[RavenAvi]

Those pictures are absolute drool-maal, my dear friend. Totally stealing that last one for my desktop! (with your kind permission, of course!)

Originally Posted by Porschefire

So, this makes me wonder, do I listen to my heart more often than my mind or am I, simply put, stupid!?

Only a true enthusiast follows his heart. You did, and with no regrets even today, so that doesn't make you stupid. On the contrary, you should be lauded for following your heart.

Originally Posted by Porschefire

The interiors have held up well although I’ve to admit there are minor creaks and rattles that have surfaced.

This is a surprise, considering that Ford never short-changed on the Fiesta's build quality. Have you tracked these specific rattles to their sources yet? I hope they are just a bunch of loose nuts waiting to be tightened, or go quiet by themselves as your journey goes on.

Originally Posted by Porschefire

The wiper blades create quite a ruckus when they are wiping the windscreen. I’ve had this issue right from the time I bought the car and the SA even advised to replace them during the 3rd service. But this was sometime in Nov last year and since the monsoons were 6-7 months away, decided to replace them later.

Make it a point to change the wiper blades every year, if you can. In addition to creating squeaky noises, they can leave scratch marks on the front windshield which can become impossible to clean up later on, due to the minute dust particles which are embedded on the blades' surfaces. Hardened wiper blades are never a good thing.

Good to see an update from you. Keep clocking the miles and enjoy your fiery red stonker. Be safe.

[Vik0728]

Originally Posted by Porschefire

So, this makes me wonder, do I listen to my heart more often than my mind or am I, simply put, stupid!? You answer for me, will you!?

Hey Abhi, awesome to read your post after a long time and I guess this means you are in town now

To be honest, I feel your decisions almost mirror mine. I bought the first generation pulsar that came with cycle spoke sort of wheels and that got phased out as Bajaj introduced alloys & faring. I bought the Getz myself and Hyundai phased it out. In 2014, I bought 1.6 GT TDI and again this engine was phased out.

But we both can agree on one thing, that we would do this all over again if given a chance as these were/are special machines in their own ways.

Its been a while since we have met and in case you got some time off, how about we catch up the coming weekend??

Drive safe and enjoy that Fiesta, coz as they say, they don't make such Fords anymore.

[Speed Pujari]

That is a prized possession Porshefire.
For me, fiesta has the best looking front under 50 lakhs. I have never missed to give a second glance when I see the Aston Martin'ish front.
I think we should have a Belandur/ORR office meet some day. Nearly half of the BLR software engineer on tbhp work in and around this area.

Once I had tried my level best to get an AT when the model was outgoing but could not find one. This is one car which you can keep for long.

Many happy miles ahead

[PratikPatel]

Originally Posted by Porschefire

You know what? My friends ask me the same thing! I'm pretty sure I'll buy something that'll be phased out very soon!
This car is a keeper, upgrade will be a Ford again, hopefully the Focus, if they launch it!

No doubt the car is a superbly engineered, which allows it to punch way above its class. I was fortunate to get one of the last ones. Here I will say something that I truly believe 'obsolescence is mostly a state of mind'. I had booked the car but not made payment & taken delivery when Ford announced that it would discontinue the car. The only question for me was when would Ford bring a new Fiesta to replace this one. The answer was not 'not anytime soon'. Therefore, I went for the car. By the way, it's for my wife & it's been a really great choice as she is so happy that she always comes back with a huge smile after a drive.

[Porschefire]

Originally Posted by coolboy007

Congrats on raking up the miles, you have maintained the car beautifully and that shiny red Fiesta is looking beautiful. As for the interior creaks, am also disappointed a bit in this regard. Mine has clocked 27k kms and the outside mirrors have become a bit loose, the driver window is rattling and some creaks inside.

Thanks man! I'm facing the same issues as you. The left side OVRM still vibrates at idle, the driver window rattles and I'm unable to find a particular rattle coming from the dashboard. I will ask the service personnel to tighten the screws during the 4th service.

Originally Posted by coolboy007

My Vento in that regard has been bang opposite, at 50k kms now, there is not a single squeak or rattle inside. The German has been built much better inside compared to this American.

I agree. My friend's Vento at 55000kms has no rattles absolutely.

Originally Posted by coolboy007

Don't worry about any huge bill. Our Ecosport came out of the 30k service recently and it only cost us 4900-5000 INR, Fiesta would be similar, just that the wipers would be expensive since they are frame less.

