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3rd September 2015, 18:25 | #1 |
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| My American Love - Diamond White Ford Fiesta TDCi Go Further The itch for a new started in July, 2014 as we wanted to gift my sister a new car since her old Santro Xing was now 8 years old and had started showing age at 70,000 kms. She wanted some thing better with a new job and when i asked for her opinion, she had clearly told me that she will only buy a sedan. Upgrading to another hatch from a Santro was a strict no as she wanted some thing bigger now and she did not want high ground clearance cars as she used to driver our Linea/Vento and now was in love with low slung sedans like me. The search began for one more C segment sedan and i will list out all the contenders one by one, new car had to be a diesel, does not matter if it was a MT or AT but the budget was locked at 11-11.5L tops. So the search began and we both started driving all C segment sedans one by one, i wanted a car which was good to drive since this purchase would be a family car and can be driven by any of us two. Requirements - Safe solid build quality with all safety features, top priority. - Has to be a diesel engine with good fuel economy - Rear seat not a priority since car would be driven 95% with 1 or 2 people on board. - Better reliability and service after tasting pathetic Volkswagen service for past 3 years. - Car with better or same dynamics than Vento as that is my lowest benchmark, both Linea/Ecosport behave better than this car. - Gizmos etc were not my priority, i like core aspects of a car over some silly cruise control or a sunroof. - Cars like Sunny, Verna or Ciaz were not tested as i never could adjust to Hyundai's handling and my sister did not want to spend 11L on the Maruti badge. If the Ciaz had Swift like handling, i would have definitely considered it ignoring the ultra light build. First Contender - Mighty Honda City Pros : - Every one was buying this car like crazy so there ought to be some thing special, this is one super hit car. To be honest, i have never liked Honda products but still went for a test drive. - 1.5 i-Dtec has excellent driveability and excellent fuel economy, the power on offer was great as well with a revv happy engine, gear shift was slick but the clutch was hard and gave crude vibrations like Vento/Rapid. I found it strange that the revv limiter starter kicking in at just 4000 rpm. - Acres of space all around, the rear was as spacious as D segment sedans but i had no use of it since my car would not require back benchers. Rear seat recline angle was great and the interior quality was also good all around thought i found the door pads flexing during window up/down operation to be funny. Car feels very wide and Honda knows how to maximize space. - My budget of 11-11.5 would have bought me a SV or V trim at max and this was disappointing as the SV missed out on a lot of features. - Acclaimed Honda reliability and resale though the reliability turned out a bit sour with so many complaints of niggles in this generation of city. Resale value should be killer considering it is a huge hit and would find many takers once the ad is put up. Cons : - Build quality was pathetic. The doors were light, body panels can be flexed with fingers and this is one of the reasons, i do not like Japanese cars. The only Jap car with good levels of build i have experience is the Toyota Corolla. - Seats were too soft and i was sure they would induce pain during long drives, dash board was set high and it reduced frontal visibility. Front seats were wide and good otherwise - i-Dtec was crude as hell. This motor makes more sound than even VW's TDi motor which is saying a lot. The clutch had terrible pulsations and the engine noise was intruding. The clutch had pulsations and it was short throw but hard - The handling was not to my taste, it could be the thin 175 tyres but the rear bounced on undulations and the car was nervous when changing lanes quickly at 90-100. Ride quality was okay for the most part but i was nervous driving on NH1 at any thing above 100, the head lights were weak too. - Steering feedback was disappointing, felt like a playstation wheel with very less weight and zero feel/feedback, i just could not get used to this, dread the steering in Vento even today so this was a major put off. This was the last in the coffin and we rejected this car, this was a deja vu when in 2009 i had bought a Linea instead of i-Vtec and this time i chose Fiesta over this car. Second contender - Skoda Rapid Pros : - This was the same car i was driving from past 3 years but mine was with a plastic surgery (Vento). Good solid car, balanced dynamics and it was a good choice for us but i some how did not want to buy a same car again. The build after driving City was highly impressive, no wafer thin doors non sense, good build with a brilliant thud when you close the doors. Had 2 airbags and ABS in top model. - Skoda was clearing stocks for 1.6 TDi and offered a white elegance plus for mouth watering 10 lakh on road with a 5 year warranty. 