Speed Dating with the Ford Fiesta

Nobody’s ever bought a car based entirely upon a review. At best interest for the car in question is piqued, which is a positive thing in my eyes as everyone should be making up their own minds at the end of the day. However there is a problem in the way most reviews are conducted. Now it’s all very well taking a car away for a week, driving around and getting used to its quirks and even coming to like them, but for most people all they are able to do is take one for a test drive, with the whole experience lasting about an hour. That’s it. One hour is all the car has to sell itself. This is essentially the equivalent of someone whisking a beautiful girl away for a whirlwind summer romance and everyone else limited to a five minute speed date. Experiences and opinions aren’t going to compare and it’s that speed date that pushes us to make the choices we do, not the whirlwind summer romance. So here I present to you a review of the Ford Fiesta speed dating experience.

The Ford Fury on William Nicol was the chosen dealership for simple reason that it’s closest to me. Of course I hadn’t prearranged a test drive, it’s much better to catch a dealership unawares for two reasons. Firstly they don’t get to prepare a specific sales pitch, which allows the car to do most of the talking and secondly it means you can have some time alone with the car before being pounced on by a salesperson grinning from ear to ear.

Now I’ve never been a Ford fan, especially the Fiesta, mainly because I’ve never liked the look of it, but I have to say the new one looks stunning. It’s an incredibly stylish and beautiful car, without being under or overstated in any way and there’s nothing run of the mill to its lines, like the new Polo, nor is it in your face with gaudy trinkets sprouting everywhere like the insecure peacock that is the Opel Corsa. What they have achieved is a balance between the two, creating something striking and yet understated at the same time.

No matter which model you chose to step inside, you’ll find a huge array of modern features and gadgets. At this point I should mention I had chosen the top of the range 1.6 Titanium model for my date and to be honest, for reasons I will explain later, is the only one I personally would consider buying. Now sitting in most small cars tends to feel like the seats have been nicked out of a rusting plane in a junk yard somewhere, but the Fiesta’s are incredibly comfortable. I’m serious. If I was a rep, whizzing around the country or just stuck in early morning traffic I honestly wouldn’t mind just because I would be so damn comfortable, plus the fact that inside I have an excellent sound system, iPod and USB ports and voice activation system would mean I’d have hours of entertainment at the press of a button.

So first impressions were very positive, crucial on any date and so far I have nothing to complain about. However having amazing interior features are all well and good, but can only serve to distract you for limited time if the car does not drive well. So after a short chat with the salesperson I was off for a quick spin around the block. Just pulling out the dealership I could already feel that this new Fiesta is incredibly planted on the road which stems from a couple of factors. Firstly the steering is excellent and probably the best thing about the driving experience. When traveling at slow speeds it’s so light you can turn the wheel with one finger if you so fancy, making shopping complex parking a breeze, but when  out on the open road it stiffens up, making the car feel more planted and creating a satisfying feeling of confidence in what you are doing. Flinging the car round a few corners showed me that the chassis was certainly more than a match for anything I was able to throw at it earning the Fiesta yet more points in the positives column.

However there is one major factor that the Fiesta fails to deliver on. While the 1.6 models have 88kw of power on tap, the car never feels like it wants to get anywhere in a hurry. Even when you really put your foot down, burying the pedal deep into the carpet revving to the red line, it never feels rapid and upon glancing down at the speedometer you’ll always be disappointed to find that the car is not going nearly as rapidly as you’d expect.

Now as mentioned earlier I would only consider the top of the range model and here’s why. Firstly the differences between the Titanium and Ambiente models are purely cosmetic, serving to add a few highlights to the car, accentuating its finer points and making the car that much more desirable to drive. What’s more the price difference between the two is not huge and for that reason is something I would seriously recommend if you can stretch the budget just a little further. As for the engine options, well I’ve already mentioned that the 1.6 feels underpowered so I dread to think what the 1.4 would be like and herein lies my biggest gripe. Upon questioning Ford about an ST model the answer was sadly that we will not be getting one in this country. And the reason given? Well Ford South Africa feels that the market is not right for it and it won’t sell. Well Ford SA I’ve got news for you. If you seriously think that the 1.6 is enough for us then you are sadly mistaken because your little Fiesta is in dire need of a more powerful version to keep us petrol heads happy, and while we’re on the subject why haven’t you brought the Focus RS to this country!

Well anyway in conclusion the new Ford Fiesta is truly stunning a car, whose only fault is its lacking a little spark under the hood, but I cannot completely condemn it for that. What I will say however is that if you want a little fiery passion every now and then when you put your foot down, well I’m afraid you won’t be exchanging numbers because this is not the one for you.

Nick Hodgson

Photo Credit: Quickpic