Latest Ghia on sale (Ford Fiesta Ghia 1.6)

Member Name: doyoureally

Product:	Ford Fiesta Ghia 1.6
Date:	24/04/03 (1491 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Superb Handling & Ride, Spacious and practical, Petrol 1.6 offers much fun

Disadvantages: Plastic are bit plasticky!, Smaller engines less good

The newest Ford Fiesta is an all-new car. It is not a revamp of an old chassis with go-faster stripes. I have just bought one for my wife and would like to tell you all about it. "Telling" may soon be about all I can do where this car is concerned; as the more she drives it the less she let's me near it.

We have not had the car so very long but if I learn anything new - I'll add it here over time, good or bad..


First Impressions
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Having owned a variety of small cars and driven quite a few more - it is clear that standards have risen across the board year after year. The Fiesta keeps that theme going for me - offering very secure handling and a pleasurable drive whilst providing passengers with a comfortable ride, keeping costs down too.

You may not have noticed it's arrival though in 2001, as it does look like a slightly smaller Focus from the front. At the back - the car is more attractive than the Focus wedge. In Ghia form, the colour coded trim and fog lights help to make it a cheeky little contender.

Internally, the layout is functionally excellent. The Ghia seat trim offered is either light or dark grey velour - dark seems the better long-term option for wear and tear appearance. The single disappointing aspect is the plastic used for some knobs and the dashboard in general looks cheaper than say the VW Polo's. But that aside - it is very roomy, airy and light and comfortable for adults and kids alike.

This review will try to cover all the aspects that might interest you in more detail but I can only fairly provide true insight into the car I have driven (the 1.6 Ghia).


My esteemed Opinion
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Looks are as ever a personal thing - but in Ghia form I reckon she looks as neat and tidy as any of the competitors - we chose metallic ink blue (which is £300 extra) that adds further touch of class to the external appearance. The all
oys complete the picture to a slightly sporty one - although definitely not in Subaru WRX league!

How does she size up? The 5-door model is 3.9 metres long and 1.7M wide. Despite this smallish exterior - the interior space is quite surprising. I am 1.93M (or 6Ft 3 inches in old money) and can easily get myself comfortable as driver or passenger. Rear seat room is good and two adults would be more than comfortable with 3 fine for journeys of moderate distance.

With the rear seats in place, it offers a very respectable luggage volume of 284 (bettered by only a few super-minis such as the Honda Jazz). Importantly the boot comfortably accommodates the result of as a good size supermarket visit or a push chair and requisite baby paraphernalia. The load area is flat and well shaped for most items. Usefully access to the boot can be achieved via the remote on the Ghia model - though you need to be within touching distance for the remote to work this (a safety feature to stop you doing this by accident I guess).

Now once you get going - things get better for me. I have driven many cars, but this one handles just so sure-footedly - the steering is light, precise and has just the right amount of feedback. When required the brakes offer ample stopping power - with the comfort blanket of ABS and EBD to kick in for more extreme circumstances. Country lanes seem to flow past breezily and the 1.6 offers a slightly throaty roar in response to firmer throttle pressure.

Running costs are hard to report on this early - but the insurance is a pleasant Group 7 - good news for such a nippy car. The fuel economy is good across all engines - but very respectable for our 1.6. The only downside is the sheer volume Fords are sold in seems to lead resale values to drop a little more.



Engines
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There is a choice of 4 engines currently - most test reviews suggest that the smaller engines are a bit under-powered for anythi
ng outside of town driving. The diesel and the 1.6 Petrol versions seem to offer enough oomph to move things along briskly if you so wish. Statistics reflect as follows:-

Diesel 1.4 >> 0-60 is 14.5 seconds, max speed 102mph, combined mpg a very economical 62.8 and CO2 emissions hit 119g/km resulting in £110 road tax. (meeting Euro III emissions limits)

Petrol 1.4 >> 0-60 is 13.2 seconds, max speed 103mph, combined mpg 46.3 and CO2 emissions of 146g/km giving £100 Road Tax bracket status. (Euro IV emissions limits met)

Petrol 1.6 >> goes from 0-60 in 10.5 seconds, max speed a notional 115mph, combined mpg 42.8 and CO2 emissions of 158g/km mean £120 Road tax. (meets Euro IV emissions limits)

There is talk of some new engines around the corner.



