[Simhi]

Originally Posted by Kamen_rider

7) The gearbox had markings on the right instead of the left (US side)

Congrats Kamen_rider for the Ford Fiesta Auto Box. My next car is going to be an Auto Sedan (currently i10AT) and I had shortlisted Vento AT and City AT. Your review made me rethink. I will include Fiesta AT also to the list.

Regard markings on gearbox, is this what you meant - as shown in the picture.. The marking P N L etc are on left of the lever instead of right.



Kindly post more interior pictures

[ampere]

Originally Posted by vnabhi

You've hit the nail on the head. One of the main reasons we went for a Figo after owning a Fiesta.

Very true. The have the suspensions for the right kind of balance between ride comfort and handling.

By the way, I remember reading somewhere that the Fiesta AT has better FE than the manual petrol. Is that correct?

Dual shift AT gear boxes (as called DSG in VW terms) are supposed to provided very good FE, very close manual.

[amitkb]

I thoroughly enjoyed reading your review, one of the best written ownership reviews I've come across, very crisp and informative. I look forward to reading about your adventures soon.

[Kamen_rider]

Sorry for not being able to reply for the last few days. I had severe withdrawal symptoms after my crazy sea kayaking trip, so I decided to do something vaguely adventurous. My friend was getting married in Ahmedabad, so I just got into the Fiesta, drove down to Pune from Bangalore first, had a business meeting, and then went to Ahmedabad from Pune yesterday for the wedding.

This morning I drove down to Mumbai from Ahmedabad- will camp here for few days on work and then will head back to Bangalore sometime this week. Already put in 2100 kms over the last three days. How I love driving the Fiesta AT!!!

Originally Posted by Utopian

Congrats for the auto Fiesta-one of the better auto boxes in the segment. Post some snaps of the interiors, especially of the gear stick and the dash indicators.
Happy driving.

Thank you Utopian! I am currently on a road trip, so I will take pictures and post them as soon as I get time

Originally Posted by ak916

Congratulations on the best auto sedan in the C segment. I had considered this car. Then the Tjet+ came into picture and much like someone else on this very page, i bought the fiat. I would love to still have the fiesta automatic though. The only negative for me was the engine felt underpowered yet it was a great package and the handling was fabulous.

Thank you, ak916. The T-jet is a great choice, one of my favorite cars!
The Fiesta seems underpowered in the city, but I have come to realize that this car does best on the highway. It has more than enough power to leave quite a few cars behind in the rear view mirror. This has become my favorite thing now - when those irritating drivers come right behind me and flash their lights for a pass, I just give the pedal some push and I see them quickly becoming smaller in the rear view mirror!

Originally Posted by coolmel

Hi Rahul..Many congratulations on acquiring a really great set of wheels Any plans to upgrade the audio system yet?

Hi coolmel, thank you very much. I have not considered a music system upgrade - I like the stock system in the Fiesta!

Originally Posted by msmatic

@Kamen_rider, Congratulations on your wonderful car !! How do you find the ride quality inside the city, as compared to Verna ? Does it soak up the bad roads well at slow speeds ?

Dear msmatic, thank you for the kind words. Like someone mentioned in this thread, it is a balance between being very firm and soft. The Verna feels better when it comes to taking the bumps, though the Fiesta doesn't fare badly. You will feel the bumps, but it will not jar you.

Originally Posted by sagarpadaki

Congratulations Kamen_rider on the Fiesta AT. You have summed up a car which is very under-estimated by many. Wishing you many many happy miles on it!

PS-Are you Rahul,aka, Bluevolt(XBHP) who did a Golden Quadrilateral ride in his Ninja 250? Sorry , but you look very familiar to him. No offence.

Thank you Sagar, it is indeed a car which is severely under rated. I gave a lift to one of my friends from Ahmedabad to Mumbai today, and he mentioned that he could hardly believe that the car was so stable and quiet at 100- 110 kmph.

No offence taken on the familiarity, because I am the same guy Missing doing 1000km+ days on my motorcycle these days so am venting it out on the Fiesta!

Originally Posted by pamishra

FE of 13-13.5 on highways looks pretty less, considering that Ford says that the AT box gives more mileage than MT. Can you please share the FE in city? Also whats been the best and worst figures that you have got? Thanks!

13.5 is with spirited driving - not so much with very high speeds, but accelerating quickly out of toll booths, after speedbreakers and the like, with liberal use of L mode in overtakes. The worst has been 8 kmph, and best is 14.5.

Originally Posted by Simhi

Congrats Kamen_rider for the Ford Fiesta Auto Box. Your review made me rethink. I will include Fiesta AT also to the list.

Regard markings on gearbox, is this what you meant - as shown in the picture.. The marking P N L etc are on left of the lever instead of right.

