In the last update for our long termer Fiesta 1.4 manual, we have mentioned that a 1.6 Sport is coming on board as well. Thanks to owner Nayket, who is kind enough to contribute and share his ownership experience with potential buyers. As a recap, this is not a conventional review that you normally read. The reviews here are done by the owners themselves, people who actually bought these cars and use them daily. As these are privately owned cars rather than loaned media test drive units, the reviews are as independent as it gets. How is it to maintain these cars in the long term? How does it cope with the daily grind, the school run, etc etc. These are the questions we hope to answer as we go along.
Like Fiestaboy, the owner of the Fiesta 1.4, Nayket's previous ride was a domestic hot hatch, Proton Satria Neo. But unlike Fiestaboy, obviously a manual transmission is not a must for him. Though he does have some comments on the Fiesta's dual clutch transmission. More on that later. Below is Naykeat's take on his Fiesta 1.6S so far.
Make: Ford
Model: Fiesta
Variant / Trim package: 1.6 Sport
Purchased price (OTR): RM 83,888
Country of origin: Auto Alliance plant, Eastern Seaboard Industrial Estate, Rayong province, Thailand.
Outlet purchased from: Sime Darby AutoConnexion, PJ
Date of delivery: November 2010 (6 months waiting period)
Freebies (at point of purchase): 3-years free maintenance (service interval is 10,000km / 6 months) inclusive parts and labor cost covering spark plugs, shock absorbers, engine belt and hoses, brake pads, wiper blades, engine oil and filter. Unlike Fiestaboy, I didn’t get any free tinting!
Owner’s profile
Age: 29
Gender: Male
Occupation: Direct selling business
Previous car: Proton Satria Neo M-Line.
Purchase reasons:
a) That awesome, sleek, modern and cool design
b) Hi-tech toys - voice control for radio and cellphone interface with USB and Bluetooth interface, 6-speed dual clutch transmission, and long list of alphabet soup; ABS with EBD, TCS and ESP. Basically more features that you can ever in find any other similarly priced car.
c) Affordable price
Other models considered :
1st Model : Kia Forte – uncertain reliability and maintenance costs. Heard some comments that fuel consumption is quite high
2nd Model : Honda City – high price and poor customer service (that’s a separate long story, let’s just say I won’t buy another Honda again), finishing is only so so.
3rd Model : Proton Inspira – although a Mitsubishi Lancer underneath the skin, it’s still Proton.
Driving experience:
Driving performance is superb for a car at this price range. The 6-speed Powershift DCT is great for fuel efficiency, power and speed.
Highway speeds, fast sweeping corners, tight maneuvers, braking, acceleration is all a breeze for the little Ford. The electric power steering is light yet precise. It does eggs you to push the car further to its limits. I've taken it in excess of 150 km/h and am surprised that NVH is still low. You need to keep in mind that this is a sub-RM100k compact car and not push it any further! Because the Fiesta will cajole you to push it a little harder, and then more.
Fuel consumption
Depending on traffic condition and driving style, I am getting between 6.5 to 7.2 liter per 100km.
6-speed dual clutch PowerShift transmission
Mention dual clutch transmission and most people think of VW’s DSG. In reality Ford’s Powershift is nowhere near as sophisticated (or as expensive) as VW’s unit, so potential buyers need to set realistic expectations. Shifting is smooth and fast at higher speeds, but at lower speeds in traffic it can sometimes get a bit jerky as the engine hunts for the right gear. I don’t think that’s a problem with dual clutch transmissions, but rather it’s an issue of having too many gears for a small engine. Sometimes the transmission control electronics just can’t decide which gear to use. 6-speed tranny mated to a sub-2000cc engine is not a wise idea, IMO. But once you are on the move, it’s no longer an issue and drivers will appreciate the precision and shifting speed of a DCT with no power loss of a standard torque converter automatic.
Another problem common to all dual clutch transmissions (including VW’s DSG) is starting / parking on a hill, creeping along in traffic. A dual clutch transmission is like a standard manual BUT you have no control over the clutch. Starting in D, on hill, or even maneuvering into a tight parking slot on slope can be quite a handful as you can’t balance the car with your clutch pedal. And there is no “creep” of a standard automatic. It’s hard to tell at which point will the clutch “bite” and launch the car. Too much throttle and you may launch yourself into whatever that lies ahead, too little throttle and your car will roll back (or forward, depending on your direction). I know new drivers of the previous generation VW GTI needed to get used to this.
The Fiesta solves this problem with its HSC – hill start control, an often little mentioned feature, even by Ford’s marketing materials or local motoring publications. HSC will engage automatically when the car is braked in stationary, with the transmission either in “D” or “L” or “R” position. Once the driver lifts off the brake pedal, the brakes will continue to hold your position for around 3 seconds. Until you have a driven another dual clutch transmission car with no HSC (like the early model Golf GTI Mk V, later models had them), you won’t realize how useful is HSC. The feature is your best friend when parallel parking on a slope! Big kudos to the folks at Ford for considering this, surely this has prevented many parking or even hill start mishaps.
Creeping forward in traffic on a slope still takes a little getting used to though, as HSC will not engage unless the car has come to a complete stop. Either you learn to left foot brake or brake to a complete stop to engage HSC.
Interior and utility :
I am 165cm tall, so interior space is more than adequate for me. Taller drivers / passengers might find it a bit of a problem though. Boot space is OK for a small hatch, but if you need additional space, the rear seats fold 60:40 ratio.
The audio unit is really cool, especially with the voice control. It takes a little getting used to. Some reviews have commented that it the radio keypad design is not user friendly, but really it's just a matter of taking time to get used to it. Actual owners should have no issues with it. I personally loved it. Once you've mastered it, it's a joy to use. Bluetooth connectivity simplifies hands free call answering and dialing. It's all just a button away.
What's bad
I personally don't like the way the car's central locking is programmed. When you unlock the car and do not open any doors other than the driver door, it will automatically lock itself again after a short while. Meaning that, if you open the driver’s door, accidentally drop your car keys inside, or even left your car keys inside while you run back to your house to get something, the car will auto-lock and all the best in your attempt to reopen it. On top of that, I’ve tried locking the car with a door left ajar. Interestingly, the car alarm wasn’t triggered. Perhaps I didn’t try leaving it for a good 1 minute duration. Anyhow, the time period is too long. Within that 1 minute drivers would have walked away, oblivious to the car’s door ajar. A more sensible program would be to set the hazard lights blinking for about 5 seconds before triggering the alarm, like most cars.
Interior lighting for the rear cabin is quite poor. If you need to pick up stuff from the back seat, it's quite hard to see and you will be left groping in the dark, or even using your cellphone as a "light source."
The Ford Easy Fuel capless fuel filler is a novelty. I can see the point in Europe, where possibly more than half of the cars on the road are diesel powered, so chances of misfuelling is very high. But over here, who the heck will mistake a diesel pump for a petrol? Of course it does helps a bit now that you don't have any fuel cap to fiddle around. But I've realized a clear downside to this is that should you run out of fuel, it is going to be very difficult for you to refuel by the roadside, with a jerry can and a cone, as the latter will almost certainly be too big to feed into the fuel filler neck nozzle.
Current mileage : 9,600km
Repairs to date:
a) squeaky power windows (front sides) and rattling noise (due to vibration)
- Repaired at zero cost under warranty
b) rear tow hook cover fell off. It’s quite flimsy and of poor quality
- Pending parts arrival, but SDAC said that this is not covered under warranty!
c) jammed rear seat folding lever
- Just found out about this problem. Will sort it out in the coming first service.
Repair cost to date: None
Maintenance / servicing cost to date : None
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