That's good to know! I was assuming it might be in the INR 10-15k bracket. I will get the wipers replaced, the SA quoted INR 2.5k I think.

Originally Posted by RavenAvi

Those pictures are absolute drool-maal, my dear friend. Totally stealing that last one for my desktop! (with your kind permission, of course!)

Thank you! You can use all the pictures in my thread. I don't mind.

Originally Posted by RavenAvi

Only a true enthusiast follows his heart. You did, and with no regrets even today, so that doesn't make you stupid. On the contrary, you should be lauded for following your heart.

Thanks a lot! I don't think I can ever make a practical decision when it comes to my set of wheels.

Originally Posted by RavenAvi

This is a surprise, considering that Ford never short-changed on the Fiesta's build quality. Have you tracked these specific rattles to their sources yet? I hope they are just a bunch of loose nuts waiting to be tightened, or go quiet by themselves as your journey goes on.

Well, even I am surprised to be very honest. My Getz had no rattles even after 5 years and 60000kms. The issue with the OVRM and the driver side window has been there for some time now. The creaks coming from the dashboard is new and I hope it is just a matter of tightening some loose screws.

Originally Posted by RavenAvi

Make it a point to change the wiper blades every year, if you can. In addition to creating squeaky noises, they can leave scratch marks on the front windshield which can become impossible to clean up later on, due to the minute dust particles which are embedded on the blades' surfaces. Hardened wiper blades are never a good thing.

Yes, will get them replaced soon.

Originally Posted by Vik0728

To be honest, I feel your decisions almost mirror mine. I bought the first generation pulsar that came with cycle spoke sort of wheels and that got phased out as Bajaj introduced alloys & faring. I bought the Getz myself and Hyundai phased it out. In 2014, I bought 1.6 GT TDI and again this engine was phased out.

But we both can agree on one thing, that we would do this all over again if given a chance as these were/are special machines in their own ways.

Haha, yes, our choice of automobiles have been similar! You said it mate, I'd rather buy a non-selling, mechanically good car and be happy with it rather than buy something practical and frown every time I drive it.

Originally Posted by Vik0728

Hey Abhi, awesome to read your post after a long time and I guess this means you are in town now
Its been a while since we have met and in case you got some time off, how about we catch up the coming weekend??

It's astonishing that every time I post an update about the Ford and you reply to it so generously, I travel immediately! I guess you are my lucky charm!
I am traveling this weekend albeit for 10-15 days max, this time. I will be back next month and will surely have that long pending meet of ours! I myself will arrange!

Originally Posted by Speed Pujari

That is a prized possession Porshefire.
For me, fiesta has the best looking front under 50 lakhs. I have never missed to give a second glance when I see the Aston Martin'ish front.
This is one car which you can keep for long.

Thanks a lot!

Originally Posted by Speed Pujari

I think we should have a Belandur/ORR office meet some day. Nearly half of the BLR software engineer on tbhp work in and around this area.

I think you should join Vikram and myself when we meet next month! What say!?

Originally Posted by PratikPatel

No doubt the car is a superbly engineered, which allows it to punch way above its class. I was fortunate to get one of the last ones. Therefore, I went for the car. By the way, it's for my wife & it's been a really great choice as she is so happy that she always comes back with a huge smile after a drive.

Wow, that's great to know that your wife enjoys driving the car! As you've rightly said, it is a special car that does almost everything right. It is satisfying in every sense and for one time, I'm glad that it did not sell, makes it even more special.

A small incident this morning. A stationary truck was blocking a left turn and I went besides him to ask him to move ahead. He slowly started veering towards the right and I had to react to his stupidity when the right side OVRM brushed against an Innova cab who too close for my comfort. Thankfully, I had got the PPF done on the OVRMs and a torn PPF was the only damage.

[Vik0728]

Originally Posted by Porschefire

It's astonishing that every time I post an update about the Ford and you reply to it so generously, I travel immediately! I guess you are my lucky charm!
I am traveling this weekend albeit for 10-15 days max, this time. I will be back next month and will surely have that long pending meet of ours! I myself will arrange!

Woah Abhi, I think going forward, there will be no further meet prompts from my end. No that I wouldn't want you to travel or be the "Lucky Charm" sorts,..I rather have the luck of meeting up for a quick photoshoot !!

I guess I am a bit too late on this, but in any case, have a safe travel and lets catch up once you are back in town.

