2013 Ford Fiesta Reviews

Ewan Kennedy road tests and reviews the first and second generation Ford Fiesta between 2004 and 2015 as a used buy.

Styling of the latest couple of generations of Ford Fiestas is bold and their stunning, almost futuristic, looks appeal to many, particularly those moving down from larger cars.The Ford Fiesta is sold as a three-door or five-door hatchback. The three-door has a sporty appearance, but the five-door certainly isn’t on the staid side. Getting into the back seat of the three-door Fiesta isn’t too difficult for the kids, but large adults will find it a hassle.Once in the back seat, occupants will find it reasonably spacious. The front seats are larger than average for a car in this class and are reasonably comfortable, though some may find them on the firm side in the German manner.Ford Australia is keen to please drivers looking for more than mere transport so imports its small cars from Europe. This makes them slightly more expensive than products from Holden, which are often made in South Korean factories, but Ford Oz has managed to keep prices down.The Fiesta comes in plenty of different variants. Most use a 1.4- or 1.6-litre petrol engine and offer a couple of drivetrain options. The WZ series Fiesta, introduced in August 2013, has an interesting pair of turbocharged power units, in particular a willing little three-cylinder 1.0-litre with plenty of spark in its response. Even better is the 1.6 turbo-petrol in the Fiesta ST, it has strong torque over a wide spread of revs and can be regarded as a low cost alternative to full-on hot hatches.The Ford Fiesta XR4, introduced in June 2007, is a genuine hot hatch, not just a dressed up standard model.  Inside, there are sporting seats with leather bolsters. Fiesta XR4 has lowered suspension and rides on Pirelli P-Zero tyres. Ride comfort is surprisingly good for the hot-hatch class.The XR4's big Duratec 2.0-litre engine gives plenty of performance in a light car such as this. Some will be disappointed that only a five-speed gearbox is used. However, it has nicely chosen ratios and the change action is slick and positive.A fascinating new model was launched in November 2009. The Ford Fiesta Econetic is a super-economy model that's powered by a 1.6-litre turbo-diesel engine tuned specifically for low consumption. It has good torque, uses higher than normal gearing and runs on special low-rolling resistance tyres. The result is fuel consumption below four litres per hundred kilometres during easy motorway running and only five to seven litres per hundred kilometres in day-to-day suburban driving.A good home mechanic can do a fair bit of their own work on a Fiesta, but the underbonnet area is cramped. Leave the safety items to the experts. There are plenty of Ford dealers Australia wide. While uncommon parts for Fiestas may not be held in all country dealerships it usually only takes a couple of business days to have parts freighted out there. We seldom hear any real complaints about prices of parts or servicing. Plenty of mechanics running their own independent businesses will have had formal training while employed by Ford dealers in the past.Insurance premiums for the standard Ford Fiesta models are about average for its class. Some companies may charge more for the XR4 hot-hatch and the hot-ish Fiesta ST, though not outrageously so.WHAT TO LOOK FOREuropean cars aren't built to the high standards of Japanese ones, so be sure to arrange for a full professional inspection. Carefully check the interior for signs of damage due to poor assembly, also for damage done by rough or bored kids.Listen for squeaks or rattles when driving on rough roads, not necessarily outback tracks, just suburban surfaces that have seen better days. The Fiesta engine should start easily and idle smoothly virtually from the moment it kicks over. Listen and feel for a manual gearbox that hesitates or crunches during fast changes.Try the steering on full lock at low speeds both all the way to the right and the left. Listen for the clicking sounds that indicate worn universal joints. A Fiesta XR4 that has been driven hard can often be identified by uneven tyre wear. Also look for lowered suspension, big-diameter wheels and additional instruments.Rust isn't going to be a problem unless a car has been poorly repaired after a crash. Look for paint finish that doesn’t match from panel to panel and for overspray on non-painted areas.CAR BUYING TIPA simple way to check for rust repairs is to hold a magnet against a suspect area. It will stick to metal under the paint, but not to plastic fillers.

