Re: ARTICLE: The Best (used) Enthusiast cars for 6 lakh rupees! Or less Quote:
Originally Posted by IshaanIan The T-Jet is pretty fast as long as you know how to drive a small turbo petrol and get over that rubbish Fiat gearbox. You're completely wrong about handling being better though. Only the ride is. Handling while brilliant is not a patch on the go-kart like steering of the Fiesta. |
Well there are caveats. I happen to own both the Fiesta 1.6 in a 122bhp tune and a 2011 T-Jet in a 145bhp tune. The caveat is that the T-jet was a brilliant handler before the GC update where the car was raised to look like it is on stilts. Obviously the body roll ruined a lot of the fun post that.
Here's my take on them assuming a pre-stilts T-Jet: Steering:
The Fiesta's steering has much quicker gearing and when you combine that with a smaller turning radius, you have an extremely agile car that is basically point and shoot. The T-Jet is a much longer car and also suffers from a slower steering that can make it seem like you need more effort to change directions rapidly. But, if you make the steering effort, the T-Jet will happily hold it's line. Both are proper hydraulic units, give enough feedback and weigh up nicely. The T-Jet's steering is heavier though. No other car in this segment can match these two for steering feel. By some distance. Gearbox:
No contest, the Fiesta 1.6. I cry when I remember the T-Jet 'box. Handling:
First off, both cars need better tyres than stock ones especially the T-Jet. Having done that, the Fiesta's more fun in tighter, slower ghats where the 2nd gear is mainly in play. The Linea is more fun through faster corners, especially if you are climbing up. The Jet's best gear is the 3rd and if that is in play, then it's the king of the hill, literally. Both are superb handlers and will hold the line even when the tyres are screaming non stop. The Fiesta rides lower and feels slightly more connected to the road though. It does feel a little more skittish if the surface through a corner is not perfect while the Jet will just keep going into the corner with no drama. The superb 4 disc brakes on the Jet help you shed speed much faster - so you can brake much later for a corner than the Fiesta. If you drive hard in twisties, this is a big bonus. Engine:
The T-Jet is significantly faster, especially if you remap it. Especially post 100 kmph. The Fiesta has a beautiful high revving engine with significantly better throttle response and is really quick to a 100 with some minor mods. The NA engine is also more difficult to extract too much power through mods since a remap doesn't do anything without a Turbo. Where that beautiful NA engine helps is that you can almost have two 'right' gears in many corners when driving hard. 6000rpm in 2nd or 4500rpm in 3rd - take your pick based on how much engine braking you want and how you are going to gun the exit. The T-Jet will have one right gear - a higher gear and you are still spooling the Turbo up properly and a lower gear will take it above 5500 rpm which the Jet doesn't like much. In a real life highway drive, the Jet will be faster because of all the additional Torque from the turbo. In the city, I would pick the Fiesta anyday.
Darn, I didn't intend to write such a long post but that's the kind of joy these two give that I just kept typing.
PS: If you have/get a T-Jet, you must remap it. The annoying Turbo-lag in city will be gone - you cant take speed bumps in 3rd gear. It will revv much more happily. And it will fly faster on open roads.
Last edited by niranjanrvce : 27th September 2016 at 21:41.
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