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Old 3rd September 2015, 18:25   #1
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My American Love - Diamond White Ford Fiesta TDCi

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My American Love - Diamond White Ford Fiesta TDCi-team-bhp1.jpg

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
My American Love - Diamond White Ford Fiesta TDCi-newhondacity01.jpg

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

My American Love - Diamond White Ford Fiesta TDCi-skodarapid22.jpg

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

My American Love - Diamond White Ford Fiesta TDCi-fordfiestafacelift01.jpg

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.

My American Love - Diamond White Ford Fiesta TDCi-team-bhp-2.jpg

My American Love - Diamond White Ford Fiesta TDCi-team-bhp-3.jpg

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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Old 3rd September 2015, 19:52   #2
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re: My American Love - Diamond White Ford Fiesta TDCi

Exteriors and build quality

My American Love - Diamond White Ford Fiesta TDCi-team-bhp-main.jpg

My American Love - Diamond White Ford Fiesta TDCi-team-bhp-15.jpg

My American Love - Diamond White Ford Fiesta TDCi-team-bhp-main-2.jpg
  • The front looks lovely with the elongated double barrel headlmaps and the new aston martin type treatment, the new face is a breath of fresh air compared to previous generation Fiesta
  • The huge grill at the front carrying new Ford's design philosophy looks lovely, gives a very mature stance to the car and a special mention to the paint quality, like other European brands, the paint quality is lovely and should hold good in the future, Diamond white is a solid color but has a deep gloss to it. Paint should hold well over the long run but i have not gone for any paint treatment or anti rust so far.
  • The rear carries a love it or hate it look, though the rear stance looks better compared to previous gen Fiesta, it looks narrow from the rear end and some people might find it ugly. Rear does not endow any wow factor like the front, the boot when closed gives a good thud which is much better than Vento which gives a clunk but not as good as Linea which closes like a vault door
  • Love the stock ride height of this car, looks so graceful compared to Vento which is jacked up like crazy at the rear. The ride height is low, seating is low and the height adjust for the seat goes really low, makes for a very sporty stance while driving though people might find ingress/egress to be cumbersome.
  • The build quality is solid for the most part and i love cars which give a secure, cocooned feeling when being driven, one of the reasons i never buy japanese cars despite them having excellent resale/market acceptance. The front doors shut with a proper thud but it does not feel as solid as Vento or Linea, Linea being the best which thickest sheet metal like a bank vault and Fiesta being last, the rear doors feel light but overall, Fiesta is at par with Vento but can not match the build of Linea, Fiat feels indestructible while cruising down the expressway.
  • The NVH levels are cut out brilliantly by the stiff body and excellent damping done by Ford. There is no light body, thin window crap here. This 1.5 TDCi once warmed up becomes super silent and only gets vocal when revved past 3000 rpm. Tyre noise is controlled but the stock Germany made NCT5 make a lot of racket on the highways.
  • The puddle lamps on outside rear view mirrors house LED's and give a white output when the car/door is unlocked, looks very upmarket at night. Like Ecosport, as soon as you unlock the car, mirrors fold out with puddle lamps glowing, footwell lamps come on, the instrument cluster light comes on, parking light comes on and it looks very cool
  • Both our Linea and Fiesta came with frameless wipers and they do look very upmarket, clean the glass very nicely and last for a really long time. Got the ones changed on my Linea after 5 years so they were well worth the 1400 cost. Ecosport and Vento come with the cheaper, normal type of wipers, some advantage of buying low selling car eh?

My American Love - Diamond White Ford Fiesta TDCi-team-bhp-main-1.jpg

My American Love - Diamond White Ford Fiesta TDCi-team-bhp-main-3.jpg

My American Love - Diamond White Ford Fiesta TDCi-team-bhp-4.jpg

My American Love - Diamond White Ford Fiesta TDCi-team-bhp-5.jpg

My American Love - Diamond White Ford Fiesta TDCi-team-bhp-9.jpg

My American Love - Diamond White Ford Fiesta TDCi-team-bhp-16.jpg




Interiors, quality, space and gizmos on offer


My American Love - Diamond White Ford Fiesta TDCi-team-bhp-6.jpg

The cabin looks lovely at night with so many lights inside
My American Love - Diamond White Ford Fiesta TDCi-interior-shot.jpg

