For many Americans, the words “Ford Fiesta” dredges up memories of a
claustrophobic rattle-trap competing with “Geo Metro” for the title of
Worst American Small Car. Personally, the only time I ever wanted a
fiesta was during a drunken weekend in Cabo, and it had more to do with
tequila than cars. But that was four years ago and 214,000 Fiestas ago.
Since then the Fiesta has proved that an American car company is capable
of creating a desirable compact car. Is the party over, or is the car’s
first refresh a sign that the party has just begun? Let’s find out.
Exterior
After being on the market for just four years I hadn’t expected much
for 2014 which makes me all the more impressed with the Fiesta’s
transformation. Ford’s new “Astonesque” grille which debuted on the new
Fusion turned the plain-Jane family hauler into one of the sexiest cars
Ford has ever made, and Ford indicated the look was going to trickle
down the lineup. I was worried. You see, when a new nose is penned for a
new cars, and the existing line-up is modified to accept the new
schnozz, you end up with something like the questionable looking Lexus
GX 460. Fear not , Ford didn’t just paint on a their trapezoidal grille,
they poked and prodded the hood and lamps as well until things looked
right, and right they do. The launch photos looked impressive but the
final product was even better in person.
It’s hard to avoid Aston Martin Cygnet references so I’ll just say it
now: add some hood louvres and a leather dash and Ford’s compact would
be more Aston than the iQ based Cygnet. Paired with the new nose, is a
tweaked rear end featuring new tail lamps. The only downside in my mind
is that the minor nip/tuck to the rear fails to bring the Fiesta’s rump
up to the same level as the front. Park the Fiesta nose first in your
driveway, and nobody will notice. But back it in, and passers-by are
likely to be impressed. As before there is a considerable difference in
dimensions between the sedan and the hatchback with the sedan being a
whopping 13-inches longer. Thanks to that length, the sedan looks less
like a caricature than it would otherwise.
Interior
Four years ago I praised the Fiesta’s interior as class leading in
terms of materials choices and fit/finish. That largely remains true
despite the Fiesta undercutting the Kia Rio in price. That’s not to say
the Fiesta is a revolution, but compared to the hard plastics in the
competition, the Fiesta looks and feels more premium. The injection
molded dashboard, refreshed steering wheel and seats would not be out of
place in the slightly larger compact car category. I found our tester’s
black-on-black interior somewhat cold while the lighter interiors
available on my local Ford lot were warmer, more attractive and showed
off the optional ambient lighting better. (The upper half of dashboard
is black on all models.) Helping the Fiesta’s new “premium compact”
theme is ability to add real leather seats as opposed to the
“leatherette” you find in all but the Kia Rio. Dominating the dashboard
in our tester was Ford’s downsized MyFord Touch infotainment system,
lower trim levels get a revised SYNC display nestled in a similar
binnacle. As you’d expect with any car starting at $14,100, base “S”
trim cars suffer severe de-contenting with manual windows, no dome
lights, no ambient lighting, only one 12V outlet and no cruise control.
This is an important distinction as the majority of the competition feel
like upper trim levels are base models with do-dads added.
The front seats don’t offer much thigh or back support unless you opt
for the sporty Fiesta ST with its Recaro thrones. Even the Titanium
model lacks the range of motion, or support, you’ll find in most
mid-sized sedans and power seats are not an option at any price. Even
so, the Fiesta’s seats are among the more comfortable in the class.
Finding an ideal driving position is easy thanks to a tilt/telescopic
steering wheel. Rear seat passengers encounter the same firm padding in
the sedan or hatchback, and essentially the same amount of headroom with
the sedan form factor taking only a 1/10th of an inch toll and ranking
near top of the class. Sadly however, the Euro origins are clear when it
comes to rear legroom. The Fiesta trails here, and not by a small
amount. The Sonic and Rio offer three 3-inches more while the Versa Note
is a whopping 7.1-inches more spacious. Likewise, cargo hauling ability
of 12.8 cubes in the sedan and 15.4 in the hatchback are on the smaller
end of the spectrum.
