Article Comments - 2009 Ford Fiesta First Drive and Full Test

91 messages, Last post on Nov 20, 2009 at 12:28 PM

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What is this discussion about? Ford Fiesta, Future Vehicle, Hatchback

First Drive: 2009 Ford Fiesta - First Impressions: Small European cars haven't made much of an impression in America before, but the Fiesta might be different.(more)

2009 Ford Fiesta Titanium Full Test and Video - Bottom Line: We're crossing our fingers (and toes) that Ford doesn't stray too far from this winning combination of style, performance and efficiency when the 2011 Ford Fiesta finally arrives in 2010. (more)

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#34 of 91 No Three Door? Count Your Lucky Stars We're Getting the Five Door by lonestar98 May 02, 2009 (9:27 pm)
For all of those folks complaining that we are not getting the three door hatch, it was only a last minute decision by Farley that we got the five door. Keep in mind Ford killed the three and five door hatches in the Focus in the US due to low sales and gave us the coyote ugly models that we have now. If the five door takes off like a bottle rocket, I'm sure they'll be happy to give us other hatch variants.
#35 of 91 Re: My Confidence In Ford To Get This Import Right Is Not Very High [dgs4] by bpizzuti May 03, 2009 (2:35 am)
Replying to: dgs4 (May 02, 2009 7:50 pm) What about the "Cavalier, Sunfire, Colbalt, Neon, Ion, Colt, Escort, Aveo" I hear you say, yeah, right, take another bong hit! Garbage, every last one of them, No, to get a well made small car you're only option was to go Japanese or German. With Ford looking to Import the Fiesta, and Chevy the Cruze it's obvious nothing has changed. American car manufactures and designers are still too drunk from the spiked punch of the SUV/Truck years for them to build anything on the level of a Mazda 3, Honda Fit, Honda Civic, Hyundai Elantra, Mitsubishi Lancer, Toyota Corolla, or Volkswagen Golf. The Escort was on the right track at least, and you are aware that the Masda3 is a Mazda-tuned Ford Focus, which I notice you conveniently left off the list? Well, the Focus is and has been one of the better small cars available here, and certainly the best domestic one. The fact that they already proved they could get their act together on that one gives me hope for the Fiesta. Replies to this message: feelander (May 06, 2009 8:02 am) bpizzuti (May 06, 2009 9:58 am) hako (May 12, 2009 2:24 pm)
#36 of 91 Too Late for Me by arsenalfan May 03, 2009 (7:47 pm)
Looking at buying our 3rd car as a pure commuter car - and Fiesta would be great! Trying to buy American, but Fit/Rabbit/Mazda3 are the only ones that meet my pricepoint. No current Ford/GM/Chevy even comes close. Frustrating.
#37 of 91 Re: My Confidence In Ford To Get This Import Right Is Not Very High [bpizzuti] by feelander May 06, 2009 (8:02 am)
Replying to: bpizzuti (May 03, 2009 2:35 am) From what I understand the US Focus is entirely different from the European Focus, which shares platforms with the Mazda3. Just the fact that US Ford decided to built their own Focus rather than cooperate with Ford EU, who designed a much superior car, gives me low hopes for the Fiesta. Given their recent track record, Ford is likely to soften and decontent the Fiesta before it arrives in the US. In fact, in order to be priced competitively it will almost have to lose significant features. Otherwise it could end up like the Saturn Astra, which sold horribly. Replies to this message: bpizzuti (May 06, 2009 9:58 am) hako (May 12, 2009 2:24 pm)
#38 of 91 Re: My Confidence In Ford To Get This Import Right Is Not Very High [feelander] by bpizzuti May 06, 2009 (9:58 am)
Replying to: feelander (May 06, 2009 8:02 am) From what I understand the US Focus is entirely different from the European Focus, which shares platforms with the Mazda3. Just the fact that US Ford decided to built their own Focus rather than cooperate with Ford EU, who designed a much superior car, gives me low hopes for the Fiesta. here's what happened: Ford Europe designed a small car called the Focus, and they brought it to the US. A couple of years later, Ford Europe released an updated Focus, with an updated version of the platform. Mazda used that platform to base the Mazda3 off of. Ford USA didn't pick up the updated Focus from the EU, instead taking the one they'd already gotten from them and "refreshing" it. basically, in programming parlance, our current Focus and the current Mazda3 are different forks off of the same root code. The problem at the time was that they didn't automatically design things to be market-universal, so there had to be slight modifications to sell a Euro vehicle in the US. Supposedly, they're now keeping that sort of thing in mind during the design phase, which should make it cheaper and easier to bring models across borders and oceans. The Fiesta will likely be our first indicator as far as how good of a job they did in designing vehicles from the start to cross borders. Incidentally, the Fit is NOT prices competitively (it's expensive), and still sells well. Fiesta is probably targeting Fit buyers among others.