The nokia inspired center console, these 1-2-3 buttons look old style.
My American Love - Diamond White Ford Fiesta TDCi-front-console.jpg

The puddle lamps in action at night time
My American Love - Diamond White Ford Fiesta TDCi-puddle-lamps.jpg

My American Love - Diamond White Ford Fiesta TDCi-puddle-lamp-1.jpg

Driver and co-passenger each get footwell lights
My American Love - Diamond White Ford Fiesta TDCi-footwell-light.jpg

  • The interiors now carry a dual tone black-beige combination (more towards greyish beige) and the fantabulous seats are finished in grey color with a weird pattern on them. This color scheme looks far better than the older gen, the door handles and central fascia are finished in piano black and the door levers are finished in brushed silver which looks classy.
  • The quality of plastics is no match to Vento but feel and look better than both Linea/Ecosport, the German has outstanding level of detail even in hard to spot areas. In Fiesta, the upper end of dashboard has a good feel, texture, look but door pads and lower part of the dash is rock hard. Nothing feels flimsy though, no switch or control feels loose and every thing has the typical european well damped feel to it. The front door pockets get a good deep door pocket but absolutely nothing for rear doors, it does have a lot of small cubby holes near gear lever which come handy to keep some knick knacks.
  • All the interior bits are well screwed together and i do not think i will face any issues with rattles in this car. Ecosport has completed 23k kms and is still without any rattles or squeaks so far. Fiesta has a tiny squeak coming from the driver side window and i will get it checked up during 20k service.
  • I can dedicate a full paragraph on the brilliant front seats on offer. These bucket seats are one of the best offered on any car below 20 lakhs and offer outstanding lumbar support, extended under thigh support and provide so much support by side bolstering when cornering hard which is a daily affair with the Fiesta. The cushioning/padding is just perfect and sitting in other cars after driving Fiesta for a few days, i really miss these seats. Travel range is huge and the seats go down really low. I hate cars with high seating position, you should sit inside the car and not on the car.
  • The space at front is A+, this car feels much wider in the front than both Vento/Linea and the footwell space is good as well. The windshield at the front and rear are huge. There is good visibility all around but the car feels wider than Vento whilst driving around and have to be careful not to knock off the side mirrors.
  • Rear seat space is at par with cars like Linea, even the Ecosport has better rear leg room than this car. It can be put down to terrible space management by Ford and the ultra thick front seats which eat up a lot of rear space. The rear seat is not very comfortable for long journeys but to be honest i do not have much experience with this, always sat in the driver's seat when i was sitting in this car. The front seats do have seat pockets at rear. The boot space is at par with cars like Vento and carries respectable amounts of luggage.
  • The gizmos on offer include keyless entry with push button start, awesome front bucket seats which are exclusive to titanium variant,Ford's Sync system with app link, cruise control which comes very handy during long expressway stints, auto lights, auto wipers, foldable mirrors with led puddle lamps which open/close as you unlock/lock the car, automatic climate control and full trip computer. It also houses two red led's in front cabin lamp which provide red lighting on the gear lever at night, looks uber cool and Linea also has the same thing. The Titanium is pretty loaded but loses out on simple stuff like front armrest which is a royal pain and auto door locking, i really wonder how could they miss out some thing so simple like auto door locks
  • The OEM audio system with 4 speakers and 2 tweeters is just excellent. There are tons of settings like DSP ON/OFF, equalizer modes, treble/mid/bass adjust and once you tune the system to your liking, the power output is literally amazing for a stock set up. I have a full blown audio set up in my Vento but this is excellent for an oem unit. Crisp n clear mid bass and very good tweeters. Might just add a woofer later on but sufficing with the stock set up so far, Ecosport is without front 2 tweeters and they do make a lot of difference. Sync also works flawlessly and all incoming/outgoing calls go crystal clear for both parties.


