Why (Not) the Ford Fiesta? Owner Reviews

Why the Ford Fiesta?

Materials & workmanship: Gaps at joins interior and exterior are regular and not skewed of center. Doors have a solid sound when closed - rivals full-size autos.

Price or payments: For the standard amenities and options as compared to Cobalt and several other makes/models Fiesta had the best "bang for the buck" of them all.

Color choices: In addition to the standard white, black, silver Fiesta has more bright colors as well as the Monterey Grey which is nothing short of gorgeous.

Handling: Reviewers use "responsive" which is very appropriate. The road feel and stability rival larger models.

Quietness: You do not need to shout to be heard even with windows open up to 1/4 of the way. All closed up, a whisper is easily heard front to rear.

Why Not the Chevrolet Cobalt?

Color choices: Same old, same old. Everyone has the same red. Granted black, white and silver but nearly everyone has those as well. Where are the one or two colors that set it apart?

Fuel economy: The best documented rating I could find when looking indicated it still did not rival Fiesta.

Control design: Not only myself but my son noted that compared to Fiesta access for the driver to the simplest controls required removing your eyes from the road. The majority of Fiesta controls are within peripheral vision of the driver.

Available features: While close on standard features, the option packages didn't appear to offer the selection and variety of Fiesta.

Price or payments: While allowing for the difference between compact and sub-compact ratings, the Fiesta had an overall better pricepoint in the various trim levels than Cobalt. In all honesty Cobalt was a close second but the pricing is what broke the deal on getting on

Why the Ford Fiesta?

Ride smoothness: Handles bumps and potholes like a much larger car. Feels as good or better than my old Monte Carlo.

Available features: There are tons of options! Everything from tatooing with graphics directly from the factory, to heated leather seats, keyless entry, pushbutton start, and hands-free calling.

Handling: This is an extremely nimble car. It turns on a dime, and the steering wheel feels solid in my hand.

Audio & nav systems: The hands-free audio with SYNC is a nice touch. Bluetooth streaming of Pandora is also cool.

Materials & workmanship: The dash is made of very nice soft plastic (which is very noticeable on these smaller cars). The doors all close with a solid "thud" and feel very durable. Leather seats are great.

Why Not the Honda Fit?

Audio & nav systems: The Fit didn't have much in the way of audio bells and whistles. The USB interface was kind of clunky, and the navigation was inaccurate and slow.

Exterior styling: The Fit is an ok car, but there are nicer looking cars in this segment. Namely the Fiesta!

Quietness: We heard some road noise and early sqeaks in the Fit during our test drive.

Front seat comfort: The front seats are very uncomfortable. I would not enjoy taking the Fit on a long drive. The uncomfortable front seats cancel out how amazing the magic seats in back are.

Available features: The Fit doesn't have traction control except on its highest end Sport w/ Navigation model. We really weren't interested in the navigation. There were also no real bells and whistles like bluetooth, or heated seats.

Why the Ford Fiesta?

Exterior styling: Better looking overall. Most of the European design cues kept. Front bumper redesign for North American approval generally kept the look of the european Fiesta

Why the Ford Fiesta?

Available features: available 6 speed automatic versus 4 speed automatic in yaris. Integrated bluetooth with Sync

Why the Ford Fiesta?

Audio & nav systems: Sync works wonders. Integrated bluetooth (Sync and Sound package - upgrades to 6 speaker system) great for road warriors that need to be connected by phone

Why the Hyundai Veloster?

Exterior styling: Looks like nothing else on the road. The design language is very evocative. Side windows reminscent of the cockpit of a P-40 fighter plane; swoops and curves on body very science-fiction-y. Small on the outside, very compact.

Interior styling: Suprisingly big inside! Front seats, even without lumbar, are very comfortable. Center stack is easy to reach from driver seat, cupholders easily accessible, and the two-tone coloring (black & red) is just really sharp looking. Everything just looks COOL.

Control design: The shifter (manual) is VERY short throw - you change gears as fast as snapping your fingers. Tight steering, leather-wrapped wheel feels great. Tactiles on stack & wheel are solid; control manipulation is super easy, esp. on the multi-function display.

Fuel economy: 40 mpg (or better) consistently on the highway cruising in mid-to-high 60s; at 70-75 you're in the high 30s.

Available features: The car offers just about everything you could want, other than leather and heated seats (sad). The tech packages is pretty crazy - pandora radio, bluetooth streaming of music, full ipod integration, eco coach, etc). Very nicely appointed for the price.

Why Not the Ford Fiesta?

Available features: No NAV available. No bluetooth streaming of music. No iPod integration through the Sync (or at least, the salesguy couldn't make it work...if he can't, how am I supposed to?). Also, NO 6 SPEED MANUAL?!? Terrible. This powertrain NEEDS a 6 speed manual.

Exterior styling: Bland. I do generally like the Fiesta styling, I don't think it's really bad, but I think it's really rather bland - looks like every other hatchback out there.

Interior styling: Again, seemed very blah. For the price, you get a very nice and comfortable car, but compared to the veloster it was night and day.

Audio & nav systems: The SYNC is a morass of poor design, poor interface, no user-experience testing (or very poor testing!). Pain in the neck to use, no real value.

Fuel economy: Felt like for what it was, it should get better mileage.

Why the Honda Fit?

Insurance & depreciation: Used ones sell for almost equal to new.

Cargo capacity & towing: 57 cubic feet in a B class car. Magic seats fold both up and down to carry tall or long cargo.

Reliability & durability: Terrific ratings here on TrueDelta.

Driving position & visibility: Good sight lines in all directions.