Holden and Ford have a longstanding rivalry on the race track -- but it's tame compared to the showroom battle.

The star turn in the new Ford Fiesta range is the hot-hatch ST.

Can the Ford Fiesta EcoBoost compete with the the Ford Fiesta XR2 in a straight line?

The Peugeot 208 GTi is in serious trouble. Just two weeks after we praised it, we've driven the second in a wave of affordable hot hatches coming our way, the Fiesta ST. We're in love all over again, and it's the real thing.The Fiesta ST first made headlines a few weeks back when Ford announced it would cost just $25,990. Standing back and looking at the prices, $25,990 is not a lot more than the excellent but much slower Suzuki Swift Sport, $2000 less than the VW Polo GTI and $4000 less than the 208.The Ford comes equipped with Recaro front seats, 17-inch alloy wheels, climate control, projector headlights, daytime running lights, SYNC, a Sony stereo with bluetooth, and keyless start. A 4.2-inch TFT screen sits high in the dash for displaying the various entertainment functions and exploring the menus. Cruise control is also standard.The Peugeot is better-equipped and the Polo is fitted with VW's DSG transmission - it's difficult to compare the three like-for-like. But cars like this are bought by people who care about the driving, not whether it has sat-nav or dual-zone climate control.The ST is three door only. It's meaner than the five door, lower too. In profile it looks like a big cat with its ears pinned back. The rear seat is easily accessed and while there's enough room for a couple of sub-six footers, their heads will be close to the roof. The new, higher front grille is replaced with blacked-out honeycomb, a subtle rear wing and new front and rear bumpers.The interior is all cloth and because the car comes out of Ford's Cologne plant in Germany, the plastics are all a notch above those found in lesser Fiestas from the Thai plant.Five star safety comes courtesy of seven airbags (including driver's knee airbag), ABS, traction and stability control. An additional feature for wayward teenagers is the ability to set the top speed, an annoying speed limit warning chime and the upper volume limit on the stereo with Ford's MyKey technology.The Fiesta ST also uses a paired mobile phone to place a call to emergency services with a vehicle mounted GPS unit grabbing the location and sending it through. The system is activated by airbag deployments or the fuel cut-off being activated.The ST is powered by a 1.6 litre turbo four cylinder EcoBoost engine. In normal driving it develops 134kW and 240Nm of torque. If you put the boot down, the figures increase to 147kW/290Nm of torque. To do this, the engine management goes into overboost for a maximum of twenty seconds. Ford claims 6.2l/100km and 145g/km of CO2 and a 0-100km/h time of 6.9 seconds.Inspired. The Fiesta ST was tuned by Ford's Team RS crew in Germany, the same people responsible for the Focus ST. A drop of 15mm, a new rear twist beam and thoroughly reworked springs and dampers turn the accomplished Fiesta hatch into a tarmac eating monster.It's much stiffer than the basic car and over poor surfaces, you'll feel it - if you're going slow enough. Kick the car into action, though, and the stiffness melts away into one the finest small car chassis ever to roll off a production line. The front wheels carve through the curves with a simple roll of the wrists. Mid-corner bumps are dismissed, rough tarmac just a mild wriggle while the torque vectoring system (inherited from the Focus) sorts out the mess while you line up the next bend.There's no standout feature, all of it works together beautifully. The brakes - discs all round, unique to the ST - are strong and fade-free, the traction and stability control systems' interventions are subtle and well-tuned. The grip seems never-ending, the ST can be adjusted with brake or throttle right up until you turn in to the corner, the wheels talking to you the whole time. The torque slingshots you out the other side, your whoops of delight echoed by the turbo's "weeee!". There's so much twist you can leave it in third and concentrate on the braking, acceleration and turning.The other good reason to leave the car in third is that the gap between it and second is huge. Shifting down simply causes a racket from the engine as it bounces off the redline in all but the tightest of corners. When you're off the gas, it behaves almost like any other Fiesta, just a bit stiffer. If you're stuck in traffic, you've got a good Sony stereo to entertain you and the ride, while firm, will leave your vertebrae in place.