My American Love - Diamond White Ford Fiesta TDCi-team-bhp-7.jpg

All 4 window buttons are backlit, many brands cut corners here
My American Love - Diamond White Ford Fiesta TDCi-backlit-power-window.jpg

Nice looking instrument console showing 18.5 km/l which is the efficiency i get in city conditions
My American Love - Diamond White Ford Fiesta TDCi-instrument-cluster.jpg

Have completed much cherished 16000 kms now
My American Love - Diamond White Ford Fiesta TDCi-instrument-clustr-1.jpg

Have a look at the bolstering and thickness of the front seats, most comfortable front seats i have ever experienced
My American Love - Diamond White Ford Fiesta TDCi-team-bhp-8.jpg

Piano black treatment looks premium
My American Love - Diamond White Ford Fiesta TDCi-centre-console.jpg

To engage cruise, press SET+, then ON and then SET + again, hit RES to go to pre selected speed after slowing down
My American Love - Diamond White Ford Fiesta TDCi-cruise-control.jpg

Lots of cubby holes but a driver armrest is badly missed
My American Love - Diamond White Ford Fiesta TDCi-cubby-holes.jpg

Piano black door handles with aluminium finish above
My American Love - Diamond White Ford Fiesta TDCi-door-handles.jpg

Door pockets are deep and run till the other edge of door
My American Love - Diamond White Ford Fiesta TDCi-door-pockets.jpg
Attached Thumbnails
My American Love - Diamond White Ford Fiesta TDCi-team-bhp-14.jpg  


Last edited by coolboy007 : 5th September 2015 at 16:29.
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Old 4th September 2015, 00:20   #3
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re: My American Love - Diamond White Ford Fiesta TDCi

Overall performance of the car
  • This is the same 1.5 TDCi carried forward in the same state of tune from Ecosport, makes around 91 PS and 204 NM of torque which is quite a low output from a 1500cc engine. Extremely refined motor, more so than Ecosport due to a proper engine cover pre installed on Fiesta and also the sump guard that gets a proper abs plastic cover. These two cost atleast 16-18k and this is a free gift for Fiesta owners.
  • NVH levels are class leading and must be only behind Hyundai Verna, Honda City or Vento/Rapid are light years behind. There are no vibrations, engine gets slightly vocal above 3500 rpm but it is in no way intrusive. The clutch requires medium level effort and is definitely better than Vento's clutch. Once you shut the doors, outside sounds stay outside. You can barely hear the diesel clatter, there are no vibrations on clutch like Honda City/Volkswagen Vento.
  • Performance can be best termed as adequate, it is neither a blast to drive engine like VW's 1.6 TDi, nor does it feel underpowered. There is very little turbo lag, picks up pace from lower revvs and goes cleanly all the way to 4500 rpm. There is no solid punch but it has a linear power delivery, the low end torque does help in negotiating tight city traffic. I do have plans to remap it after 20,000 kms to fully exploit the potential of this car's handling and chassis.
  • Fiesta's 1.5 TDCi feels much better than Ecosport's diesel engine but can not and i repeat, can not hold a candle to VW's 1.6 TDi. Vento's diesel mill revvs like crazy and goes berserk after 2000 rpm with a huge surge of torque that can give you a lot of cheap thrills, on a straight highway, the Vento will easily leave most of its C segment rivals in a pile of dust.
  • Highway performance leaves me a bit wanting, could be due to the fact that i regularly drive a Vento TDi and it has 250 NM of torque which is delivered in a furious manner. That extra pep on single undivided highways is missing and the engine feels lethargic above 120 whereas the car feels like its only doing 80-90 at 120
  • Power delivery and acceleration is miles better than Ecosport, you would not believe it is the same engine. Ecosport being 130 kgs heavier feels lethargic and that it is 200 MM up off the ground with a wide open mouth does not help. Fiesta accelerates effortlessly and the performance till 130-140 is sufficient. It is just that this car masks the speeds so bloody well that you never feel you are doing 100 until you look at the blue colored speedometer needle.
  • Gearshift quality is slick, not as slick as Vento but it has short throws and the gears lock in quickly without any mis-shift. The short throw clutch helps a lot in changing gears quickly. Car has long gear ratios so you have to keep that in mind during city runs. Cruises effortlessly at 120+ with the NVH levels brilliantly controlled.
  • The ARAI claimed mileage is 25 and i easily get 17-18 in city with ACC set at 23. Highway mileage stays at 20-20.5 as it is impossible to drive this car slowly, it is so bloody stable and sticks to road like a leech at high speeds.