Infotainment
My major gripe about the 2011 Fiesta was a lack of infotainment love.
The SYNC-only 2011-2013 models used a small red display in the center
of the dashboard while Kia and Nissan were offering touchscreen
navigation units. To address, Ford shrunk their 8-inch MyFord Touch
system down to 6.5 inches and dropped the system in a new binnacle on
the dash for SE and Titanium Fiestas. Because Ford reduced the system’s
dimensions, not the resolution, the system’s graphics have a crisper and
high-quality look to them when compared to the 8-inch system in the
Focus. There are a few ergonomic downsides however. The screen’s high
position on the dash means it’s quite far from the driver requiring a
decent reach for most functions and it makes the screen look smaller
than it actually is. Also, because the “buttons” have shrunk, it’s
easier to stab the wrong one. Thankfully most system operations can be
controlled via voice commands negating the need to touch the screen for
the most part. Ford’s latest software update (3.6.2 in August 2013)
seems to have finally fixed the crashing and random re-boots that
plagued earlier versions of the software.
Some buyers won’t care about the 6.5-inch woes as the snazzy system
is standard on the Titanium, a $995 option on the SE and not available
on the base model.
Those shoppers will be
happy to know that the Fiesta delivers one of the better audio system
values. S and SE models come with six standard speakers, two more than
you usually find in a stripper sub-compact, while Titanium models swap
in an 8-speaker Sony branded audio system. The base speaker package is
notably more crisp and accurate than the four-speaker fare in the
competition while the Sony audio system sounded almost too bright at
times. Both the S and SE models share the same AM/FM/CD/USB/iDevice head
unit with SYNC voice commands and smartphone streaming integration.
Drivetrain
The big news under the hood for 2014 is the arrival of a 3-cylinder
turbo option. Sadly one was not available for testing, so keep your eyes
peeled for that review later in 2014. All trims get a standard 1.6L
four-cylinder engine producing the same 120 HP and 112 lb-ft as last
year, meaning that three-banger is optional, yes
optional, for
2014. Aside from the novelty of paying $995 to have one cylinder
removed, the 1.0L Ecoboost engine promises 32 MPG in the city, 45 on the
highway and 37 combined which is a 7 MPG bump on the highway and 5 in
the combined cycle. If the fuel economy wasn’t enough to pique your
interest, the 1.0L engine cranks out 123 HP and 125 lb-ft across a flat
torque curve, with a 15 second overboost good for 145 lb-ft. Ford mates
the boosted engine exclusively to a 5-speed manual while the 1.6 can be
mated to an optional 6-speed dual-clutch box.
Ford’s 6-speed PowerShift gearbox has received plenty of criticism
from owners and Consumer Report. After talking with a number of Fiesta
owners I have come to the conclusion the problem is mainly a lack of
understanding. You see, PowerShift is Ford-speak for DSG. While
Volkswagen’s robotic dual-clutch manual is smoother under certain
circumstances (thanks to their use of wet clutches) VW seems to do a
better job marketing and explaining their fuel-sipping tranny. Inside
the Fiesta’s gearbox lies essentially two robotically shifted manual
transmissions, one handling the even gears and the other taking the odd
ones. The lack of a torque converter increases efficiency, and the
twin-clutch system allows shifts to happen faster than in an automatic.
By their very nature, dual-clutch transmissions feel more like a hybrid
between a manual and an automatic. When you start from a stop, you can
feel the clutch slip and engage. If you’re on a hill, the car will roll
backwards when the hill-hold system times out. Occasionally you can hear
a bit more gear noise and shifting noise than in a traditional slushbox
and reverse has that distinctive sound. Because the Ford system uses
dry clutches, starts are more pronounced than in VW’s DSG units with wet
clutches (not all DSGs are wet clutch anymore). 2014 brings a major
software update that noticeably improves shift quality but there is
still a difference in feel. My opinion is: I’ll take PowerShift over a
standard automatic any day as I prefer fuel economy and rapid shifts to
“smoothness.” What say you?
