Downsizing with the Ford Fiesta
It’s Britain’s most popular car, but does that make it the best? We take delivery of a Ford Fiesta for three months to find out.
Date: 6 December 2013 | Current mileage: 200 | Claimed economy: 65.7mpg | Actual economy: 40.1mpg
The Ford Fiesta is Britain’s most popular car. In fact, Ford shifted more than 100,000 cars from January to December 2013, which implies that UK motorists are big fans of Ford’s little Fiesta. So, what’s all the fuss about?
Well, quite a lot it would seem. The sixth incarnation of the Fiesta has an attractive design, spacious interior and impressive range of engines. The top of the pile is the award winning 1.0-litre EcoBoost petrol engine, which uses a three-cylinder (yes, three) engine block to improve efficiency and power delivery. On paper, the 1.0-litre EcoBoost will return 65.7mpg and emit just 99g/km, which makes the Fiesta free to tax - hence my decision to take one for three months to judge the car for myself.
I’ll be honest and admit that I’m quite a sucker for little cars and my first automotive steps were taken behind the wheel of a Mk2 Fiesta, finished in a rather fetching Regency Red. However, not all of my Fiesta memories were good ones and I spent many an afternoon on the roadside waiting for the AA to come and rescue my little car from its latest mechanical mishap.
In fact, the Mk2 had its very own of interpretation of start/stop technology – the engine would stop in traffic and refuse to restart. Yet, despite all of this, I still have fond memories of the little car and welcomed the opportunity to test out the latest incarnation.
Dan has many memories of the Mk2 Fiesta; sadly most of them involved waiting around for the AA to arrive
Thankfully the mechanical gremlins that blighted my Mk2 have all been but banished and the modern Fiesta is widely considered be one of the most reliable cars on the road. Indeed, Ask HJ recieved virtually no complaints about the car, which is a remkarable feat when you consider how many are on the road.
So, what's different with the latest Fiesta. For a start, it is incredibly spacious inside and can carry four adults in comfort. Ford has also improved the standard kit too, with even the most basic models getting air con, remote central locking and CD player.
However, keen to see just how plush a Fiesta can go, I’ve decided to specify a Titanium X trim with the 1.0-litre EcoBoost engine. I’ve also opted for five doors, as I never warmed to passengers climbing over the seats to get in and out of my car.
I’ve included a small scattering of extras, including pearl paint, a deflation detection system for the tyres and parking sensors. I’ve also opted for the full size spare, although I find it a bone of contention that car buyers are expected to pay £100 for a spare wheel.
Dan and the latest incarnation of the Fiesta - still in a fetching red
So far first impressions are good, although I’ve only covered a few hundred miles. The interior of the Fiesta is surprisingly large and more than enough to cope with my six foot frame. The driving position is good too, with impressive all round vision and a large windscreen.
The interior toys are pretty similar to the Ford Kuga I tested a few months back and this car gets the same iPod connectivity, DAB radio and a CD player. The Fiesta also benefits from ambient lighting, which gives the car a warm glow in the cold winter months. Usually I’m against soft interior lighting (I hated it in the MINI) but it works rather well in the Ford, without intruding on the driving experience.
I’ve also been impressed with the boot, which is 276 litres. It might sound small, but it's fine for a small car and more than enough to cope with the weekly shop. Okay, it won’t be shifting any furniture or taking me on holiday, but the boot is enough for someone who wants to travel relatively light. However, if you choose to take the tyre repair kit then storage increases to 290 litres, but I prefer the security of having a spare wheel.
The only downside is the fuel economy, which is a disappointing 40.1mpg, but I’ll be talking more about that once we get some serious miles under the Fiestas belt.
The torque of the town
Dan’s been getting acquainted with the Ford EcoBoost engine and has been mightily impressed.
Date: 20 December 2013 | Current mileage: 1020 | Claimed economy: 65.7mpg | Actual economy: 38.4mpg
It might have only been with us a few weeks, but the Ford Fiesta has quickly established itself as a favourite in the Powell household. The first thing that strikes you about this little car is its surprisingly large and comfortable cabin. Yes, I know praising a small car for its space and comfort sounds like a contradiction in terms, but Ford really has pulled off a minor miracle with the internal dimensions of its latest Fiesta.
