Just had a test drive in the new Fiesta. Really good car to drive and, if I was buying a new supermini, this would be top of the list.
Has anyone seen the new Jazz anywhere?
I test drove a 1.25 today and it didn't feel underpowered. Really good car.
|
I test drove a 1.25 today and it didn't feel underpowered. Really good car.
Just looked at the Ford website where they list two 1.25s, with 82 and 60ps, doing 0-62 in 13.3 and a leisurely 16.9 respectively. I can imagine the 13.3 feels ok, but 16.9... :-)
Edited by Focus {P} on 27/09/2008 at 15:13
|
Saw my first new Fiesta yesterday and must say it looks great, very classy and a big step forward from the old model.
It's going to make a lot of people think twice about the Jazz...
|
Saw my first new Fiesta yesterday and must say it looks great very classy and a big step forward from the old model. It's going to make a lot of people think twice about the Jazz...
Classy? What, with that fascia - why try and emulate that of a mobile phone layout. I must admit to not having seen it in the flesh, so to speak, but the photos of that layout look atrocious.
Why are car manufacturers going through this bright bling smatterings all over their dashboard fascia? They look common and cheap.
|
|
|
|
Just looked at the Ford website where they list two 1.25s with 82 and 60ps doing 0-62 in 13.3 and a leisurely 16.9 respectively.
There's something really amiss with Ford's petrol engines these days.
60BHP from a 1.3? Come off it -- that's 1-litre territory.
Even 82BHP is low. Even Hyundai were managing this figure ten years ago.
The 1.6s are still down in the 90BHP area as well. Pitiful -- the best 1.6 engines are managing 120+ these days.
This'll be the reason why modern petrol Fords are so reliable -- engineering that is conservative to the point of tedium. An 80s VW for the new generation. They might drive nicely, but those outputs put me right off, and they don't feel any faster either.
|
sq60BHP from a 1.3? Come off it -- that's 1-litre territory.
If you want more power you simply buy one with a bigger engine. As long as you can get the power you want what difference does it make what engine size it is?
Edited by Dynamic Dave on 28/09/2008 at 13:23
|
And I would suspect that with the help of a little box of tricks this restriction can be removed :-)
|
How did you find it for head and leg room?
As for the Jazz - supposedly not out until mid-Oct in the dealers.
IMPO I think Honda are making a mistake and should have bought forward the launch of the Jazz... not just becaue of others like the new Fiesta already being out but also because of the credit crunch and an apparent dearth of people buying cars. Just my two cents.
|
If the front seat is pushed back fully, it's very tight in the back. I'm not the tallest but my legs were pushed against the back of the front seat.
For space, the Jazz would win hands down.
I'm going to test drive the new Jazz when it comes out and compare them.
|
Thanks - I too am waiting for the Jazz in some forelorn hope that it will be roomy enough inside for a tall long legged sod like myself. I want to buy a smaller, cheaper, CO2 friendly car but the laws of physics seem against hence why I have not even bothered to go and look at the Fiesta.
At this rate, unless the Jazz has Tardis like physics, it is going to be a CRV or Verso for me with all the additional VED, fuel, etc, costs.
Time for an unhappy smiley
:-(
|
The Hyundai i10 was quite roomy - have you tried that?
I might actually end up scrapping the new car idea altogether and go for a used Yaris that won't cause a minute's trouble!
|
We've been waiting for the new Jazz (wifey's had her's for 5yrs) but as used prices fall the price of small cars is starting to look insane.
OK, not everyone's cup of tea, but my next door neighbour has just bought a 1 yr old Astra 1.8 Design auto (he's always had autos) from a supermarket type place for £7,500. It's done under 10K and looks brand-new. Was astonished to look it up and find it lists at over £18K.
|
Sorry, not sure what you mean about small car prices looking insane - do you mean they are really cheap or do you mean that they are now looking very over-priced compared to bigger cars?
The new Jazz is about 13K I think. For under 11K now I can get a 2007 1.8 T3 petrol Toyota Verso and for 14.5K I can get a 2008 diesel SR Verso. I have just begun to see one year old low diesel new model CRVs for a five short of 15K. With both those in mind am I right in thinking that the Jazz suddenly is looking expensive... or are the likes of the CRV and Verso with their much higher insurance, VED and running costs just stupid buy in this day and age... and the Jazz the sensible buy.
Truth is, I can't figure it out.
|
Sorry not sure what you mean about small car prices looking insane - do you mean they are really cheap or do you mean that they are now looking very over-priced compared to bigger cars?
>
I mean they look very over-priced, as you've indicated in your example.
Entry level ones aren't too bad, but to get a decent spec, much of which would be standard on the next size up car, you are looking at a lot of money now.
|
Ddin't I read somewhere, a couple months back, the new Fiesta is to be a 'world' car, similar to the vision Ford had with Mondeo, originally.
