| Product: |
Ford Fiesta Zetec in general |
| Date: |
10.09.01 (1424 review reads) |
| Rating: |
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Advantages: See opinion
Disadvantages: See opinion
~ ~ This little beauty, the Ford Fiesta, is still arguably the best car in the supermini sector, despite huge opposition from the Japanese manufacturers in particular.
Between us, my wife and myself have owned a total of four Fiestas over the years, dating back to the earliest models in the 1970’s, and it’s a small car I’ve always had a bit of a soft spot for.
So onto the new Fiesta.
~ ~ The biggest trend in the new car market in recent years has been drivers “downsizing” from larger cars, that has resulted in a huge increase in the demand for cars like the Fiesta.
However, lots of these ‘new’ customers have brought along many of their large car preferences with them, and demand that the smaller cars they now purchase have such luxuries as air-conditioning, CD players, central locking, and alloy wheels.
These new purchasers of compact cars have also made it abundantly clear to the manufacturers that they don’t want constant reminding of their reduced status when they are behind the wheel, and that the performance, ride, handling and refinement must all be of unquestionable quality.
The Fiesta, despite its small size, meets all of these requirements admirably.
~ ~ The 2001 model, apart from a minor exterior facelift and a totally new front end, has not really undergone any major changes since 1999.
The most recent three and five-door versions still use the long lasting “Endura-E” 1.3-litre petrol engines, that were first introduced by Ford donkey’s years ago in the Ford Escort, and that are also still used in the Ka “citycar”.
Some models now use the more up-to-date 16-valve 1.25-litre engine, and the top of the range Zetec-S and Ghia have the more potent 1.6-litre powerplant.
~ ~ Over the years, the Fiesta has simply evolved and ‘grown up’, rather than undergoing revolutionary changes like many of its competitors.
The
new model has one very major change however – that completely new front end.
This is the first thing that you really notice about the car, as it provides the Fiesta with an almost instantaneous on the road presence. There is a new diamond shaped grille, which is dominated by a set of angular and striking headlights, and the bumpers and side skirts are now all totally colour coded.
The rear end however, which was by far the most stylish aspect of the old model, is very wisely left virtually unchanged.
~ ~ Once inside the interior cabin, various new small refinements have been added, which gives the Fiesta the look and feel of a much more up-market car.
The seats are brighter and plusher with extra storage pouches on the more luxurious models. More extra storage space is added at the front of the gear stick, and there is yet more new storage area where the ashtray used to be located.
The dashboard now has brighter and clearer graphics, with a new electronic odometer and LED warning lights.
In fact, such is the attention to detail, you’ll almost get the feeling you’re driving a Mondeo rather than a wee Fiesta.
~ ~ The Fiesta has always enjoyed the reputation of being a user-friendly car, and the new model is no exception.
The steering is both direct and very precise without falling into the trap of becoming over light, and the gearbox is a pure joy, being both easy to use and very exact.
(How this car has improved over the years! I can well remember when trying to select a gear in the Fiesta was akin to a lucky dip, so ‘sloppy’ was the gearbox.)
The car handles beautifully and is very obedient, doing whatever the driver asks of it with the minimum of fuss and bother.
Ford’s little coupe, the Puma, is actually based on the Fiesta platform, and it shows. The wee Fiesta hugs the road and takes any amount of chucking about you wish to subject it to.
~ ~ The interior space is
good for such a small car, and front seat passengers will be happy enough, (unless they’re particularly tall) but the rear seat space is a bit on the small and cramped side.
Boot space is adequate, and if required the rear seats can be folded down when extra space is necessary, and as stated earlier, there are lots of little storage cubbyholes inside the car.
~ ~ I suppose I better say something in regard to servicing.
As you might expect from a popular car manufacturer like Ford, it’s reasonably priced when it comes to both cost and service intervals. Parts are readily available, and can often be obtained at a fraction of the cost at breaker’s yards for older models.
Little rant from the ‘mad cabbie’ here though. All car manufacturers, Ford included, have the infuriating policy of tying you down to having your servicing carried out by a main dealer, often for up to three years. Failure to do so almost invariably invalidates your warranty.
In a way this is fair enough, as the profit on new car sales these days is cut to the bone, in order to remain competitive, and it is on the subsequent servicing and replacement parts that lots of garages make their profits.
But the servicing costs of the main dealers are WAY above what you might pay a smaller independent mechanic.
It’s the main reason I never actually buy new, and always go for a used vehicle in top class condition. This way, I can pick and choose whom I use for my servicing and repairs. I have my own little ‘back street’ mechanic who looks after all my repair and servicing requirements at a fraction of what I would pay a large garage.
This is becoming increasingly difficult however, as cars are now becoming far more sophisticated in their use of computer technology in particular, and specialised equipment is now often needed in order to diagnose and repair faults.
OK. Rant over. Off topic a bit, I know, but I wanted to
explain a little why service costs are never too high on my list of priorities when I’m reviewing a car.
~ ~ Back to the Fiesta.
A big plus with the Fiesta is the fact that the insurance is generally fairly affordable, even for younger drivers, which makes it a very popular choice for first time and teenage buyers. It also holds it price well when it’s time to sell, so you can be fairly sure of a good ‘trade in’ price when it comes time for changing your car.
With such a diverse choice of models, it would take too long to mention performance and fuel economy figures for each one.
So I’ve looked at just two. The basic 1.3-litre, and the top of the range 1.6-litre Zetec “S” model.
The 1.3-litre will move you from 0 to 60mph in a fairly sedate 16.4 seconds with a top speed of 95mph, and give you about 32mpg around town, rising to about 48mpg on a longer run.
The 1.6-litre Zetec “S” is another kettle of fish entirely! This car almost (not quite) fits into the ‘hot hatch’ category, taking you from 0 to 60mph in only 10.2 seconds, and onto a top speed of 113mph, while returning highly desirable fuel economy figures of about 30mpg around town and about 48mpg when cruising in top gear.
~ ~ Prices range from £7,295 (£10,463 Irish Punts) for the entry level 1.3-litre, up to £10,995 (£13,087 Irish Punts) for the 1.6-litre Zetec “S”.
Overall, the Fiesta range still has an awful lot going for it, and is well worth considering if you want to drive a small car but don’t necessarily want to feel like you are doing so.
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