The case in point was proven when I used this little Ford to transport some friends (the ‘boys’) to Birmingham for a night out. My passengers were three large adults, plus the luggage you’d associate with a bunch of blokes preparing for a night out on the town.
Initially, my passengers were deeply sceptical about Fiesta and its three-cylinder engine. “Are we pushing it all the way there?” was but one of the jokes made at my expense; however, this car should not be judged by its small stature alone.
For a start, the Fiesta had little trouble carrying four adults and all of their bags. The cabin is also intelligently laid out, with plenty of cup holders and cubby holes, which are useful for holding drink cans. The jokes about the Fiesta’s lack of power were short lived too, after I demonstrated its ability to cover 0-62mph in just nine seconds. You see, the little EcoBoost engine is a true marvel of engineering, with 200Nm of torque and 125PS of power. Not bad for an engine block that’s smaller than an A4 sheet of paper.
The Fiesta's 1.0-litre EcoBoost is an excellent little engine, propelling the car from 0-62mph in just nine seconds
Thump the throttle and the Fiesta will scamper away, while its smooth and comfortable five-speed ‘box does a superb job of distributing the power to the front wheels. The 1.0-litre engine has mountains of torque and there’s plenty of fun to be had in the lower gears. The EcoBoost unit is also impressive when it comes to CO2 emissions, with just 99g/km emitting from its tail pipe. Not only does this make the Fiesta a lean and clean(ish) machine, but it also means it is free to tax.
Needless to say, the two hour journey from Cambridge to Birmingham was enough to win over my sceptical passengers, which is high praise indeed considering that two of them were engineers, while the other was a mechanic.
The Fiesta was also admired for its industrial heater, which can transform the cabin into a warm and toasty hubin just one minute. However, if you can't wait that long then - being a Titanium X model - this car also has heated front seats, which are perfect for people like me who can’t wait the 30 seconds for the blowers to emit heat. However, there’s one criticism, and that’s the lack of integrated sat nav. The list price of a five-door Fiesta Titanium X is £17,045 and that’s a heck of a lot of cash to pay for a small car that doesn’t get a basic sat nav.
Yet, slight grumbles aside, the Fiesta is extremely impressive, with snappy handling and a smooth and comfortable ride. It might sound corny, but sometimes a car feels ‘right’ when you get behind the wheel and the Fiesta is certainly one of those cars.
Head to the country lanes and the Fiesta comes into its own, thanks to its nimble size and punchy little engine. If you really want to let rip, then drop a couple of gears and it’ll razzle along with real gusto, which probably explains why I’ve got nowhere near the claimed 65.7mpg. However, in the coming weeks, I’ll be resetting the fuel trip computer and toning down my boy racer urges to see how much fuel you can really save with the 1.0-litre EcoBoost engine. Hopefully, it’ll get somewhere near the claimed target.
High on comfort, low on noise
Battered by high winds and torrential rain, the Fiesta has been proving its metal in the depths of the British winter.
Date: 3 January 2014 | Current mileage: 1560 | Claimed economy: 65.7mpg | Actual economy: 43.2mpg
It’s been a turbulent few weeks on the UK’s roads, with heavy storms and torrential rain making driving a challenging and often colourful experience. However, despite its modest proportions, our Ford Fiesta has coped with everything the British winter has thrown at it.
One of the Fiesta’s trump cards lies in its refinement - it’s extremely quiet and comfortable. I've also been impressed by the fact that the car is aerodynamically sound, which is great in the winter months as high winds don’t bash the car around like a football.
Traditionally small cars struggle in poor weather conditions, with their small stature resulting in a choppy and nervy ride, however, the Fiesta suffers from no such issues. On the contrary, the Ford is surefooted in adverse weather and really inspires confidence behind the wheel. The refinement of the cabin is also good and the Fiesta has one of the quietest rides we’ve experienced in a small car. In fact, it’s more comparable to a Range Rover Evoque, it’s that good.
