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Non Ford Owners Opinions Of Fiesta St's


neil1jnr
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Hi,

I had a heated discussion with a few work colleagues recently about my Fiesta ST.

The issue arose when I compared my car with the MK7 golf gti. I initially got torn to bits and was told they were not in the same league and the Fiesta was 'cheap' and 'awful built'.

I got the better of him explaining the Fiesta has a higher power to weight and torque to weight ratio over a MK7 Gti PP, has better standard equipment than his (in my ST3), and is in fact faster. He was not ammused but couldn't escape the facts, he drives a Mk 6 GTI anyway so the performance gap widens further. He was still adament that his car was the better one in everyway though!?

I don't understand this culture of BMW/AUDI/VW being 'better' in most people minds than Ford for example. I traded in my 60 plate Leon FR TDI (not even VW/AUDI) for my fiesta and some of my friends thought I was down grading because; 1. It is a Ford, and 2. it is smaller and less power/torque.

I really hate this attitude, a lot people I know are only interested in 'better interior' or 'it's an M-sport/S-Line, their car is better because it is a BMW M-sport... even though it is a 318d.

Does anyone else get a negative stigma from some others because they drive a Ford?

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Of course dude, half the time it's just because they are !Removed! at paying so much, Look at the 0-60 of an Audi TT 2.0 Turbo petrol, it's slower than the Fiesta and costs 10K more, Golfs of any kind and bland, fat flabby things and look the same as an A3 these days anyway, only now the Golf costs the same as the A3 when a decade ago the A3 was more expensive and considered upmarket to the Golf.

Golf R's are a different world and the 1series is a different kind of car altogether to any of them and should be excluded from it, mainly as it costs so much more it's not comparable.

Someone had me off the lights the other day, in an Audi Q7 4.0TDI and my mate tried to troll me over it, why on earth people think a 16K Ford should beat a 50K+ Audi is beyond me, but thats the opposite point, a car that costs a substantial amount more should be better than the Ford as it's all about expectation and quality of materials etc, people just think because it costs more it should be a better car.

Generally I think if Fords are that bad than a RS500 should be worth nothing but scrap and the same for Cossie RS's, effectively they are rusty and tatty old things now but offer something that no Golf / A3 does, just BOSSness and the fact it will always be cool, even the RS500's are actually quite slow and laggy but still what would you rather have.

Think of it like that, in 20 years time these "pony little turbo fords" will be very sought after cars and probably worth a fortune once all the hoodrats have "modified" them and bent them round lampposts and you'll be happy knowing you still have one or did own one and have some memories and photos of it.

What will they have.......... A Golf? One of several hundred thousand and never ever stood out and changed shape 6 months later and never really satisfies the owner or warranted the 25K price tag....... Quite happy with the ST imo.

( Until the 135M drops in price )

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See I think we shouldn't worry as let people talk them down. The fact they are not in the same league probably means they are a little less desirable to try and half inch. That has to be a good thing for all and well the more I look at mine (from a non Fiesta loving perspective) the more I can see it just looks like a "normal" car. All good for me.

Like has been said above, hopefully we can all enjoy them and have the memories from them as in the years to come they will become a classic to Ford lovers, that is clear.

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I have to agree, I find it funny how snobbish some people get about their more expensive cars. I don't know about you guys but I don't spend the time in my car poking the plastics to see how cheap they are, I spend my time driving it. The cheap plastics are in the areas I never touch anyway, look at the things you do touch in the ST- steering wheel, gear stick and handbrake, they all have a quality feel in my opinion with leather and a bit of metal etc.

I do like the quality of some cars though, my dad's Golf has a more solid feel to everything, speaking only as a passenger though. I'd take better handling or a bit more power over a nicer sound when the door closes any day. Ford chose to make the correct thing sound better - the engine (with the sound symposer) instead of the doors which VW seem to think is more important.

