Ford Fiesta 1.4 TDCi Review : 98,000 kms up. EDIT : Now sold!

lamborghini · 19th February 2006, 19:59

Ford Fiesta 1.4 Duratorq TDCi Zxi

Date Booked – 14th January 2006
Date Delivered – 25th January 2006
Distance Traveled till Date – 1600 km
Fuel Efficiency – 14 kmpl (avg)
Price – 852000 OTR Mumbai with Company Registration
Likes – Torque
F.E
Build Quality
Ride and Handling
Boot Space
Beat the price Hike by 1 day

Dislikes – Long Waiting Period for ABS models
Space not as much as city
Bikers and Pedestrians
Niggling Faults

Accessories – RTO Approved Garware Sun film

Looks –
Zzzz… Enough said?
But seriously, the looks are just bearable. Not HOT like the Swift and neither controversial like the NHC. They are simply boring. The only way one can make a FEW heads turn is by buying one in Orange or Purple. There are small scratches made on the bumpers and body by people and bikers and a santro wallah who scraped the car in standstill traffic.

Build Quality –
IMHO, the build quality of Fords has come a long way from the Ikon. While the doors do not shut with the same solid feel of the Palio/Petra, they are leagues ahead of the NHC.
The quality of materials used is also quite impressive with the interiors feeling like a typical 8L car.

Interiors –
The Interiors are, surprisingly, made of good quality. It’s a huge leap in comparision to the Ikon. I earlier thought the vents were ‘too in your face’ but now I quite like them. Also the silver inserts in the steering and gear knob and center console are of good quality and makes the interiors feel sporty. IMHO, it goes well with the 2 tone finish.
The Fabric of the seats however leave a lot to be desired with quite a lot of stuff getting stuck on it like threads and hair but the fabric looks quite good.
Space also is quite impressive though a bit cramped, it is bigger then rivals like the Lancer (low seating position), Accent etc. The NHC trumps it here.

Engine and Gearbox –
The engine is bloody refined and from inside it doesn’t seem like a diesel. There is no indication of it being a diesel. However, lack of grunt is very noticeable. When the car had crossed 1000km, we took it to Pune and the car did 160kmph but it was a sorta slow process. Also the engine gets a bit boomy when nearing the redline as I found out when overtaking an accent driver who was speaking on the phone while driving uphill (redlined the car in 1st and 2nd).
The Fuel Efficiency however is awesome and the car has given us an average of 14kmpl consistently and on the trip to Pune, during traffic and all, it gave us 16kmpl.
It should improve after service.
The gearbox is also fabulous. Its very precise but the clutch is a bit hard.

Ride and Handling –
The ride is just awesome. Though I will not rank it as good as the Siena/Petra, it is quite good and on the way to school, it has soaked up quit a few big potholes extremely well.
We cannot comment on the handling because we haven’t pushed it to the max in that respect but I feel its quite good and quite encouraging for the driver.

Overall, I am just in love with the car.
The car is just awesome and we are really happy that we bought it over the NHC ZX.
Will add to it as the journey goes along.
Till then let me enjoy my love.

Faults –
Handbrake is not powerful. When parked on an incline in first with the handbrake pulled up, on pressing the clutch, the car started rolling ahead on its own.
Drivers seat slips back on its own. Happened 3 – 4 times when the driver was driving and 5 – 6 times when the driver was just about to start.
Noise coming from the rear. From the trunk or suspension but still unacceptable.
There is some sticky solution stuck on the window which is hard to remove.
The rubber lining surrounding the High Mounted Rear Stop Lamp is coming off.

Hope it gets resolved when it goes for service.
Cheers

Here are the pics -

Loads of storage Space. A boon -

The hood opening thing is really very unconvieniently positioned -

Please tell me you can see the sticky black solution on the windows -

As you can see, hairs and threads et stuck on the seats quite easily. Something i still have to get used too -

Cheers

yogi1771 · 19th February 2006, 20:22

good review lambhorgini waiting for my 1.6sxi will be getting it on 21st feb

DCEite · 19th February 2006, 20:26

Good review..well balanced..

karthik247 · 19th February 2006, 22:06

Nice review Lambo.Enjoy ur new ride.. And 8 lacs! Is this the top version or what?

So u got the alloys??

suman · 20th February 2006, 12:49

Hey Lambo, good review! Looks like you are having fun. I wouldn't be too worried about the seat sliding back - I think its because it was not slotted in properly. Its happened to me once (though stationery at the time). I think it needs a little firmness to fall into the proper slot.Best to ask the driver to push back initially to ensure its gone in. Would happen in a car if more than one person drives it & seats are adjusted frequently. Try it and let me know if it works?

rohithdr · 22nd February 2006, 01:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by karthik247

Nice review Lambo.Enjoy ur new ride.. And 8 lacs! Is this the top version or what?

