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Hatchbacks Ford Fiesta 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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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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| 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. | |
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Replying to: bpizzuti (May 03, 2009 2:35 am) 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.
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Replying to: feelander (May 06, 2009 8:02 am) 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. |
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Replying to: feelander (May 06, 2009 8:02 am) 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. |
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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
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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 |
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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.
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Replying to: murrowcat (May 19, 2009 3:27 pm) 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. |
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Replying to: k55 (May 13, 2009 7:47 am) I have known about the Ford products that you hesitate to offer in the USA ( ,new version Focus, Ka, Kuga, Mondeo, etc). I realize there are cost factors for some (Mondeo) but if you think there is not a market and good potential ROI for some of these products my feeling is that you are misreading the US market. What Ford ( as well as GM and Chrysler ) are doing is that you are not including sizeable segments of the US population who have never bought into the need for V8's, or even V6's ,huge SUV's ,trucks, 7 passenger seating, 4wd, 5000 lb curb weights, etc. This is what pushed me towards foreign manufacturers as Ford seemed to abandon the prior Fiesta,Festiva, Capri and now ,even the Focus market in the USA. (IIE:You have had the next generation Focus in Europe for over 1yr. Yet we still get the old version). We notice and we read. I wish you well in the USA .
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From what I have seen, looks like ford will for the most part be bringing over the Fiesta intact and in near euro form. If so, I would put it as a win for them. Certainly a contender. I know there are already a bunch of them on the road for their various promotional programs, and those are unmolested |
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