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-   -   Only An Icon Can Stand Next To The Ikon - Ford Fiesta Report (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-drives-initial-ownership-reports/72701-only-icon-can-stand-next-ikon-ford-fiesta-report.html)

Let me begin from where it all started.
2005:

It has been more than 6 months into my first job. My cousin brother and myself were looking to buy a used sedan under 4L. All along we have driven M800s (Little bit of Indica) and were looking forward to the next level. A car with a boot was the next level for us. No room for the Indicas or Zens. Target fixed at OHC, Accent and Ikon. Test drove many of these cars and these were my observations then,

• Accent 1.5 – Engine was extremely smooth. The steering was so light. 3-point turns were a kid’s job. But the engine just didn’t display the power written on it’s spec sheet.
• Ikon 1.3– Engine was very peppy. Steering was hard in comparison to the accent but then it conveyed what the wheels were upto with minimal loss of data. Very spacious but silly cost cutting like no boot release from the inside.
• City 1.3 – Very smooth and peppy engine. Steering control was somewhere between the accent and the ikon. Interiors were shocking. Why are people paying 8+L for these drab interiors?

Search goes on for months together. We couldn’t find a good car within our budget. South India is notorious for overpriced used cars. My brother settled for a well maintained Accent at TVS Used Cars. Car was as good as new. It’s a different story that the accent was sold later due to 3 accidents within a short period (None due to our fault. Car will be parked, a chain accident would happen 50 meters beyond, auto will come and fall on our car!) Replacement was a OHC 1.3.

My brother’s friend had a 2003 Ikon 1.3 Nxt for sale but my brother had discounted it sighting poor FE and high maintenance. After all these months of search and having read about how good a driver’s car the Ikon is from Autocar India I was inclined towards this one and asked for a TD. Voila, the car was well maintained, full service @ Ford A.S.S, done 22K Kms and asking price was Rs.4,00,000/-

Expressed my desire to take this one and the whole world was against me for the obvious reasons against Ford. My father almost disowned me and said that he’ll pay the money but won’t have anything to do with the car since I didn’t listen to him. Myself a adamant Gemini, believes in the policy, “If you like something, don’t care what the world says, go get it; If you don’t like something, even if the world offers it for free, don’t take it”. Went ahead, transferred the existing loan with Kotak Finance to my dad’s name and remaining amount was paid by dad.

Took delivery of the car, brought it home. Dad saw the car and was very impressed. He agreed that it’s a good deal for this car. A small dent is noticed in the front bonnet. We’ll come back to this later after 4 years.
The Ikon is a revelation for me:

Pros

• Makes ordinary drives extraordinary with it’s racy engine and racer sharp handling.
• Gear changes at 3-4K RPM is pure nirvana
• 3rd gear in 80 is where the gods reside
• Spacious rear seat can accommodate 3 people very comfortably on long drives

Cons:

• Driven like explained above = poor FE. Not entirely the car’s fault but then driving sanely is tough and even at those times the FE wasn’t kind to me
• Whole world was correct --> Extremely high maintenance cost. No doubt about it. I bet I would have touched the 2L mark in 4 years for maintenance. I don’t have a count of the parts replaced. Some parts multiple times (Ignition Coil)
• Interiors lack in function --> Power window switches positioning, no internal boot release as standard etc.

Why I love this car?

• It has never let me down. Reached me home safely in the Sep/Oct 2006 floods in Chennai. Waded through water that was covering the ikon’s headlight
• Inspite of it’s notorious service bills it has never broken down except for once, when it needed a push start. Even when the ignition coil fails it can limp with 3 cylinders firing.
• The absolute fun factor. A short drive is enough to bring a smile on my face.
• Made me a better driver
• My whole family loves the car. It’s a kind of lucky charm

Early 2009
Never wanted to replace the Ikon but in case I have to buy one what will I buy? The online forums and magazines swear by the Fiesta as the Godson of the Ikon. I love the lancer too but then it’s too old. Didn’t like any of the hatchbacks. The famous Swift was supposed to be rattling, the incredibly fun to drive palio was notorious for poor A.S.S and the rest were just not in my radar.

Took a relative’s Fiesta TDCi for a Chennai-Pondy trip. WOW. It is the Godson of the Ikon wrt handling. But the car was underpowered IMHO. Deserved more power. But the FE was a revelation too! Loved the car, absolutely. But I hated it in the city for lack of power. Will come back to this later.

Sedan’s like the Verna, Fiesta and the NHC have now moved up the ladder in pricing which IMHO was ridiculous comparing the Accent, Ikon and OHC respectively. I’d never pay 8+L for these cars.

