[arvind71181]

Originally Posted by ta1017

Hi
Didn't understand what you meant by 2 of 3 and 3 of 3

I guess he meant if it is your 2nd car in order of priority of driving then keep it and if its the third in priority, let it go

[ta1017]

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[jetti]

How does the Rapid Petrol 1.6 MPI compare with the Fiesta? Can someone who has driven both the cars give an overview?

[IshaanIan]

Originally Posted by jetti

How does the Rapid Petrol 1.6 MPI compare with the Fiesta? Can someone who has driven both the cars give an overview?

I'd like to go over things in detail but there is simply no comparison here When it comes to driving the car, the Fiesta has a more characterful almost Japanese-like motor, snappier throttle response, feels like it has better weight distribution and better steering. To top all of it off, the Fiesta is also ergonomically sound and offers an excellent driving position with nothing to complain about. The Rapid's steering is loose and doesn't offer much feedback but it is pretty direct, seating position is awful IMO since your left knee will constantly be scraping against the central console and just the way everything is positioned, makes it very hard to rev match down the gears with this car since the steering or something or the other keeps coming in the way. The only thing the Rapid has going for it is the extra space in the boot and roomy cabin. To drive, it simply doesn't shrink itself around you in the same way that a Fiesta does. Infact the old 1.6 Fabia felt like a much better car to drive than the Rapid with better weight balance and no ergonomic issues that get in the way of aggressive driving techniques.

[BayB]

I am trying to rekindle this thread as this will always be a million dollar question for Fiesta S owner be it 2013 (when this thread was started) or 2016.

I am exactly in the same state today (in 2016) as was WonderlustIndia in 2013 i.e. what is a rightful "upgrade" to Ford Fiesta S. When i look around the available option in the market today, i am in for a surprise. Nothing comes close to Fiesta S. I have TD few cars but came back disappointed. Linea T-Jet is the only one which could be considered but then is it really an upgrade? Also, Fiats A.S.S has always been a concern.

Any advise will be highly appreciated. Priorities are as below -
> Needs to be a driver's car
> Back seat comfort is important, space is not (only 3 member family)
> Not looking at premium cars, max. stretched budget will be 15 L all inclusive
> City comfort are not to be ignored. Fiesta S was a compromise on this aspect.
> I am keeping an open mind but would like to avoid market duds
> Preferably Petrol, but open to diesel.

[petrolhead_neel]

Originally Posted by BayB

I am trying to rekindle this thread as this will always be a million dollar question for Fiesta S owner be it 2013 (when this thread was started) or 2016.

Any advise will be highly appreciated. Priorities are as below -

Hi,

My first and foremost advice would be to keep the S. It's one of the extremely rare and special enthusiast cars that landed in India and very few people could lay their hands on one. The Fiesta 1.6 is one legendary car and the S is something else. Please, please do consider keeping the car. This will have other benefits too, which I will explain later in the post.

Okay, here's the deal, according to me, there's no car within 15L that'd give you such a well rounded driving pleasure as the Fiesta does. I mean the car literally has very thing that's needed for a spirited drive: engine, handling, steering, gearbox and ergonomics! Purely from a driving point of view, you'll definitely miss the Fiesta S over time no matter which car you pick. Plus, you can pick up a diesel workhorse that's good enough to drive and keep the Fiesta for weekend runs!

Linea T-Jet is not an upgrade really, as you said. You might test drive the Abarth Punto but I am quite sure that it definitely won't be a contender as an upgrade to the Fiesta. And with Fiat's business in India going downhill with every coming day, I wouldn't lay hands on one until I'd be completely sure of maintaining it properly. You can also have a look at the GT TSI, but the steering lacks feedback and the rear seat is extremely low on space. One car I'd definitely recommend trying out is the S-Cross 1.6. It's got a monster of an engine and is a sleeper of a car, just like the Fiesta. Plus, it will be a great family car too. Talk fun with practicality!

I would again request you to please, please keep the S. I am certain that if you do sell her, you'll regret your decision at some point of time.

Neel

[BayB]

Thank you "Petrolhead_neel" for your advice on retaining my Fiesta S and for recommending S-Cross.
Believe me it was not an easy decision on letting go Fiesta S, it was and is a me V/S family battle. While i won, when we bought it i had to concede now. It wasn't an easy job to convince my family during the buying process. Just imagine questions like -
> What! Fiesta! who buys it now
> Will you be able to sell it, if you have to, after 3-5 years
> Aren't you being selfish in choosing a car with such a stiff suspension
> Fiesta S doesnt even come with leather interiors (SXI used to at that time)
> Why not Honda City?

But if you ask me -
> Am i convinced that it should be sold, the answer is a big NO
> Is there anything wrong in the car that i should go for a change, again the answer is a big no. Not even a single niggle.

