Topic: 2011 Ford Fiesta SES; Day 1

[CatsEye68]

Any way you slice it, cars are funny things - they are both the best and the worst investments we make all at the same time. 

But they are never investments, unless you are talking about a restored classic that may appreciate over time. They are simply a transportation expense. You can attempt to minimize that expense by buying used or buying new/cheap, or you can incur more expense for more comfort, style, performance, etc. But they are never an investment in the usual sense. They are simply an expense.

[bikenut]

fire and ice  the fiesta gets 120 from its 1.6 which is fine but hyundai is expecting about 140 from their 1.6 , to top it off it will include "stop and go " tech
and their turbo 1.6 - 200 hp takes regular gas

hondas always sound great
thats where hyundai drops the ball , i'll just turn the music up
but i'd still consider a ford  , but another thing hyundai is doing is making their cars as light as possible ,  mazda is doing the same thing now with the 2 and next gen miata

look at the good selling fusion hybrid , it's a real porker

even the 2500 lbs + of the feista -  it could be lighter
sonata has the most power and is the lightest in its class - can't go wrong with that
re honda - i wish honda would go di with all their engines now and make full hybrids instead of mild ones -- they are doing poorly now but have always been a favorite , always loved my 2nd gen prelude , it was a great car and i still miss it

[kwbuggy]

I was lucky enough to drive an SE hatch with the six speed auto about a month ago.  It was a peppy car and very quiet on the TransCanada up to 120.  Since it was brand new (less than 100km) I didn't push it past that but it seemed to have lots of pedal left.  I think it would make a great commuter car for a couple of people or a good around town second car for a family.  My only gripe about the interior was the lack of a centre armrest (although they are already available in the aftermarket) and the fact that someone 6'2" can't rest his/her left elbow on the armrest if the driver's seat is all the way back.  The door is too short and the armrest is forward of where your elbow would fit in this configuration.  Overall a very impressive car, if the new Focus is anywhere as good and if Ford Canada brings in the wagon from Europe I'll be lining up to get a Focus.  It will be my first new Ford since my Tempo in 1986.

[TopGun]

I also read in a comparo that they said the Fit was still more fun to drive...

Just got my MotorTrendy:

Winner - Fit - Best combo of fun to drive and space utilization
2nd - Fiesta - Form over function
3rd - Versa - Small on the outside, big in the inside
Last - Yaris - The cheapest...and it shows it.

[bikenut]

the fit , in past reviews , pre feista always came 1st in subcompact comparos , it's the
one that feels like a sports car and is the most fun to drive , nice interior , lots of features
but i knocked it out because i consider it ugly , don't need the minivan storage or magic seats
the gas tank is under the front seats , you can hear gas slush around , being a small tank ,you have to fill it up more often , giving the impression you are getting worse fuel economy than you are , and when you boot it around - being fun to drive your mpg can drop to 28 mpg which is worse than the honda civic -- it also is in the 2,500 lbs + weight meaning the yaris is quicker off the line,which it is
and quicker to 0 - 60 too
motortrend mention those things ?
what lets the yaris down is not the engine or nimble handling ,very short turning radius or better gas mileage than the fit , it's the lack of features , stupid dash ,cheap sparse interior and reasonably uncomfortable seats compared to others - the yaris is a great city car , take one for a spin and you'll see -- its funny looking too but i've seen the spy shots of the next yaris , its longer and even funnier looking - hard to believe but it is

[rrocket]

I also read in a comparo that they said the Fit was still more fun to drive...

Just got my MotorTrendy:

Winner - Fit - Best combo of fun to drive and space utilization
2nd - Fiesta - Form over function
3rd - Versa - Small on the outside, big in the inside
Last - Yaris - The cheapest...and it shows it.

Not surprising.  Was released in 2006....and based on the 2000 Echo platform.  The replacement for the Yaris is supposed to be at the next Detroit Auto show.   

[Jaeger]

the fit , in past reviews , pre feista always came 1st in subcompact comparos , it's the
one that feels like a sports car and is the most fun to drive , nice interior , lots of features
but i knocked it out because i consider it ugly , don't need the minivan storage or magic seats
the gas tank is under the front seats , you can hear gas slush around , being a small tank.... ....
motortrend mention those things ?

