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-   -   Ford Fiesta 1.4 TDCi ZXi 60,000 kms. review / Still fida over the fiesta (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/long-term-ownership-reviews/78037-ford-fiesta-1-4-tdci-zxi-60-000-kms-review-still-fida-over-fiesta.html)

I am still Fida over the Diesel Fiesta!!
This is how the story runs………………………………..

THEN - APRIL 2006
Having driven my Ford Ikon for close to 3 years, I was happy and content with its performance and handling. However, towards the close of 2005, like each year end, I was attending launches of many new cars in the NCR region; and the sheer number of new vehicle models entering the market began looking too tempting to resist. Anyways, I took a firm grip on my melting heart and decided to look the other way. I had to fight really hard with Ms. Temptation this time round. The conversation went this way :
Me : I will not give in to my weakness for these 4 wheeled irresistable creatures this time, for sure
Ms. Temptation : Really ??!!?? (sneering)
Me : I am short of funds
Ms. Temptation : Aw….c’mon….that can be managed (scoffing)
Me : Might was well save for something good…like…..like (undecided)
Ms. Temptation : You’re aging it seems (sarcastic)
Me : The older cars are running just fine (in denial)
Ms. Temptation : But..a new car is a new car….is a new car (realistic)
Me : I know…a new car is afterall…….A NEW CAR!!!!!!!
Ms. Temptation : Then what are you waiting for….scout for one (victorious)
That was it. The whirr of a new engine, the smell of a new car…..Ms. Temptation had won (as usual). Then the test drives began. I zeroed in on Honda City ZX VTEC. Though I have an inborn weakness for all Ford vehicles (hubby dear remembers to mention it to all the mechanics around) each time I think of a new vehicle, be it the Ikon, Fusion, Endeavour, or the new Fiesta, for their stability, driving pleasure and road presence, this time round I wanted to give the Japanese car makers a chance. I avidly started reading all reviews on the Honda City I could possibly read, finalised and gave the booking advance to the Honda Dealer.
But fate had something else in store for me. Around this time, my organisation decided to move to a location exactly two times in distance from my home compared to the previous location; from the heart of city to a more ‘R&D technology park type’ area, in tune with our high-tech work. On calculation, I realised I would be driving approx. 65 kms. per day (both ways). I needed a more sturdy and stable vehicle with better fuel efficiency. 2 sleepless nights later, I took back my booking advance from Honda.
The decided one was the Ford Fiesta 1.4 TDCi ZXi, the Diesel (ugh!!) version of the Fiesta. Platinum Colour. The car was delivered on a busy working day in April. I signed off the delivery note hurriedly between 2 important meetings and decided to check out the actual thing on the drive home, later that night. However, too tired to drive back, I was driven home that night.
Since this car was more of a compromise, for the sole purpose of cutting on my fuel bill, I was not too enthusiastic about the entire process this time round. Just how wrong I was. In the rear seat, I felt no noise or "stiffness" of a Diesel engine. Surprising. Interiors were good and comfortable. Something had to be saleable to score a few points over the Indicas & Indigos (no offense intended) I thought. Just how wrong I was. My driver commented on it being a good vehicle to drive.

The next morning, the day started as any normal day would…till I noticed the new car keys on my table. And I remembered…….the new Fiesta parked beneath my window.
I share an immense emotional rapport with all things I own…right from the stuffed toys and dolls from my childhood days…..to an old pen stand….an old Santro and Ford Ikon…and I like to describe in detail how they came into my life. But the new Fiesta...well, it took some time for me to make a place in my heart for it.


But this car had to actually work hard to prove its worth and make a place in my heart. Few things that I noticed in the first few days of driving are :

1. Absolutely mind boggling fuel efficiency (17-18kms/l) and excellent pick-up
2. Low noise powerful turbo charged diesel engine
3. Good looks and styling
4. Spacious interiors
5. Useful distance to empty feature
6. Fairly good quality upholstery (plush beige)
7. Well placed clear front lights
8. Small nooks for little knick-knacks
9. Flat shelf in the rear with a slot for books etc.
10. Well placed mobile/laptop charger
11. High seating with divider in the rear seat containing glass holders
12. Adjustable power steering
13. Very, very effective airconditioning

Although, I feel Air Bags, Alloy Wheels and Rear Wiper should have been provided in the cost.

After considerable practice on a petrol vehicle, it took me a day or so to adjust to the diesel vehicle drive. But once you adapt to the Fiesta TDCI; you would not want to drive another vehicle. For people who have been driving diesel vehicles, this one is low noise. So you may end up missing the gkharrrrrrr.....gkharrrrrr of the traditional diesel engine. But you will soon learn. The noise soon vanishes at higher speeds and flyovers come and go like with the wind.