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My mate has a golf gti 2011 it's all been mapped n new exhaust etc pushing 265bhp. I used to drive it all the time n liked it till I got my st now I prefare that. He has had ago in mine and he now considering swapping for one he loves it haha and it beats his hands down (but he not the best driver in the world lol)

Sent from my Nokia 3310 using Ford OC

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Also remember all the new Golfs and A3's are on PCP deals and they'll never own them at all with at least 12K being wanted at the end of the term, so it's not their car anyway and the statement, My car is better than yours doesn't stand,

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People tend to be biased against them until they have driven one....

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Hi,

I had a heated discussion with a few work colleagues recently about my Fiesta ST.

The issue arose when I compared my car with the MK7 golf gti. I initially got torn to bits and was told they were not in the same league and the Fiesta was 'cheap' and 'awful built'.

I got the better of him explaining the Fiesta has a higher power to weight and torque to weight ratio over a MK7 Gti PP, has better standard equipment than his (in my ST3), and is in fact faster. He was not ammused but couldn't escape the facts, he drives a Mk 6 GTI anyway so the performance gap widens further. He was still adament that his car was the better one in everyway though!?

I don't understand this culture of BMW/AUDI/VW being 'better' in most people minds than Ford for example. I traded in my 60 plate Leon FR TDI (not even VW/AUDI) for my fiesta and some of my friends thought I was down grading because; 1. It is a Ford, and 2. it is smaller and less power/torque.

I really hate this attitude, a lot people I know are only interested in 'better interior' or 'it's an M-sport/S-Line, their car is better because it is a BMW M-sport... even though it is a 318d.

Does anyone else get a negative stigma from some others because they drive a Ford?

Yes you can spec up a Fiesta – stick a high output engine in – spray it the colours of the rainbow but there is no hiding from the paper thin floor mats, naff cheap switch gear, tin thin doors – poor driving ergonomics like bog all room left of the clutch pedal & lack of foot rest, next to useless centre arm rest etc etc.

The Fiesta build quality is questionable if comparing to a BMW, the Fiesta is way behind as to be expected but that’s not to say it doesn’t punch above its weight in some areas when compared to some premium brands.

It is what it is ….. a Fiesta

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Of course dude, half the time it's just because they are !Removed! at paying so much, Look at the 0-60 of an Audi TT 2.0 Turbo petrol, it's slower than the Fiesta and costs 10K more, Golfs of any kind and bland, fat flabby things and look the same as an A3 these days anyway, only now the Golf costs the same as the A3 when a decade ago the A3 was more expensive and considered upmarket to the Golf.

Golf R's are a different world and the 1series is a different kind of car altogether to any of them and should be excluded from it, mainly as it costs so much more it's not comparable.

Someone had me off the lights the other day, in an Audi Q7 4.0TDI and my mate tried to troll me over it, why on earth people think a 16K Ford should beat a 50K+ Audi is beyond me, but thats the opposite point, a car that costs a substantial amount more should be better than the Ford as it's all about expectation and quality of materials etc, people just think because it costs more it should be a better car.

Generally I think if Fords are that bad than a RS500 should be worth nothing but scrap and the same for Cossie RS's, effectively they are rusty and tatty old things now but offer something that no Golf / A3 does, just BOSSness and the fact it will always be cool, even the RS500's are actually quite slow and laggy but still what would you rather have.

Think of it like that, in 20 years time these "pony little turbo fords" will be very sought after cars and probably worth a fortune once all the hoodrats have "modified" them and bent them round lampposts and you'll be happy knowing you still have one or did own one and have some memories and photos of it.

What will they have.......... A Golf? One of several hundred thousand and never ever stood out and changed shape 6 months later and never really satisfies the owner or warranted the 25K price tag....... Quite happy with the ST imo.

( Until the 135M drops in price )

I think we are on the same page in regard to what you have just said. I'd like to say I have nothing against the Golf, I probably won't ever buy one, my issue is with some of the owners of them and owners of other german marques (not all owners).

