Fiesta ST-3 vs Clio 220 Trophy | PH Fleet

Neither Ford nor Renault makes a petrol pocket rocket anymore - are they as good as we remember?

By Matt Bird / Tuesday, 13 October 2026 / Loading comments

More than ever before, 10 years ago feels like ancient history. Need proof? Back in 2016/17, Renault was still weighing up the viability of a Clio R.S. 16, addressing criticism of the EDC in the most emphatic way possible by stuffing a 275hp Megane engine and manual in it. Ford’s concession to the modern motorist back then was simply to make five doors optional for the Mk7 Fiesta, just a few months from the introduction of the Mk8. Until as recently as September 26, 2016, Ford’s junior hot hatch was an exclusively three-door, manual-only affair. Seriously.

And now look. The Alpine A290 is very good as far as electric hot hatches go, though nothing more than that for now - as well as more than £30,000. Ford may have returned from the abyss this month with confirmation that a WRC-inspired road car will return, but that won’t be until the end of the decade. And who knows what the situation will look like by then.

Still, the benefit of Ford and Renaultsport having produced so many great hot hatches up until now is the number of them available secondhand. There are Mk8 Fiesta STs now around for about £9,000, the same sort of money that buys a Clio 220 Trophy. Go for older versions of each and you can spend half, which feels like a huge amount of fun and modern usefulness for not much money. More so in the Ford than the Renault, perhaps, but we’ll get to that…

The cars you see here hopefully look familiar; they are Ben’s Mk8 Fiesta ST-3 Performance Pack (he doesn’t always say the full name, promise) and my own Clio Trophy. The temptation to drive them together was irresistible; while they aren’t directly comparable in terms of age, miles or modifications, they’re quite clearly of that era when fast and frisky turbo’d five doors were viable. The final 220hp Mk4 Clios were being made as the Fiesta Mk8 was coming on stream, even though it was launched in the time of the Mk7. Frankly, even an imperfect match-up seemed like a nice excuse to drive a couple of fun cars that together weigh as much as a Cayenne. Really: 1,204kg plus 1,262kg is 2,466kg, a Cayenne Electric is 2,525kg…

The standard stats make it hard not to yearn for the good old days of really not long ago. A little more than £20k, a little more than 200hp, 62mph in less than 6.5 seconds and top speeds awfully close to 150mph are there for both. With more than 40mpg achievable. We didn’t know how good we had it. Or actually, maybe we did - the Fiestas in particular are still everywhere.

Despite some initial concerns and the reputation that preceded it, I’ve been enjoying life with the Clio. Especially with a suspension refresh of Cooksport springs and OE dampers, which took a lot of the crashiness out of the ride (and dropped it even more smartly on its 18-inch wheels). It’s frisky and it’s fun in a way that feels quite mature and sophisticated; sounds like a culture clash, though I’ve found it quite complementary so far.

Well, that was until driving the Fiesta. Modified versus standard is never a fair fight, though it seems fair to say that whatever Ben has spent was extremely good value; where the Trophy is merely entertaining, the ST is hilarious, its rasping three-cylinder stronger, more tuneful and more responsive (as well as nicer to listen to), its traction stronger, the feeling of barely contained energy hard not to indulge. It’s like driving a Tangfastic - the fizz might be a tad artificial, but it’s also completely addictive.

Both feature some welcome concessions that really encourage making progress. In the Clio, you get that Renaultsport warning beep ahead of crashing into a 6,800rpm cutout; the Fiesta too earns a change-up light before the turbo triple calls time. There’s ample torque in both, of course, along with an incentive to get every last rev. Peak power may have been and gone at 6k, but these are hot hatches - and sometimes rev limiters are fun.

You won’t struggle to enjoy either Clio or Fiesta, because they both adhere to so many of the great hot hatch criteria: they corner on a sixpence, they stop on a dime, and they always feel just a little bit faster than is really necessary - the Fiesta in particular - without being OTT. Neither needs a mode to unlock their full potential, even if you will find yourself leaning towards the sillier settings in both.

Despite the Fiesta’s considerable charm offensive, there are some things that the Clio does a little better. And I don’t think that’s just ownership bias (even if it probably is). Both steering and brake pedal have a more natural (i.e. less hyper) feel than the Fiesta, a little easier to get a read on because the response isn’t so hair-trigger. You grow accustomed to a lighter touch in the ST, and I’ve no doubt the upgraded Fiesta would deliver better performance on track, but the Clio isn’t outclassed when it comes to road driving.

It really needs a manual, though. Now more than ever, the Clio really needs a manual. How the Juke NISMO RS of the same vintage (told you a decade seems a long while) had a standard manual and the Renaultsport Clio with the same engine didn’t even have the option seems barmy. Maybe manual-only three-doors couldn’t continue, but such a drastic abandonment of features that had built Renaultsport’s reputation still seems a strange move. Especially with a compatible manual, space for a stick where the rally-style lever sits and abundant market demand.

As it is, the Clio dual-clutch is decent - and definitely handy in a lot of everyday driving - albeit not good enough to make up for the missing clutch pedal. While the paddles are enjoyable and the fastest changes reasonably brisk, the shift logic can be odd and the ratios weird, with second too short. Which makes third seem too long, even though it isn’t.

Furthermore, a manual like the Fiesta’s - a six-speed that’s a joy to operate at any commitment level - would make any auto feel lacklustre. Like a good fried egg (not the sweet this time), it’s an easy but satisfying DIY transmission, weighty and precise and matched to a sensible set of ratios. It’s never demanding while always rewarding; the decision to offer just a manual in this ilk of car was much wiser than the move to offer only a DCT.

So the passage of time hasn’t altered the verdict one bit; if anything, as electrified performance cars become more prominent, the appeal of the Fiesta’s old school ethos is even greater. The Renault isn’t without merit as a Trophy, but the strategy was odd and the execution imperfect. Still, let’s not lose sight of the bigger picture: both of these hot hatches are engaging on a B road, sufficiently mature for longer journeys, respond well to modifying, can take a pair of baby seats in the back and be snapped up for less than £10k. The future might not seem all that bright for those after cheap, family-friendly fun, but the recent past has never looked better.

SPECIFICATION | CLIO RENAULTSPORT 220 TROPHY EDC

Engine: 1,618cc 4-cyl turbo
Transmission: 6-speed dual-clutch auto, front-wheel drive
Power (hp): 220@6,050rpm
Torque (lb ft): 207@2,000rpm
0-62mph: 6.6sec
Top speed: 146mph
Weight: 1,204kg
MPG: 47.9mpg (NEDC combined)
CO2: 135g/km
Price new: £21,780

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SPECIFICATION | FORD FIESTA ST-3 (Mk8)

Engine: 1,497cc, turbocharged 3-cyl
Transmission: 6-speed manual, front-wheel drive
Power (hp): 200@6,000rpm
Torque (lb ft): 214@1,600-4,000rpm
0-62mph: 6.5sec
Top speed: 144mph
Weight: 1,262kg (EU, with driver)
MPG: 47.1
CO2: 136g/km
Price new: £21,995
Modifications: 09 Design stage one remap, carbon induction kit, rear crossover pipe, throttle body elbow, GPF back exhaust system, roll restrictor, cast quickshift, oil filler cap, header tank cap, master cylinder cap, carbon battery clamp, grooved brake discs, lowering springs, subframe lockdown kit, adjustable droplinks. EBC braided brake lines, EBC Blue Stuff brake pads, RBF660 brake fluid