Ford Fiesta 1.6 SXI - New Ownership Report

[zuch]

Thank you lamborghini, PatienceWins, suman, vnabhi and benbsb29

Originally Posted by lamborghini

@zuch - if you can, actually change the wheels. I want to do that on our fiesta and believe it will make a world of a difference.

Do you mean changing tyres or alloy wheels or both? If I can only afford one of the two what should I prefer? Or should I wait for a couple of months and get them both done together?

Originally Posted by vnabhi

Have they decreased the price of the 1.6 sxi, as I nearly paid a lac more than you. Of course, I paid 22 K extra for alloys, but got a corporate discount of 15 k and a Nokia car kit free. Perhaps life tax in Delhi is lower.
As regards aux in connection, are you going by the manual? It says you get 'Aux' if you press the AM button twice (you really do, but it is misleading). But service centre guys have confirmed that there is no aux in connection at the back of the head unit.

Well I don't know about the pricing difference across various cities but the on road price quoted to me initially was 7.7 lacs(including a body care package and extended warranty). I did not go for the body care package(or the so called teflon coating)

With regards to the 'Aux' input I have a separate Aux button on the audio system. I haven't read the audio manual yet but planning to do that tonight. I would find it strange for a music system to have an Aux button but no 'Line In' port at the back.

Originally Posted by benbsb29

I am surprised you say this, as i felt the gear shift quality on the Fiesta was excellent.

As I mentioned before I think that's because I'm not used to this gear shift. My accent was really old and the gear throw was much longer and the angle of the gears is also different. Sometimes I stop at a traffic light and then by touching the gear knob I'm unable to tell which gear I'm in. If I'm in second I'd feel that I'm in neutral due to the different angle. But this was only the initial reaction, as I'm getting used to it it's getting more comfortable.

Originally Posted by Zodak

Hey Zuch,do get the TMP(extended warranty) . I totally agree that Fiesta 1.6Sxi is a hoot to drive . Have just completed 1500Km on my , still not revving above 3K RPM mark . But lets see when the adrenaline forces me to rev it. Also do keep an eye on tacho .With such good NVH insulation levels you won't realize what the engine is upto.

I've got 4 years of warranty(2 years standard + 2 years extended warranty). The TMP is separate and is related to servicing costs. I'm not sue if I will go for it but I've been told that I can take the TMP within 3 months of purchase so I will decide in a few days.

Originally Posted by vnabhi

How much does the TMP cost?

I've been quoted 8000 for the TMP for a period of 2 years and 30,000 Kms. There are different configurations available based on your usage.

[zuch]

Originally Posted by aaggoswami

Congrats, for this purchase.
Looks like you were very precise in what you wanted and finally got this machine that is a good drivers car.
Glad to know that you were able to get the safety features.

Thank you. I'm also happy about the safety features. It's a pity that this is a low priority in India and manufacturers only offer them in the top most variants of each car.

Originally Posted by aaggoswami

Yes waiting for pictures!

Here they come

[suman]

Super pics, now all she needs are alloys & a spoiler and you're good to go!

They've changed the SXI logo, I'd noticed that when I overtook an SXI recently

[praveen_v]

Originally Posted by zuch

After several weeks of planning/confusion/indecision/research(=TBHP) I finally decided to go for a diamond white ford fiesta 1.6 sxi petrol. Took the delivery on Sunday 8th June from NCR Ford, Defence Colony.

Congrats man. Finally your heart is happy. That's what it's all about

1. Driveability: The car is a delight to drive. I don't feel like stepping out of the driver's seat. Love the tone of the engine as it starts. Haven't revved it up beyond 2500 rpm yet but I'm waiting to cross the 1500Km mark that the manual suggests.

Absolute delight. for the first few 100kms shift at 2000 rpm. after that shift at 2500rpm. The shift will be much smoother. I couldnt wait till the 1500Kms mark. After around 600kms i pushed her a bit on the highways. Took it till 3200rpm/120kmph. After crossing 1K kms took it till 3500rpm/140Kmph. The engine sound was racy but i slowed down since it was new and i didnt want to push it too much before the first service/oil change.

But one amazing thing was that I never had to downshift during overtakes to get more power during my 600kms on the highways.

2. Ergonomics: I've got a really sensitive back and i'm prone to back-aches so i can tell that the seats are very comfortable and the driving position is great.