So u got the alloys??

I think Diesel version has only one model.

lamborghini · 22nd February 2006, 13:45

Thanks guys,
Karthik - The diesel is only available in one version. The ZXi which is quite sad. ABS is an option but due to the long wait, we didn't go for it.
Also we didn't get the alloys. Didn't feel it was worth it because the car would be used by the driver so wider tyres and all would have been a waste. Maybe in 2 years when i get a license.
Cheers and thanks

nitrous · 22nd February 2006, 13:59

Good unbiased review,lambo.

Looks like 14-16kpl is the true FE compared to the unrealistic 20s magazines came out with.

Max · 22nd February 2006, 18:45

accent crdi engine gives more FE then fort 1.4 tdci !!! anyway 14-16kmpl is good FE though!

nitrous · 26th February 2006, 16:04

Lambo, are u waiting for any good news from Petes??

abhibh · 27th February 2006, 12:42

Nice review with Gr8 Pics.

.

Quote:

From : Rahul Sharma Posted on: 2/25/2006

Hi,
I am from Panchkula (haryana)and i have been driving my Ford Fiesta TDCi for more then a month. I opted for Black Colour without ABS and EBD. Have gotten its first service done and there was no problem. The fuel efficiency is remarkable. Getting 20+ in city wihtout AC. The car has done around 2000 KMS till now and only problem i faced was with suspension. I agree its was stiff but the problem got fixed after the 1st service.
The 2nd problem which i was facing was back side of car sways from here to there. Complained about it and at the end came to know that it was because of no balancing problem when i got new alloy wheels fixed.
So in short the car is very good as compared to Ikon. I also agree the steering is way to big but the height of Feista is more than ikon so it looks too big.
Some pros:
* Great FE (Diesel)
* Decent Power
* Very nice AC
* Interiors look good.
* Car is heavy and well build.
* After sales service of ford is Gr8.
* Noiseless and Vibartionless
Cons:
* Sheet quality is not as good our astra but its better than accent, Ikon, Indigo and City
* Plastic quality of interiors is not as good as the looks of inetrios. I mean i have no plastic etc issues in the car but plastic can get scratches very fast
* No engine protection plate
* Sterio System sucks.
Happy Driving.

Source: indiacar.com

I solely believe the FE depends upon the city traffic conditions and the style of driving.

Quote:

Originally Posted by nitrous

Good unbiased review,lambo.

Looks like 14-16kpl is the true FE compared to the unrealistic 20s magazines came out with.

lamborghini · 27th February 2006, 19:03

Car back from service.
Noise still there. The sticky black solution still there. Wonder what they do? They haven't even filled out the service book and not noted down our Car Gainz program points.
really dissapointed.

moralfibre · 27th February 2006, 23:15

Good review Lambo. A good car I must say. I am impressed with the refinement of the TDCi.

suman · 28th February 2006, 09:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by lamborghini

Car back from service.
Noise still there. The sticky black solution still there. Wonder what they do? They haven't even filled out the service book and not noted down our Car Gainz program points.
really dissapointed.

Apparently they don't do much at the first service apart from checking the levels of all the fluids and attending to whatever faults you may specifically point out. I was a little surprised as well.

lamborghini · 29th April 2006, 17:41

The car has just gone for its 2nd service today, 3 months and 4 days/ 5228 km after we bought it. In this period i have noticed other niggling problems that i will type down later.
Since the last service, the FE has dropped a bit to 13kmpl, the car touched an Autorickshaw and i think someone attempted breaking into it (well there are lots of scratches around the door side of the Front left and right doors. Apart from that, the car continues to delight me and infact, one of my relatives has bought another diesel fiesta too (along with my other relative who has 2 of them). My cousin brother, sister were very impressed with the car when they drove it (and i will not be surprised if they ending up buying it too in the near future). They loved the performance and space and interiors, ride and handling, specially in comparison to the Accent Viva and NHC. Apart from this, the car has been serving its duty well as a daily commute except for the small niggles which i doubt any other owner would notice.
The most major niggle and a very serious one is that the brakes are really weak especially in comparison to other Fiestas. There have been 3 occasions wherein the car was screeching away on slightly hard braking (not an emergency type just a bit harder then normal) and even on normal occasions one notices that the brakes are weak.
The niggling faults however are that -
- There is a squeking noise coming from the rear suspension. Other fiesta owners on board have complained about it too.
- The Driver side doorpad rattles occasionaly (very minute though)
- The left hand side front door cannot be locked from before (but i presume this happened after the above mentioned incident)
- The left hand side internally adjustable door mirror knob cover keeps coming out
- This is in addition to the above mentioned problems.
There are others but i think i forgot them.
Also Shaman Ford has not filled in the Vehicle details page and the PDI page so i assume the PDI was not done by them and am going to ask for a letter stating the same.
Also have not recieved our RC book yet and it is irritating. The car was meant to return at 4.00PM but it is 5.40 right now and the driver is still there. Ford really needs to brush up on its service ASAP.
Will see if the work has been caried out to my satisfaction when it returns.
Hope not to experiance any of these problems as the car has to go to Pune tomorrow.
Next report in 3 months/5000km
Cheers

