I have just sold a Fiesta ST and bought a 182. The sale was due to financial reasons if I'm honest, the 182 cost half what I sold the ST for and servicing/repairs/general running costs appear to be a lot less, too.
A lot of people will tell you how slow and under-powered the ST is. Whilst they aren't quite as fast as a 182, they're still plenty quick enough to have some fun.
The 182 also has more grip in the corners/handles better. The ST is good too, but just not as good as the 182 for me.
Looks wise, obviously it's a matter of opinion, but the ST is my favorite of the two. They look great in frozen white especially!
The interior in the ST is a nicer place to be in my opinion. Although, the blue dash is not to everyone's taste. As standard, the ST comes with a Sony 6-disc CD player and sounds pretty impressive. Whereas, in the 182, I sometimes think if I put my iPhone on loud speaker it would sound better! 182's are nicely specced otherwise, climate control, air con, cruise control, auto lights/wipers, etc. These are all optional extras on the ST and most seem to have been specced without them.
The build quality of the ST is in another league. In 12 months of ownership, I never spent a penny on repairs and everything just seemed to work. There was also not a single rattle!
They are both great cars in their own way, I guess it just depends on what's a priority for you. I'd say get a good test drive in both of them and make your decision that way.