1) You shouldn't buy any car you think is ugly.  I sure wouldn't.  But you shouldn't assume everyone has the same idea of what ugly is.  The Fit seems to be selling well enough that your perception of its ugliness does not seem to be the prevailing view.

2) I have both driven and been driven in my wife's Fit many times.  I have never heard "gas slush around".

3) The small tank is a valid point as it limit's the Fit's range.  No question that it gets great mileage, though.

4) Might I politely suggest capitalization and punctuation?

Jaeger

[SJP]

kwbuggy

"if the new Focus is anywhere as good and if Ford Canada brings in the wagon from Europe I'll be lining up to get a Focus"

100%!!!! A Focus wagon may indeed be my next vehicle a couple years from now.

[Ex-airbalancer]

kwbuggy

"if the new Focus is anywhere as good and if Ford Canada brings in the wagon from Europe I'll be lining up to get a Focus"

100%!!!! A Focus wagon may indeed be my next vehicle a couple years from now.

Moving out Canada in a couple of years then

[dirtyjeffer]

i took a Ford Fiesta 5 door SES for a test drive this morning...it was loaded with leather and had the 6sp auto in it...i certainly didn't drive it for nearly as long as James gets to, but i did take it through a few subdivisions in the city and on the outskirts where i could bring it up to speed a bit...keep in mind, it was still only about a 20 minute drive, but i can give you some first impressions.

the "feel" of the vehicle in terms of its fit and finish and quality of materials is certainly very decent...a lot of soft touch materials throughout and even the sound and feel of closing the doors and hatch seem to have a quality feel to them...the side mirrors were nice, as they have built-in signals indicators and each mirror also has a smaller "blind spot" mirror to aid in visibility (which is very good to begin with due to the car's small size and many windows)...oddly absent is an arm rest, however the brochure mentions one will be available as an accessory later this year (hopefully not too expensive, as it should already be there)...while driving the car, you can tell it isn't a "race car" or anything, but i think it felt competitive in its class...the "PowerShift" automatic transmission is a little different feeling than a conventional automatic, and the first couple of gears seem to be quite "tall", which seemed like the car was revving a little higher than i normally like to see when starting from a stop, but perhaps i was a little heavy on the pedal as i am not used to driving the car...keeping up with traffic is no problem as the car's 120HP is more than adequate for its size. (continued)

[dirtyjeffer]

(hard to type long posts in here for some reason as the text box jumps around when it gets long)

the engine revs are about 2000 at 80 km/hr and around 2300 at 100 km/hr...absent was the usual "noise" you get in an entry level car at speed...the car was actually quite silent when cruising around, although in the city, engine noise is more noticeable, but i doubt it is any louder than anything else in this class of vehicle...the radio seemed to have decent sound, although i agree that the layout is "odd"...i would have preferred a more "standard" layout of the controls...i would probably pass on the leather, but the keyless system with push button start is neat...the fuel economy ratings are also quite impressive and if driven "nicely" are probably fairly realistic...the sales guy said this new engine uses a timing chain, which would also keep maintenance costs down in the future and he mentioned the new transmission doesn't require any extra special fluid changes (just the regular one is fine), which is nice as the VW DSG transmission fluid change is about $400+...i can't confirm if the transmission fluid change and the timing chain information is correct, but those are nice features if they are...overall, buyers of subcompact cars should definitely put this car on their list of "potential vehicles" as it drives well, handles well, and seems well put together...it is small, but "feels" better than what a Yaris or a Fit does...you don't get the feeling you are driving around in a tin can of car and that you cut corners on the car to save money.

[Ex-airbalancer]

(hard to type long posts in here for some reason as the text box jumps around when it gets long)

check this out
 http://www.canadiandriver.com/forum/index.php/topic,64162.0.html

It hard to read your post it looks like a wall

[canuck901]

better then a honda fit??? not the 2009-10 or 11 model FIT.
Made in Japan (Honda FIT) vs Made in Mexico (ford Fiesta)  The Ford Fiesta is made in Mexico and its cheap fit and finish shows.
this car  may look great new, but in a few yrs, it will definitely not be as sturdy and reliable as a Honda fit which was 2009 compact car of the year.

The European Fiesta would have been the car to bring here, not a cheap down version made in Mexico.

and yes I have driven both and bought a 2010 Honda fit sport!