1.6 TDi is a blast to drive in a straight line and offers much better performance than new 1.5 TDi. At 10 lakhs with a 5 year warranty, this was a steal deal but some how my heart could not accept and be ready to buy it. - Same as Vento, good ride which gets a bit bouncy at high speeds, average brakes and a dead steering but still it was miles better than Honda City in all these departments. Cons : - It was the same car i was driving from past 3 years and there was zero excitement, the interior had green backlighting and it looks even more sadistic than Vento's instrument cluster. The dash design is boring like Vento, dashboard is set high like Vento and it does not bode well for those who are not very tall. - Skoda has an even smaller service network than VW and the reputation is not good. I have experienced VW/Skoda's service support and both are pathetic beyond belief. - Same reliability issues as Vento, brake judders, injector failures, my car's struts blew at 32k kms, 2 injectors failed at 38k kms and this was disheartening. There were many major issues with the 1.6 TDi motor and service was sub standard with zero support from VAG. - The car was still in consideration but i wanted to have some thing else, some thing fresh which could strike the chord of my heart. Third contender - Ford Fiesta I had never really thought about this car and i was very disappointed that i would have to buy the same car again (Skoda Rapid). There were few options in the C segment but i read about this car and started falling in love with the looks, interiors and handling qualities of this car. Repeated posts from members anachronix and deetjohn had me clipped to this car so i thought of giving it a try. We were having a brilliant experience with our Ecosport and our Ford dealer offered excellent support whenever we required, Ecosport at 23k kms was behaving brilliantly unlike the VW which started throwing tantrums at just 12,000 kms on odo. Pros : - Looks lovely from the front but can not say the same for the rear. The car looks fresh and the new face lifted version looks handsome. - Build quality is solid and i loved this fact. Doors close with a proper thud and the body panels are solid, instantly had a smile on my face. - Love the low stance of this car and minimal wheel arch gap, the interior quality can not match Vento but the layout is better. For some reason, Vento feels cramped width wise. - TDCi is butter smooth, brilliant NVH levels and slick gear shift. This engine is no scorcher but offers adequate performance. - Steering was brilliant (will elaborate later), glides over potholes and still handles like a champion. Special mention to one of the best front seats below 20 lakhs, they offer a lot of support during hard cornering. Brakes offer brilliant feel and bite. - Loads of gizmos like Sync, cruise control, keyless entry, puddle lamps with foldable mirrors, auto lights, auto wipers etc. The car was offered at a mouth watering price of 10.4 on road without insurance and it looked like a steal. - My sister loved the driving position and instantly fell in love with the car, she was the one who urged me to finalize Fiesta. - Ford's service support is 1 lakh times better than VW/Skoda. Cons : - This car was officially declared a flop, both by market and now by its parent Ford who left no stone unturned to kill the Fiesta tag. I knew people would question my decision but i really do not give a damn to these things, bought a Linea in 2009 and still enjoy driving that car. It is built to last and keeps doing its duty beautifully. - The rear seat space was non existent, it is not a bother to me but for 95% owners of c segment sedans, it is a big issue. - Resale value would be poor and it would be hard to find a buyer, was prepared for this the moment i booked this car, i even had a hunch they would discontinue the model but that did not stop me from buying this beauty. I would be keeping this car for 8-9 years so even if it fetches me a lakh less than Rapid, i would not be worried, would save half of that over service costs alone (which is 3k for ford v/s 10k for Skoda). I never really had much choice, the only well built sedans were Linea, Vento/Rapid and Fiesta. I already own Linea/Vento so there was no point in having a look there, Rapid is a carbon copy of Vento so i was left with Fiesta and am glad i chose it after covering 15,000 kms on it. Car was booked with Harpreet Ford, New Delhi and they arranged for a white Titanium within a week of booking. The car was august manufactured and the PDI i did was okayed from my side. We brought home my american love on 24th september, 2014. P.S : Some photos taken for other cars are from our team bhp review. Last edited by coolboy007 : 5th September 2015 at 16:49. |
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3rd September 2015, 19:52 | #2 |
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| re: My American Love - Diamond White Ford Fiesta TDCi Exteriors and build quality
Interiors, quality, space and gizmos on offer The cabin looks lovely at night with so many lights inside The nokia inspired center console, these 1-2-3 buttons look old style. The puddle lamps in action at night time Driver and co-passenger each get footwell lights