Maybe other countries will appreciate the underpowered engines, if they've not got the wide open roads, we have (NOT)!!
& what other little things are there, on it, that'd make it more pleasurable in LHD form - any lumps of transmission tunnel encroaching the footwell, or wipers that 'miss a bit', on our side.
Or did they engineer this sort of thing out?
Think it loks a vast improvement on current (old) model. Wonder which continent will have the benefit of maintaining it's availabilty, once we've sold current stocks.
VB
|
I can understand BP's point.
Would like to find something that cheap to run, reliable but has a nice drive too.
A used Yaris is a good choice but prices are quite steep really even for older models.
It's a tough call.
|
Vb
do you not think it looks like a Peugot? I'll confess I've not seen one inthe metal.
JH
|
|
I passed one (in black) being driven slowly and heading north on the M6 near Preston yesterday. Untill I got close I thought it was a 3 door Corsa. The only new Fiesta I have seen so far and I have driven 800odd miles this weekend.
Edited by Old Navy on 29/09/2008 at 10:08
|
|
Not a lot of 58 registrations around either.
|
Old Navy,
Last two posts: Yes and true.
Ford dealer told me at the weekend the new Fiesta is 'not really launched' until October 1.
Hence three unregistered cars, no brochures, no demo.
Edited by ifithelps on 29/09/2008 at 11:28
|
Checking out Motorpoint on the off-chance and can get an 1.6 Zetec Climate 08 Focus with 8000 miles for just over £7000.
It's a no brainer when you compare these supermini prices.
|
Checking out Motorpoint on the off-chance and can get an 1.6 Zetec Climate 08 Focus with 8000 miles for just over £7000.
It could well be ex hire. That may not bother you of course.
|
If you are in the market for this I would consider waiting. Last month, I went to Motorpoint in Newport and they had a good dozen brand new Focuses, or pre-reg with just delivery miles on the clock, going from 8K to 12K dependent upon whether you wanted diesel or petrol or what spec and all in nice metallics also. They even had the new low VED diesel and, from what I could make out on their website, this was part of a large batch spread throughout their branches.
It was my first visit to MP and I was well impressed. Alas, my legs are too long for the Focus but if I could have fitted in one comfortably I would have bought one there and then as they were immcaculate.
Btw, I have no connection with MP at all.
|
Vb do you not think it looks like a Peugot? JH
Wide open mouth on it, certainly similar!
VB
|
|
|
Not sure all this talk of the new Fiasco's "entertaining drive" is going to translate to sales, particularly as figures suggest it's slower than two dinosaurs going uphill in a milk float. My wife's C1 is an "entertaining drive" in the sense that it requires the utmost concentration to go really fast - it handles like a soapy-bottomed filing cabinet - and 50mph down a country lane with the window open feels like 250mph in a WW2 fighter. Great fun.
Of course, she bought it because it had a smiley face, came in a nice colour and cost 35 quid to tax, and I've yet to overhear a lady talking up their car's handling characteristics, steering feel, balance, poise, oversteer, understeer, neutral this and that and so on. While I'm sure they're out there somewhere, none of the things that pepper road test reports and inflate road test scores matter to most buyers - least of all to buyers of pint-size Fords.
My guess is that fewer than one in ten Fiasco buyers (i.e. blokes) will choose one because it thrills them on the school run. For everyone else it needs to be easy to finance, cheap to run, versatile, come in the right colour, not be a squeeze at Sainsbury's, with a local dealer in the event it goes wrong, and - just as important - not be ugly!
|
My wife's C1 is an "entertaining drive"
The rock bottom entry level cars are usually the best as they feel quite "raw" - skinny tyres, not much soundproofing etc. I really noticed then when wifey had a Clio 1.6RXE (a somewhat bonkers purchase) but the entry level 1.2 courtesy car I got one day was much more fun.
I've yet to overhear a lady talking up their car's handling characteristics
I think you might be surprised - "they" may not be able to explain it, but they know what they like. My wife has no interest in cars whatsoever but I had a BMW 3 Series from work for a month once while I was inbetween cars and she absolutely loved the drive, but couldn't explain why. She would take that in preference to her own car and she normally avoided driving my company cars.
|
>> I've yet to overhear a lady talking up their car's handling characteristics I think you might be surprised -
I agree with Bill Payer. One of the main reasons we got a Ford Ka was that we had one as a courtesy car, and my wife was quite taken with the way it drove - basically its handling.
And if she didn't talk about understeer, oversteer, etc - well, nor do I, and nor do most blokes I know.
|
|
I must hang around the wrong girls! They all put price, space, practicality, looks, 0% finance, colour and so on ahead of how it actually drives. There's no other explanation for the enduring popularity of the Pug 206 :)
|
So in my position, Thwarted, a 28 year old lad who wants a good balance of something cheap to run and maintain but with a good drive too, what would you buy?