#39 of 91 Re: My Confidence In Ford To Get This Import Right Is Not Very High [feelan by hako May 12, 2009 (2:24 pm)
Replying to: feelander (May 06, 2009 8:02 am) I considered waiting for this car....or the Suzuki Swift, which is supposedly coming "soon". Sadly, Suzuki wouldn't give me a time-line on the Swift at all, they just sent me a t-shirt, which was cool, and asked me to look harder at the SX4. I looked harder, liked it a bit, but got a Hyundai Accent SE hatch, which I am love with. It's the most likable and fun of the little hatches available stateside....IMO. I really liked the Fiesta, but also wonder what version we will see, and when we will see it. I hope it's worth the wait, for those who decided to wait.
#40 of 91 FORD FIESTA 3 door Hatch-Sport version by k55 May 13, 2009 (7:47 am)
To Ford: I will NOT be thankful I was offered the 5 door.Fiesta as well as the sedan . Its 3 door or No door for me. First time in a decade I am seriously considering an American car and the Fiesta ( or Ka ) are truly in consideration .....but if they dont have the bottom line basic common sense to intro a 3 door hatch in a sport version I dont even know what to think as they are then farther lost than I can imagine. ST or RS or whatever you want to call it but dont soften it .....do the opposite and firm it up. 3 door,16 or 17 wheels/tires,stiff suspension,LSD, DOHC 1.6 or 1.7, direct injection, 6spd ,full gauges,sport exhaust,sport seats,bright colors....under 20k Replies to this message: k55 (Jun 05, 2009 12:14 pm) dgs4 (Jun 13, 2009 5:13 pm) joe0302 (Jun 30, 2009 6:23 am) and 2 more...
#41 of 91 rode in ford fiesta in singapore by tunisjs May 15, 2009 (10:58 pm)
i had a chance to ride in a new spanish built ford fiesta hatchback in singapore. we were five adults for a quick restaurant to home 20 min ride, so this is an incomplete impression. walk around: looks nice. seats: decent. room: i had my front seat pulled up but still had knee room, the pax behind me was ok, but three pax in back was one too many. trunk: a bit smaller than a versa hatch. noise: fine. fit/finish: fine. power: enough pep with this full load for city. fiesta is yet another example of why detroit's big3 are in trouble. they build decent cars (e.g. fiesta, focus, opels, etc) for overseas markets and either dumb them down or dont import them at all into u.s. the fiesta is a decent ride, certainly competitive with the yaris hatch, a bit smaller than the versa hatch, but felt more planted than the versa, which is a comfy, rolling easy chair. i would like to try a suzuki swift next. jeff, from jakarta
#42 of 91 Fiesta questions by murrowcat May 19, 2009 (3:27 pm)
We got rid of our disappointing Nissan Versa SL hatchback, which had the worst manual transmission ever known to mankind. Yes, it had a nice interior, but it was a chore to drive, and it had sloppy handling. We look forward to looking at the Fiesta 5-door, because it looks sharp. Don't get me started on the Versa's styling. But... does it have a center armrest, so the driver has someplace to put his elbow while shifting? To my knowledge, the Fit does not offer one for manual transmission models and neither does the Astra. That's a deal breaker. Is there any chance of upgraded upholstery -- maybe leather -- so we don't get econocar seats? Just asking. Replies to this message: nukepooch1 (May 22, 2009 7:38 pm)
#43 of 91 Re: Fiesta questions [murrowcat] by nukepooch1 May 22, 2009 (7:38 pm)
Replying to: murrowcat (May 19, 2009 3:27 pm) According to http://www.fordvehicles.com/2011fiesta/ under 'The Story' at the top, there will be an choice of three leather options. Checking out all of the photos I can get my eyes on, there doesn't seem to be any center armrests. I'm okay with having one for highway cruising, but it needs to get out of the way when in the twisty bits. Also, on the same site, under 'Your Fiesta', you can choose which three of ten features you'd like to see make it to the US. I really hope Ford listens, because I picked the performance suspension and the turbo kit. (Any of the others would be welcome for the third feature...dare I wish for all of the above?) I want to throw my vote in to get the three-door hatch here. What I want is a version of a domestic MINI Cooper. Up-spec interior, leather seats, sport suspension, three-door hatch. Honestly though, as good as the five-door looks, if they refuse to bring the three-door hatch, but put the go-faster bits (turbo? Yes, please!) in the five-door than I would be okay with that. Not what I truly want, however, but it is a step in the right direction. If they don't bother with anything sport-related and bring the five-door hatch as a soft, squishy, A to B appliance, then forget it.