Love the 'BOSSness' remark, I personally overuse the term 'BOSS' to describe things.

In regard to the Golf R, I test drove one along with the Leon Cupra 280 in the same week prior to buying my fiesta. The Golf R feels in a different league in a straight line from standstill, the launch control is epic. However it left me cold. It was grippy and extremely competant but there was no 'fun' to be had in the same way as the Fiesta. The Leon Cupra on the other hand was epic! The fact it was FWD and had a diff made it a better driver car than the golf R. \In the end though I decided to spend a bit less so went for a fully specced ST (I test drove the Focus, really liked it but just preferred the Fiesta which I was surprised at).

IMO I can imagine the Golf MK7 PP (with the diff) is a pretty sorted car if it is anything like the Leon, just down on power. I just don't see how it is in another league, especially not dynamically. I'd still have my fiesta though.

See I think we shouldn't worry as let people talk them down. The fact they are not in the same league probably means they are a little less desirable to try and half inch. That has to be a good thing for all and well the more I look at mine (from a non Fiesta loving perspective) the more I can see it just looks like a "normal" car. All good for me.

Like has been said above, hopefully we can all enjoy them and have the memories from them as in the years to come they will become a classic to Ford lovers, that is clear.

Fair point. I guess it is 'just a fiesta' to some people, but that is what annoys me! The ST is more than just a fiesta! I think the front of the car doesn't look normal, whenever I see another ST go by with those LED's I think they look pretty mean.

I have to agree, I find it funny how snobbish some people get about their more expensive cars. I don't know about you guys but I don't spend the time in my car poking the plastics to see how cheap they are, I spend my time driving it. The cheap plastics are in the areas I never touch anyway, look at the things you do touch in the ST- steering wheel, gear stick and handbrake, they all have a quality feel in my opinion with leather and a bit of metal etc.

I do like the quality of some cars though, my dad's Golf has a more solid feel to everything, speaking only as a passenger though. I'd take better handling or a bit more power over a nicer sound when the door closes any day. Ford chose to make the correct thing sound better - the engine (with the sound symposer) instead of the doors which VW seem to think is more important.

The thing, the ST isn't exactly cheap, just under 20k! But I deel it is worth it becuase of that includes all your extra whereas spec a Golf up with all the same optional extras and the price goes skyhigh! I think the better plastics argument is used to justify the Golf against it's higher powered rivals. The interior of the R is very very nice but after sitting in any car for a few minutes and actually driving it is irrelevant as to what the interior quality is. Coming from my Leon the Fiesta is a step up in interior.

My mate has a golf gti 2011 it's all been mapped n new exhaust etc pushing 265bhp. I used to drive it all the time n liked it till I got my st now I prefare that. He has had ago in mine and he now considering swapping for one he loves it haha and it beats his hands down (but he not the best driver in the world lol)

Sent from my Nokia 3310 using Ford OC

I quite like the golf in the fact its quite good at everything but for me it doesn't excel at anything and to me it ends up being a bit of a bland experience. The Fiesta with the MP215 kit is on par straight line wise with the 265bhp S3 which is pretty good.

Also remember all the new Golfs and A3's are on PCP deals and they'll never own them at all with at least 12K being wanted at the end of the term, so it's not their car anyway and the statement, My car is better than yours doesn't stand,

I bought my Fiesta through a PCP deal and I do own the car, the finance company aren't the registered owners (unlike lease deals). I can afford the monthly payments. The GFV of my car is £9.6K, a two year old ST3 should surely be worth roughly £13K giving me over £3 positive equity to use as a deposit for my next car.

People tend to be biased against them until they have driven one....

Very true. I was guilty of that with diesels until I bought one. Had a dsg box and 200bhp and 300lbs ft, was great for commutting. BUT, I did get fed up and bought the Fiesta after 9 months of the Leon.