I've had the same Fiesta for 6 years and it's now 11 years old.
I've had the suggestion of a 3-year old Getz so that I can use the last 2 years of the warranty.
I don't need a big car because there's only me that normally goes anywhere in it! A used Focus seems sensible, as although it's a bit bigger, if I ever started a family, I wouldn't need to upgrade.
It's a tough decision.
People say how good the Focus is to drive but if you put the same 1.6L petro lengine in a Fiesta, would it drive the same as the Focus?
|
So in my position Thwarted a 28 year old lad who wants a good balance of something cheap to run and maintain but with a good drive too what would you buy? I've had the same Fiesta for 6 years and it's now 11 years old.
Don't you think you are a bit too old for a Fiesta now? It might be the choice of car for first timers just past their test at 17 and through the early 20s... but hopefully you have grown up now, no longer need to burn around by the school during lunchtime in the hope of impressing the fifth form schoolgirls or have a couple of early 20-soemthing mates poking their tongues out at passers-by from the back seats? ;-)
Seriously, given the choice between a Focus and a Fiesta then consider the Focus as it has loads more room, is a better drive, is more 'adult' and I am sure that the women you might want to chat up now will opt for the man with the Focus instead of the kid with the Fiesta! :-)
For some reason when I think of Fiestas I think of acne!
|
Probably Tawse.
Only do about 6000-7000 miles a year too so it can probably be a 5 year old car or something like that.
I feel like the Focus is the only car I've not test-driven - I've tried so many!
And I was thinking of a Yaris!
|
|
|
|
Hello All.
Thwartedefforts. I just test drove the latest (FIESTA) today and it was a very very good ride.
For reference the model we tested was a 1.25 (82ps) zetec climate 5 door
Will be putting my order for my wife in february.
Martin winters.
|
Will be putting my order for my wife in february.
So this wife ordering place, where is it exactly? Can you return them within 7 days if you do not like?
|
|
|
I think you might be surprised - "they" may not be able to explain it but they know what they like.
You might be right. I do however think that preconceptions play a pivotal role in situations like the one you described - particularly when German cars are involved!
order for my wife
I've got at least another two years with mine :)
I don't doubt it's a great car. I'm just wondering how big a part its most touted feature will play in winning sales. I'd wager that a very large number of Fiestas will go to people with small Fords on their drives already. I'm wondering if you fall into that category, Mr Ford Dagenham!
|
I keep chatting with lots of people and getting different opinions but it just makes me more indecisive!
What I do in the car? Commute about 8 miles round trip every day, generally potter about, occasionally go on motorways at weekends. Do 6000-7000 miles a year.
What do I want in a car? Nippy ride, economy, cheap to run. Not overly concerned about the looks of the car, though it would be nice to have a smarter looking car.
An older Yaris does 50mpg. A Hyundai i10 with a 5-year warranty does 56.5mpg. If I bought a Focus, the most I'd get from a good engine would be about 42mpg.
I can't decide!
:-(
|
|
Go for test drives in them all and see which you like the best.
|
|
|
occasionally go on motorways at weekends An older Yaris does 50mpg.
If you mean the mk1, personally I found motorways to be a (relatively) weak point. M'way performance from our 1.0 was ok but it didn't feel particularly stable. Great for town and A roads though.
Edited by Focus {P} on 02/10/2008 at 09:58
|
It's between:
1) Used Yaris
2) Used Focus
3) Nearly new Hyundai i10 - 1.2L (if there are any out there!)
4) New Fiesta.
5) New Jazz, though if it drives like the last model, I'll leave it to the 60+ age group!
Tough decision if based on economy alone - Hyundai and Yaris both do over 50mpg. Hyundai was nippier than the Yaris. Focus is likely to outstrip them all performance-wise, but has poor economy.
Then again, I don't do that many miles to let economy worry me too much.
What do you think?
|
|
I think your decision should not be so tough. Your mileage is not massive, so fuel costs are not going to be hugely different, but if running costs are critical, weigh up fuel savings/ VED/ insurance and just go for it. Otherwise, I would suggest either go for whichever feels right from the drivers seat (could be handling, could be ergonomics or just well placed cup holders), or my preference, bigger is better - does anyone ever complain that they have too much space for all their stuff?
|
does anyone ever complain that they have too much space for all their stuff?
Plenty of people complain that parking places are too small. If that's the case, the answer is a smaller car
|
no thanks, i shall stick to my 1.4 panda, 100 bhp at 6000 rpm. 0-60 in under 10 secs.
|
|
|
|
Then again I don't do that many miles to let economy worry me too much. What do you think?
I think that if your mileage is low, your major cost will be depreciation. If cost is a concern, then your main priority should be to minimise depreciation, and that isn't achieved by buying a new car.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