All 4 window buttons are backlit, many brands cut corners here Nice looking instrument console showing 18.5 km/l which is the efficiency i get in city conditions Have completed much cherished 16000 kms now Have a look at the bolstering and thickness of the front seats, most comfortable front seats i have ever experienced Piano black treatment looks premium To engage cruise, press SET+, then ON and then SET + again, hit RES to go to pre selected speed after slowing down Lots of cubby holes but a driver armrest is badly missed Piano black door handles with aluminium finish above Door pockets are deep and run till the other edge of door Last edited by coolboy007 : 5th September 2015 at 16:29. |
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4th September 2015, 00:20 | #3 |
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| re: My American Love - Diamond White Ford Fiesta TDCi Overall performance of the car
Driving dynamics of this Ford
With only the front fog lamps on With fogs + low beam With fogs+high beam Last edited by coolboy007 : 5th September 2015 at 01:10. |
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4th September 2015, 13:50 | #4 |
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| re: My American Love - Diamond White Ford Fiesta TDCi Cost of ownership, niggles and service quality
The repair bill for the orvm side cover along with paint charges Bill for the first service where i opted for engine oil+oil filter change Last edited by coolboy007 : 5th September 2015 at 16:06. |
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4th September 2015, 15:54 | #5 |
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| re: My American Love - Diamond White Ford Fiesta TDCi Some trivial points
There is a proper cover for the boot unlike Ciaz/City, the finishing is not as good as Vento though Boot space on offer, at par with most other c segment sedans Indicator/wiper stalks are typical european well damped type and exude quality The orvm adjust has this knurled finish which looks lovely The orvm's protrude out even when closed, do not sit flush with the body The LED's which do the job of puddle lamps at night, very bright The rear head restraints and they can be moved up/down Rear view mirrors gives a good coverage of the scene behind Seat belt height adjust is there and has a healthy range Spare is a 14inch steel rim with a small sized Goodyear GT3 inside Last edited by coolboy007 : 5th September 2015 at 16:18. |
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5th September 2015, 16:49 | #6 |
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| re: My American Love - Diamond White Ford Fiesta TDCi Some final parting notes My Fiesta will complete 1 year on 24th september, 2014 and i would have completed 18,000 kms by then. It was a heart decision when i chose this car and am glad i bought it and listened to my heart. It has every thing i wanted, good frugal diesel engine, segment best ride/handling, good build quality, so many features and the fact that it costed me just 10.5 L on road Delhi which was over 1.5 lakh cheaper than Vento and over 2 lakh cheaper than Honda City is an added bonus Of all the cars i have owned so far, only Linea and Fiesta wrap around you and connect to you. It is difficult to explain but that feeling is different, you just immerse in the driving pleasure and there is nothing artificial in the drive quality. Fiesta is a car which you can enjoy in the city with your family where the excellent ride quality isolates you from every thing and when you are alone, you can just gun it, do quick lane changes, throw the car around corners and always be surprised on how good this thing drives with the fact that this is a c segment car, Fiesta just sticks to the road like a leech at high speeds and the only other car which can give so much confidence on highways below 15 lakhs is Linea. Ford India killed this car when it was launched with the sky high price, the facelift fixed every thing, improved on short comings (barring rear space) and it became one of the cheapest c segment car but neither the parent company and nor the dealers were interested in selling it, all they cared for was Ecosport. It is sad to see such capable cars dying in our Indian market and this may force manufacturers like Ford/Fiat to start selling car tuned for indian tastes. I knew while buying this car that resale would be terrible but that is the only negative with this car and for my requirement of solid build quality, i would never be able to buy a car with good resale. Japanese can only make tin cans and europeans/germans will never have good resale. This car is running like a dream at 16000 kms and it is so good to drive that am definitely going to keep it for a long long time, i have always preferred safely built cars over resale and that preference will never change. Thanks to every one for reading my review of my humble Fiesta Push that damn button and the fun starts |
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6th September 2015, 15:51 | #7 |
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| re: My American Love - Diamond White Ford Fiesta TDCi Thread moved from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing. |
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6th September 2015, 17:45 | #8 |