Kindly post more interior pictures

Thank you Simhi. I would definitely recommend putting the Fiesta AT on the list, it is the most advanced auto box in that segment, and the only car to have traction control. That is, if you don't mind owning a car from the Blue Oval group!

Yes, you have pointed out correctly, that is what I meant by the other side. But after a few weeks, I got used to it.

I will post more pictures when I get to Bangalore end of this week, right now on a 3,000+ road trip with the Fiesta AT

Originally Posted by amitkb

I thoroughly enjoyed reading your review, one of the best written ownership reviews I've come across, very crisp and informative. I look forward to reading about your adventures soon.

Thanks Amit, I will post my write-ups soon!

[pc73]

Well written review and very informative. Enjoyed reading the thread.

Having driven Ikon 1.6 for over a decade, I can say that Ford vehicles have the sort of fun-factor that other vehicles do not provide. I wonder why I don't see the new Fiesta being listed as one of the options (AT or MT), when people are looking for upper C segment cars - is it the looks, Ford brand image, American lineage, A.S.S. ? I myself switched camps and bought a Vento TDI instead of new Fiesta recently despite being an immensely pleased owner of Ikon 1.6 (which drives really well after 12 years / 140K Kms and feels rock solid on highways). For me it was the looks of the new Fiesta (esp. the boot) that did not appeal and I felt Vento was closer to the driving pleasure of Ikon (with a different feel) rather than the new Fiesta.

[noopster]

Nice review kamen_rider. I have been waiting for a Fiesta DCT ownership review for a while and yours is very helpful.

I agree 100% that Ford would have done us all a favour by putting in a simple Sport mode or alternatively simple manual override rather than that arcane "L" mode. I chuckled a little at your "ladaai mode" comment. I haven't driven this car but as you say the only time you use Sport or Manual mode is on the open road, heading up and down twisties etc. If L mode doesn't help in those situations, there is precious little use for it.

Originally Posted by vnabhi

If I were to buy an AT sedan today south of 11 lacs, it would certainly be the Fiesta. The Honda City has a CVT tranny that puts me off.

Abhi, the City has a conventional 5-speed AT with paddle shifters. You are probably getting it mixed up with the second generation City (dolphin shape) which was equipped with a CVT.

Originally Posted by Kamen_rider

13.5 is with spirited driving - not so much with very high speeds, but accelerating quickly out of toll booths, after speedbreakers and the like, with liberal use of L mode in overtakes. The worst has been 8 kmph, and best is 14.5.

That sounds about right. I get around that much on my Vento AT as well. My suggestion is not to sweat the FE much. Enjoy the car and the comfort and convenience the AT offers: that will mean more to you in the long run than some bucks saved on fuel!

[Kamen_rider]

Originally Posted by pc73

Well written review and very informative. Enjoyed reading the thread.

Having driven Ikon 1.6 for over a decade, I can say that Ford vehicles have the sort of fun-factor that other vehicles do not provide. I wonder why I don't see the new Fiesta being listed as one of the options (AT or MT), when people are looking for upper C segment cars - is it the looks, Ford brand image, American lineage, A.S.S. ? I myself switched camps and bought a Vento TDI instead of new Fiesta recently despite being an immensely pleased owner of Ikon 1.6 (which drives really well after 12 years / 140K Kms and feels rock solid on highways). For me it was the looks of the new Fiesta (esp. the boot) that did not appeal and I felt Vento was closer to the driving pleasure of Ikon (with a different feel) rather than the new Fiesta.

Thanks PC73. I'm not sure why people don't consider the new Fiesta, at least the AT. It is indeed a great car, though not as peppy as the older 1.6. And the looks, after some time, it has grown on me!

Originally Posted by noopster

Nice review kamen_rider. I have been waiting for a Fiesta DCT ownership review for a while and yours is very helpful.

That sounds about right. I get around that much on my Vento AT as well. My suggestion is not to sweat the FE much. Enjoy the car and the comfort and convenience the AT offers: that will mean more to you in the long run than some bucks saved on fuel!

Thanks Noopster! I will try and load more information, including pictures, as I get back home.

Oh, the fuel efficiency doesn't bother me at all. I was even considering a pre-owned V6 Accord AT at the time I was checking out cars. But the owner sold it before I had a chance to contact him.

I am a very dedicated consumer of premium hydrocarbons.

[pc73]

Originally Posted by Kamen_rider

I'm not sure why people don't consider the new Fiesta, at least the AT. It is indeed a great car, though not as peppy as the older 1.6. And the looks, after some time, it has grown on me!

On its own merit and in comparison to other current cars in the segment, Fiesta is a good performer, no doubt. Regarding looks, I don't mean to say it is bad, just that I have grown older and prefer more sedate looking cars like Vento, rather than "space age" designs.

I think there is a widespread belief that Ford cars are expensive to maintain and have short life. My own experience is that the parts and labor costs for Ford has come down significantly over the last decade and the car is no better or worse compared to other European cars (Japanese cars may fare slightly better) in terms of maintenance. Ford A.S.S. has significantly improved over the last decade and as compared to likes of Skoda/VW (who seem to be now competing for the last spot), Ford service centers are lot more professionally run (Cauvery Ford service center in Bangalore is a good example). The cars are built really well too and after 140K Kms my Ikon does not have a single rattle or a squeak (despite running on Bangalore's terrible roads and seeing some abuse on bad highway roads). The engine is in good shape too except that it has become a bit more noisy (ROCAM was already noisy to begin with). So, when I read through the initial ownership threads I surprisingly find that most people overlook new Fiesta (not even shortlisted) when they are looking for an upper C segment car. At the same time, I find Figos selling really well. This means Ford probably does not have the brand image to sell in upper C segment (Ford's failure to sell the brilliant Mondeo a decade back is another example). It can't be an issue with American lineage since Chevy seems to be doing good with Cruze.

Sorry for the rant and don't mean to derail your thread. Just wanted to clear up some common misconceptions about Ford cars based on my own experience.

[itsgeox]

There is also a popular misconception that all FORD's are American. Nope its isnt.

The previous and current generation Fiesta (on which our Figo's and Fiesta's are based), Focus and Mondeo are born out of the Ford's European Design Studio located in the UK. The cars are designed to meet the European sensibilities which are similar to what we indians look in a car. Thats why Ford's have class leading efficiency,ride and handling characteristics. If it were designed in Yankeeland we would have floppy couch's on wheels. And its the same reason why small Ford's sell so well in Europe...especially in UK were people hate Yankee cars.

So basically the Ford's we have here are European and not American. Loose the brand snobbery and you will enjoy Ford cars. Bhpians correct me if I am wrong.

[vnabhi]

Originally Posted by noopster

Abhi, the City has a conventional 5-speed AT with paddle shifters. You are probably getting it mixed up with the second generation City (dolphin shape) which was equipped with a CVT.

Thanks, but I guess my knowledge of auto trannies is limited. I thought that there were only 2 types available in India: the CVT and the DSG. I did not know about the 'conventional' one.

Can you please educate us on how different the conventional one is over the CVT?

Sorry for going OT, but this will help non-auto-tranny owners like me.

[noopster]

@vnabhi-

Do check out this link. When I said "conventional" automatic, I meant the primary one described in the Wiki page, with a fluid-based torque convertor providing the gearing.

If you scroll down to "Uncomon Types" on the same page, you will find descriptions of the CVT (continuously variable transmission), DCT/DSG (dual-clutch transmission) and a couple of others that I am not familiar with The CVT and DSG/DCT are offered in the Indian market, along with the conventional AT.

Also check this T-BHP thread for more discussions on automatics and their types.

Sorry for the digression, back to Kamen_rider now!

[Sheel]

Originally Posted by Kamen_rider

I had severe withdrawal symptoms after my crazy sea kayaking trip, so I decided to do something vaguely adventurous. My friend was getting married in Ahmedabad, so I just got into the Fiesta, drove down to Pune from Bangalore first, had a business meeting, and then went to Ahmedabad from Pune yesterday for the wedding.

This morning I drove down to Mumbai from Ahmedabad- will camp here for few days on work and then will head back to Bangalore sometime this week. Already put in 2100 kms over the last three days. How I love driving the Fiesta AT!!!

LOL. Once a road-tripper, always a road-tripper.

Its heartening to see you enjoying driving as much as you enjoy riding (okay, its quite close).

Waiting for the logs & pics.

[pc73]

Originally Posted by itsgeox

There is also a popular misconception that all FORD's are American. Nope its isnt.

Oh, yes! I missed this point. Thanks for bringing it up. Ikon had nothing american about it. Many parts came from Germany and other European countries. I think only the new Fiesta (and the old Escort) has an american connection (i.e., similar US models exist). All other cars are based on European designs that are not seen in US market.

[itsgeox]

Originally Posted by pc73

Oh, yes! I missed this point. Thanks for bringing it up. Ikon had nothing american about it. Many parts came from Germany and other European countries. I think only the new Fiesta (and the old Escort) has an american connection (i.e., similar US models exist). All other cars are based on European designs that are not seen in US market.

Even the new Global Fiesta is from Europe. Its also sold in the US albeit with some mods.

[Kamen_rider]

Sorry for being away the last month - was busy putting on the miles. The car is now at 18,000 kms - soon due for its third (20,000) service. Should happen next month once I complete my Bangalore-Chennai and Bangalore-Goa trip.

All well with the car so far, no problem at all

Here are some long due interior pictures!