Light cars used to be the second car, the one that'd begrudgingly be taken to the supermarket when the real car was out. Not anymore. Light cars now make sense as the sole vehicle for city dwellers without kids - they're easy to park, will carry four adults in varying degrees of comfort and don't cost a fortune to fuel up.The rush to downsize means more than one in 10 cars sold today is from the light category. Carmakers have responded to that growing market with more standard gear at lower prices. They also understand a positive first experience could get you back to the dealership for your next vehicle, so you won't be ignored for looking at the “cheap” cars.They will try to upsell you into a higher model, though, so beware of alloy wheels and dual-zone aircon if steel rims and a power window is all you need. The average cost of the light cars in this field - entry level autos - is just north of $17,000. The Volkswagen is the dearest at $19,490 and is the only car here to demand premium unleaded petrol. It also feels to be the best built, but all of these cars are sturdy, reliable transport. Budget buyers should consider the Mitsubishi Mirage if outright performance isn't an issue. It costs $15,290, is the cheapest to refuel and annual servicing costs are just $250. The Mazda2 proves this segment isn't entirely price-driven. The little hatch leads the sales field this year, followed by the Toyota Yaris and Hyundai i20.They're not the cheapest cars to buy or run but they have a reputation for reliability and value that - at least in the case of the Mazda2 - has it campaigning strongly despite its age. Honda's Jazz has the best resale of this bunch, reflecting the brand's (slowly waning) reputation for producing better-built vehicles. The Barina is the thirstiest, needing 7.3 litres to travel 100km. That's half a litre more than the Mazda2.Carsguide has used the national average of $1.49.4 for unleaded petrol and added 8 for the 95RON fuel needed to keep the VW on the street. We have each car travelling 15,000km a year for three years. Price: from $17,290Residual value: 48 per cent $8299.20Servicing: $780 ($260 first year)Thirst: 6.3L/100km $4235.49   Price: from $17,490Residual value: 46 per cent $8045.40Servicing: $840 ($280 first year)Thirst: 6.1L/100km $4090.05   Price: from $17,990Residual value: 46 per cent $8275.40Servicing: $740 ($246.67 first year)Thirst: 7.3L/100km $4907.79      Price: from $15,240Residual value: 45 per cent $6858Servicing: $750 ($250 first year)Thirst: 4.6L/100km $3092.58   Price: from 17,690Residual value: 48 per cent $8491.20Servicing: $1284 ($398 first year)Thirst: 6.2L/100km $4168.26   Price: from $17,440 (Neo)Residual value: 48 per cent $8371.20Servicing: $1949 ($599 first year)Thirst: 6.8L/100km $4571.64   Price: from $17,990Residual value: 55 per cent $9894.50Servicing: $1711.58 ($537.42 first year)Thirst: 6.6L/100km $4437.18   Price: from $19,490Residual value: 50 per cent $9745Servicing: $1085 ($347 first year)Thirst: 6.0L/100km $4249.80   Price: from $18,590Residual value: 50 per cent $9475Servicing: $567 ($189 first year)Thirst: 5.9L/100km $3966.57   Price: from $18,290Residual value: 42 per cent $7681.80Servicing: $841 ($239 first year)Thirst: 6.3L/100km $4235.49  

June 30 is D-Day. The end of the financial year is the best time to buy a new car because there are always special deals in showrooms. As carmakers and dealers aim to clear their outdated stock, Toyota uses a June push to cement its showroom leadership. Some of the special deals are on cars that have done demonstrator duty, or were built in 2012, or are just not selling as well as expected. So they're not the tastiest fruit in the bowl.But there is great buying across the board as demand for new cars fuels one of the longest growth periods in motoring. The bottom line is that you can save money -- and lots of it. So here's a look at the June sales, with Carsguide's assessment of the best deals on wheels.CITROENThe new importer is pushing hard so the Aircross SUV starts at $31,990 drive-away front-wheel drive or $33,990 with AWD, a saving of $3800. There's $5000 off the C4 Seduction turbo diesel auto hatch at $25,990. Carsguide says: The Aircross isn't great, but the C4 discount is tasty.FORDThe death notice for the Falcon and Territory has not helped buyer confidence but a 2.9 per cent finance push on Fiesta and Focus still looks good. The superseded Kuga SUV from $31,990 drive-away is a $10,000 saving. You can save about $3000 on a 2012 Escape SUV from $27,990 drive-away.The Territory gets a $6500 tickle, the TX seven-seater at $38,490 drive-away (third-row seat usually costs $2500). The impressive Mondeo liftback starts at $29,990. Good buying on Falcons, thanks to the arrival of the VF Commodore, from $33,990 and better if you haggle.HOLDENAs the VF Commodore creates queues, the outgoing Z-Series starts at $34,990 with five years' warranty and roadside assist. That also applies to the SV6 at $35,990 and the Cruze SRi and SRi-V at $23,490 and $26,990. Last year's Barina CD hatches are $15,990 drive-away with a sunroof. The Colorado is $39,990. Hard to see past the excellent Cruze SRi.HONDAClipped prices and free on-roads. The City VTi sedan is $17,990 and the (slightly) more lavish VTi-L automatic version starts at $21,990. The bigger Civic sedan is being cleared from $21,990. Free auto on the Jazz VTi at $19,990. The Civic is worth a look at $2500 off.KIAFree on-roads, discounts and $1000 gift vouchers on many models. A five-door Rio S is about $3K off at $15,990 drive-away with a $500 gift card; the three-door Rio is $14,990 and the five-door Si is $18,990. Runout Cerato TD sedans start at $17,990 for the S, saving about $5000, the Si sedan is $23,990 and hatch at $17,990. All get a $1000 gift card. Cerato SLi and SLS have drive-away pricing but miss the gift card. All Optimas have free on-roads. A 2012-build Optima Platinum is $37,990, saving about $4000 with a $1000 gift card. Most Sportage SUVs include on-roads and a $1000 gift card. Carnival and superseded Rondo pricing is drive-away. The Sportage diesel and Optima are top-notch.MITSUBISHIThe manual Lancer gets an old-school value pack on the Special Action Model for $19,990 drive-away. The Mirage is $12,990 drive-away for the ES manual, with a $500 cash-back that also applies to the auto.Driveaway prices also for the compact ASX at $24,990 for the 2WD manual, the Outlander LS 2WD auto at $29,990, Pajero GLX-R auto at $54,990 or $59,990 for VRX. Both come plus $3000 cash-back, saving about $6000.The Triton ute is now tackling Great Wall from China at $19,990 drive-away for a GL single-cab 2WD with alloy tray, or add luxury for a GLX dual-cab 4WD diesel at $31,990 drive-away with $2000 cash-back, saving about $14,000. The utes look good at those prices.NISSANA 2.9 per cent finance package, with agreed value after three years, makes the Pulsar ST sedan look good at $49 a week or $19,990 drive-away. The X-Trail ST 2WD petrol manual cops a $4000 reduction to $25,990 drive-away, while the Navara RX 4WD dual-cab manual is cheaper than ever with a $9500 cut to $30,990 drive-away. The Pulsar sedan deal is attractive.OPELThere are drive-away deals across the range. The basic Corsa is down by about $2500 to $16,990 drive-away, the Astra is from $22,990 drive-away for the 1.4-litre turbo petrol hatch with three years of free servicing, saving about $5500. The top-line Insignia sedan is from $39,990 drive-away with heated leather seats. The Astra is easily best of this breed.PEUGEOTFree on-roads at Peugeot on most models but not the cool new 208. The 4008 SUV cops a $1500 saving from $29,990 drive-away and there are deals on the outgoing 4007. Nothing to see here.RENAULTA Koleos from $26,990 drive-away looks even better with interest-free finance. The Megane hatch is from $22,990 drive-away with finance pegged at 1.9 per cent. The slow-selling Fluence and Latitude sedans are available with 2.9 per cent finance. The Megane CC convertible goes from $43,990 including on-roads. The sporty Clio RS is from $34,990 drive-away and the hotrod Megane RS has 2.9 per cent finance.Commercial deals start with the short-wheelbase Kangoo petrol manual with dual sliding doors from $20,990 drive-away, moving up to the Trafic short-wheelbase manual for $29,990 and the long-wheelbase manual for $32,990, while the Master large van starts from $46,990 drive-away. There's a five-year/200,000km warranty on all light commercials ordered in June. Hard to argue against a $3000 bonus on the Koleos but stocks are tight.SUBARUDrive-away pricing -- for savings of $3000 to $4000 -- is the bait, with Impreza pricing from $23,990 (excluding the WRX, of course). The Tribeca from $54,990 now includes on-roads but you need to visit a dealer to get the full story. Nothing outstanding.SUZUKIThe front-drive SX4 gets a Navigator pack with voice-controlled 6.6-inch satnav with Bluetooth for $19,990 drive-away for the manual and $21,990 auto. That also applies to the 2WD auto Grand Vitara at $29,990 drive-away, including reversing camera and satnav with Bluetooth. The Alto GL manual also gets satnav for $11,990 drive-away for the manual, with the Swift GL manual at $17,490 drive-away including cruise control and Bluetooth. The Grand Vitara is a polished piece.TOYOTAThere's 2.9 per cent finance on Aurion and Camry with the Camry Altise looking best at $29,990 drive-away. Other drive-away deals include $15,990 for the Yaris YR five-door, $21,490 for the Corolla Ascent automatic, $39,990 for the Kluger KX-R 2WD five-seater, $60,990 for the Prado GXL turbo diesel auto and $39,990 for the HiLux SR 4WD dual-cab ute. The right time for the cabbies' new favourite, the frugal hybrid Camry.VOLKSWAGENDrive-away pricing on passenger cars and zero finance on commercials. The Polo is $16,990 on-road, the Jetta is down to $25,990 and the Passat $36,690. The Polo is Carsguide's 2010 COTY.VOLVOFuel and servicing for three years or 60,000km plus roadside assistance. There are conditions -- with a pre-paid BP card based on 15,000km a year and $1.50 a-litre pricing -- and the latest V40 hatch is excluded. Clever twist on bargaining but a pity it doesn't apply to the V40.Paul Gover's 10 COMMANDMENTSYou must still do your homework. You must still check the fine print. You must still be prepared to haggle and compromise.But do it right, crunching the numbers and running right to the dealer's deadline, and you can drive away in something special at a special price.The starting point is all the deals, from sticker specials to cheap finance and steak knife-style free extras, being offered by most of the 60-plus brands in showrooms today.If something you want is on special, go for it. But check that the car was built in 2013, and is not a geriatric old-timer from 2012, and ensure your target is exactly what you want - not a stripped-out stocker, perhaps missing an automatic gearbox - that will cost thousands to get the way you want it.Once you lock down a target, don't think the advertised special is the end of the deal. You also need to negotiate for a better price on delivery and on-road costs, and avoid the trap of buying over-priced extras such as paint and upholstery protection, window tinting and extra-long warranties.No-one can expect to go into the ring with a showroom professional and expect to win, because buyers only get a new car occasionally and sales staff are dealing every day. But, by concentrating on the real bottom line - the changeover price - and being prepared to compromise, you can come out ahead.The best tips are the simplest. Run as close as you can to June 30 to sign the deal and get the car, because dealers are all aiming for targets that can mean tens of thousands in bonus money from headquarters. Also be prepared to take a car they have in stock, even if it's not your favourite colour, because dealers are aiming to clear everything they have on the lot.And have your finance in place before you arrive, especially if you're taking up a special deal, because that makes things quicker and you'll also be spared any hassle and potential extra costs.Watch out for 2012 cars because the warranty clock has already been running, don't forget that a big discount today will also mean less at changeover time, and remember that a demonstrator car could have had a hard life already. 