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| re: My American Love - Diamond White Ford Fiesta TDCi Ford fiesta and fiesta classic are the best budget handling cars in India. I would like to give Ford India a suggestion that they should launch a ford fiesta hot hatch to compete with the competitors cars like VW Polo gt, Fiat Punto abarth with a strong and efficient diesel motor and a smooth shifting manual gearbox |
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6th September 2015, 21:51 | #9 |
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| re: My American Love - Diamond White Ford Fiesta TDCi Finally another Fiesta thread! This car is so rare on Indian roads and now with Ford pulling the plug on selling this here, it seems you are few of the lucky ones to own it. I wish they released the Ecoboost version of Fiesta which is sold internationally. This car launched when i was about to take delivery of my Ecosport and at that time the pricing was pretty competitive. The titanium version costed similar to Ecosport of same trim, but you get the added goodies like Sync with Applink, folding ORVM with puddle lights, cruise control etc to name a few. With Polo GTI & Punto abarth around, hope ford launches the fiesta hatch in ecoboost avatar. |
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6th September 2015, 22:10 | #10 |
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| re: My American Love - Diamond White Ford Fiesta TDCi Rated 5* review. Simple and point-wise makes it best for reading and looks cool too. Uncluttered! Excellent coolboy007! Looks fantastic in white and those alloys enhance the appeal further along with that astonmartin inspired front end. I really love this car I am put-off by the rear looks and the power it produces for its size and price. I was expecting 100+ PS under the bonnet. But Ford went the other way and priced it way above only to kill the car! I guess you meant 24th September, 2015?! |
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6th September 2015, 22:24 | #11 |
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| re: My American Love - Diamond White Ford Fiesta TDCi After reading the Palio 1.6 threads, this is another product that I see the same passion from the owners. To be very frank, for me, Ciaz almost came close to this car while TDing. Could be the case of a poor maintained Fiesta. If I buy a C segment car, these two will battle it out. After the 1.6 GTX secured a place in my heart & garage, this is one car that sets my heart beating hard. Never know, I might end up buying a pre-worshipped one down the line. Too bad they got killed so young. Great job on a well pen downed ownership report. Waiting for the remap details. Congrats on the lovely driver's car & wish you miles of smiles in your life. Last edited by swiftnfurious : 6th September 2015 at 22:27. |
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The following BHPian Thanks swiftnfurious for this useful post: | coolboy007 |
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7th September 2015, 05:24 | #12 | ||||
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| My American love - Diamond White Ford Fiesta TDCi Quote:
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Thanks buddy, i have driven Ciaz for a very short distance so do not know properly but i did not like the handling and the build quality, otherwise it is a very good car. If it had Swift like handling, i would have definitely considered it. The remap will be done post 20,000 kms and third service. | ||||
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7th September 2015, 13:42 | #13 |
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| Re: My American Love - Diamond White Ford Fiesta TDCi Feel that the Fiesta would have got more respect if and only if the Ford dealerships had not concentrated too hard on Eco Sport. The sales folks were not at all interested in selling this gem of a machine. Thought that the petrol eco-boost engine will make way inside the Fiesta but alas i was wrong. Ford had other plans. Best wishes with your Machine coolboy007. The ownership report was immaculate covering all the minute details of the American dream. |
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The following BHPian Thanks Arindam_Nayek for this useful post: | coolboy007 |
7th September 2015, 13:45 | #14 |
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| Re: My American Love - Diamond White Ford Fiesta TDCi Brilliant, brilliant review. Last week, I went with my friends to take a test drive of Figo Aspire and got to know that the dealer is offering him a year old Fiesta (middle-model) with ₹1 lakh discount at ₹8.5 lakhs. I'm pressing him hard to go for it instead of Figo Aspire. I'll show him your review. Thank you for the brilliant review, written like a true driving enthusiast. |
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7th September 2015, 14:33 | #15 |
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| Re: My American Love - Diamond White Ford Fiesta TDCi Wonderful write up ! Attention to details and the way you have mentioned your experience with the car makes me fall in love with the beast even more. Its just disappointing and sad that there are not too many lovers in the country to actually feel and know what this car is capable off. |
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