Topic: 2011 Ford Fiesta SES; Day 1

[jekelly]

I like to see you guys debating about this car. Someone told me that the ESP can't be turn OFF. Does someone know if this information is true? If yes this is a major problem for Canadian customers. ESP is really good, but not when your stuck in 30cm of snow in front of your house when you MUST go to work this morning.

[tpl]

I like to see you guys debating about this car. Someone told me that the ESP can't be turn OFF. Does someone know if this information is true? If yes this is a major problem for Canadian customers. ESP is really good, but not when your stuck in 30cm of snow in front of your house when you MUST go to work this morning.

Will a Fiesta have the ground clearance ( or road hugging weight) to go anywhere through a genuine 30 cm of snow? Even with snow tires?   
  I do agree about the ESP tho'. My AWD BMW 3-er needed me to turn it off when manoeuvring to park in the lane behind my house in deep snow and that was with snow tires and proper full time AWD. If I left the ESP  on the car would smell of hot brake pads and hot clutch plate for a day afterwards.

[aknutson]

Only thing I'd like is (and maybe you can get it this way) if they'd lose the leather even if it only saves me $500, and the push button start.  I want cloth and a key please.  

Leather is fully optional on top-spec SES trim, but I think they include the push-button start, which I'm not totally keen on either. Ford.ca doesn't say how much chopping off the leather will save you (says 'variable' beside the option price), but at least it is an option. I think this was a move to make the car feel more upscale, like the newer Honda Civic EX-L that has sold well for Honda, I see those everywhere.

[Seafoam]

 I'm interested to see what the real world fuel economy is like and how it compares to the Yaris and Fit.  Does it have the versatility of the Fit? I've had a 40 gallon water heater in my Fit with the hatch closed with room to spare. Great to have ford selling a competitive small car of this size.

[John Meyer]

I dropped by my dealer to take one for a drive.  No dice.  The sales rep just talked his way around that point several times and I didn't press hard.

The fellow knew very little about the car but the numbers posted on the spec sheet looked very promising.  4.8L/100k on the highway for the 6 speed auto.

The 4 door sedan Fiesta is almost as long as the Focus.  In fact, I thought it was a Focus in the showroom until informed otherwise.  Stand behind it though and you can see it is distinctly narrower.

Excellent finish inside and very comfortable seats.

Too bad about the test drive and the sales rep expertise.  I'm sure that will improve as the Fiesta draws more enthusiasts into the showrooms.

The employee discount promo makes the thing a little killer though if the reports of its on road performance are close to accurate.

Not remotely the versatile cargo handler that the Fit is but a great package none the less.

Cheers,
John Meyer

[Winterpeg]

 I will be interested in your views when comparing it to the Mazda 2 which is similar in concept but according to the Ford reps has only about 4 interchangeable items with it.

  Both have basically for small children and adult back seats

The Fiesta a 6 spd auto while the Mazda 2 a 5 spd

 The Ford wins on economy, but not by much, and quietness.

The Mazda 2 I gather wins on driver satisfaction but not by much

As an S2000 owner I will be interested in your views between the 2 after the test is complete James.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/d70w7/4867838400/

Actually the Mazda comes with a 4 speed for an auto....boy did the Zoom-Zoom people cheaped out in this dept.
Otherwise I like this subcom......the interior looks better(ie.simple/functional) than the Ford "transformer" look mentioned within this blog.   

[Ice]

Hrrmmm... the Fiesta is a major launch (IMHO) for Ford.  Having a sales rep who doesn't know much about the car is definitely a failure of either that sales rep or the dealership. I know it's new... but the ad campaign is really cranking out.  Ford sent me a flier in the mail about it and it was printed on nice paper in high quality so they are taking this seriously.

Looking forward to seeing them on the road. Even a couple of friends who could do really well with one although I know one just bought a Focus for cheap instead.  Next year there will be a bigger difference between the two.

[SJP]

I agree with those who call this out on price. I would drive one of these, they are a cool little economy car, but like the Honda Fit, I would be selective as to what level I chose. Despite what many people think, these will be purchased by people on a budget, not always, but often. It is a lot of car for the money, and it is nice to see these features available on a car that doesn't break the bank, but for me, I would need it spec'd out under $20K. When I bought my Mazda 5, I was looking at a fit, but the 5 was a LOT more car for the money. I might have been able to live with the smaller car, but if I could get more for the same money, why not? To jump from the Fiesta to a Focus is not like stepping into a full size SUV, but you can get a bit more car for your money, and still be thrifty. Shop wisely, and I think a person can get a great little car for their money.

[MKII]

Only thing I'd like is (and maybe you can get it this way) if they'd lose the leather even if it only saves me $500, and the push button start.  I want cloth and a key please.  

Leather is fully optional on top-spec SES trim, but I think they include the push-button start, which I'm not totally keen on either. Ford.ca doesn't say how much chopping off the leather will save you (says 'variable' beside the option price), but at least it is an option. I think this was a move to make the car feel more upscale, like the newer Honda Civic EX-L that has sold well for Honda, I see those everywhere.

SES trim does not include leather $1,200.00 or the push-button-start (Passive entry-Passive Start) $500.00, both features are offered as stand alone options in Canada, except for Quebec where the push-button-start (Passive entry-Passive Start) system is included as standard features.