My American Love - Diamond White Ford Fiesta TDCi-team-bhp-10.jpg

My American Love - Diamond White Ford Fiesta TDCi-team-bhp-11.jpg

My American Love - Diamond White Ford Fiesta TDCi-team-bhp-12.jpg

My American Love - Diamond White Ford Fiesta TDCi-team-bhp-13.jpg



Driving dynamics of this Ford
  • I had only read on online forums on how good the Ford's drive but had no Ford car before our Ecosport so had no first hand experience. I really do not like high ground clearance cars like Ecosport/Duster so never munched much miles in the Ecosport, it also had nothing special going for it. The steering was too light, ride was hard and the handling was good in its segment. My 7 year old Linea still satisfied me much more than both Ecosport/Vento when it came to serving driving pleasure.
  • The moment you take this Fiesta out on a good long highway drive, you will realize that there is some thing special in this car. The way it changes direction, the grace with which it rides and still handles in a way that it can shame some D segment sedans is to be experienced. On my first highway drive after driving the Vento for so long, it felt as if i had upgraded to a BMW 3 series , i am not exaggerating, yes it is that good.
  • The official ground clearance figure is just 156 mm but i am yet to scrape the underbelly of this car. The front overhang does scrape steep ramps or basement parking but i have travelled with 4 people on board + luggage and never scraped the bottom, the stiff suspension and relatively short wheelbase does help.
  • This EPS in the Fiesta is a beauty, it is ultra ultra quick, weighs just brilliant at high speeds, feels so direct and you just get connected and immersed in the driving. The feel and directness is just brilliant, there is zero slack at the straight ahead position and this steering plays a major part in giving the Fiesta the dynamic prowess it is known for. Vento's steering feels like a joke after driving this car and i do get frustrated with it some times. Linea's steering still carries more feedback but it is the Ford which changes direction with much more agility and feels way more nimble.
  • When it comes to ride quality, one would feel that the suspension is set up so stiff and the ride quality would be a natural victim - wrong and that is the beauty of this set up. Ford's engineers have done brilliant work on calibrating the suspension. This car just glides over potholes and the ride quality remains flat, gobbles up small potholes and only the bigger ones make their presence felt with a reassuring thud. The suspension works very silently unlike Vento which makes a lot of racket and keeps bobbing or crashing over undulations. In the city, this lovely ride with the front bucket seats make for a very calm commuting. Wonder how the ride will improve once i move to some thing better than these hard Goodyear's.
  • I really do not want to say much for handling, it is a well known trait of this car and it changes lanes in a jiffy. I love cornering hard when i get an opportunity, my job allows me to travel late at night and the roundabouts or turns are too much fun with this car. There is very little body roll, the front seats hug you tight, the steering tells you where the front tyres are going, flick the steering hard and the rear steps out, bring it back in and keep grinning for the next few miles. The ride stays absolutely flat and straight line stability is exceptional - this is in the league of Linea. The NCT 5 that came with the car are noisy but offer very good dry grip and good steering feedback.
  • The brakes are awesome. There is excellent pedal feel and bite and you know how much braking you desire. The car stops in a straight line and there is no front heavy feeling or nose pitching. The brake pads do shed a lot of brake dust and i do not think these soft pads will last much longer than 30k kms.

With only the front fog lamps on
My American Love - Diamond White Ford Fiesta TDCi-fogs-.jpg

With fogs + low beam
My American Love - Diamond White Ford Fiesta TDCi-fogslow-beam.jpg

With fogs+high beam
My American Love - Diamond White Ford Fiesta TDCi-fogshigh-beam.jpg

