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Old 1st August 2009, 03:21   #1
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Please help me decide: Fiesta S or Fiesta ZXi? EDIT: Booked Fiesta S! Pics on pg5.

Hey guys. Finally arrived at my decision to get a Fiesta 1.6 Petrol.
It's a thrill to rev her and she handles like a dream.
According to me, the Fiesta 1.6 Petrol is the best car in the C-Segment.

Now comes the dilemma. I have been visiting the Ford showroom daily and am bubbling to ask a lot of questions.


NOW, my question to everyone is simple. Is the S worth the extra moolah over the ZXi? (we are talking 70 k)

I am getting ABS and other important stuff in the ZXi. The only things the S offers is:
1. Body kit (available aftermarket for a cost at the dealer itself)

2. Alloys (i would like my own alloys, but ishan says there is a very limited range of alloys to choose in the PCD of the Fiesta. HOW limited is the variety in this PCD size? I prefer aftermarket 15's of my choice but also wouldn't want to choose from just 1-2 models at any particular dealer.) Should I think of putting the alloys outside? Or should I stick to the S that gives me nice looking, but plane jane alloys?

3. 15" tyres (anyways, I shall be changing these to PP2's, so no added benefit having the stock 15's of the S over the 14's from the Z, except for the fact that they will fetch slightly more resale value)

4. Different fabric seats. (i like these, but hate the same thing on the door pads. will drape them both with art leather. hence the fabric becomes redundant.)

5. Airbags (dont want to undermine the role of these, but i think 70k JUST for airbags in this particular package is criminal)

I would have jumped at the S, but I find the suspension of the S too stiff for the poor Mumbai roads.

I can buy the Zxi with
1. Chrome grille from the SXi premium (available as a dealer accessory)
2. Spoiler and body kit from the S (available as a dealer accessory)
3. Alloy wheels of my choice with 15 " wheels from Lenso or some other good brand. (available aftermarket)


The S is stiffly sprung. Does it actually have a stiffer suspension or is it just the increased tyre size? How has the suspension been stiffened (what components in the suspension are different from the stock version?)


Ps: The new SXi premium version that has just been launched is a waste of money and a waste of time, but I would like to have just the chrome grille put on the ZXi, which again is available as an accessory.


The cost of making the ZXi to my taste (and that it would look MUCH better than the S with the better alloys and new grille) would be the SAME as that of the S, give or take a few thousand.


BUT, then I would have a Relatively fully loaded Fiesta (of my taste, very important), with ALL the features I like, and also some features from the other models.

One last question before I leave: If I upgrade to 15's, will I worsen the ride quality of my car? Handling is not too much of a priority, since the stock Fiesta handles well even without the stiff suspension.

These thoughts have troubled me to no end!

Photoshop requests:

1. A BLACK S with Black alloy wheels? deep dish please!

2. A BLACK S with the Chrome Grille from the NEW SXi premium.

SOMEONE please help me make my decision soon. The PS'ed images will help a lot.

Thanks in advance!

Note from the Team-BHP Support Team : Please use the "edit" button if posting within 20 minutes of the first post, instead of creating another back-to-back post.

Last edited by Rudra Sen : 3rd August 2009 at 07:20.
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Old 1st August 2009, 03:41   #2
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Frank, i am not a techy guy when it comes to technical parts of a car, but i can say that if you purely look at driving pleasure, then nothing can beat 1.6S. I mean even Narain Kartikean (if that's how he is spelled) once tested this car and rated it obove Civic and Accord. So hope you get the point.
But i know why you want to buy Fiesta, hence i would say save those 70K and buy ZXI. You can use this bling to upgrade you system ( sorry i used the word upgrade as i know you realy dont need it).
That's my sugestion to you. If you would have been the person who needs to have a car for pure driving pleasure, then 1.6S is the choice with eye's closed, but since it's not that case, hence go for ZXI.PERIOD.
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Old 1st August 2009, 10:42   #3
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Going by your needs, I think the zxi is better for you with mods of your choice. However, I am not sure of plonking 15 inch alloys on them and its effect on ride and handling----the 1.6 S does have its suspension tweaked for those wheels--but I'm not sure what they've done to it.

But I wanted you to know that the 70K extra over the 1.6 S is not only for airbags, but also for those sports pedals, spoiler, 15" alloys and tweaked suspension. However, I hate the fact that there are no headrests at the back.

