5 Awesome Fast Ford Fiestas You Need In Your Life

This week it was announced that the humble Ford Fiesta is now the best selling car ever in Britain, with a colossal 4,115,000 sold since the car launched in 1976. To mark the occasion, we’re looking at our favourite hot Fiestas from the last few decades, all of which are temptingly affordable.

1. RS Turbo

In the 1980s and early 90s, when forced induction was all about performance rather than eco-friendly downsizing, car makers went turbo crazy. This was particularly true of Ford, particularly evident in the Mk3 Fiesta-based RS Turbo, which sports a 130bhp turbocharged 1.6-litre engine, getting you from 0-62mph in 7.9 seconds. It’s a bit of an unrefined brute and isn’t the best handling hot hatch of the era, but it’s lovable all the same. Prices start at a mere £2000.

2. XR2

When we drove a Mk2 Fiesta XR2 earlier this year, we absolutely loved it. With just 96bhp from its 1.6-litre ‘CVH’ four pot it’s not hugely quick, but the whole car buzzes and vibrates as you hunt for the red line with giddy excitement. The gloriously 80s boxy body looks great, and it’s endlessly entertaining to drive. XR2s are becoming rare, but a decent example can be picked up for a very reasonable £3000.

3. Mk7 ST

The current ST is one of the finest Fiestas ever built. It’s an absolute joy to drive, with a 179bhp 1.6-litre turbo four-pot providing punchy performance. It’s incredibly capable, and with prices starting at £17,250, the Fiesta ST is one of the best value brand-new performance cars on the market.

4. Mk5 Zetec S

It’s all well and good having hot, range-topping models with blistering performance, but for younger drivers with less spare capital and ludicrously high insurance premiums, they’re often out of reach. Fortunately, Ford has always been good at offering lower-level alternatives with reasonable pace and sporty looks.

More recently, these have been badged as ‘Zetec S,’ and it’s the Mk5 version which is our favourite. With 101bhp from a peppy 1.6-litre Sigma four-pot it’ll do 0-62mph in just under 10 seconds, and looks great with a smart bodykit and 15-inch wheels. With prices starting at as little as £800, we’d thoroughly recommend this for young drivers wanting to step up into a ‘warm’ hatch, or older drivers who fancy an inexpensive toy for the road or track.

5. Mk6 ST

As much as we love the current ST, it’s important not to forget the previous version. Powered by a 147bhp 2.0-litre engine, it’ll do 0-62mph in around eight seconds, and offers a sharp and entertaining drive. There are endless tuning options to extract a little more power from the naturally-aspirated four-pot, with many owners opting for Mountune engine packages. With prices starting at £2000 for 2005 registered examples, it’s not hard to see why there’s always a load of these cars parked up at Ford meets.