[Porschefire]

A small update guys, rather a sad one at that.

I've noticed that over the past month or so, fellow Bangalore commuters on two wheels have found a special affinity towards my car's front bumper with as many as 3 incidents in such a short span! The first two were small ones with the only damage being a small scratch or a small area of paint chipping off. I've used rubbing compound on these and have managed to hide them , being visible only on close inspection.
However, yesterday while I was traveling on Hosur Road, I was waiting at a signal on the right most lane. A soon as the lights went green and I started to move, a biker emerged out of nowhere and decided to nudge his bike's silencer against the left side of the bumper, dragging it for a couple of feet!

The damage -->





There was a lot of traffic and the biker managed to filter his way without even bothering to check what had happened. I was tensed listening to the loud screeching sound and had to stop a little ahead to inspect the damage.
I have this good (bad?) habit of not honking even in the densest of traffic jams and was wondering, had I honked, the biker (who was in his own thoughts I presume) would've at least noticed me moving and tried to avoid the collision. If nothing, I'd have left with a minor/deep scratch which would not be half as bad as the fiber piece chipping off!

Request you all to suggest a solution for this please. Can the damage be mended in any which way?

[swiftnfurious]

Originally Posted by Porschefire

...Request you all to suggest a solution for this please. Can the damage be mended in any which way?

Though a small one, it's nasty! The problem is the paint will keep on chipping when you wash and wipe the car every time. Had a very similar issue in my Palio's rear bumper caused by a moron biker!

The BEST solution is to repaint the whole bumper. But I'd suggest something very cheap, if you want to try. Get an insulation tape of this color and stick that around. It's the side of the bumper and the insulation tape should blend atleast 60-70% and only a close inspection will reveal the issue.

I had done this for my Palio and it worked well (it was a black piece though, for black paint).

[arun_josie]

Originally Posted by Porschefire

Request you all to suggest a solution for this please. Can the damage be mended in any which way?

Check at Trend Automobiles, they do a good job on such damages.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/bangal...bangalore.html

[Porschefire]

A long due update and a lot has happened after the last time I posted here.

The Ford is just a shy under the 45k kms mark, pretty good mileage for 2.4yrs IMO considering that it is not used very often in the city and I’m not a regular highway junkie as well.

After much deliberation and absolute delight for my folks, I finally decided to bite the bullet and got hitched to my sweetheart, last October. I am now the humble secretary to the Home Minister.

This was the period when the car was put to maximum use – to distribute the wedding cards, to move the house, ferry people and perform a million other jobs that magically appear during a wedding. Other than the city runabouts, the Ford has been to places like Mangalore, Udupi, Sringeri, Madikeri, Mysore, Goa, Ooty, Chikmagalur, Tirupathi.


The Good:

- The Ford is serviced as per the manual i.e. every 10k kms and this has helped to keep it mechanically trouble free. I will be getting the engine oil changed midway this time after reading about deetjohn’s positive feedbacks from his lovely thread. I myself have noticed the engine becoming a little rough during the fag end of the 10k kms service span.

- The drive is as good as it was new so no new updates there. I finally got the Goodyears changed to Continentals at 37k kms and feel the car has now got worthy tires for its capabilities. More on this later.

- I love the boot! Although not the most spacious in its segment, the layout is well thought of and helped immensely during the outstation trips, wedding, relocation and the infinite Metro runs. This is the practicality that a hatch or a CS can never offer.

- When I bought the car, I wanted to ‘upgrade’ to leather interiors but a curious customer at 3M checking out my car told me something which I thought made absolute sense. He told me that the seat fabric would be removed to stitch the leather so why don’t I wait for the interiors to fall apart and then go for the leather treatment. I’m waiting for the interiors to fall apart but thankfully (or not?) they’ve held up well until now.

- I’m happy with the A.S.S. I think the cost is reasonable for this segment and they do a pretty neat job out of it. Not the best, but it works.


The Bad:

- Although I bought the car with no intentions of seating anyone at the back, it hurt me this time as we had to ferry a lot of people. I am 5’11” and a person of similar height cannot sit behind me. Period. Most of the times it was just occupied by the ladies as they were relatively shorter. 3 people at the back is a squeeze and not very comfortable.

- Rear AC is sorely missed when the rear bench is occupied on a hot day. Although the AC is really good (noisy from position 3 onwards though) the distribution at the back isn’t very effective.