19th February 2006, 19:59	#1
lamborghini Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Mumbai Posts: 6,113 Thanked: 5,760 Times View My Garage	Ford Fiesta 1.4 TDCi Review : 98,000 kms up. EDIT : Now sold! Ford Fiesta 1.4 Duratorq TDCi Zxi Date Booked – 14th January 2006 Date Delivered – 25th January 2006 Distance Traveled till Date – 1600 km Fuel Efficiency – 14 kmpl (avg) Price – 852000 OTR Mumbai with Company Registration Likes – Torque F.E Build Quality Ride and Handling Boot Space Beat the price Hike by 1 day Dislikes – Long Waiting Period for ABS models Space not as much as city Bikers and Pedestrians Niggling Faults Accessories – RTO Approved Garware Sun film Looks – Zzzz… Enough said? But seriously, the looks are just bearable. Not HOT like the Swift and neither controversial like the NHC. They are simply boring. The only way one can make a FEW heads turn is by buying one in Orange or Purple. There are small scratches made on the bumpers and body by people and bikers and a santro wallah who scraped the car in standstill traffic. Build Quality – IMHO, the build quality of Fords has come a long way from the Ikon. While the doors do not shut with the same solid feel of the Palio/Petra, they are leagues ahead of the NHC. The quality of materials used is also quite impressive with the interiors feeling like a typical 8L car. Interiors – The Interiors are, surprisingly, made of good quality. It’s a huge leap in comparision to the Ikon. I earlier thought the vents were ‘too in your face’ but now I quite like them. Also the silver inserts in the steering and gear knob and center console are of good quality and makes the interiors feel sporty. IMHO, it goes well with the 2 tone finish. The Fabric of the seats however leave a lot to be desired with quite a lot of stuff getting stuck on it like threads and hair but the fabric looks quite good. Space also is quite impressive though a bit cramped, it is bigger then rivals like the Lancer (low seating position), Accent etc. The NHC trumps it here. Engine and Gearbox – The engine is bloody refined and from inside it doesn’t seem like a diesel. There is no indication of it being a diesel. However, lack of grunt is very noticeable. When the car had crossed 1000km, we took it to Pune and the car did 160kmph but it was a sorta slow process. Also the engine gets a bit boomy when nearing the redline as I found out when overtaking an accent driver who was speaking on the phone while driving uphill (redlined the car in 1st and 2nd). The Fuel Efficiency however is awesome and the car has given us an average of 14kmpl consistently and on the trip to Pune, during traffic and all, it gave us 16kmpl. It should improve after service. The gearbox is also fabulous. Its very precise but the clutch is a bit hard. Ride and Handling – The ride is just awesome. Though I will not rank it as good as the Siena/Petra, it is quite good and on the way to school, it has soaked up quit a few big potholes extremely well. We cannot comment on the handling because we haven’t pushed it to the max in that respect but I feel its quite good and quite encouraging for the driver. Overall, I am just in love with the car. The car is just awesome and we are really happy that we bought it over the NHC ZX. Will add to it as the journey goes along. Till then let me enjoy my love. Faults – Handbrake is not powerful. When parked on an incline in first with the handbrake pulled up, on pressing the clutch, the car started rolling ahead on its own. Drivers seat slips back on its own. Happened 3 – 4 times when the driver was driving and 5 – 6 times when the driver was just about to start. Noise coming from the rear. From the trunk or suspension but still unacceptable. There is some sticky solution stuck on the window which is hard to remove. The rubber lining surrounding the High Mounted Rear Stop Lamp is coming off. Hope it gets resolved when it goes for service. Cheers Here are the pics - Loads of storage Space. A boon - The hood opening thing is really very unconvieniently positioned - Please tell me you can see the sticky black solution on the windows - As you can see, hairs and threads et stuck on the seats quite easily. Something i still have to get used too - Cheers
	(1) Thanks

19th February 2006, 20:22	#2
yogi1771 BHPian Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: mumbai Posts: 697 Thanked: 15 Times	good review lambhorgini waiting for my 1.6sxi will be getting it on 21st feb
	() Thanks

19th February 2006, 20:26	#3
DCEite Senior - BHPian Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: NCR Posts: 3,415 Thanked: 2,532 Times	Good review..well balanced..
	() Thanks