Last edited by vnabhi : 1st August 2009 at 10:44.
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Old 1st August 2009, 12:12   #4
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Hi Frank, I know you have seen my fiesta thread. I too did my test drive on the Sports variant, liked the aquarius blue colour and the body kit, nothing else. Stiffer suspension in the S is something I didnt like after testing the ZXI. Back seat has no head rest nor the arm rest. I realised the ZXI as almost a fully loaded variant, with plenty of choices on the tire and alloy brands, quality of leather seats right from 4000 to 40000 or even more, and almost every accessory that can be swaped from SXI or S version without any issues. So ZXI becomes the best choice if you want to do mix and match of quality and features for the best VFM. I didnt like the leather seats that are provided in the SXI too. Its pure leather surrounded by art leather combination. Showroom display car already had worn out edges and marks just by visitors sitting on it. We have more than 6 or 7 alloy brands in the market, so I dont think chosing one is tough. I have not yet seriuosly started hunting for alloys, because I need to gather some bucks before doing that. Tire upgrade could be 185 or 195 either on a 14 inch or 15 inch alloy.
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Old 1st August 2009, 13:04   #5
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If I were you, I would buy the 1.6S. irags is right, 108 PCD Wheels are difficult to find, infact all options are expensive, I was able to find 108PCD wheels only in MOMO for my Fiesta(Mine is the Diesel), and they are expensive.

Best bet would be to go in for the 1.6S. Why spend extra money on trying to make a 1.6S out of a ZXi when you can buy a 1.6S straight out??

Its my two cents opinion.
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Old 1st August 2009, 13:49   #6
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Frankie,

It's the S - I have been shouting this out all day to you. Damn get the blue color S and enjoy !
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Old 1st August 2009, 14:04   #7
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See, the Zxi has a few things that i like. That is the headrests in the rear seat, and the fact that I can have my own seat covers, own alloys and my own tyres. The suspension is softer too, and there is not much of a difference in the handling.

If I were me, I would buy the S, but now I am thinking of this car as a family car too. Rear seat headrests, nice soft suspension and comfortable interiors on one side, and when I am alone, I can drive her like a maniac because the engine is the same and the suspension is very competent, nonetheless.

The Zxi will be cheaper by 70 k, after which i can spend about 10k on the seats, 20 k on the body kit and spoiler, 20k on the new alloys, 15k on a tyre upsize (not rim size, just the profile) and about 3-4k on the new Chrome grille that comes on the SXi. That makes it about 55k. ( i would have gone for a tyre swap for the S too, so count those 15k out)

With a saving of 15k, I have an S with with the suspension of a ZXi and the chrome grille of the Sxi. This would be a win-win situation right??
I would lose out on those airbags and a slight amount of better handling.

The steel pedals are now standard across all variants as per my knowledge.
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Old 1st August 2009, 14:13   #8
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I would go for the S. And I'm prepared to pay 70K just for airbags. If 70K means the difference between a crushed ribcage and a smashed head on the windshield, I will gladly pay the money.

You want a family car, but do not want the safety features. I'm sorry, I don't get it.

P.S : The S has a different ECU program that is tuned for performance as well.
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Old 1st August 2009, 14:15   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by normally_crazy View Post
Frankie,

It's the S - I have been shouting this out all day to you. Damn get the blue color S and enjoy !
I too agree here. Your heart is set on the ZXi but at the same time you want to make it look like an S. If your focused on pure driving pleasure the S would stand out for what it's really made for.

Get the blue color and you have an advantage of increased road presence
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Old 1st August 2009, 15:42   #10
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Yea Frank get the Blue S. Another thing to keep in mind is that insurance only covers the parts that are standard on the car. So God forbid, you have an accident, insurance will not pay for the bodykit, grill and alloys. Also I agree with you about Airbags. I would be willing to live without them too but here you are getting a nice package, so take it. Additionally, the suspension and ECU are different too. I'd say go with the Fiesta S.
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Old 1st August 2009, 16:10   #11
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The main difference between the 1.6S and the ZXI is the tyre and suspension apart from abs with EBD AND Airbags. The suspension uses harder springs and lower profiles so that an enthusiast can throw the car into a corner at the much higher speed.But this becomes a pain to drive in the city especially when there are big pot holes to be taken care off.

Now coming to the choice, I would have chose the Blue 1.6S coz its looks like old Impreza's Little Sister
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Old 1st August 2009, 16:42   #12
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as a bunch of auto enthusiasts, you are warned that if you don't buy the S, you'll be banished forever into the ICE forums until you do something to atone
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Old 1st August 2009, 18:19   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by m4ugr8 View Post
If I were you, I would buy the 1.6S. irags is right, 108 PCD Wheels are difficult to find, infact all options are expensive, I was able to find 108PCD wheels only in MOMO for my Fiesta(Mine is the Diesel), and they are expensive.

Best bet would be to go in for the 1.6S. Why spend extra money on trying to make a 1.6S out of a ZXi when you can buy a 1.6S straight out??

