Final Corso of 2019

But no FCA holiday lunch/dinner/party?

 

Forecast looks great so far. 67 F and just partly cloudy.

 

I'm going to do my best to be there.

sjd

 

If you make it I'd be interested in chatting about your Fiesta ST. It's time for a new daily driver and I'd like to get some type of hot hatch. Fiesta ST is on the list.

 

I'll make it easy. Get one.

There are a few quirks, but what car doesn't have them?

sjd

 

Looking forward to seeing everyone there! Happy Holidays.

 

Excellent! I didn’t think we’d have one this month. See you there.


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Looking forward to Tom's reveal and of course seeing everyone as well !

 

Which other cars did you consider? Focus ST or RS? Others marques?

 

I heard Tom is really only giving up his current rein to set up a secret ‘V12 Only’ club.

Gee thanks Tom.

 

I was coming out of a Focus Electric lease, and I'd already driven a friend's Fiesta ST that was a blast. My first car was a Honda CRX, and I've always loved little cars. Mine's a 2016, and is coming up on 50k miles, because my commute is West Cobb to Norcross. I'm due for a set of tires, and the only really quirky thing it does is on a full tank, it'll stumble and try to stall when I come to the first stoplight. They say it's a faulty evap valve, but ford went to the shrink tube hoses on everything, so without the WHOLE assembly, you can't just replace the valve without cutting hoses. (but they'll sell you just the valve).

Not much else appealed to me, Veloster N wasn't out yet, and 30k for a focus ST and way more than that for an RS wasn't in my budget for a commuter. With around 200hp in 2700 lbs, Fiesta fit the bill.

sjd

 

Yes, the Focus RS seems a bit much for a daily driver. At least for me. Am considering the Veloster N. Also, considering:

Fiat 500 Abarth
GTI
Golf R
Civic Type R
Civic Si
Miata RF
Mini Cooper S

 

I'm 6'3 and HATED the 500 seating position. I felt like I was sitting ON the car, rather than in it. I'd forgotten I'd driven one, just not as a comparison.

Before the Focus Electric, I was on the hunt for a clean Mini JCW, but decided I didn't want the "supercharger headaches" (which were probably no big deal)

sjd

 

I'd suggest the Civic Si as a car which is still practical but yet fun to drive, without being "over the top" like the type R. One thing you need to decide is how much you're likely to need a back seat, if ever.

 

Okay, I've made the effort:

https://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/threads/fca-atlanta-holiday-dinner-try.614440/

 

Which 500 variant did you drive? I've only driven the Abarth so can only speak to the seating position in that one but I would presume it is similar to the others. It was a bit "up high" so to speak, but that didn't really bother me. I just didn't like the shape of the seat backs. It felt like they were curved forward forcing you into a slightly hunched position whereas I prefer to sit up pretty straight.
I love the exhaust note on the Abarth though. It was a very fun car in which to zip around. Just not ideal when I would need some luggage space and repair history isn't great.

I rented a manual Mini Cooper S when I was in Portland for the Indycar race and took it out of town for a few day trips that included some twisty roads. It was fun but for some reason didn't capture my fancy the way the Abarth did.

 

I’m new to the group. Would life to know more about this meetup and the FCA


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It was an Abarth. My ST does not have the recaros, just the stock cloth seats. They're nice enough.

sjd

 

Hey Frank,

The final Saturday of every month, we meet between American Cut and Shake Shack in Buckhead. Shops of Buckhead closes the side street for us to park. 3010 Bolling Way should get you there.

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The Civic Si is surprisingly rare. I haven't had a chance to drive one yet. Seems more dealers have a Type R than an Si. The Honda dealer in my part of town only had one Si that had been sold before it even arrived. Another one supposed to arrive by the end of the year which should be pretty soon.

I rented a Type R earlier this year when in L.A. and drove it on the Angeles Crest Highway along with a few othere canyon roads. It's an impressive hot hatch. I like the styling but I can see the point of people who think it's over the top. And there are so many doo-dads and winglets on it, which create a lot of different surfaces to scrub when washing it (think that would be a bit of a pain).

The whole needing a back seat thing is a bit of a quandary. It's very, very rare for me to need one. Like once or twice a year, but that's still once or twice a year. Of the potential daily drivers I've tested so far the Miata was the most fun. Obviously no back seat there and not much luggage space. I do need to pick up big boxes of paper towels and Kleenexes from Costo now and then for my office (maybe those would fit in a Miata trunk?). Ah, geez, the compromises.

 

Awesome. What time?


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10 a.m. to 1 p.m.