19th February 2006, 22:06	#4
karthik247 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: BLR, HYD Posts: 2,710 Thanked: 30 Times	Nice review Lambo.Enjoy ur new ride.. And 8 lacs! Is this the top version or what? So u got the alloys??
	() Thanks

20th February 2006, 12:49	#5
suman Senior - BHPian Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Kolkata Posts: 4,589 Thanked: 279 Times View My Garage	Hey Lambo, good review! Looks like you are having fun. I wouldn't be too worried about the seat sliding back - I think its because it was not slotted in properly. Its happened to me once (though stationery at the time). I think it needs a little firmness to fall into the proper slot.Best to ask the driver to push back initially to ensure its gone in. Would happen in a car if more than one person drives it & seats are adjusted frequently. Try it and let me know if it works?
	() Thanks

22nd February 2006, 13:45	#7
lamborghini Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Mumbai Posts: 6,113 Thanked: 5,760 Times View My Garage	Thanks guys, Karthik - The diesel is only available in one version. The ZXi which is quite sad. ABS is an option but due to the long wait, we didn't go for it. Also we didn't get the alloys. Didn't feel it was worth it because the car would be used by the driver so wider tyres and all would have been a waste. Maybe in 2 years when i get a license. Cheers and thanks
	() Thanks

22nd February 2006, 13:59	#8
nitrous Senior - BHPian Join Date: May 2004 Location: UAE/Lon/Madras Posts: 6,965 Thanked: 325 Times View My Garage	Good unbiased review,lambo. Looks like 14-16kpl is the true FE compared to the unrealistic 20s magazines came out with.
	() Thanks

22nd February 2006, 18:45	#9
Max BHPian Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Thane Posts: 538 Thanked: 98 Times View My Garage	accent crdi engine gives more FE then fort 1.4 tdci !!! anyway 14-16kmpl is good FE though!
	() Thanks

26th February 2006, 16:04	#10
nitrous Senior - BHPian Join Date: May 2004 Location: UAE/Lon/Madras Posts: 6,965 Thanked: 325 Times View My Garage	Lambo, are u waiting for any good news from Petes??
	() Thanks

27th February 2006, 19:03	#12
lamborghini Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Mumbai Posts: 6,113 Thanked: 5,760 Times View My Garage	Car back from service. Noise still there. The sticky black solution still there. Wonder what they do? They haven't even filled out the service book and not noted down our Car Gainz program points. really dissapointed.
	() Thanks

27th February 2006, 23:15	#13
moralfibre Team-BHP Support Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: MH-12 Posts: 8,450 Thanked: 13,967 Times	Good review Lambo. A good car I must say. I am impressed with the refinement of the TDCi.
	() Thanks

29th April 2006, 17:41	#15
lamborghini Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Mumbai Posts: 6,113 Thanked: 5,760 Times View My Garage	5000 km Update The car has just gone for its 2nd service today, 3 months and 4 days/ 5228 km after we bought it. In this period i have noticed other niggling problems that i will type down later. Since the last service, the FE has dropped a bit to 13kmpl, the car touched an Autorickshaw and i think someone attempted breaking into it (well there are lots of scratches around the door side of the Front left and right doors. Apart from that, the car continues to delight me and infact, one of my relatives has bought another diesel fiesta too (along with my other relative who has 2 of them). My cousin brother, sister were very impressed with the car when they drove it (and i will not be surprised if they ending up buying it too in the near future). They loved the performance and space and interiors, ride and handling, specially in comparison to the Accent Viva and NHC. Apart from this, the car has been serving its duty well as a daily commute except for the small niggles which i doubt any other owner would notice. The most major niggle and a very serious one is that the brakes are really weak especially in comparison to other Fiestas. There have been 3 occasions wherein the car was screeching away on slightly hard braking (not an emergency type just a bit harder then normal) and even on normal occasions one notices that the brakes are weak. The niggling faults however are that - - There is a squeking noise coming from the rear suspension. Other fiesta owners on board have complained about it too. - The Driver side doorpad rattles occasionaly (very minute though) - The left hand side front door cannot be locked from before (but i presume this happened after the above mentioned incident) - The left hand side internally adjustable door mirror knob cover keeps coming out - This is in addition to the above mentioned problems. There are others but i think i forgot them. Also Shaman Ford has not filled in the Vehicle details page and the PDI page so i assume the PDI was not done by them and am going to ask for a letter stating the same. Also have not recieved our RC book yet and it is irritating. The car was meant to return at 4.00PM but it is 5.40 right now and the driver is still there. Ford really needs to brush up on its service ASAP. Will see if the work has been caried out to my satisfaction when it returns. Hope not to experiance any of these problems as the car has to go to Pune tomorrow. Next report in 3 months/5000km Cheers Last edited by lamborghini : 29th April 2006 at 17:44.
	() Thanks