AND THEN - MARCH 2008

Still Fida over the Deisel Fiesta….
In 2006, when I had penned down my views on the Diesel Fiesta, I was in awe of the fact that a Diesel vehicle could be so refined and smooth, as against my initial expectations.
I was sure something would happen…..some glitch…..that would indicate that this was a Diesel car like any other Indica or Indigo. So I waited prior to passing any judgement on the Diesel Fiesta. But now…..the time has come that I write the IInd Part of my feedback on this vehicle.

As I had mentioned in my previous review, the sole purpose of buying this car was….KANJOOSI!! ....Firstly, Diesel is a cheaper fuel compared to petrol…..Secondly, the average being delivered by the vehicle was quite good….Thereby, the overall expectations from the car were…..NOTHING BEYOND PURE SAVINGS!!

But…much to my surprise….the car gave me much more joy than I had bargained for!!

I had mentioned some noteworthy highlights of the Diesel Fiesta, which I still maintain and are elaborated briefly as under:
1. Absolutely mind boggling fuel efficiency (17-18kms/l) and excellent pick-up…...Since the Naraina Flyover Project has started en route, the mileage has definitely gone down to 16. However, driving this car on the Highway is pure magic
2. Low noise powerful turbo charged diesel engine….working effortlessly absolutely maintenance free
3. Good looks and styling……the car looks new age against many others on the road
4. Spacious interiors……I feel I should put on some weight for better utilization of the unused space
5. Unique distance to empty feature…….helpful, but calculates & re-calculates based on the fluctuations in speed / airconditioning etc.
6. Good quality upholstery (plush beige)…….very sturdy and still looks new and unfrayed
7. Well placed clear front lights…..which are quite powerful too
8. Small nooks for little knick-knacks……not to mention the well placed bottle racks and slots
9. Flat shelf in the rear with a slot for books etc…….never used by me as I am always in the driving seat
10. Well placed mobile/laptop charger…….used extensively by me
11. High seating with divider in the rear seat containing glass holders……only used when I am out attending meetings and prefer being chauffered
12. Adjustable power steering……..to facilitate a more relaxed driving mode…… Excellent steering…..a steering wheel so pliable, one can drive only with the tips of the fingers of the right hand
13. Very, very effective airconditioning…..problem-free till date
So, candidly speaking:
- This car had been driven 28000 kms. From mid-April 2006 till date and has saved me close to INR 88000 in fuel expense against the Petrol vehicle I was initially driving

- Has not asked for any maintenance except the routine service

- Has been through a very rough bang on the rear bumper with minimal repairing cost

- Provides effortless drive on the long commute between my home and workplace

Keeping in mind these factors, I hate to admit that no other car has caught my fancy…YET

And…..I AM STILL FIDA OVER THE DIESEL FIESTA!!

NOW - MARCH 2010


My beloved Fiesta is about to turn 4 years old. Has done over 60000 kms. of rough driving on Delhi Roads. Has climbed a few hills over Himachal & Uttaranchal and has cruised over the plains of Central India……but the going is still good.

During the monsoon madness in July, this car landed in a deep ditch, front first, with bang as the road caved in on Mathura Road near the New Friends Colony intersection. I was mentally calculating the anticipated expenses, as I got out of the car to inspect the damage. A kind passerby casually recommended calling a tow truck. However, I discovered to my delight that I could simply drive out in reverse gear.

I feel some changes in the car over this time.

-There is a definite reduction in power with the AC turned on.

-Some rattling can be heard from the vehicle after negotiating the endless potholes

-Factory fitted audio system shows signs of wear


Some wear & tear over a 4 year period is anticipated and the car is not exactly in new condition. However, it is still very reliable The only time I have spent money on this car over and above the normal service charges are for the 60K kms. Service Filter changes, gear mounting replacement and replacement of brake shoes, to the tune of INR 9000.

I care little for what goes on beneath the hood as long as the vehicle can help me zip around.

To summarise…..I continue to be Fida over my Diesel Fiesta.

From one Ford to another one. That surely shows the faith you have in the brand. Very well written Sugeeta.I like the attention to detail in your review. The conversation with Ms Temptation was very entertaining and most of us go through this when we want a new car. The TDCi is a great engine and the same is now carried over into the Figo as well. There's nothing like a torquey diesel is there? The Fiesta is also a great handling car.