Late 2009
Took a friend’s Fiesta TDCI for Chennai-Mysore trip. This time I learnt how to extract the most out of this car, city and in the highways. The right gear and rpm is the key. Key found and it’s fun!

There’s a Fiesta TDCi LE for 7.1L on-road Chennai. Call up wifey, she says 7L is way over our budget and she wanted a hatchback. News on Figo comes, wifey said that’s the closest you’d get to an Ikon for our budget. So decision is made to save and buy it in full cash in Apr-2010. I was not satisfied entirely. I wanted a petrol and the Figo is going to be a 1.2L one which might not be so much fun afterall.

I join Ford (IT). Fiesta 1.6 is on a 75K discount!! Inform wifey, she agrees that it’s a good deal and we’ll go for it!

Visit MPL Ford. They give the split for the 75K which translates to an actual discount of 60K and 5K worth 3rd year extended warranty. On-road price was quoted as 6.79L. Also checked on the employee pricing for me and was informed that this model doesn’t have it.

The TD car was unstable on hard braking. I asked for another car, they said they can’t arrange it. I said forget it then. I’m not buying unless I’m confident on what I’m buying.

Dealer calls back in 2 days and says that they don’t have the Platinum colour I asked for. So i switched over to Chennai Ford. Surprises:

• They have the colour
• The TD car handles well. No issues with hard braking
• The on-road price is 6.72L. Why? MPL Ford did not pass on the savings in insurance, roadtax etc to the customer after the discount on the ex-showroom price
• The 1.6 ZXi SVP comes in with dull grey leather-vinyl interiors which didn’t look good IMHO
• The Aux port for the music system was not there!
• Here also they sing the same song that employee pricing isn’t there for this model

I wanted platinum colour because it hides dust and dirt very well. The ikon is a golden harvest brown. People at home didn’t want two cars in the same colour, so Morello was chosen! Booking made, amount paid.

Called up the Ford Sales Manager in the Plant to enquire directly on the employee pricing (It wasn’t updated in the common drive) He gives me a pleasant shock that the price is indeed there and he was very kind enough to ensure that I receive a call from the dealer in a few minutes with the employee pricing which translates to 6.22L on-road. Very bad behaviour from both the dealers.

Approval sent, booking made, car brought to the dealer for inspection. Armed with T-BHP guide i check it out and sent for registration.

Car delivery time and I notice a very small dent on the bonnet. Point it out to the dealer and the Sales Manager promptly acknowledges the lapse and offers to replace the bonnet the next day. I agree but then thought for a moment, the Ikon also has a dent in the same place! Is this a good sign!?? Wifey strongly suggests it’s a good sign. So decide not to change the bonnet! Good response from the dealer! Appreciate this.

Car gets registered and the number is 4609;My fiero is 4618. Can’t get coincidental than this. The Fiesta shares a dent with the Ikon and first 2 numbers with the Fiero.

The STD Speedex/India Signs Number Plates are a strict no-no for me and wifey. Wifey had seen a car with a nice font and wanted it. Went to GP road, those guys didn't have it. The same evening we saw a car with the exact font, so clicked a pic. Armed with the pic, went to GP Road again. They searched their computer upside down, no use. Then went to Kalyani Car Jewels, North Usman Road. Bingo...they have it and finished the job in 30 mins. Cost Rs.650 (GP Road-Rs.550)

I have more to add to this thread like Do’s and don’ts, finance experience, sales person experience, vote of thanks to T-BHPians etc..Shall do so soon...

Meanwhile have a look at the Ford Twins.

ONLY AN ICON CAN STAND NEXT TO THE IKON.

P.S: For some car makers a car isn't just a commodity and I feel that FORD and FIAT are few such examples in India. You cannot quantify the elements that makes these cars so much fun to drive. May be tht's what makes them special. And yes they do have their shortcomings compared to the competition. The informed buyer should compare and make the choice.

If your Ikon's pics with the broken # plate is recent, then you surely know to maintain your ride (superbly clean) which is ~5 years old (except the small dent on the hood).

Well written report, and rightly so, Ford's/Fiat's quality are higher than Hyundai's, Maruti's but only with a better A$$ and lower spare pricing they would have ruled our markets.

Thanks for the compliments but that picture was taken (2006) in the service centre during delivery:)

+1 to that! And a very well written report with pics as well!!

So finally you got time to give a nice write up about your experience in car hunting and ofcourse it ended up in you buying two cars of same manufacturer.

Another well satisfied customer/Owner with Ford cars!