- I remember Bhpian gkoneti mentioning diamond white paint being thicker than the paprika red on the Fiesta and I completely agree with him. There are a lot of small scratches and chip marks on the edges of the car and the bonnet. The worst part is I find new ones every time I wash the car. The paint quality is good but too thin for the Indian conditions. No amount of 3M visits could solve this problem and I guess I’ve to live with it.

- Sync fails to recognize the phones each and every time and the only way around is to well, sync again! I’m not sure if Ford provides a software upgrade to the system. If yes, I request someone to please direct me to it.

- I’ve managed to scrape the front bumper on numerous occasions and the underbelly on some. Now, I’m a careful and a sedate driver who takes immense caution while traversing through a bad patch but still failed to avoid putting the car in the ditch.

- The dashboard reflection on the windscreen can get really bad during the afternoons. I’ve seen solutions on the forum, one of them being an anti-reflective mat across the dashboard. While it works, I do not prefer it for the aesthetics. Have to find an alternate solution.


The Ugly:

- Oil/oil filter change – yes saar, car wash – yes saar, interior polish – yes saar, rear suspension noise – no saar, we have to change the suspension and you have to pay a gazillion rupees for it is the standard A.S.S reply to queries that are a little complicated than the regular maintenance works.
Last service, at 40k kms, I told my SA about the squealing noise from the brakes when I move the car out of the parking lot slope which leads to the road. He noted it down and promised to look into the issue. Couple of hours later, he calls me to tell that the brake pads are worn out and have to be replaced. I say ok. Then he tells me, the brake discs have too many ridges on them and have to be replaced as well for about INR 10k. I am shocked at this and ask him to send pictures of the discs which I forward to my whatsapp Tbhp group. Friends advise me to just get the discs skimmed and not replace. I inform the same to the SA and he tells me that he cannot skim them at the service center but only replace them. I ask why and he says they do not have a lathe for which I tell him to just replace the pads and not the discs.
My problem here is he should’ve at least suggested me to get them skimmed instead of jumping to the idea of getting them replaced.


Worn out brake pad vs a new brake pad


Brake disc with ridges. Have to get them skimmed

- The left RVM shudder that I’ve spoken elsewhere in this thread still exists and I’ve made my peace with it. I try not to look at the RVM when I’m stationary but every time I do, it gives me a feeling that I’m driving a big truck rather than a sedan.


The Tires:

Post my wedding, my wife and I decided to visit her relatives in Mangalore. I was planning to drive via Charmudi ghat in the assumption that Shiradi ghat is closed. But my uncle who was also traveling with us informed that Shiradi is open and only a couple of kms of the stretch is bad. This was a bad idea as more than 10kms of the stretch was completely broken. This is where I managed to scrape the underbelly and the front bumper. Somehow navigated the entire stretch and reached Mangalore. We spent 4 days there and on return it was just the wife and myself. Decided to take Shiradi again (don’t ask me why as even I’ve been asking myself that!!!). Managed to hurt the car a little less this time and once we were out of the ghats, decided to give the car and ourselves a breather. Very casually I observed the tires and was shocked to see them like this –





Now, I don’t know if this was because of Shiradhi ghat or was wearing out even before the trip. Kicked myself in the behind for ignoring them and decided immediately that I would get them changed as soon as I reach Bangalore.
I did a little research and decided on Michelin Primacy 3ST, Continental Contimax MC5 and Yokohama Earth 1. Got in touch with our very own, Nikhil and spoke to him about my choices and also asked for his suggestions. My requirement was a tire leaning towards performance rather than comfort and FE. Nikhil told me – the Earth 1s are conservative tires which last long and are durable but if I am seeking performance then either the Michelins or the Contis would suffice. The quote was almost 6k for the Michelins and about 5.4k for the Contis. Nikhil directed me to Tire Professionals at Basavanagudi to check out the options. The Michelins were Made in Thailand and the Contis were Made in India. Contis seemed too soft and brittle as compared to the Michelin and I had my apprehensions. Spoke to Nikhil again and he assured me that both of them were manufactured with utmost quality and should also satisfy my requirement. Pondered for a while and decided on the Contis as they were softer than the Michelins and would work well with the stiff suspension setup of the Ford.