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Keep the ST for longer dude, Look at the Value now of a Corsa VXR, still 7K for a mint early model with stupid miles on it and onver 5 years old. once paid off you'll be sitting on a much better deposit.

You'll also struggle at 2 years old to find a cash buyer, not many people go about with 14K loans to buy one cash and a dealer will just offer the GMV or near to that ( and then sell it for 13-14K )

You won't lose on this car though, great car, the ergonomics of it are brilliant though, it's comfy, spacious and the seats are way above everything else on the market, I give it 10/10 for ergonomics. you must have enormous feet too, I wear size 10's and have no issue at all.

Also does the MP215 keep pace with the S3?????????????? is this proven or internet talk?? I must see proof... if so Mountune will get my money this weekend.

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Keep the ST for longer dude, Look at the Value now of a Corsa VXR, still 7K for a mint early model with stupid miles on it and onver 5 years old. once paid off you'll be sitting on a much better deposit.

You'll also struggle at 2 years old to find a cash buyer, not many people go about with 14K loans to buy one cash and a dealer will just offer the GMV or near to that ( and then sell it for 13-14K )

You won't lose on this car though, great car, the ergonomics of it are brilliant though, it's comfy, spacious and the seats are way above everything else on the market, I give it 10/10 for ergonomics. you must have enormous feet too, I wear size 10's and have no issue at all.

Also does the MP215 keep pace with the S3?????????????? is this proven or internet talk?? I must see proof... if so Mountune will get my money this weekend.

I could in theory take out a loan for £9.6K after 2 years.... but I am hoping the Focus RS will be on sale by then... or even a Fiesta RS ;)

The Ford PCP deal is built so that you do have positive equity at the end, it does mean slightly higher payments during the term though. I'd like to think at the very least I'd have £2K equity. When the time comes in 2016 I'll keep eveveryone posted.

The seats are amazing, one of my favourite thing about the car and the pedals are positioned correctly.

Yes, I came up behind one and both shot off on the bypass out of a roundabout, he didn't pull away at all, I remained the same distance away, we hit around 120. I have had a go with the new 330D X-drive and the fiesta is slightly quicker. Both times from 2nd gear pulls. I'd put my money on the other two in regard to a standing start though. The Mountune kit is a good improvement over standard, just expensive for what it is, but in all honestly just do it, you won't be dissapointed. The intake noise is addictive with the windows down, you can fairly hear the turbo spool and the recirculator valve makes a louder 'pshht' sound... which I quite like.

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Just to clarify I don't think "its just a fiesta" as I agree they look so much better. I love it when I see others on the road, always think should I flash my lights in reconition of them? Not sure on the eticate though. Lol

But when others see it like its just a fiesta that suits me as makes them less desireable for half inching. That has to be a bonus.

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Just to clarify I don't think "its just a fiesta" as I agree they look so much better. I love it when I see others on the road, always think should I flash my lights in reconition of them? Not sure on the eticate though. Lol

But when others see it like its just a fiesta that suits me as makes them less desireable for half inching. That has to be a bonus.

I don't even look at it as a fiesta ! There no fiesta badge on the back haha ! It's a ST !!

Sent from my Nokia 3310 using Ford OC

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Not quite an ST owner, but I had a bmw 120 Msport previous to my fiesta metal addition, and as soon as I changed from the bmw to the ford people instantly believed I had downgraded and effectively become a peasant just because it's a ford. However I drilled into there narrow little heads that the fiesta is 10x better, so much more fun and you get a lot more for your money. Wouldn't swap back if someone paid me.

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My ST leaves mercs, audis, BMW's for dead I have a stage one remap and this car is an animal. I love it when im at the lights with somebody in "better" car and then see the look on their face when my "cheap little fiesta" deatroys their 30k + car.

what defines a great car? Great performance? Cheap to buy, run? Great stylish interior? Good looks? Amazing to drive?