Fair enough.  Just two points I'd like to make about this:

1.  Honda and Toyota build some of its cars in Thailand.  Sound like Mexico?
2.  Most of the work is done via machines now anyways.

There's a "J" at the beginning of the serial number, meaning its made in Japan.  At the present time the Honda fit is the only Honda car Made in Japan.

Made in Mexico vehicles have been poor quality,

ford has made a nice cheaper competitor to the Honda FIT, but i would  say the FIT is the coolest compact car out on the market, right now.
The US Honda Fit sport gets Standard TPMS, Paddle shifters and Navigation option!  Why are these not available in Canada? Always seems Canada gets shafted on Vehicle options!

[Sir Osis of Liver]

better then a honda fit??? not the 2009-10 or 11 model FIT.
Made in Japan (Honda FIT) vs Made in Mexico (ford Fiesta)  The Ford Fiesta is made in Mexico and its cheap fit and finish shows.
this car  may look great new, but in a few yrs, it will definitely not be as sturdy and reliable as a Honda fit which was 2009 compact car of the year.

The European Fiesta would have been the car to bring here, not a cheap down version made in Mexico.

and yes I have driven both and bought a 2010 Honda fit sport!

Fair enough.  Just two points I'd like to make about this:

1.  Honda and Toyota build some of its cars in Thailand.  Sound like Mexico?
2.  Most of the work is done via machines now anyways.

There's a "J" at the beginning of the serial number, meaning its made in Japan.  At the present time the Honda fit is the only Honda car Made in Japan.

Made in Mexico vehicles have been poor quality,

ford has made a nice cheaper competitor to the Honda FIT, but i would  say the FIT is the coolest compact car out on the market, right now.
The US Honda Fit sport gets Standard TPMS, Paddle shifters and Navigation option!  Why are these not available in Canada? Always seems Canada gets shafted on Vehicle options!

The mid-sized car with the highest reliability ratings from Consumer Reports is the Ford Fusion, which is "Hecho en Mexico".

A few years ago I looked up the country of origin for VW models, there was absolutely no correlation between reliability and whether it was made in Mexico or Germany.

[rrocket]

^^Agree.  Maybe "back in the day" quality in Mexico was less.  But they have added significant quality control checks to ensure better quality.

[bikenut]

ford in 2008 invested 3 billion  in a plant in mexico

there used to be quality problems from mexico

the fiesta does have a timing belt , i checked with their service department
it gets changed every 240,000 km - car salesmen are like lawyers - when their mouths are moving they are lying , but more often they simply don't know the cars well enough .

[tpl]

I can hear the gas sloshing about when I drive the Fit.

[bikenut]

 jaeger  the fit is sold in great quantities for lots of reasons, the last of which is its looks

if you actually drive your fit agressively , to the floor , your mileage would drop alot , you might even hear some of the sloshing i was talking about , capitals ? complaining about someones typing ? are you kidding ? are you anal ? if not , get a life , this is canadian driver where people talk about cars

or did i type in typing school by mistake 

[Jaeger]

jaeger  the fit is sold in great quantities for lots of reasons, the last of which is its looks

if you actually drive your fit agressively , to the floor , your mileage would drop alot , you might even hear some of the sloshing i was talking about , capitals ? complaining about someones typing ? are you kidding ? are you anal ? if not , get a life , this is canadian driver where people talk about cars

or did i type in typing school by mistake

Oh well, so much for being polite. 

1) You know the reasons why each individual purchased their Fit - and that the last reason was looks?  Do tell how you gained that penetrating insight.
2) You drive a car aggressively and the mileage drops?  I would never have guessed!    Yes, I have driven it aggressively, and no, I have never heard the sloshing you describe.
3) The manner in which you choose to communicate suggests very strongly that you should have stayed in school a lot longer.  Or maybe it's just that you should have made an attempt to learn something while you were there.  As a matter of convention, even minimally educated grown-ups will start a sentence with a captial letter and end it with a period.  Don't worry, I no longer hold those expectations in respect of your posts.


Jaeger

[Jaeger]

I can hear the gas sloshing about when I drive the Fit.

The current Fit or the previous generation?  Maybe my wife fills the tank with special non-slosh gas. 

Jaeger