State of one of the Goodyears


Conti vs Michelin


Getting the wheel balancing done with the new Contis

Feedback – Immediate feedback was the lack of any sort of road noise whatsoever in the cabin and the feeling of rolling over a nice bed rather than driving on an uneven surface. Post the tire change, I’ve done Goa and Chikmagalur. I am a sedate driver who pushes a wee bit more while staying well within the limits of my capabilities as a driver and am happy to report that I’m completely satisfied with the performance and stability they provide. Yes there is a little doubt on the build quality of the tires in the back of my head and the possibility of picking up frequent punctures but all is well for now. Touchwood.


In Davangere en route Goa


On the way to Madikeri

[vnabhi]

Thanks for your detailed update. Despite your comments on paint thickness, the car does look magnificent in the pictures you've posted.

I suggest you get your brake disks skimmed instead of going for new ones. I made the mistake of going for new ones, and suffered with warped disks soon after that. But the juddering was felt only while braking at triple digit speeds, and hence took a long time for me to notice.

I finally got them skimmed by a professional during my month-long stint in Bangalore. The guy who did it has his workshop in Kammanahalli area. Details are given in my LTO thread:
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/long-t...g-fine-51.html

[deetjohn]

Originally Posted by Porschefire

After much deliberation and absolute delight for my folks, I finally decided to bite the bullet and got hitched to my sweetheart, last October.

Congratulations!

Originally Posted by Porschefire

Although I bought the car with no intentions of seating anyone at the back, it hurt me this time as we had to ferry a lot of people. I am 5’11” and a person of similar height cannot sit behind me. Period. Most of the times it was just occupied by the ladies as they were relatively shorter. 3 people at the back is a squeeze and not very comfortable.

Sadly, we cannot help it. Its like a 4 seater.

Originally Posted by Porschefire

Rear AC is sorely missed when the rear bench is occupied on a hot day. Although the AC is really good (noisy from position 3 onwards though) the distribution at the back isn’t very effective.

Get a good sun film for the rear windshield and you can solve this issue. The glass area is massive and the rear windshield starts early on the roof letting in a lot of sunlight unlike most sedans out there. I got CR70 and rear is comfortable now without making the front passengers chilled to the bones.

Originally Posted by Porschefire

Sync fails to recognize the phones each and every time and the only way around is to well, sync again! I’m not sure if Ford provides a software upgrade to the system. If yes, I request someone to please direct me to it.

I think a new update is out.

Originally Posted by Porschefire

I’ve managed to scrape the front bumper on numerous occasions and the underbelly on some.

Not the bumper, but should be the air deflector beneath it. It can flex a bit and can take minor scraps. Its difficult to hit the underbelly though, unless its a chain of events - loaded car, and going a little too fast on really uneven surface.

Originally Posted by Porschefire

The dashboard reflection on the windscreen can get really bad during the afternoons. I’ve seen solutions on the forum, one of them being an anti-reflective mat across the dashboard. While it works, I do not prefer it for the aesthetics. Have to find an alternate solution.

I have a solution which increases the style quotient too. Polarized sunglasses.

Originally Posted by Porschefire

Worn out brake pad vs a new brake pad

I was told the pads can do 10k more during the oil change at 35k. I am planning to get it changed at 40k to avoid rotor damage.

Originally Posted by Porschefire

- The left RVM shudder that I’ve spoken elsewhere in this thread still exists and I’ve made my peace with it.

I have an issue with the right one. It started after a lorry tried to take the ORVM with it.

Conti MC5 is a good choice. Have fun!

[Porschefire]

Originally Posted by vnabhi

I finally got them skimmed by a professional during my month-long stint in Bangalore. The guy who did it has his workshop in Kammanahalli area. Details are given in my LTO thread:
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/long-t...g-fine-51.html

Thanks vnabhi! I will definitely visit this workshop. Can skimming increase the longevity of the rotors anywhere between 5-10k kms, if not more?

Originally Posted by deetjohn

Get a good sun film for the rear windshield and you can solve this issue. The glass area is massive and the rear windshield starts early on the roof letting in a lot of sunlight unlike most sedans out there. I got CR70 and rear is comfortable now without making the front passengers chilled to the bones.

With the onset of summer in a few weeks, this is definitely on the cards after reading your thread, mate.

Not the bumper, but should be the air deflector beneath it. It can flex a bit and can take minor scraps. Its difficult to hit the underbelly though, unless its a chain of events - loaded car, and going a little too fast on really uneven surface.

Oh, I've scraped the air deflector many many times.