Equipment levels
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What models are on offer what? As ever this can get very long ands changes all the time - so if a specific feature matters to you - check the spec carefully wherever you buy it.

5 door Fiestas will include Standard equipment of:-

ABS with EBD
Height adjustable driver and passenger seats
Intelligent Protection System (IPS) with dual-stage driver?s and front passenger?s airbags (they work out how heavy you are and how far to inflate in the blink of an eye if needed)
5 three-point seatbelts and ISOFIX if needed.
Decoupling pedals that protect a driver's feet in a severe crash
Passive anti-theft system (aka an immobiliser)
Spare wheel stowed in the boot
Standard tyres will be 175/65R14
Power-assisted steering
3 rear head restraints,

The Ghia comes with the following additions:-

Stereo CD/radio
Aircon
Alloy wheels
Perimeter alarm
Remote central locking (including remote tailgate release)
A leather-wrapped steering wheel with remote stereo controls
and a host more minor goodies.

I am looking forwards to the next frost to see i
f the Quickclear windscreen does what it's label suggests. Sunroof, Side airbags, side curtain bags can be added as extras. As ever with Ford- the range of extras / model types is a little confusing and would take endless pages to explain.

Importantly for families with young ones - £35 gets you an "airbag disabling switch" fitted by your dealer.


How much did we pay?
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Well when I bought my last car - I decided to take the bull by the horns and avoid the rip-off dealer route - opting to buy a carefully selected import. This time I tried hard to find a good reason or two not to do the same but I could not.

I visited 2 Ford dealers but never managed to see a salesman for more than a minute before the phone rang and they left me standing there like a lemon. So I checked out the What Car best price from a dealer for the model we wanted and saw that the list price of £11,495, with the metallic paint we wanted, would be unlikely to fall below ££10,500 if we were lucky / pushy and very patient.

So I surfed around the internet and came up with a car and a price that I could not resist. The best prices I found were at www.motorhouse200oltd.com and www.tradesales.co.uk . I paid £9100 for the exact car I wanted in the colour my wife had specified (only joking) - saving over £2400 against the list price. That's a phenomenal 20.9% reduction with the car ready for collection as soon as the paperwork was sorted one week later.

The only major downsides to importing are:-
a) some people have a snobbish attitude to imports that means resale values may be a little lower (but as we don't intend to sell for years this should not affect us badly)
b) the car comes with 2 years full manufacturers warranty, missing the 3rd year the Ford dealer will offer. But you can buy this cover independently for £300-400 pounds if it bothers you.

Now I can't tell you to buy an imp
ort - but I do recommend you think about the options before you give some dealer your hard-earned cash.


Overall the Fiesta has matched and in some cases exceeded my expectations
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There is no doubt that the £9100 that I paid for our 1.6 Ghia made it seem very good value. The quality of ride and roominess make it feel like a much bigger car. The handling seems to offer endless fun or feeling of security depending on your driving style. I would definitely opt for the more highly powered versions if you touch the motorway often. Unfortunately, circumstances mean I may not drive this car very often - but I shall certainly enjoy it when I do.

True the Fiesta does not seem to offer the outright space of the Honda Jazz, the sheer quality of the Polo or the quirky styling of the Citroen C3 - but all in all I reckon she stacks up pretty well. I don't expect to be disappointed with her and neither should you. Just think before you pay dealer prices when such good discounts are on offer.

Check out finite details like colours and exact model specifications at www.ford.co.uk

Summary: