Ford Fiesta 2015 Car Auto Review
Ford Ford Fiesta X Auto
This car hardly needs any introduction, because the Ford Fiesta is Britain’s best-selling model, finding its way on to more than 130,000 driveways last year alone. Why is it so popular? Well, not only is the Fiesta a national institution dating back to the 1970s, the sixth generation is stylish, great to drive and cheap to run. But, it was launched back in 2008, so is this super-mini still at the cutting edge, or has it been overtaken by rivals like the latest Vauxhall Corsa? Well, this car might be getting on a bit, but the Fiesta’s fun handling certainly hasn’t dated, it’s still the sharpest super-mini. There’s so much feel through the steering, you can practically tell what’s been used to mix the tarmac, giving you confidence to make use of its agile chassis.
Even entry-level versions have taut responses, but this firmness rarely makes bumps uncomfortable. Engines range from a 59bhp 1.25-liter to the 123bhp 1.0-litre Eco-boost petrol, while special edition Red and Black Edition models get 138bhp. Diesel fans are catered for by a 1.5 or 1.6-litre Duratorq engine with 75 or 95bhp, while hot hatch fans can get their thrills driving the award-winning 180bhp ST. We’re testing the 99bhp 1.0-liter Eco-boost with a Power-shift automatic gearbox, which gets to 62mph in 10.8 seconds. Not having to change gear could be a real positive if you spend most of your time in the city, but we’d prefer the interaction of the manual gearbox, which also improves fuel consumption from the 58mpg of this car to 66mpg. Saying that, this transmission is very smooth, even if its manual mode is a little fiddly to use. Despite its small size the Fiesta is comfortable enough to make long motorway trips pretty relaxed, thanks in the main to its great driving position. The steering wheel adjusts for reach and rake and there’s also a fair bit of seat travel.
It’s fairly attractive in here too, even if the mobile-phone style buttons are now looking rather dated. We expect the next Fiesta will get a touch-screen, but for the moment your only way to avoid pressing these is to use Ford’s SYNC voice activation system. Three-door and five-door bodystyles are available, and while this five-door doesn’t look quite as sporty, it’s certainly a good idea if you often carry more than one passenger. The boot can hold 276-litres of luggage if a spare wheel is fitted, or 290-litres with a tyre repair kit, so it compares well to the 285-litre Corsa and 280-litre Polo. But, none can match the 330 litres of the class-leading Skoda Fabia. After driving the Fiesta, it’s not hard to see why so many owners sign on the dotted line after a test drive. It feels remarkably grown-up for a small supermini, with excellent handling and impressive refinement.
The interior is starting to show its age compared to the latest Corsa and Polo, but it still functions well enough and the quickclear heated windscreen is a real selling point. With low running costs and a Ford dealership in almost every town, the Fiesta should be a simple and affordable car to own. We’d just avoid the basic entry-level versions, as they could prove tricky to sell on, and go for a mid-spec model with the fantastic EcoBoost engine. You’ll enjoy it more, and hopefully get more come trade-in time.