I have an issue with the right one. It started after a lorry tried to take the ORVM with it.

Let us know if you find a solution for this.

Conti MC5 is a good choice. Have fun!

Thanks!

[vnabhi]

Originally Posted by Porschefire

Thanks vnabhi! I will definitely visit this workshop. Can skimming increase the longevity of the rotors anywhere between 5-10k kms, if not more?
Thanks!

Your disks will surely last another 10 k kms after skimming, but I'm not sure about what you mean by increasing their longevity. All I can say is that they will last for another 10 k kms, unless they are already quite worn out.

You can ask that garage guy for his opinion.

[Porschefire]

Ford DNA

So, my friends call me a Ford fanboy and I myself have proclaimed many a times on this thread that I am indeed a fan of the Ford DNA. So much that I went ahead and added another Ford to my garage – a pre worshipped 2010 Ford Figo Exi 1.2P.



The Selection Process –

The primary reason for buying the car was for my wife who wants to start driving and also because the Fiesta is with dad now. Post the wedding, I am left with the Activa and the Ninja. The wife simply refuses to sit on the Ninja as the pillion seat is a bit too hard for her and the shopping/outings on the Activa were becoming cumbersome because of the heat and the pollution we were getting exposed to. Our research began on OLX and Quikr and we saw many examples of well-kept cars, not so well kept cars, abused cars and ridiculously priced cars.

I had initially set a budget of INR 1,50,000 but quickly understood that it was way too low. Increased the budget to INR 3,00,000 and this opened up a whole new window of choices. The wife’s only condition was that she didn’t want a Nano or an Alto and I was not interested in a Maruti (except for the Ritz and the Swift) or a Hyundai. The one thing we agreed upon was we wanted a hatchback. Almost all the Swift and Ritz I came across were a decade old with high mileage and the asking price was over my budget.
Fiat, Chevy, Tata cars were available in plenty but I was not interested in them.
The only Hondas that featured in my budget were the original Honda City and the dolphin shaped City, both of which were easily 10-15 years old.
Ford was high on my list and quite a few good examples of the Ikon, Fusion, Fiesta and Figos were available in my budget. The Ikon and the Fusion were old and I didn’t want another sedan in the Fiesta although I was tempted to consider it for that brilliant 1.6ltr engine. But sense prevailed and the Figo it was, which my wife also was happy about! The decision to go for the petrol was purely because I already have a diesel in my garage and the service cost would be significantly cheaper.
In the end, shortlisted the following cars –

Ford Figo
Maruti Swift/Ritz (if I came across good examples within my budget)
Honda Brio (was being optimistic, both of us love this car)

A Bhpian was selling his extremely well kept Figo for a price well within my budget and I emailed him as fast as I could. Turned out, I wasn’t fast enough as he replied that there was another person who was coming over the weekend to check the car. He told me he’d keep me informed based on the proceedings but I had very less hopes because it was very well maintained at a very good price. Last I heard was he kept his decision of selling the car on hold, a good decision I must say!

I then came across a well-kept (from the pictures) silver Figo on OLX which had run about 60k kms, single owner with the asking price of INR 2,65,000. Noted the address and went to the dealer to check the car. But the dealer did not have the car, it was with the owner and he informed me that the person was the second owner and quoted a price of INR 2,75,000!!! I showed him the OLX ad and he started mumbling, telling me how his ‘boy’ posted wrong details on the website! Also, there was no service history available and the dealer wanted me to confirm a price post which he’d show me the car, which was plain stupid on his part. Everything indicated that it was a shady deal so just walked away from the place.

One evening when I was at home, my wife sent me a screenshot of an ad posted on Quikr 18 mins ago, a black 2010 Figo, run 12xxx kms available for INR 2,50,000. The deal looked good to me but I was not convinced with the claimed ‘kms’ part. I quickly called the contact who turned out to be the manager of Auto Terrace – a second hand car sales unit of Honda, he asked me to come immediately to check the car. Took the wife along and headed towards Magnum Honda, Kanakpura Road. The first thing I noticed about the car was its badly maintained exterior with several dents, scratches and 3rd party deposits all over the body. However, there was this shine from the paint which meant that it was kept covered but was driven by an idiot who had no clue about maintaining a car.