However, we do find the ride quality on the 16-inch tyres to be a little hard for our liking, making potholed roads a bumpy experience. That’s not to say the Fiesta Titanium X is bad – far from it – but it does suffer on uneven roads, with the occasional crash, bang and wallop. In comparison the Fiesta Zetec on 15-inch wheels is much more comfortable.
The Fiesta’s 16-inch wheels look nice, but return a rather hard ride
The cabin quality on the other hand excels and we have been really happy with the improvements Ford has made to its interiors in recent years. I’m not usually a big fan of leather seats, especially in small cars, but the Fiesta carries it off. In short, the partial leather seats are superb. They also make up for some of the ride misgiving by being extremely comfortable. They’re heated too, which makes them perfect for frosty mornings.
Climb inside and you instantly feel at home in the Fiesta, with good all round interior ergonomics and a light and airy cabin. Admittedly, the plastic arm rest in the centre is placed a few inches too far from the dashboard, which makes it difficult to rest your arm on it completely, but everything else is well placed.
The rear of the car is equally good and I can’t really overstate the benefits of specifying the Fiesta with five-doors. Having friends who own three-door cars, I’ve seen the hassle (and muddy footprints) that folding seats cause and it’s been great to avoid all of that with the extra set of doors.
The only real issue I have to report relates to the fuel economy. Over the last 1500 miles I’ve reached an average of 43.2mpg, which is nowhere near Ford’s official 65.7mpg. In fact, my fuel economy reflects our Real MPG rating, which records an average of 44.5mpg for the 1.0 EcoBoost engine. But, not to be perturbed, I’m going to try out some different fuels to see if this improves fuel economy over the next few weeks. As always, I'll report my findings here in my regular updates.
The Fiesta's facelift gets a grilling
Dan compares the Fiesta’s facelift and wonders if it was really necessary.
Date: 17 January 2014 | Current mileage: 1923 | Claimed economy: 65.7mpg | Actual economy: 45.9mpg
I’m afraid I have bad news: I have some doubts over the Ford Fiesta. If I’m honest, they’ve been in the back of my mind for quite a long time now and gnaw at me every time I climb into my car. At first I thought it was my imagination and tried to ignore it, but now I can see I have a real problem with this car. What is it, I hear you ask? Well, it’s simple: I don’t think the Fiesta is very attractive.
Now don’t get me wrong, this little mile muncher is a great all round package and I can see why Ford has sold more than 120,000 cars in 2013, because the Fiesta ticks all of the small car boxes. Yet, when it comes to the exterior, the car just doesn’t float my boat. You see, I take issue with the car’s mid-life facelift and how it has disfigured a once attractive motor.
Back in 2013, Ford decided to rearrange the features of its once round and happy looking Fiesta by kicking it in the face and slapping a huge trapezoidal grille on it. In my view, this was a gargantuan mistake and gives it a fish like appearance. The matter was made all the worse when some started describing the new facia as the “Aston Martin grille”. This is wrong. Aston Martin grilles are found on Aston Martins, not Ford Fiestas.
However, to make a true comparison, I visited a friend who owns a 2008 Fiesta and parked his car next to mine to ponder why I feel this way. No sooner had I arrived than the doubts resurfaced. The 2008 Fiesta is the better looking car; it’s more symmetrical, more attractive and doesn’t look like a dead trout. Admittedly, the 2013 car has sleeker headlights, but that’s as far as I’ll go in marking it up over its pre-facelift brethren. No doubt some readers will disagree with my views, but that's how I feel and that as they say is that.
Dan is not overwhelmed with the Fiesta facelift and thinks the old model looked a lot more pleasing to the eye
It’s a real shame because, there’s little else I can complain about. The Fiesta's cabin is well crafted, the seats are extremely comfortable and it has plenty of space to carry four adults. Admittedly, the ride can be a tad bumpy on the 16-inch wheels, but this can easily be fixed by specifying smaller wheels. In fact, the 2008 Fiesta you see pictured is on 14s and rides perfectly.
