally but we all know that sounds like garbage no matter what the equipment.

So I'm thinking about just replacing the speakers like he suggests and seeing if that satisfies me. I love metal and mostly listen to that or alternative/rock genres. He did a lot more with his setup here by adding an amp, a larger sub, and an audio control called an LC2i, the function of which I don't fully understand. However, he admitted this was overkill for many users and he apparently got a good deal on the parts which is what motivated him to do the additional work.

I guess my questions are:

Does the speaker replacement seem like a good way to go, and would you recommend anything additional or different? I understand I'll be compromising on bass due to my desire to keep the existing sub.

Does that LC2i box do anything for the speakers off the stock amplifier that I would be interested in? Or is it purely for that subwoofer mod that I don't want to do?

# ? Jun 23, 2015 19:20

Nodoze: Aug 17, 2006; If it's only for a night I can live without you

opengl128 posted:

That's why you get an 08.5/09 GT with the leather/alcantara seats.

These seats look way better but the thing I love about the mesh Mazda seats is that you don't feel like your clothes are sticking to them when you get up or move around in the seat

# ? Jun 23, 2015 19:27

The Prong Song: Sep 7, 2002; WHITE
DRIVES
MATTER

Well, whoop-de-frikken-do. After waiting patiently for 5.5 weeks, I was informed today (after finally breaking down and calling the dealer) that my estimated delivery time of 6-8 weeks is looking now more like 8-11 weeks. That's what I get, I suppose.

# ? Jun 23, 2015 20:43

veedubfreak: Apr 2, 2005; by Smythe

Defghanistan posted:

These are kind of poo poo pictures (because I haven't taken any nice ones) but here you go!
It's ridiculously fun and the interior puts the 2015 STI to shame. It's gorgeous, well built, and in sport mode it sounds AMAZING when it shifts.

Stick would be fun but I liked the DSG because:
I live in Seattle (traffic nightmare)
I eat and drink constantly in my car so having a free hand is nice
The DSG is fast as poo poo (.5 seconds faster to 60 than the stick) and having paddle/stick shifting anyway is pretty neato
I can't drive a stick very well ("Shame. Shame. Shame" - I am literally the naked Cersei Lannister)

This does not help my decision between a 16 R at all. I really want red, but I know I'll be getting constant tickets, plus the black is sparkly.

# ? Jun 23, 2015 22:12

Literally Lewis Hamilton: Feb 22, 2005

veedubfreak posted:

This does not help my decision between a 16 R at all. I really want red, but I know I'll be getting constant tickets, plus the black is sparkly.

The red car being a ticket magnet is pretty overblown. I wouldn't worry about it.

# ? Jun 23, 2015 22:21

Laranzu: Jan 18, 2002

Rhyno posted:

Drove a Focus ST yesterday morning at an awesome enthusiast brunch. I really, really liked it. Really wondering if it would be worth stepping out of the MS6 for a FoST in the near future.

I did exactly this. Traded my MS6 in for a Focus ST. Missed the MS6 more than I liked the Focus. Especially in winter.

I loved the Focus, but unless your 6 is eating components I'd keep it for a bit longer. There were just little nagging bits on the ST that drove me kinda nuts every day. Car is fantastic, don't get me wrong.

# ? Jun 24, 2015 04:26

The Locator: Sep 12, 2004; Out here, everything hurts.

Laranzu posted:

I did exactly this. Traded my MS6 in for a Focus ST. Missed the MS6 more than I liked the Focus. Especially in winter.

I loved the Focus, but unless your 6 is eating components I'd keep it for a bit longer. There were just little nagging bits on the ST that drove me kinda nuts every day. Car is fantastic, don't get me wrong.

Out of curiosity, what were the nagging bits? I'm just over 13k miles on the Focus now, and there isn't really anything in particular that I can say bugs me about it, other than me being slightly too fat for the seats (but I'm working on that).

# ? Jun 24, 2015 04:58

Laranzu: Jan 18, 2002

The Locator posted:

Out of curiosity, what were the nagging bits? I'm just over 13k miles on the Focus now, and there isn't really anything in particular that I can say bugs me about it, other than me being slightly too fat for the seats (but I'm working on that).

MFT. I hated MFT any time I had to interact with it. Mine developed a few nagging squeaks and rattles around 10k. Tiny things about the cockpit that were actually fixed in the 2015 model like the lack of a storage cubby. Then the stuff I can't put into words.

Edit: Just thought of one. Less comfortable over long distance drives by a decent margin.