First look at the car







Nevertheless, requested for a test drive. Mechanically, the car felt great - no suspension noise, no belt noise, perfect steering, minute rattles. The packaging was tight and I got the same feeling as when I test drove the Fiesta. Bonus was the immaculate interior which still felt new! I realized that this was a rarely used car and to confirm, I called up my SA at Lathangi Ford, Bannerghatta Road to check the history. He informed me that the car was serviced at their outlet in 2010, 2011 and in June, 2016 at a mileage of 10xxx kms. Between 2011 and 2016, it was serviced at different Ford service centers. He also confirmed that the mileage was genuine with no tampering. Now, except for the exteriors, I was happy with the car and my wife also reciprocated the same feelings. RC indicated the person was indeed the first owner and the car was insured till August 2017.

However, 3 things were certain –

- It has to be serviced immediately.
- It has to visit a body shop to remove all the scratches and dents.
- It has to go to 3M a couple of times to bring the exterior to top notch condition.

With these reasons, I negotiated the price and bought it down to INR 2,30,000. Another 10-15k lesser would’ve sweetened the deal for me. Paid the token amount of INR 10k last Tuesday and took the delivery on Thursday.
Scheduled a service the next day at Lathangi Ford with the main intention to get the car checked for any mechanical problems/damage and also to get rid of the huge white marks on the roof caused due to the car being parked under an AC vent. I was keeping my fingers crossed all the while and was delighted when my SA informed me that there were no mechanical problems with the car. The service included just the engine oil and oil filter replacement with the only key indicators being the weak battery (replaced in 2016) and the tires which are 7yrs old, will have to be replaced in the next 5-10k kms. I had also requested for the 3M treatment at the service center and they managed to remove all the deposits on the car. However, the quality of the job was average at best. Bill amount including the 3M service was INR 6232/-.

The Good –

- I love the understated, low slung look of the car. The design which was claimed to be dated at launch has held up really well against most of its competitors IMO.

- Big on space which is comparable to the Fiesta if not more! Really comfortable seats both at the front and the back.

- The dash is well laid out and the quality is even on most parts.

- HPS! Although, heavy at parking speeds, it weighs out nicely as you gain speed and provides very good feedback. I would say the EPS on the Fiesta is as good as the HPS on the Figo!

- Suspension which is mature and even though is on the stiffer side, it absorbs the bumps beautifully. Purely on the city use basis, I think I prefer the Figo’s setup over the Fiesta!

- Gearbox which slots beautifully and has short throws. Fiesta’s feels a tad rubbery in comparison.

- Brakes have positive feel and good bite.

- AC is a chiller although noisy beyond speed 3.


The Bad –

- The engine!!! It is shocking to realize that it comes from the same family that consists of blockbusters like the 1.6P and the 1.5D! It is so lethargic that I feel the 1.1ltr engine on my Getz was much peppier than this! Torque spread is between 2-3k rpm and everywhere else it feels very sluggish. Constant gear change is a must to keep the engine going and any overtake has to be planned well in advance.

- No USB/BT connectivity on the Exi.

- The seating position is high up and while it aids visibility all round, I like the low slung seating on the Fiesta more. What’s worse is the seat height is not adjustable.

- Steering is neither adjustable for rake nor reach. Heavy steering could be bothersome for the wife.

- Roll up windows at the rear. Not much of a deal breaker for me but you realize the importance of power windows when you park the car and notice that the left rear window is open! Same goes for the RVM electric adjust and fold which are very helpful. The Fiesta has spoiled me in this respect and I do not blame the Figo for the lack of these features.


Improvements/Upgrades Planned –

- A visit to Trend Automotive to remove the dents/scratches and 3M exterior and underbody coating.

- Tire change in the next 5-10k kms and hopefully an alloy upgrade as well.

All in all, my wife and I are really happy with the purchase and we intend to keep the car for the next 5 years at least.



























PS: As there are quite a few ownership threads of the Ford Figo along with the brilliant, comprehensive official thread, I do not intend to open another one. This thread will now focus mainly on the Fiesta along with the regular updates of the Figo as well. If found appropriate, I request the Mods to change the title to – "Fast Fords – My 2014 Ford Fiesta 1.5 TDCi and 2010 Ford Figo 1.2 Exi".

PPS: Does the 1.2P Figo deserve the ‘Fast Ford’ tag you ask me? Well, just for the taut chassis, capable suspension and precise steering, I do believe this will be extremely agile around the corners just like its elder sibling so yeah, I will call this a Fast Ford.