My little fiesta ticks all of these boxes. Personally £ for £ I think its the best car around.

(Super cars excluded).

Anybody disagree? Then go drive one then tell me what you think.

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At the end of the day I'm happy with mine so I don't care what the smug German car owners think. Most if them are company cars anyway and are purely a prestige symbol.

Better to be individual and not a keep up with the jones type

Sent from my iPhone using Ford OC mobile app

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My ST leaves mercs, audis, BMW's for dead I have a stage one remap and this car is an animal. I love it when im at the lights with somebody in "better" car and then see the look on their face when my "cheap little fiesta" deatroys their 30k + car.

what defines a great car? Great performance? Cheap to buy, run? Great stylish interior? Good looks? Amazing to drive?

My little fiesta ticks all of these boxes. Personally £ for £ I think its the best car around.

(Super cars excluded).

Anybody disagree? Then go drive one then tell me what you think.

That is such a narrow minded view. Don't get me wrong I love the Fiesta ST and it's a great car for its own reasons. But Merc's, Audi's and BMW's would eat a Fiesta ST for breakfast.

Audi's and BMW's are spec'd to the owners need / want so its all well and good you saying you're beating Audi's but they may well be 105 bhp lol! That's no different to me saying my S1600 beats a Style in a drag race. It's always going to happen...

For example your ST is 180bhp standard, you may be running 200 now? an Audi S3 which is a ST equivalent of a standard A3 / Fiesta is 300bhp...

Fiesta 0-60 = 6.9

S3 0-60 = 5.2

Maybe the S3 is unfair as its a bigger car, even so the new S1 is 231 bhp and does 0-60 in 5.8. The A3 1.8 TFSI 177bhp engine will also do 60 in 7 seconds...

Admittedly the S1 starts at 24k and the S3 30k but you get what you pay for. The fiesta is 17k which is a big amount of money for what is still a Fiesta. Which people will perceive as a chavvy car, boy racer. I've had the same comments with my S1600 lol.

The build quality is a whole different ball game with the german cars, the Fiesta is built cheaply, it rattles, door rubbers fall off, you could sit in a BMW 1 or 3 series at 120mph and not even know you're moving. The Fiesta gets juddery and loud at 80.

I'm by no means an Audi fan boy, the story is the same with Merc and BMW. I personally love the Fiesta ST and would own one in a heart beat but they simply can not be compared to bigger more expensive cars. There literally is no competition.

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If all the other makes are so good why was the Focus voted best car for umpteen years, the Mondeo voted car of the year multiple times and the Fiesta is currently the top selling car?

It all boils down to one thing- badge snobbery.

Other cars may be faster but at the cost of pure driving pleasure and FUN!

If I wanted to get everywhere faster I'd take the train.

Forget the destination and enjoy the journey.

Sent from my GT-P3110 using Ford OC mobile app

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I'm not saying they're not nice cars because they are. But the reason they sell so well is because of the price. There are much better handling cars out there than Ford, faster cars, likewise slower and worse cars, Ford have a good balance but they are by no means the perfect car. If someone offered you a Nissan GTR or a Fiesta for free 99% would take the GTR but when its your own money it makes sense to buy a Ford :lol:

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You will always get some kind of anti-Ford snobbery, here it's worse as people expect luxury cars and anything less is perceived as cheap. However, you can also get back at them by pulling out the reliability statistics, even Mercs have vastly varying quality and VW Group cars while generally good fall from high up to about 80th after about two years. Just check out the German TUV reliability statistics (there is an English version online somewhere). The Fiesta tends to start lower but stays higher on average during the first five years if I remember correctly. For what it's worth my Fiesta atleast is (according to the paperwork) assembled at a Ford plant in Cologne (which I lived not far from for some years) so I always say "it's just a German quality car with an American badge and a lot cheaper", so far no one has come back to me on that one :)

While the Polo and Golf are nice cars, for me they are just a bit too boring and lack the somewhat punchy styling of the Fiesta.