Laranzu fucked around with this message at 07:11 on Jun 24, 2015

# ? Jun 24, 2015 06:30

8ender: Sep 24, 2003; clown is watching you sleep

Bovril Delight posted:

The red car being a ticket magnet is pretty overblown. I wouldn't worry about it.

These days your red R, that looks like a stock Golf hatchback at a distance, is competing for police attention against a neon green Dodge Hellcat with loud pipes that is heroically attempting a three lane change at full throttle.

# ? Jun 24, 2015 06:48

The Locator: Sep 12, 2004; Out here, everything hurts.

Laranzu posted:

MFT. I hated MFT any time I had to interact with it.

Eh, I don't love it, but can't really say I hate it. It's not a good old fashioned tactile system with knobs and buttons, but that's pretty much impossible to find these days on anything (which is stupid, it's a car, don't make me look at it to make it function while I'm driving).

The only thing I really interact with semi-regular is the entertainment, and I'm typically tuned to the news/traffic station for about half my drive, and then switch to my iPod which I tend to just let play for the other half, so that's probably why it doesn't bother me much. I leave the A/C on full auto and just turn the knob to change temperature when I need to with both sides locked. I guess I just don't fiddle with it enough for it to bother me.

The one that that does annoy me about the MFT is when it decides it wants to run a vehicle report right in middle of something I really was interested in hearing, and there isn't a super quick way to make it go away until later, but that happens so infrequently that I really forget about it until it happens.

# ? Jun 24, 2015 07:09

The Ferret King: Nov 23, 2003; cluck cluck

Laranzu posted:

MFT. I hated MFT any time I had to interact with it. Mine developed a few nagging squeaks and rattles around 10k. Tiny things about the cockpit that were actually fixed in the 2015 model like the lack of a storage cubby. Then the stuff I can't put into words.

Edit: Just thought of one. Less comfortable over long distance drives by a decent margin.

For me the MFT is horrid, but I finally wrestled with my personal MP3 collection and got it tagged in a way that doesn't cause MFT to lose it's poo poo. However, I still can't get album art to display consistently. Sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn't. I don't like the way you can't turn down the music volume when a call comes in. If you have to leave the car, transfer the call to the phone itself, or hang up, you immediately get blasted by the music you were listening to.

Driving wise, I like it alright. For my normal seated position, the steering wheel blocks the turn signal indicators and I don't think it telescopes out far enough.

The clutch pedal is way too high. The accelerator pedal is too low.

Visibility isn't stellar. The mirrors have blind spot cut outs that face the area I already point my sideview mirrors toward. They're not adjustable and though they show traffic in the adjacent lane within your blind spot, they won't show traffic another lane over. That same traffic is blocked by the middle frame piece of the car, requiring some ducking and dodging to get your eyes to cover all of an area before a merge. It's hidden entire SUVs before.

Long distance drives result in some swamp rear end due to the lack of breathability in the leather, yeah.

I still love the car though.

# ? Jun 24, 2015 16:42

Mustache Ride: Sep 11, 2001

Focus RS is reported to have 345 horses

http://www.autoblog.com/2015/06/25/ford-focus-rs-345-horsepower-video-official/

I know what I'm getting when it finally gets here. Now the question. Blue or grey?

Mustache Ride fucked around with this message at 12:50 on Jun 25, 2015

# ? Jun 25, 2015 12:35

Nodoze: Aug 17, 2006; If it's only for a night I can live without you

Mustache Ride posted:

Focus RS is reported to have 345 horses

http://www.autoblog.com/2015/06/25/ford-focus-rs-345-horsepower-video-official/

I know what I'm getting when it finally gets here. Now the question. Blue or grey?

Blue for sure

# ? Jun 25, 2015 14:02

fknlo: Jul 6, 2009; Fun Shoe

Mustache Ride posted:

Focus RS is reported to have 345 horses

http://www.autoblog.com/2015/06/25/ford-focus-rs-345-horsepower-video-official/

I know what I'm getting when it finally gets here. Now the question. Blue or grey?

The guy that has been right about everything else about the car so far said it's going to have a starting price of <$35k as well. Can't wait to test drive one. I don't think I'm going to be able to get my hands on an Ariel Nomad, so I need to focus(no pun intended) on something more realistic.

# ? Jun 25, 2015 15:56

Voltage: Sep 4, 2004; MALT LIQUOR!

quote:

The Focus RS is the first Ford RS model equipped with selectable Drive Modes � including an industry-first Drift Mode that allows controlled oversteer drifts � and Launch Control.

Welp that settles the "whats my next car" debate.

# ? Jun 25, 2015 18:03