Drive
Little was done to the Euro suspension for American duty, making the
Fiesta the firmest ride in the segment, tying with the Mazda 2. The
Honda Fit is a close second, but the Japanese compact is starting to
show its age, feeling less refined and composed over rough pavement. The
Versa Note feels composed but delivers more body roll, while the Rio’s
suspension feels softer than I prefer while at the same time
transmitting more road imperfections to the driver’s spine. Regardless
of trim, the Fiesta handles incredibly well. This is due as much to the
suspension as the light curb weight. Ranging from 2537lbs to 2628lbs,
the Fiesta is a featherweight in America and it shows when you toss the
Ford into corners, being far more willing to change direction than a
Focus.
When it comes to straight line performance, the 6-speed PowerShift
scooted our tester to 60 MPH in 9.08 seconds, a full second faster than
the last manual-equipped Fiesta hatchback we tested. The reason for the
variation is down to the gear ratios in the 5-speed manual. Ford
combined low first and second gears with a tall fifth gear (taller than
the Euro Fiesta) for better hill starts and improved EPA numbers but the
decisions take a toll on performance and driveability. By dropping
first and second, the delta between second and third grows to an odd gap
that hampers acceleration after 50 MPH while the tall top gear means
frequent downshifts on moderate inclines. Although I normally prefer a
manual to any automatic, the Fiesta is one of my exceptions. The
PowerShift box seemed to always have the right gear for the situation
and made hill climbing a much less frustrating experience.
The Fiesta has always been small, but the Fiestas and Festivas of my
youth were mainly known for being cheap. The new Fiesta however is all
about
value. Ford’s new pricing strategy is a mix of an
aggressive $14,100 starting price for the sedan, a $500 premium for the
hatchback and an options list that pushes most Fiestas on the lot to
between $17,000 and $18,000. Fully loaded, (excluding the ST) the most
expensive Fiesta you can get is $21,705. My realistic starting point for
the Fiesta is the SE at $15,580 which includes all the essentials the S
lacks.
When you compare that to the competition, the Fiesta starts only $110
more than a Versa Note and at the top end is just $855 more than a Rio.
Nissan’s Note stacks up best at the bottom of the food chain,
delivering more room, better fuel economy and a similar level of
equipment for less. Putting things nicely, the Mazda 2 is outclassed by
the Fiesta in every way at every level, while the Kia matches the Ford
closely in terms of price for content. Although the Rio is the more
spacious alternative and it offers a more powerful engine and 6-speed
manual, the Fiesta is more attractive and more fun to drive. Chevy’s
Sonic suffers from a bargain basement interior and a price tag that
doesn’t offer much of a discount vs the Ford, even when you take into
account some of the features Chevy offers that aren’t available on the
Fiesta.
What the Fiesta does best of all however is wear that $21,705 price
tag. No matter how you slice it, the Rio, Sonic and Fit feel like an
economy car at the top end of their price range. The Fiesta Titanium
however feels like a decent deal for the cash. Those shopping lower in
the food chain benefit from a cabin that feels like a cheap version of a
more expensive cabin, unlike the Versa Note SL which feels like an
expensive version of a cheap car. Plenty of you will baulk at a Fiesta
that lists over 21-grand when a base Fusion is just 2000 bucks more, but
those looking for mid-size sedan comforts and luxuries in a compact
carrying case will do well to drive a Fiesta.
Ford provided the vehicle, insurance and one tank of gas for this review
Specifications as tested
0-30: 3.4 Seconds
0-60:9.08 Seconds
1/4 Mile: 16.9 Seconds @ 81.6 MPH
Average observed fuel economy: 31.5 MPG over 561 Miles
Cabin noise at 50 MPH: 72.5 db
Source: thetruthaboutcars.com
