GRR Garage: Three things we're not so keen on with our Ford Fiesta ST

Drive modes

Firstly, I’m not saying the modes themselves are annoying, or don’t work. Normal mode is still stonkingly fast but usable in day to day life, sport mode is even faster, and race mode is mind-blowing, and adds some wonderful cracks and pops from the exhaust. No, the issue is the selection of the modes. It’s done by a single button, which needs to be pressed once to activate and then pressed again each time you cycle to a different option. The wheel has arrow keys, so surely the system could have just been a push of the mode button and then a cycle through with the arrow keys? As it is, if you accidentally cycle past the mode you want you have to go all the way back round, pressing that button in the centre console each time you do. It could have been so much simpler.

The seats

Oh god the seats are good. These Recaros are 100 per cent worth having – they hug you in and absolutely hold you still even if you’re attacking the road or track as hard as you can. They are some of the best seats we’ve ever experienced. But sometimes when you get in you just want something a little wider at the base; I can’t actually sit in our car with my wallet in my back pocket. Come on Ford, I’m far too busy to be taking my money out of my pocket at all times.

The exhaust note

The exhaust note is wonderful, it really is. The switch to three-cylinders has done the little Ford a world of good in an aural sense. The thrum of that little 1.5 is wonderful, and if you’re outside of the car sounds properly meaty. But if we could have a few more proper cracks and maybe a bit more of the noise inside the cabin we would be very, very grateful.

With that I’m out. Over the next few weeks a couple of my colleagues have stolen the ST from me to bring you updates, so maybe they’ll find some real niggles where I appear to have failed.

MPG this week: 38.6.