Last edited by coolboy007 : 5th September 2015 at 01:10.
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Old 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
  • Fiesta carries the same service intervals as Ecosport which implies that first check up is at 2500 kms, second at 10,000 kms and then 10,000 kms or 1 year whichever is earlier. Air filter and pollen filters are changed at 20,000 kms, diesel fuel filter is changed at 30,000 kms and coolant is long life at 1 lakh+ kms. Ford uses semi synthetic/mineral oil so expect the service costs to be pretty low compared to cars like Vento/Rapid.
  • I have been very happy with my dealer Harpreet Ford's service support so far. Ecosport has been pretty reliable with just a single issue so far and Ford India happily replaced both rotors and pads under warranty 20,000 kms, this is in stark contrast to Volkswagen who refused under warranty claim for my Vento's rotor/pads due to brake shudders at 11,000 kms as brake warranty is till 6 month/10,000 kms on VAG cars. This service support was one of the major reasons i chose Fiesta over Rapid, poor reliability of our Vento was another factor.
  • Got the first service for Fiesta done in first week of November, 2014 and i requested for an oil+oil filter change though it is not required according to Ford. The service bill was a meagre 1697 INR for an oil change and this is one of the cheapest for a c segment sedan. I was surprised to see such a small amount as i had got used to paying 10-12k for every service of our Vento
  • Second service was completed in march,2015 which was for 10,000 kms. I had requested for an air filter change as i find the 20,000 kms air filter change interval to be a bit too much for our conditions. This service costed 2300 INR, in comparison our Vento costed 9000 INR for its 15,000 service, that is a saving of 7000 every year during routine service. The service costs are even lower than some cars from a segment below like Swift. The thing to be noted is that some spare parts are costly, a guy in SX4 knocked the plastic cover off the side mirror and the new one with paint costed a whopping 2200 INR, the brake pads am told cost in the vicinity of 3500.
  • I have faced only 1 niggle with the car so far in 16,000 kms and it was the volume + steering control working erratically. Showed it to them during the 10k service and the mechanic corrected it within 30 minutes, some wire inside steering control was loose. There is also a squeak coming from driver side window which needs to be looked upon, apart from this the car is running beautifully and still works as it was on day 1. The engine has opened up nicely after second service and revvs nicely and feels more relaxed at triple digit speeds.

The repair bill for the orvm side cover along with paint charges
My American Love - Diamond White Ford Fiesta TDCi-repair-bill-.jpg

Bill for the first service where i opted for engine oil+oil filter change
My American Love - Diamond White Ford Fiesta TDCi-service-bill.jpg

Last edited by coolboy007 : 5th September 2015 at 16:06.
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re: My American Love - Diamond White Ford Fiesta TDCi

Some trivial points

My American Love - Diamond White Ford Fiesta TDCi-night-car.jpg
  • The side mirrors when folded do not go completely inside and do jut out a bit and this is a problem with unruly bikers trying to knock your mirrors off at the slightest opportunity. I also found the mirrors to be a bit small and they do not cover the rear view properly. Foldable mirrors are a big boon in cities like Delhi, the fact that they automatically fold in/out (programmable) when you lock/unlock the car is an added advantage. Some cars like Creta or new Swift do have foldable mirrors but you need to manually fold every time you step out.
  • The rear seat is not as bad as it is made out to be, when i set the seat according to my height which is 5"7, there is acceptable space for 2 passengers at the rear. Rear bench is comfortable with seats on the softer side and has good recline angle. I found it to be better than Verna where the high window line makes you nauseatic, also the ride for back benchers in Fiesta is fantastic.
  • I found this funny and if you are using cruise control with speed set at 110, now you slow down till 65-70 and want to accelerate back to cruise speed, just hit the "res" button and see how furiously the car accelerates, it seems as if some different engine map is used when you do this. Cruise control is one brilliant feature.
  • I keep the auto headlamps off mostly as the sensitivity level is too high and the headlights come on even at 5 PM, the other road users start indicating that your lights are on and it becomes frustrating after a while. These auto wipers on the other hand work flawlessly and just wipe at the perfect speed according to speed/rain intensity.
  • The front windshield cracked last month when a stone came flying on these typical Indian expressways, there is a big crack and i will send the car for replacement next month, the rear bumper also has a small crack as my sister missed out on a cement pillar while backing up, will claim insurance
  • The double barrel headlamps with powerful fogs offer brilliant spread of light with good illumination. The lights on both Vento/Ecosport are pathetic and only the Linea has such good head lights. There is no reason to upgrade lights/bulb with Fiesta.
  • Ford has not provided a reach adjustable steering and i do not like this fact, they did provide it in Ecosport but removed it from Fiesta. Even the leather seats + armrest are missing
  • Good on the part of Ford to provide a proper sized 195 tyre (made in Germany NCT5)with this car, it does look funny like 175 section on City or 185 on Vento/Rapid. The spare wheel is a 14 inch steel wheel with smaller sized tyre
  • Only the driver window gets one touch up/down (most cars have only one touch down), full marks to the Germans here as Vento has all 4 one touch up/down windows with anti pinch function.
  • The knob for front seat backrest adjust angle is a rotary knob unlike the regular pull up type knobs. Allows for minute adjustments to be made to the backrest and i really love it this way, one of the ways to give a proper driving position.
  • As always, i do not do wheel alignment, balancing etc at Ford's service centre as they charge a lot and do shoddy work, get it done outside at my trusted shop. Also say a no to silly stuff like ac vent cleaning etc.