Keep the Fida feeling going and do update this thread regularly with your ownership experience. And yes, pictures of your car please. :)

Power reduction and rattling can be fixed during a general service. You could try out synthetic oil if you want to make the engine feel like now. I own a Fiesta too and I am yet to come across a dissatisfied owner. :)

Your car will be 5 years old next year. So here is some info on future Ford launches to whet your appetite and re-start your conversations with Temptation. ;) The all new Fiesta is expected to launch early next year and the Focus in 2012.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian...ml#post1782229

Thanks Dippy, appreciate the appreciation. BHP Forums are beginning to turn into ann obsession. Most folks laugh at my love for cars.

Sugeeta

Here is a breakup of the costs incurred on the 75000 kms. service

Parts - INR 5007.21
1. Air Filter Assly (1 nos.) - 239.61
2. Oil Filter (1 nos.) - 333.33
3 Engine Oil - 792.12
4. Washer Flat (4 nos.) - 300.56
5. Bush (4 nos.) - 349.48
6. Bulb (rear number plate illu.) - 58.83
7. Bulb (left fog light) - 484.39
8. Battery - 2448.89

Labour & Service - INR 1810.00
(incl. wheel balancing & alignment)

Taxes - INR 876.74

Total - INR 7693.95

The battery was replaced, keeping in mind the impending winters. The car was running on the factory fitted battery since purchase 4.5 yrs. ago.

Fuel injection pump washers were replaced @ normal wear & tear.

Bulbs replacement could have been given a miss. But I personally don’t like my car to look tacky.

Will be adding more details regarding the running, handling and other areas

To be continued.......

Hi Sugeetha,

Waiting for more updates from you. Me too being a Fiesta TDCi ZXI owner which clocks 51K till now, very much happy with that the it is performing. Try synthetic oil once, and have you ever used System-D fuel additives?

Battery for 2448.89 ? Thats inexpensive, considering the swift battery costs close to 7k

Eddy,

I was equally surprised !

This is a made for Ford Battery. The previous one of the same make lasted till now, which is 4.5 yrs. (still had some more strength, I presume).

Funnily, a friend had offered a discounted Exide thro' his links @ INR 5100.

Let me peep under the bonnet, will confirm the make shortly.

SM

BTW, I was preparing the car for sale after this service. But changed my mind 'cos its running as good as it was 3 years ago.

Is there a real difference between diesel and petrol when it comes to similar parts ? My latest service bill (1.6 petrol) shows oil filter as Rs.115, engine oil as Rs.706. And Ford has a battery for Rs.2448 ? I thought it should be atleast Rs.6000 or more. This difference got my attention to post here.

Regards.:thumbs up

I replaced my Fusion Battery (Again Ford Showroom) for ~4K. It was not 7K for sure and also not 2.5K!

Hi Sugeeta,

Congratulations on completing 75K. Good to hear that you still Fida over the beast. Your thread comes as a welcome change and shows that owning a Fiesta is not at all going to be heavy on the pockets as opposed to a recent thread by Drkarthik where he showed the expenses incurred during his one year ownership fo Fiesta to be very high and made huge holes in his pocket.

Now that you have decided to stick to the Fiesta any mods planned? Can you summarize what the overall cost incurred till date and per km running cost. Would help a lot of wannabe owners of Fiesta but are presently put off by the so called "high maintenance".

Lovely long term report. Feels happy to see yet another Happy Ford owner.

I'm also surprised at the price of the battery. If it indeed is a good battery, then.. WOW..... Fiesta maintainence is certainly cheap.

I now know from exp, that Ford isn't as expensive as its made out to be (atleast the Fiesta). My getz service costs more, keeping in mind the 1.5 ltr engine and more engine oil needed. But nothing like the Fiesta. I also enjoy driving the fiesta whenever I get a chance.

Called up Ford Motors to check on the cost of the battery. They have adjusted the cost of the previous one, which was not exactly a battered battery. Therefore, the cost came down. I did know this to be a usual practice.

Hubby dear insisted they must have put in a couple of heavyduty torch cells inside in that cost!! (Men, I tell you, will stop at nothing to poke fun at their wives. Even though I am the official family driver. Must tell that he happily enjoys long naps even on long out of town drives. Such is life!!)

Cheers
SM

Congrats. Good to hear and very pleasing to fellow owners!

I would like to confirm this as well that Ford's battery is really for 2400. This sunday i went for my 80000 km service and had my battery replaced. Strangly, first the advisor said that its for 3500 but when i told him that i had inquired about the battery on phone with them and i was told 2900, then the advisor called someone to check and came back with the figure of 2900. However when i went to pick my car up, i saw that on the bill, battery was charged for 2400 and top it all, they never took my old battery. Now i dont know what to do with the old one, maybe i will try to sell it off to some local workshop.