Fiesta Pricing start from the
Trim Levels
Sedan
S $12,594
SE $16,099
SEL $18,199
Hatch
SE $16,799
SES $18,899

Ford does offer the customer IMO decent option choices to individualize the car to ones tastes and budget. Most would be able to specify the features they want without having to take features they do not desire.

[bluelines]

I need to get a little city car later this year, and the Fiesta is top of my list. I probably wouldn't load it up quite as much as the model tested, here, but either way I don't think it's overpriced.

I'll have to drive it, but if it is close to being as good to drive as the MINI, I'm sold, since it seems to be quite a bit more practical and obviously a lot less expensive.

[dirtyjeffer]

The Fiesta a 6 spd auto while the Mazda 2 a 5 spd

two things:

1)  the Mazda 2 has a 4 speed conventional automatic transmission.

2)  Ford's 6 speed automatic is a twin clutch auto (like a VW DSG).

this car will sell very well (assuming it is as good as it should be) for a number of reasons...as has been noted, there are plenty of people who like a car to be well equipped, but don't want to (or can't) spend $30k plus to get it...this type of car gives people a compact car, with plenty of technology and innovation in an affordable package (starting at $13k for basic and up to $22k for loaded models)...considering the size of this market in Canada, it will do well.

[dirtyjeffer]

The employee discount promo makes the thing a little killer though if the reports of its on road performance are close to accurate.

the employee price isn't that great of a deal on a car like this...perhaps if you were buying a Lincoln Navigator it might be worth it, but you could easily have "talked" the discount they give you currently (although, i suppose this saves you the hassle).

as well, with their finance rates at 6-10%, they will more than make their "Employee pricing discount" back many times over...if i were getting this car, i would wait until they offer 0% interest (or close to it, which shouldn't be far) and then negotiate a bit on the car.

[dirtyjeffer]

to give you an idea of the effect of the "high" interest rate, a well equipped SEL sedan is $19,917 before taxes...pay that off over 72 month, and your payment is $349/month...add that up, and it is $25,128...just over $5,000 interest...and remember, i didn't included taxes in that amount.

for comparison, a 2010 Hyundai Elantra is $19594 before taxes, which works out to $284.65/month for 72 months, or $20494.80...that's a whopping $5,000 in interest savings...sure, the Fiesta has more "cool features", but the 2011 Elantra looks promising in terms of great styling and features and should be comparable in price.

not trying to promote Hyundai here, just showing that the "Employee Price" really isn't as good as a deal as it may appear to be.

[SJP]

Employee pricing is great if you go and pay cash, otherwise, wait for a better interest rate. It is a well priced small car, but I often find the loaded up version of any small car is an exercise in diminishing returns. Not matter what you do to a $16000 car, it is still a $16000 car underneath. The stripper models are the opposite, you are paying almost as much without the niceties or essentials. Mid level models often represent the best value. This is less of an issue with more expensive vehicles, because they are able to include a lot more standard features from the start. Who hasn't priced a vehicle based on the "advertised price" only to find out the one they really want is a lot more. All that being said, the Fiesta is a great little car, but i would wait and see where the new Focus sits price/content wise. Ford will have months of strong sales before anyone has to make that decision.

[D70]

The Fiesta a 6 spd auto while the Mazda 2 a 5 spd

two things:

1)  the Mazda 2 has a 4 speed conventional automatic transmission.

2)  Ford's 6 speed automatic is a twin clutch auto (like a VW DSG).

Thanks,
You are correct.
 I am not really interested in automatics, but I should have remembered that.

I drove both basic models today with the 5 speed manual transmissions. What a world of difference The 2 felt nimble and agile with sharp controls, very Miata like.  The Fiesta feels much larger, less peppy, easy to relax in.
In the 2 I could sit behind the front seat when it was adjusted for my 6 ft 190 lb frame, the Fiesta no.

To drive it was no contest the feel of the 2 was a clear winner over the softer Fiesta. With the big difference in the automatics it might be a whole lot different, but it would surprise me.

 On pure money the Ford people started talking discounts and packages so the Fiesta can be had for less
 Mazda emphasised being built in Japan over the Mexican assembly of the Fiesta

 Both cars are great value and should do well.

Mine would be a 2

[rrocket]

I've read the fuel economy (relatively speaking) sucks in the 2.

[Bubba]

I've read the fuel economy (relatively speaking) sucks in the 2.

According to mazda.ca
               city/highway
Manual       6.8/5.6
Auto          7.5/6.0

[sacrat]

SES trim does not include leather $1,200.00 or the push-button-start (Passive entry-Passive Start) $500.00, both features are offered as stand alone options in Canada, except for Quebec where the push-button-start (Passive entry-Passive Start) system is included as standard features.

Fiesta Pricing start from the
Trim Levels
Sedan
S $12,594
SE $16,099
SEL $18,199
Hatch
SE $16,799
SES $18,899

Ford does offer the customer IMO decent option choices to individualize the car to ones tastes and budget. Most would be able to specify the features they want without having to take features they do not desire.

Translation. "What's standard in other markets,we have to pay extra for". Thanks Ford for letting us "individualize" our cars here

[Sir Osis of Liver]

First two are the automatics, second pair are the manuals.

[rrocket]

I've read the fuel economy (relatively speaking) sucks in the 2.

According to mazda.ca
               city/highway
Manual       6.8/5.6
Auto          7.5/6.0

US EPA for manual has it at 8.1 city and 6.7 Hwy.  Not stellar numbers considering it's a teeny bit smaller than the Fiesta.  Wonder if it all boils down to gearing?