I don't have an ST but I do like the Fiesta tat I have a lot and frankly I don't care much for car snobbery. If you like it that should be enough.

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Im not saying there is anything wrong with Ford, I've owned enough of them!! All of which have had their issues, but so have my Toyota's, Fiat etc. Its going to happen.

Obviously we're on a Ford forum so you're never going to win an argument when knocking a Fiesta ST. When others are labelling it as the best thing since sliced bread. Saying its better than a car which is £25k+. It has absolutely nothing to do with brand snobbery, we're all Ford brand snobs here?!?

The original post was asking what outsiders think of the Fiesta ST and I've merely put my idea on the table

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The build quality is a whole different ball game with the german cars, the Fiesta is built cheaply, it rattles, door rubbers fall off, you could sit in a BMW 1 or 3 series at 120mph and not even know you're moving. The Fiesta gets juddery and loud at 80.

I'm quite happy to contradict you there. I've taken mine to 3 figures, and at no point did it become juddery and loud. Also even though its only 8 months old, nothing rattles in it, other than the wheel locking key, which was sorted by putting it into a bubblewrap bag. No falling off rubbers, or anything else either. Maybe you should reconsider some of your preconceptions.

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I'm quite happy to contradict you there. I've taken mine to 3 figures, and at no point did it become juddery and loud. Also even though its only 8 months old, nothing rattles in it, other than the wheel locking key, which was sorted by putting it into a bubblewrap bag. No falling off rubbers, or anything else either. Maybe you should reconsider some of your preconceptions.

They're not pre conceptions, I test drove one and minus a body kit, interior, suspension and engine they are no differently built to any other Fiesta, makes the same noise when the door closes as mine and my brothers style, same road noise as my car etc.

Not every car will rattle I admit that,

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Road noise changes with the tyres used, the suspension, handling, and wear, and that goes for any car, not just Fiestas.

Your opinion that there are better cars around is valid, but even you admit that cost comes into account. Try giving options for a similar price to a car that is better than the ST, because telling someone that a BMW is better built, means nothing if someone is looking to only spend that sort of money.

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That is such a narrow minded view. Don't get me wrong I love the Fiesta ST and it's a great car for its own reasons. But Merc's, Audi's and BMW's would eat a Fiesta ST for breakfast.

Audi's and BMW's are spec'd to the owners need / want so its all well and good you saying you're beating Audi's but they may well be 105 bhp lol! That's no different to me saying my S1600 beats a Style in a drag race. It's always going to happen...

For example your ST is 180bhp standard, you may be running 200 now? an Audi S3 which is a ST equivalent of a standard A3 / Fiesta is 300bhp...

Fiesta 0-60 = 6.9

S3 0-60 = 5.2

if you read my intire post I sai £ for £ id rather have my car. Otherwise id of bought one of the german cars.

I am trading in my beloved fiesta in October. I am simply gettin another one. The next year once realesed im gun get myself the 2015 mustang.

Maybe the S3 is unfair as its a bigger car, even so the new S1 is 231 bhp and does 0-60 in 5.8. The A3 1.8 TFSI 177bhp engine will also do 60 in 7 seconds...

Admittedly the S1 starts at 24k and the S3 30k but you get what you pay for. The fiesta is 17k which is a big amount of money for what is still a Fiesta. Which people will perceive as a chavvy car, boy racer. I've had the same comments with my S1600 lol.

The build quality is a whole different ball game with the german cars, the Fiesta is built cheaply, it rattles, door rubbers fall off, you could sit in a BMW 1 or 3 series at 120mph and not even know you're moving. The Fiesta gets juddery and loud at 80.

I'm by no means an Audi fan boy, the story is the same with Merc and BMW. I personally love the Fiesta ST and would own one in a heart beat but they simply can not be compared to bigger more expensive cars. There literally is no competition.

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