Enjoy - Cheers!

Hi kiku,

Congrats for the Ford twins. Very well written report. The ikon looks cute with that dent, hehe.. but very well maintained.
Have fun with both the cars.

That is an abslutely stunning Ikon; well maintained for its age.
and the fiesta ofcourse is a stunner too.
Congrats on the rides kiku007 and i second the dentwala superstition :)
Drive fast; drive safe.

Kiku, congrats on the new addition to the family. The Fiesta surely takes over from where the Ikon stopped, and you'll surely enjoy the car. Modern design features also add to the upgrade experience.

Your B pillar stickering job on the Ikon was an inspiration behind me doing the same on my car as well, but the matte black vinyl doesnt stand out as much on my car, also due to the darker shade.

Hope to see regular updates to your ownership experience.

Oh Ok, Do you still have the IKon or have you sold it? If yes, what was the resale value?

I believe he intends to retain it, as he mentions the family didnt want to have two cars of the same color. I assume this means they retain both.

Thanks for the compliments Guys.

Now coming to the people I need to thank.

My wife: Whenever she zero's is on a car to buy, she'll ask me if I can drive it the way I drive the Ikon. She also likes the high adrenaline drive of the Ikon. It's not about driving 100 Kmph madly in the city. It's about how it zips from the traffic signal or takes on the curves in the highways without letting of the throttle. After searching for a while she understood that am not moving anywhere beyond Ford.

The other day in 'Times Drive'program they were announcing crazy awards for the year 2009. When they said, 'Next award is for the Boy Racer', 'it's the best driver's car under 10L'. She said, 'Oh it's the Fiesta'. I said no, upgraded fiesta wasn't launched this year so it can't be it. And wonder who got the award? Fiesta 1.6S. Wifey smiled and said, 'they said best driver's car under 10L. What other car is there?'. That's the kind of influence Ford has on her!

On the other side I had to do fair bit of convincing on the maintenance costs as well. Before that she used to swear that she won't allow me to buy a Ford ever again due to the huge service bills. Also she felt that the Fiesta is boat sized and only wanted a hatch. But afterall this she was all happy to increase the budget and get the Fiesta considering the deal we were getting it at!

She has a car driver's license but been a long time she drove a car. So now driving classes are on in the Ikon!

T-BHP: I really appreciate the time and effort of T-BHPians who are a conclave of knowledge! Esp the 'Fiesta Owners' thread.

Sherif, Sales Person From Chennai Ford: Silent worker who tracked the purchase meticulously. Was sincerely apologetic for the goof up his Sales Manager did by not giving me the Employee Pricing.

Car loan was taken from State Bank Of Hyderabad. No nonsense, pure banking.
Loan Amount: Rs.3,00,000/-
Tenure: 2 Years
1st Year Interest: 8.5%
2nd Year Interest: 10.5%
Processing Fee: Nil
Pre-Closure, Part Payment Penalty After 1st year: Nil
For 2 years my interest outgo would be 27K.

Replies to fellow BHPians Posts:

1. The Pics of the Ikon are very old (2006-2008)! Not recent ones. Apologies for not mentioning it in the original post.
2. The Ikon is with us. My dad is using it (Technically it's my dad's car since he paid for it but he sparingly uses it).
3. The asking price for the 2003 Ikon 2nd Owner done 70K Kms is around Rs.1,25,000/- No way am selling it.

P.S: Watch out for Ford, am not saying this because I work for them but they are getting real serious with the Figo!

The decade old Ikon is giving competition run for money with it's TDCi engine, the Fiesta is moving fast with un-limited editions and the Endy has not lost ground with competition hotting up either.

Suddenly doesn't the word VFM ring too often with the word Ford?

Congrats Kishore! Very well written! I was gripped. Get a Fiesta S type spolier for her. Your Ikon too doesn't look too bad either! Drive safe! Congrats again!

Congratulations!!! Fiesta is a very good upgrade from Ikon, Its a also a lot easier to maintain. Please do update us with the ownership experience.

Kiku thanks for all the information you so well put up for sharing.I rarely go to other new car threads (other than the Scorpio) but this one has made me sit up and take notice of Fords and Fords!

kiku, that's a fantastic write up. Looks like the this particular Fiesta was made for you.. with the dent on the bonnet and the number etc. Ford does appear to be incredibly VFM at the moment especially at the price that you got it. Like you, I too drove an Indica and an 800 for donkey's years before buying the Fiesta. If someone wants a top notch drivers car under 10 lacs, there is no other logical choice. Even the media seems to agree with that. :D Have fun going Fida.