However, one big improvement the new Fiesta has over its older brother is the 1.0 EcoBoost engine, which really is a marvel of engineering. The new engine was one of the big headlines for the facelift model and even a ropey face cannot diminish how good it is. The three-cylinder unit has plenty of torque and makes a wonderful noise. What’s more, over the last few weeks, I have seen an increase in fuel consumption.
Most of the fuel gains have been made with the use of cruise control on the motorway, which has improved my consumption by almost 3mpg. Average fuel consumption is still some way off Ford’s claimed 65.7mpg, but I’ve been making an effort to drive as frugal as possible and got up to 45.9mpg. I think further gains will be made before I hand the car back to Ford.
I have also decided to run the Fiesta on an alternative fuel for the next few weeks, with my chief choice being Shell V-Power Nitro+. Regular readers of HonestJohn.co.uk will know that HJ himself is a big advocate for this fuel, with reports of good returns in fuel economy. So I’ve decided to take him up on this advice and give it a try over the next fortnight to see how the EcoBoost engine works with it. Fingers crossed, it'll give it a nudge past the 50mpg barrier.
Growing concerns over fuel consumption
With the Fiesta's loan nearing its end, Dan mulls over the EcoBoost engine and its shortcoming on conumption.
Date: 31 January 2014 | Current mileage: 2301 | Claimed economy: 65.7mpg | Actual economy: 49.1mpg
It has been a busy time for the Fiesta and over the last two weeks I’ve clocked up almost 400 miles. For the most part, the Fiesta has excelled in its duties and I’ve been extremely impressed with its long distance cruising ability. Sometimes small cars can be somewhat tiresome on long trips, but the Fiesta is great for running long hours on the motorway. It’s also wonderfully refined and the recent storms have presented no real problems for its handling or ride comfort.
Unfortunately, there are some issues to report on fuel consumption. I’m still nowhere near Ford’s official fuel figures and as things stand I’ll be lucky to break the 50mpg barrier before my three month loan ends. If truth be told, I was never expecting to reach 65mpg, because the EU lab tests (which manufacturers have to undertake to submit CO2 and average fuel consumption readings) rarely reflect everyday motoring. But I was hoping to break the 50mpg, at the very least.
Indeed, for the last few months, the Fiesta’s fuel consumption has remained stubbornly low, with an average of 40-44mpg, which is actually reflective of our Real MPG rating, which rates the EcoBoost engine average at 44.3mpg.
However, there has been some improvement over the last few weeks. I gained an extra few miles per gallon by using cruise control on almost every motorway run and I’ve also had some additional gains by swapping from standard unleaded to Shell V-Power Nitro+.
Regular readers will know that Honest John is a strong advocate for performance fuels and he considers Shell to be one of the best around. So, determined (and somewhat desperate) to improve the Fiesta’s fuel economy, I decided to give it a whirl.
The Ford Fiesta EcoBoost has fallen someway short of its official fuel consumption figure of 65mpg
For those of you who have not heard of it, V-Power Nitro+ is a premium fuel that uses higher octane (99 RON) to improve fuel economy and performance. Shell also claims the improved formula cleans and protects the engine. As you would imagine, all of this comes at a price and Shell V-Power usually commands a 5-6p per litre premium over standard unleaded.
Usually, I’m sceptical of performance fuels, but with nowhere else to turn to improve the Fiesta’s average consumption, I felt I had no choice. So, two weeks ago, I filled up with the Nitro+ and watched the trip computer with interest.
So, what’s V-Power like? Well, to be honest, I didn’t notice any raw performance gains. Shell claims that its premium fuel is Ferrari’s choice, but I haven’t noticed any increase in power. However, there was a notable improvement in fuel consumption, with a clear gain of 4-5mpg in just two weeks. The Fiesta is now averaging at 49.1mpg, which is a lot better than the 43-44mpg I was getting before.
I’ll continue to use V-Power for the next few weeks to see if it’ll help me improve consumption further, but Shell’s claims of the fuel paying for its way do appear to have some credibility. It could be argued that its ‘performance’ gains might be felt in a faster car (like the Fiesta ST), but for me saving money on fuel is more important.