Yes the seats are comfortable. but in Zxi, the fabric seats catch lots of dust/threads. Looking to switch to art leather seats soon.
But i could not get my driving position spot on. On drives lasting more than half hour, i felt some discomfort in my right shoulder-arm joint.

3. Headlights: The stock headlamps are awesome. Even though I had read that the lights were good on TBHP I was really surprised when we first drove out at night.

Yeah stock lights are more than adequate and I never had to use High beams (unless i had to counter-attack the vehicle coming in other direction with highbeams)

4. Looks: I know they are subjective and I was never a fan of the fiesta's looks but they have really grown on me now.
5. A/C: The airconditioner is a chiller but the blower is noisy.
6. NVH: The engine is super quiet when idle and the cabin insulation is good. The engine felt a little coarse at first but seems to have become smoother just after a couple of days of driving.

Man a white fiesta with black tinted windows and spoilers (and good alloys) looks super cool!!
A/C chills fast and i never had to use the blower at more than '2'.
Engine is ultra refined and there is no vibration in the cabin. Infact until 3000rpm, you can never hear the engine inside the cabin. especially with ac on.

So keep your eye on the Tacho and Sppedo. Else you'll not know how fast u are going!!!

And now the things that could have been better...
1. Audio System:
2. Gear Shift: The gears are a little hard but that might change with time and also because maybe I'm not used to a new gear shift.

I never had to worry about the audio system. I have a Zxi and the freedom to choose my own ICE.
Gear shift was not smooth?? maybe you are not pressing the clutch fully, or maybe santro/accent had lighter shifts. For me it is heaven compared to the indigo gearshift!!

I found one more niggling issue. The passenger side ac vent(the aluminium ring) is causing a glare in the right ORVM most of the times. No other fiesta owner notices it?

[mobike008]

Congrats Zuch. In the petrol versions, this is one of my favorite car. And, add the color to it as well.

It indeed is a whacker. Please add black alloys and a spoiler and dark tints ( i think its not allowed in Delhi) and your car will stand out in a crowd. Enjoy and drive safe!

[yogi1771]

Congrats Zuch. Regarding the audio system i think they have changed it,the system looks different from the one provided in my car(2.4yrs old car).

[aaggoswami]

@zuch:
Good clicks man. And it looks nice with this colour.
Hope you get accustomed to those wiper/indicator stalks.

@ all:

1) What is that " Alert lever " for ?

2) Something about the headlights. Ford collected around 40 excel datasheets and then went on to develop the Fiesta. One of the weakness of Ikon was, as per the customers, poor headlight. So Ford took this to heart and now fiesta has one of the best original set of lights below the Civic/Corolla segment. SX4,City,Verna/Aveo all dont have good headlights.

[LandCruiser]

Congrats Zuch! The car looks awesome in white! Take the TMP. It will help you well. Go for good alloys but can change tires later though. I have put Bridgestone Turanza ER60 which gives better grip than the stock tires.

[zuch]

@suman, @praveen_v, @mobike008, @yogi1771, @aaggoswami, @LandCruiser - Thank you guys.

Originally Posted by praveen_v

Engine is ultra refined and there is no vibration in the cabin. Infact until 3000rpm, you can never hear the engine inside the cabin. especially with ac on.

So keep your eye on the Tacho and Sppedo. Else you'll not know how fast u are going!!!

I couldn't agree more. I have to constantly keep the tacho in sight, the moment I look elsewhere I lose track of how fast the engine is revving and before I realise it I'm way passed the 2.5k rpm mark! Has happened at least a couple of times.

Originally Posted by praveen_v

I found one more niggling issue. The passenger side ac vent(the aluminium ring) is causing a glare in the right ORVM most of the times. No other fiesta owner notices it?

I think I know what you mean. I took a lot of pictures yesterday and here's one of those that I didn't post earlier and it shows this effect.

Originally Posted by mobike008

Congrats Zuch. In the petrol versions, this is one of my favorite car. And, add the color to it as well.

It indeed is a whacker. Please add black alloys and a spoiler and dark tints ( i think its not allowed in Delhi) and your car will stand out in a crowd. Enjoy and drive safe!

I am considering alloys. I would like something subtle and not in your face. Suggestion for black alloys sounds good. Personal preference, but dark tints are a complete no no for me.

Originally Posted by yogi1771

Congrats Zuch. Regarding the audio system i think they have changed it,the system looks different from the one provided in my car(2.4yrs old car).