Its my two cents opinion.
Hey Manan, are you sure its 108 PCD in Fiesta? Cause even i have Fiesta Diesel with Alloys but as far as i remember it was 100PCD. Frank has an option of having Neo Alloys as well cause they come for Fiesta. I my self have Neo Chrome Alloys for 18K so he has cheaper option too.
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Old 1st August 2009, 18:23   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ImmortalZ View Post
I would go for the S. And I'm prepared to pay 70K just for airbags. If 70K means the difference between a crushed ribcage and a smashed head on the windshield, I will gladly pay the money.

You want a family car, but do not want the safety features. I'm sorry, I don't get it.

P.S : The S has a different ECU program that is tuned for performance as well.
i totally agree with you sir. Can I have some insight on the ECU changes you are talking about?? Please.

I would love to have all safety features possible, but a hard suspension in Mumbai's potholed roads is a very bad idea. But still, I like your point of view and agree with it totally. Still thinking! Not yet made a decision!




Quote:
Originally Posted by mobike008 View Post
I too agree here. Your heart is set on the ZXi but at the same time you want to make it look like an S. If your focused on pure driving pleasure the S would stand out for what it's really made for.

Get the blue color and you have an advantage of increased road presence
i wouldn't want the blue. i dont plan to get the car for on-road presence. There are enough idiots on Mumbai roads anyways. The more on-road presence I have, the more scratches I will have on my car when I am not around it. LOL.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Live To Jive View Post
Yea Frank get the Blue S. Another thing to keep in mind is that insurance only covers the parts that are standard on the car. So God forbid, you have an accident, insurance will not pay for the bodykit, grill and alloys. Also I agree with you about Airbags. I would be willing to live without them too but here you are getting a nice package, so take it. Additionally, the suspension and ECU are different too. I'd say go with the Fiesta S.
Is it the same suspension with the same components and ONLY uprated springs?? Or have they used some other different components too? I would like to ask, since I am looking at it from a servicing and replacement point of view. If they are expensive to replace, or difficult to source, then it would be a sorry scene. Anyways, Ford spares are rare to find and more expensive than cars in its own segment.
Please tell me about the ECU changes if you have an idea about it.

Quote:
Originally Posted by MileCruncher View Post
The main difference between the 1.6S and the ZXI is the tyre and suspension apart from abs with EBD AND Airbags. The suspension uses harder springs and lower profiles so that an enthusiast can throw the car into a corner at the much higher speed.But this becomes a pain to drive in the city especially when there are big pot holes to be taken care off.

Now coming to the choice, I would have chose the Blue 1.6S coz its looks like old Impreza's Little Sister
So what do you suggest? Break my jaw and drive fast? Or glide over potholes and roll like a maniac?
I agree on the Impreza bit. If i would ever buy the Aquarius one, I would DEFINITELY fit those gold 'preza wannabe alloys. No doubt about that!
But it will be a family car, and I don't want them to ride in a BLUE CAR WITH GOLD ALLOYS

Quote:
Originally Posted by greenhorn View Post
as a bunch of auto enthusiasts, you are warned that if you don't buy the S, you'll be banished forever into the ICE forums until you do something to atone
ICE forums can wait. LOL. For now, I am looking at a scorcher and might just listen to the growl of the engine for the first few weeks!
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Old 1st August 2009, 18:58   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by frankmehta View Post

Is it the same suspension with the same components and ONLY uprated springs?? Or have they used some other different components too? I would like to ask, since I am looking at it from a servicing and replacement point of view. If they are expensive to replace, or difficult to source, then it would be a sorry scene. Anyways, Ford spares are rare to find and more expensive than cars in its own segment.
Please tell me about the ECU changes if you have an idea about it.
The suspension geometry is different from teh normal Fiesta. I read somewhere that for the 1.6 S Ford has borrowed the Suspension from the 1.6 Zetec S sold in Europe. So you may not be able to find it in the replacement market as easily as the normal Fiesta spares are available. Also remember the 1.6 S tyres are not shared by any other car in the market at present.
Quote:
Originally Posted by frankmehta View Post


So what do you suggest? Break my jaw and drive fast? Or glide over potholes and roll like a maniac?
I agree on the Impreza bit. If i would ever buy the Aquarius one, I would DEFINITELY fit those gold 'preza wannabe alloys. No doubt about that!
But it will be a family car, and I don't want them to ride in a BLUE CAR WITH GOLD ALLOYS



ICE forums can wait. LOL. For now, I am looking at a scorcher and might just listen to the growl of the engine for the first few weeks!
Purchasing the 1.6S is more of a decision of the heart than by the mind. Well if its going to a be family car then you better go for the ZXI but you want a car thats sporty in performance as wel, then 1.6 S is the way to go.

P.S: I would still go with the 1.6S.
PPS: I at one point was seriously considering buying it and wifey also liked it, but then was brought back to reality. I still aspire to own one may be with a slightly powerful heart

Last edited by MileCruncher : 1st August 2009 at 19:00.
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