Fuel consumption issues aside, I’ve been quite happy with the Fiesta and my time with it is drawing to a close. The next two weeks will be my last with the little Ford, but will I be sorry to see it go? Well, I’ll tell you that in two weeks time.
It’s time to say ta-ta to the Fiesta
After three months the time has come to say goodbye to our trusty Ford Fiesta.
Date: 14 February 2014 | Current mileage: 2649 | Claimed economy: 65.7mpg | Actual economy: 49.1mpg
The time has come for me to bid farewell to the little but likeable Fiesta. It may have only been a three month loan, but the Ford has established itself as a popular car in my Cambridge home, impressing everyone with its resilient nature in the face of Britain’s wet and blustery winter.
During the last few months I have found the Fiesta to be the quintessential all-rounder, with an abundance of interior space, a decent boot and bags of driving character. The Fiesta is also surprisingly accommodating for passengers and it’ll easily carry four adults in comfort. In fact, I’ve not heard a single complaint about a lack of leg or headroom, which is unusual because some of my friends are very vocal (or should that be miserable?) when it comes to sitting in the back of a small car.
Indeed, the Fiesta’s cabin has also come on a long way in recent years and boasts excellent comfort and ergonomics. Admittedly this Titanium X model has some notable extras – like leather seats and a centre console with armrest – but the basic shape and layout is the same across the range.
I was also pleasantly surprised about the boot. Okay, I accept that 276 litres (with a spare wheel) isn’t the best on offer, but I found it sufficient for the weekly shop. In fact, I used the Fiesta for a number of airport runs and its boot catered for my luggage for a weekend away. If you can dispense with the spare wheel, then the boot will increase to 290 litres.
The Fiesta’s cabin is one of the best in the small car business, with an intelligent and comfortable layout
Another plus point for the Ford lies in its rewarding drive. It might sound like an obvious point to make, but there are not many small cars out there that can match the Fiesta for its performance and road handling. Indeed, sometimes small cars can feel a little vague and wobbly in demanding conditions, but the Fiesta has excelled in them. It can also hold its own in the face of 70mph winds, which has been bonus because most of my recent trips have involved gale force winds and torrential rain.
The 1.0 EcoBoost engine has also shown itself to be hugely capable and I still find it difficult to believe that a three-cylinder engine can produce 200Nm of torque, yet be eligible for free road tax with just 99g/km of CO2. Ford really has struck a winning combination with the engine and chassis. It is very rare that you get such more enjoyment from such a small car. A lot of my motoring involves long motorway trips and the engine provides plenty of torque for high gear running. What’s more, with cruise control activated, the Fiesta will happily run at 70mph, with little engine or road noise.
There are some downsides to report - the car's real world fuel consumption isn’t anywhere near Ford’s official figure, which has left me somewhat disappointed at the pumps. Over the three months the Fiesta has averaged 49.1mpg, which is a long way short of the 65.7mpg that’s stated in the brochure. To combat this I’ve tried everything to improve the economy and only reached the high 40s when I started filling up with Shell V-Power Nitro+ and downgraded my driving style to that of an old lady on her way to church.
There’s also something about the Fiesta’s facelift that leaves me thinking it was styled on a dead fish. In my option, the 2008 shape was much more stylish and the 2013 facelift has spoilt it a little. Admittedly, the 2013 car has sleeker headlights, but that’s the only redeeming factor I can give it.
Dan has had some minor grumbles about the Fiesta’s front design. Does it really need a big grille?
So, the big question: would I recommend buying a Ford Fiesta EcoBoost? In short, yes. It’s a great package and easily the best small car on the market. I accept the fuel consumption isn’t the best, but if you can live with 44-49mpg then you won’t have any grumbles with this car. The only advice I would give is to avoid the Titanium X trim. The Zetec gives much more value for money, especially if you opt for the EcoBoost 100PS, with prices starting at £1500 less than the model you see here.
Make no mistake, the Ford Fiesta is very fine car, but if you shop wisely you will get a great all-rounder that will give you years of enjoyable motoring. Just don’t make my mistake and go a little crazy with the options sheet.
