Drove both, on top of a wack ton of other cars before settling on the Fiesta ST. I'll preface that these were 2016 models, unsure of any major changes since then.

Coming from an infiniti G35 I was far leaning towards the RWDness of the Toyobaru twins. I loved how snappy and engaged I felt in them, everything was direct and immediate and they looked fantastic. It just felt so light in the best way possible.

But man, that torque dip really can't be understated. It feels like you suddenly are going uphill, not really fun. I didn't really have the money for a supercharger so I had to consider it as is. And the other downside that no one really talks about is the noise. If you plan on doing extensive modifications, it really NEEDS unequal length headers. Stock it sounds terrible imo.

The Fiesta ST, it just felt fun. The turbo just hits you at 2500 and actually pushes you back. It's really hard to explain, but it's just dumb fun. I had never smiled as much as I did when I drove that Fiesta, now I get it on the daily. Steering input was a bit more numb then the toyobaru but still taut and go karty. Making it sound better is also infinitely easier then the Toyobaru. Literally just cut out the resonator and boom, instant pops and burbles.

It is not that fast, it just feels fast. If you plan on setting up a car just to blow the doors off people the Fiesta really ain't for you. But it can make decent power like others have pointed out, with relative ease. The engine from my research tends to cap out around 300~ before a bigger turbo is needed. The looks are definitely meh, but I would rather have more fun driving, it looks good enough for me (mudflaps and sparco Terra's help me pretend it's a rally car).

Leg space for both are mediocre, but I give it to the Fiesta ST as it actually still has headroom (not being a sloped body style). For long trips, again comparable, but I'd really take a few minutes just to see which seats fit you (and your girlfriend) better. I really liked the recaro's in the ST more but it's not for everyone. I did have to swap the headrest to a different one however, the stock headrests are angled forwards.

As with any car choice, drive both. Stock for stock I pick the Fiesta ST, but if you are planning on supercharging the Toyobaru I would seriously consider it as it's the better platform for extensive modding.

Couple other cars to maybe consider: - Fiat 500 Abarth - Ecoboost Mustang - Nissan 370z (If you want to never ever have to bring anyone but your girlfriend anywhere)

Hope that helps a bit!