Fuel economy: Fuel economy meter gives real-time feedback.

Why Not the Ford Fiesta?

Rear seat room & comfort: Smallest rear seat hip an legroom of any car sold in US.

Insurance & depreciation: Domestic brand, especially compacts, often end up in rental fleets, hurting resale values. Ford also has a history of "orphan" European models.

Reliability & durability: First year production at a newly retooled Mexican plant makes it an unknown, but first year models tend to have more problems.

Available features: #1 overriding reason I could not by the Fiesta, which I otherwise would have is that Ford does not allow snow chains/cables even with the standard tires. California law requires chains in the mountain snow area where I live.

Cargo capacity & towing: Worst in class rear seat leg and hip room. Rear seats do not fold flat.

Why the Kia Soul?

Quietness: Rock solid. Runs almost silently. Didn't even know it was running after starting it the other day. Really smooth. Engine noise is almost absent.

Cargo capacity & towing: Seats don't fold 100% flat, but they are flush to the cargo area. Very important. Interior is about the size of most small SUV's. Very comfortable and roomy.

Rear seat room & comfort: Tons of headroom. My daughter has lots of visibility in the back while in her car seat. Full size adults can sit back there in comfort.

Price or payments: For what you get, you feel like you should be paying over $20k for it all. I felt like I was robbing the dealer. Kia has come a long way.

Exterior styling: Stylish and unique. Most 'normal' of the box-like vehicles. Very appealing to the eye.

Why Not the Ford Fiesta?

Front seat room: A little cramped and no center arm rest. I'm not a big guy, and I still felt a little awkwardly seated.

Rear seat room & comfort: Very tiny. Had to squeeze in. Not very comfortable for long term. Feels a bit crowded.

Cargo capacity & towing: Rear seats don't fold flat. The bottom of the seats cause larger packages to tilt backward into the hatch glass. Takes away from the storage area. Main reason for not purchasing the vehicle.

Price or payments: A little pricey. Breaks $20K when you price it competitively.

Available features: You get navigation, but it's turn by turn only. No maps. Stereo is very meager (6 speakers and not very spectacular sounding.) Push button start is nice at this level, but again, it pushes the package price up considerably.

Why the Ford Fiesta?

Fuel economy: Great fuel economy. Consumer Reports indicated that it was one of the few cars they have tested that actually got better than EPA during their (sometimes high performance) testing. I am getting better than 38 mpg in a mix of city/highway.

Driving position & visibility: For a compact car it has a lot of room. I am 6'3" and have plenty of head and leg room while driving (I don't even need the seat all the way back).

Brand reputation & image: Ford is one of the best when it comes to design and reliability.

Exterior styling: All around, a great looking car at a great price.

Why Not the Ford Fiesta?

Discounts & incentives: It's a popular car, so there are not too many incentives on it. I got $500 back.

Why the Ford Fiesta?

Safety & braking: It has stability control, I drive 30 miles to work no matter the weather. Snow and ice are common in winter.

Reliability & durability: Ford has had great improvements in this area, I want a reliable car.

Fuel economy: It gets great gas milage and I drive a lot

Price or payments: It was a cheap car

Quietness: It is a very quiet car for its class, I've driven bigger and more expesive cars that were no quieter.

Why Not the Ford Fiesta?

Discounts & incentives: Currently there are none. Pay sticker.

Color choices: I didn't care for the colors, most were just to wild or bright for me. I like more consevitive colors.

Audio & nav systems: I need a PHD in computer science to master it.

Rear seat room & comfort: This wasn't a big concern, but its a little tight in back

Cargo capacity & towing: Not important at all, but I had to chose something. Trunk is actually OK, can't tow, but I don't plan on towing.

Why the Ford Fiesta?

Price or payments: great price compared to what you get. car could easily cost more and still be sold.

Exterior styling: sporty looking exterior, love how aerodynamic it looks.

Audio & nav systems: sync is awesome!

Interior styling: interior looks great, and sleek.

Fuel economy: been getting 30mpg in heavy stop and go traffic!

Why Not the Ford Fiesta?

Rear seat room & comfort: rear seat leg room is tight.

Why the Ford Fiesta?

Ride smoothness: This car glides over bumps much better than most non-luxury cars in the compact and even midsize segments. Driving it makes you feel like you're going SIGNIFICANTLY slower than how fast you're actually going. Doing 40 on a 30 mph limit felt like 15

Available features: SYNC by far is amazing. available leather and moonroof also help it's case. However, some people think of this as a hindrance as it looks like the car is really expensive but if you don't OD on the options, pricing is very reasonable

Fuel economy: 29 city, 38 highway and i was able to get around 31 is city commute. enough said.

Powertrain performance: the 1.6L engine isn't anything to celebrate over, but it's adaquate for the car and very refined feeling. Despite it's constant shifting, the powershift transmission feels like it knows you the driver. going into the gear before you even know you wantedit

Quietness: it's eerily quiet. whispering while the car is darting around town is easily audible.

Why Not the Ford Fiesta?

Cargo capacity & towing: the trunk is only moderate at best. (sedan version)

Control design: takes some time to get used to, but the alien looking dash is attractive.

Color choices: it's either bland colors or overly exuberant bright colors.... nothing really in between.

Rear seat room & comfort: while it felt my family of 5 comfortably, it might not fit others....

Price or payments: it's comparably a bit more expensive than it's competitors but it's not really a horror story unless you go overboard with the options.

Why the Ford Fiesta?

Fuel economy: Cruising at 75 MPH for a road trip I got 40+ mpg. Around town I have got around 30 in mildly spirited driving.