Alchemists used to try and transmute gold from base metals. Ford has been somewhat more successful in transforming a fairly basic three-door Fiesta into a low-cost enthusiasts’ car. It’s a mildly warm hatch but at just $22,990 the Metal truly is precious — which explains why there’s only a handful of the 250-vehicle allocation still for sale.VALUEThe Metal’s natural rivals are the Suzuki Swift Sport and Hyundai Veloster at $23,990. Both have sporty pretentions and more power/torque than the Fiesta can muster. With six-speed manual gearboxes, they are also quicker in a straight line and easier to hold in the peak rev range. The Swift in particular is a force to consider.The chassis is as composed and the suspension keeps the wheels planted with an agility you can feel from the first turn but it doesn’t look as dramatic as the all-black Metal. No-cost gear on the Ford includes cruise control, reverse parking sensors, decent aircon and auto-folding side mirrors.TECHNOLOGYThe Ford formula follows the successful Toyota 86/Subaru BRZ approach. Build a decent, well-suspended vehicle with enough power to give the car some zip without being an absolute handful and enough steering feedback to know where the front wheels are pointing in either case.The 1.6-litre engine needs to be wound up tight between 4000-6000rpm to entertain the senses and overcome the gap between ratios in the five-speed manual gearbox.  Uphill hauls can still catch it out but, like the Toyobaru twins, speed isn’t the ultimate thrill here. It’s the way it rides — and occasionally bangs — over ruts in the road; flawed but fundamentally fun.DESIGNThe shame is the Fiesta Metal is only a three-door. A five-door model would have sat under the Fiesta ST and still given family buyers a sporty car to aspire to without being too edgy for everyday driving. Being the Euro-sourced WS platform, rather than the Thai-built WT version, it has softer plastics on the dash and the bits where elbows contact doors and a tilt and reach adjustable steering wheel.The hatch is deep but not wide — good enough for a couple of small suitcases. Like most three-doors, the reach to the seatbelts is a stretch, but the front seats tilt and slid forwards to give the back-seat passengers a semblance of a dignified entrance/exit.SAFETYThe Fiesta feels solid enough to merit its five-star rating. A driver’s knee airbag lifts the number of balloons to seven and there are the usual safety systems along with seatbelt reminders for both front pews.DRIVINGYou get what you pay for and it is the price that gives the Fiesta Metal such prowess. In absolute terms, it doesn’t rate. The suspension can clatter over undulations, the steering kicks over mid-corner bumps and there’s an occasional hole in the power delivery. Cop all three in a row and owners will still be grinning at the car’s overall roadholding and capacity to be pushed around turns. In more mundane driving it is easy to manoeuvre, the accelerator isn’t hair-trigger sensitive and it doesn’t have the fuel consumption thirst of a hotter hatch.VERDICTFun without being too frantic, the Fiesta Metal rewards driving inputs. It has already won fans as a new car and that reputation will only grow when it starts being resold as a used vehicle.Ford Fiesta MetalPrice: from $22,990Warranty: 3 years/100,000kmService interval: 12 months/15,000kmCrash rating: 5 starsSafety: 7 airbags, ABS with EBD, TC, ESCEngine: 1.6-litre four-cylinder, 98kW/160NmTransmission: 5-speed manual, front-wheel driveDimensions: 3958mm (L) 1709mm (w) 1481mm (h) Spare: Space-saverThirst: 6.0L/100km, 140g/km CO2