My American Love - Diamond White Ford Fiesta TDCi-night-car-1.jpg

There is a proper cover for the boot unlike Ciaz/City, the finishing is not as good as Vento though
My American Love - Diamond White Ford Fiesta TDCi-boot-cover.jpg

Boot space on offer, at par with most other c segment sedans
My American Love - Diamond White Ford Fiesta TDCi-boot-space.jpg

Indicator/wiper stalks are typical european well damped type and exude quality
My American Love - Diamond White Ford Fiesta TDCi-indicator-stalks.jpg

The orvm adjust has this knurled finish which looks lovely
My American Love - Diamond White Ford Fiesta TDCi-orvm-adjust-knob.jpg

The orvm's protrude out even when closed, do not sit flush with the body
My American Love - Diamond White Ford Fiesta TDCi-orvm-protruding-out.jpg

The LED's which do the job of puddle lamps at night, very bright
My American Love - Diamond White Ford Fiesta TDCi-puddle-led.jpg

The rear head restraints and they can be moved up/down
My American Love - Diamond White Ford Fiesta TDCi-rear-head-restraint.jpg

Rear view mirrors gives a good coverage of the scene behind
My American Love - Diamond White Ford Fiesta TDCi-rear-view-mirror.jpg

Seat belt height adjust is there and has a healthy range
My American Love - Diamond White Ford Fiesta TDCi-seat-belt-height-adjust.jpg

Spare is a 14inch steel rim with a small sized Goodyear GT3 inside
My American Love - Diamond White Ford Fiesta TDCi-spare-wheel.jpg

Last edited by coolboy007 : 5th September 2015 at 16:18.
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Old 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
My American Love - Diamond White Ford Fiesta TDCi-start-stop-button.jpg

My American Love - Diamond White Ford Fiesta TDCi-fiesta-1.jpg

My American Love - Diamond White Ford Fiesta TDCi-fiesta-front.jpg

My American Love - Diamond White Ford Fiesta TDCi-fiesta-headlight.jpg

My American Love - Diamond White Ford Fiesta TDCi-fiesta-side.jpg

My American Love - Diamond White Ford Fiesta TDCi-front-nose.jpg
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Old 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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Old 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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Old 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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Old 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!

Quote:
Originally Posted by coolboy007 View Post
My Fiesta will complete 1 year on 24th september, 2014 and i would have completed 18,000 kms by then.
I guess you meant 24th September, 2015?!
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Old 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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Old 7th September 2015, 05:24   #12
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My American love - Diamond White Ford Fiesta TDCi

Quote:
Originally Posted by technicalytuned View Post
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
+1, Fiesta hatch would be a great option with that sweet 1 litre ecoobost and am sure Ford can sell good numbers of it in the hatchback segment. The Figo hatch can sit at a lower price point against Swift and the Fiesta hatch can compete against i20 or Polo.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Samfromindia View Post
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
Thanks, am glad i chose this car at the right time. We could have also bought an Ecosport if it was not already with us, the dealership was not interested in selling this car and the kind of roads we have, most people prefer high ground clearance vehicles, all compact suv's are a super hit.

Quote:
Originally Posted by a4anurag
Simple and point-wise makes it best for reading and looks cool too.
Thanks for the appreciation Anurag, i love this car so much and hence took a long time to compile the review as i wanted all pros and cons to be noted. Agree with you on the rear look and power on offer, the engine is bad only if you compare to Vento/Verna but the dynamics do make up for it. A remap is coming very soon



Quote:
guess you meant 24th September, 2015?!
Thanks for correcting me.

Quote:
Originally Posted by swiftnfurious View Post
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.
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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Old 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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Old 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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Old 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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