Regarding S-Cross, i have read a lot on the forums and reviews and specially 1.6 appears to be a good combination of performance and comfort. However, somehow it has not started to appeal me. May be, if I think more about it, it may grow on me.

[adneo]

Hi Folks,
Thought of creating a dedicated thread, even though we have discussed cars in the same category previously, since i wanted to focus on the manufacturers and the options the buyers are presented with along with the fine print.

So the case in point for this discussion would be if i were a buyer in the market looking for a FTD option within the 10-14 lakhs bracket by options would mostly get reduced to Fiat, VW and Skoda, with the Linea 125s, Vento TDI and the New Rapid TDi.

However all the above manufacturers have got their own share of problems and i will try to summarize them to the best of my knowledge below.
Thoughts and criticism welcome.

Fiat:

1. Great cars but they have lagged behind in refreshing their models and introducing new ones.
2. Their interest in the mainstream car business is unclear since they have never been too bullish about introducing new products, expanding the portfolio or marketing them. They sold the 1.6 MJD to Suzuki whereas it could have done wonders for the Linea. Somewhere existing agreements with Suzuki do prohibit them from selling to competition but wonder if its as bad as this. Why cant they work on the lines of Honda and Hero Moto Corp.
I understand FPT is the main revenue earner for Fiat in India, but they need to make things clear to the buyers as well.
3. Its unclear whether FCA will continue with the Fiat brand or only switch over to being a niche player with the Jeep and Abarth brands.
4. Fiats commitment towards officially supporting their current offerings and products beyond their lifecycle is unclear with their current footprint in terms of service centers.

VW/Skoda:

1. Shady business practices. After sales horror stories.
2. Exorbitant parts and labour charges.
3. Availability of spares.
4. But the flip side is that even though VAG has been trying to reduce operating costs by shutting down corp offices etc, yet they have been keen on expanding their product portfolio and incorporating regular facelifts.
5. They are very confused about their priorities, for example thinking about DRLs and 16 inch rims whereas none of their performance vehicles come in with rear disc brakes.

I would like everyone's views on this unique soup we Indians are in when looking for a FTD car between this price bracket.

I thanks everyone in advance for taking the time to review this thread.

[FarPatel]

Please excuse my ignorance, but what is an FTD car? The only expansion I could think of is 'Fun To Drive'

[adneo]

Originally Posted by FarPatel

Please excuse my ignorance, but what is an FTD car? The only expansion I could think of is 'Fun To Drive'

Hahaha, yes thats what i meant as i saw the abbreviation being used liberally in the forum.

[teemus]

Why the blue oval offers some good FTD cars under a million rupees even now, no?

And with the experience that I have had with Ford, their service is quite satisfactory and easy on pocket too. Best of both worlds!

[blackbandit]

Originally Posted by teemus

Why the blue oval offers some good FTD cars under a million rupees even now, no?

And with the experience that I have had with Ford, their service is quite satisfactory and easy on pocket too. Best of both worlds!

Exactly !! we have the scross 1.6 too which is a maruti. I dont think its right to categorise FTD cars based on manufacturers. The range is not limited and definitely not restricted to the fiats and VW/Skodas.

[adneo]

Originally Posted by teemus

Why the blue oval offers some good FTD cars under a million rupees even now, no?

And with the experience that I have had with Ford, their service is quite satisfactory and easy on pocket too. Best of both worlds!

With the Fiesta gone, Ford's options are very limited with compromises, if its a sedan it has to be the Aspire which cannot be considered as a full size sedan and then we have the Ecosport which is again a hybrid cross over.

Its a pity Ford pulled out of the class where the Linea/Vento/Rapid battles it out with the City/Ciaz.

[blackbandit]

Originally Posted by adneo

With the Fiesta gone, Ford's options are very limited with compromises, if its a sedan it has to be the Aspire which cannot be considered as a full size sedan and then we have the Ecosport which is again a hybrid cross over.

Its a pity Ford pulled out of the class where the Linea/Vento/Rapid battles it out with the City/Ciaz.

i am guessing you missed out the figo hatch its a proper hatch thats packed with 100ps of power and ford has not compromised a lot in terms of handling package as well, and all of this is available well below the million bracket.

And even if we forget ford for a minute we have maruti coming up with impressive vehicles as well. The Baleno RS is sure to be a performer and the already mentioned Scross 1.6 is a known FTD car.

[adneo]

Originally Posted by blackbandit

Exactly !! we have the scross 1.6 too which is a maruti. I dont think its right to categorise FTD cars based on manufacturers. The range is not limited and definitely not restricted to the fiats and VW/Skodas.

Hi, I think the 1.6 S- Cross top end model goes over the 14 lakh mark, close to the 15 lakhs+ mark.

And even though I respect the S Cross for it cruising stability and european feel, having driven it in the UK recently i would not put it as a corner craver.
However thats entirely my personal opinion and not meant to offend anyone.