It was as easy to drive as any other miata lol, just more sideways action if you asked for it

 

Anyone who can have a problem choosing between an S2000, & a warmed over shopping trolley, should definitely buy the shopping trolley. If the difference doesn't leap out & hit them between the eyes, they are never going to fully appreciate the S, & should leave it for someone who will.

 

Pretty ignorant thing to say, so I'm going to assume you haven't actually driven a Fiesta ST. Sure, it's still a Fiesta, has nowhere near the race-inspired engineering an S2000 has, is not as refined, blah blah. But it's fun as hell and is every bit of a driver's car, while being a lot more practical. So for someone looking for a car to drive daily, I wouldn't consider the difference to leap out and hit him in the eyes.

 

You can assume what you like Matt, the fact is we just replaced one, the worst car I have driven in memory, with a Peugeot. Nothing special, but a reasonable thing to go get the milk in. No I did not chose either.

As I said, anyone who could confuse a Fiesta, hot or otherwise, with a real car should stick with driving Fiestas.

 

Lol oh wow.

 

Is the weather good where you live? Have you spent much time in a convertible?

I never considered myself a 'convertible guy.' I always thought of myself simply as a hardcore sportscar guy. My early 'fun' cars had a fixed roof. When I got my first vert (NA Miata), I didn't buy it specifically because it had a drop top. I bought it because it was a cheap, fun sports car...that happened to have a removable top. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I thoroughly enjoyed ripping around with the top down. It is liberating, and brings a raft of additional elements to the experience. The sun on your face, wind in your hair, and a screaming engine filling your ears can go a long way towards brightening up just about any day.

The Fiesta ST is a great little car, but it sort of reminds me of a Lancer Evo. It's an economy car with go-fast bits bolted to it. The S2000 was conceived and designed from the ground-up as a pure driving machine. It doesn't really share chassis or parts with anything else, and the design is classy and timeless.

The S2000 will hold its value a lot better at this point, while the Focus ST will take a big nose dive in value immediately after you buy it.

If you've got the utility side covered with your wagon, definitely get the S. I've driven a huge number of different cars on the road and track over the years, and the S2000 has always held a spot near the top of my list in terms of pure fun factor.

Also for reference...I used to own a '98 Integra Type R (arguably one of the best, if not the best, hot hatches of all time). I recently bought an '02 S2000. The ITR was more special and unique in the grand scheme due to its limited availability. It was also more usable for me at the time, since it was my only car. I think the S2000 is more fun however from a pure driving experience. RWD is just more fun than FWD IMO, and being able to put the top down is gravy. The S2000 engine is a marvel, and I can't imagine I'll ever get sick of chasing its redline. It's a bit rough and raw, and delivers a driving experience unlike most anything else you'll find on the road at any price.

 

 

Everyone has a right to their own opinion and I respect that you don't like Fiesta STs for whatever reason. Just curious why you bought the car in the first place if it's so terrible and is the worst car you've ever driven. I've owned and driven plenty of fast, fun, highly modded and capable cars, and the Fiesta is definitely one of my favorites. That being said, the S2000 is still my favorite car ever and always will be.

 

I'm in central Idaho, and it absolutely ideal convertible weather for about half the year, but drop tops go to hide in heated garages when the colder snowy weather rolls around.

That is how I felt about the S when I first started shopping around. It is an awesome car that just happens to have a roof that can be tucked away. But as time goes on the convertible factor is becoming a bigger and bigger selling point for me.

As for the FiST being an economy car with go fast bits, I definitely agree. In ST trim with the Recaro seats it definitely has the econobox factor taken down a couple of pegs, but it is still clear when sitting in it that it is a car of modest origin. However, it is verrrry easy to forget all of that stuff when mashing the go pedal and cranking the wheel! As long as you're enjoying the drive then who cares!

 

Did you have a regular Fiesta or the Fiesta ST? There is obviously a huge difference much like between a regular Lancer and an Evo. I'm hoping you're saying you got the Peugeot 208 GTi.

Again, everyone has preferences and those are often determined by the environment you live in. A friend of mine who is a professional stunt driver has a BMW M3 with the 400hp V8 and a Fiesta ST. She prefers driving the Fiesta ST around town as it's smaller, more nimble, has plenty of power for where she lives (dense city environment), and she says it's plain just more fun than her M3.