I just checked a couple of members' profiles and I can see that the audio system that I've got is slightly different. Here's a pic of what I've got.

Originally Posted by aaggoswami

Hope you get accustomed to those wiper/indicator stalks.

I kept activating the wipers every time I wanted to turn when I went for test drives initially but once I got my car I've been ultra careful. I'm getting used to it. Now let's see what happens when I drive our santro after this.

Originally Posted by aaggoswami

1) What is that " Alert lever " for ?

2) Something about the headlights. Ford collected around 40 excel datasheets and then went on to develop the Fiesta. One of the weakness of Ikon was, as per the customers, poor headlight. So Ford took this to heart and now fiesta has one of the best original set of lights below the Civic/Corolla segment. SX4,City,Verna/Aveo all dont have good headlights.

The alert lever is a gear lock. I got it fitted from the dealer.

The information about the headlights is great. Great to hear that user feedback was considered before designing this car.

[yogi1771]

A few minor changes they have done
1) In my car there are two stalks to reset the trip meter though only one works
2) Digital clock missing from the center console
3)The pocket to store coins next to the lighter looks different,does it have a cover Zuch

[zuch]

Originally Posted by yogi1771

A few minor changes they have done
1) In my car there are two stalks to reset the trip meter though only one works
2) Digital clock missing from the center console
3)The pocket to store coins next to the lighter looks different,does it have a cover Zuch

Oh! Now i remember. Even the TD car had the digital clock and it also showed the outside temperature. It's not there in my car . I thought that was a good feature :(

The pocket next to the lighter does not have a cover.

[aaggoswami]

Originally Posted by zuch

@suman, @praveen_v, @mobike008, @yogi1771, @aaggoswami, @LandCruiser - Thank you guys.

I am considering alloys. I would like something subtle and not in your face. Suggestion for black alloys sounds good. Personal preference, but dark tints are a complete no no for me.

Here what Ford has done is paint the rims black and add rim cover onto it. Already the flow of air to brakes is less in case of steel rims, and then adding these covers further reduce the airflow. This is what I dont like.
And going for the alloys will not only solve this thing, it will make your car look good.

Originally Posted by zuch

I kept activating the wipers every time I wanted to turn when I went for test drives initially but once I got my car I've been ultra careful. I'm getting used to it. Now let's see what happens when I drive our santro after this.

It is one of the points apart from the hood opener I think!

Originally Posted by zuch

The alert lever is a gear lock. I got it fitted from the dealer.

The information about the headlights is great. Great to hear that user feedback was considered before designing this car.

Thanks! I was just amazed that what is this. What was the cost ? Nice to have another safety feature against theft.
Apart from the headlights, even suspension issues were sorted out along with Fuel Effeciency.

[vnabhi]

Originally Posted by zuch

Oh! Now i remember. Even the TD car had the digital clock and it also showed the outside temperature. It's not there in my car . I thought that was a good feature :(

The pocket next to the lighter does not have a cover.

Gosh, the outside temp display and digital clock were features that I really liked! Wonder why they took it out.
But your 6 cd changer does look better. The one in my car has two knobs--one for volume and the other for tuning and menu.
Since they have provided a separate aux button, perhaps they might have given an aux in too. Please get this verified. Looks like my constant pestering to the MD of Ford India has at least borne fruit on this point.
BTW, how much did the gear lock cost?

[zuch]

Originally Posted by aaggoswami

Thanks! I was just amazed that what is this. What was the cost ? Nice to have another safety feature against theft.
Apart from the headlights, even suspension issues were sorted out along with Fuel Effeciency.

Originally Posted by vnabhi

BTW, how much did the gear lock cost?

The dealer quoted me 2200 for the gear lock. I could have got the same installed for 1500 bucks from outside but I decided to get it fitted from the dealer only since this might void warranty if done from outside and it requires drilling two holes in the body and I don't want to trust an outside shop to do that.

The guy who came to fix the lock was highly professional and knew exactly what needs to be done. But the gear lock is really tight. I was told that if they set it up to be lose then the gear would come out of it's position. I'm not too sure about that and I'm a little reluctant to use it right now because you need to apply some pressure to secure it.

[zuch]

I was at music world yesterday looking for some music and I came across this! Just the perfect thing to have. Now I can carry an additional 12 cds along with 6 cds in the changer and everything's easily accessible It also has a change pocket.



(Please excuse the picture quality, taken from a phone camera)