Test drive Ford Fiesta 5 doors 2013 - NV hatchback

Ford Fiesta against Honda Fit. The compact car now sounds proud

Supporters of small -scale cars are ready to endlessly repeat that the combination of affordable price and compact dimensions leave no chance of competitors in terms of practicality and efficiency. Opponents, on the other hand, turn their noses, because they do not want to ride in the cramps of low -speed tin boxes.

The golden mean between these two camps went to two modern small -leafs, who managed to prove that economicality does not necessarily exclude the pleasure of driving. These two are Honda Fit (analogue of Honda Jazz) and Ford Fiesta. The first one of the best compacts available to customers. The second is also good, with the only exception for the inhabitants of the homeland of baseball and apple pie that it cannot be bought yet.
The newcomer challenges the master

Ford Fiesta is a pioneer from Ford in the so -called segment B, following the size and cost of following in the model line immediately behind Focus. Despite the successful sales in Europe, Fiesta is not presented in the US market, which, in principle, does not show interest in small -leafers. Then the crisis struck, and Ford had to review his policy.

Ford keeps in strict secret a detailed list of what Fiesta will be equipped when it goes on sale in the USA as a 2011 model.

Well, if so, we allowed ourselves some liberties during this test. Fiesta the color of the ripe lime, which you can see in these photos, the European version in the back of the hatchback with four doors in the maximum configuration of Titanium, with a leather interior, opening a key door, glass cleaners with a rain sensor and an automatic climate control. There is no guarantee that you will be able to purchase Fiesta in such a configuration when the model enters dealerships in the USA. The cost of $ 19,358 is also approximate, calculated by us on the basis of European prices.

Ford Fiesta was created as a universal car for the whole world, and therefore the differences between models intended for different countries are minimized to reduce the cost of development and assembly time. Despite the veil of secrets around the equipment of the American version of Ford Fiesta, we know for sure that it will be largely similar to the European of 2009 and will be equipped with a 1.6-liter engine, very similar to the power unit of our test.

The size of the shadow of Honda Fit and its blow to your wallet of $ 18 820 are quite comparable to Ford Fiesta. And although our Fit does not have any additional options, Honda equips the entire model line in such a way that the options are not needed as such, and gradation is carried out according to the level of decoration. So, the navigation system and 16-inch wheels are an indicator of the top model Fit Sport.

If you are a regular reader of the Inside Line resource, you will easily find out this Honda Fit Sport color orange metallic, since it is it that participates in a long -term test. I don’t think that 17,000 km of run on the odometer of our Fit will somehow affect the test results, since no one will say about the second participant that he had just left the assembly line. Ford Fiesta for our test was borrowed from the Ford Fiesta Movement program, and he has even more than 17,000 km.

Small does not mean miserable.
The promises of small cars

Despite the fact that the results of the controllability tests we received did not show a significant gap between the rivals, one detail should be noted: in Fiesta, the electronic control system of target stability does not turn off, and this leaves the results of the imprint of artificiality. Indeed, otherwise the very modest results of 0.81G in the test for lateral acceleration and 105.4 km/h in the slal-test, we received on Fiesta, could be more interesting. (Dear Ford, please install the ESP system button for the American market).

Nevertheless, 1 108-kilogram Fiesta is able to deliver more pleasure from driving. Her steering is the best in this class, starting from the perfect effort on the steering wheel to instant response of the chassis. Well, thanks to the moderately, fiesta hard shock absorbers are simultaneously strong and supple. It seems that you are going on a much more expensive car.

Do not forget that our Ford is shod in summer tires, which not only increase the clutch with the roadbed by reducing their service life, but also positively affect the responsiveness of the steering and the result of the test to the full stop with 96 km/h (35.97 m ). (Dear Ford, it is the sharp steering wheel and controllability that make the Fiesta model so attractive for customers. Do not smooth these aspects of the American version of Fiesta by installing another (cheap) rubber or softening of the suspension.)

1 139-kg Honda FIT is almost the same agile baby. Its steering wheel is easy to rotate, in addition, it can beg you to remain neutral in the bend, if before that you were rude and cutting with it with the stabilization system. Accelerating on a slalom to 103.6 km/h and developing 0.82G in the test for lateral acceleration, Fit uses its all -season tires of the size of 185/55 R16 in full. Stop with 96 km/h is very mediocre 42.06 m.

But all these figures will not tell you anything about how these cars behave in everyday life. To the funny lightweight movements of the Fit speed lever, it seems to be taken straight from the computer arcade, and its steering wheel, in order to keep the car on a straight line, needs constant control and adjustment. He is nervous where Fiesta is calm and confident. The bottom line is that Fiesta changed our view of the dynamics of CD-class cars, and against its background, Fit began to seem more toy.

FIT and FIESTA Best Representatives of the New Class Supercomplex.
Not too fast

Again, the inability to turn off the track control of Fiesta also affected the results of tests for acceleration. From zero to 96 km/h, it accelerates in 9.4 s, and a quarter mile passes 16.9 s, accelerating at the finish to 132.1 km/h, which, in fact, is very close to the results of Honda, which are 9, 9, 5 seconds to accelerate, 16.9 C and 130.5 km/h on a quota. These results for a couple of tenths are worse than those that we received when Honda Fit only fell into our hands completely new. Perhaps then the coating on our track was more tenacious.

No one is going to start on these cars, as in Drag-Stip, and therefore these numbers can be misleading in some ways. In the real world, with its traffic jams and the incessant maneuvering between long -terms on the highway, Fiesta is much more dynamic than Honda Fit. The 1.6-liter Ford engine turned out to be very burdensome in the low-speed range, in addition, it affects the smoothness of its work and juicy sound. Honda Fit will be difficult to keep up with the opponent and in terms of the above abstractions, and from the point of view of quite objective edification.

The Fiesta we tested with an engine of 1.6 liters (in a four -cylinder) engine develops a power of 118 hp. and 152 Nm of torque on the fuel with an octane number of about 90. (expensive Ford, Honda, it was possible to remove 117 hp from its 1.5-liter engine and 144 nm on 87th gasoline. Find a way to repeat this achievement).

Switching a five -speed mechanical gearbox of Ford Fiesta is closer to reality than Fit, although it does not get some kind of shock clarity, plus a shorter fifth gear means that the engine will operate at higher speeds on the highway than those that the Americans are accustomed to. A longer gear would help save fuel on long trips, for which Fiesta is almost perfect.

The influence of the European style on Fiesta’s design is obvious, especially against the background of the wedge -shaped Fit.
Practice

In matters of dynamics, Ford Fiesta easily bypasses the opponent, which cannot be said about practicality here leadership goes to the opponent. Honda Fit is just a sample layout. This is a small car that did not have to go to the compromises traditional for the CD-class. Surprisingly, widely opening doors and a low-located floor, the landing is not possible, you find yourself in the driver's seat without any problems.

Inside, Fit pleases with spaciousness, it has more space for the elbows, the viewing line improved, especially in comparison with the visibility of Fiesta. In the rear seat, Fit is much larger than the legs and head space than in Fiesta.

The Fit trunk was also more spacious. When the rear seat is in the usual position, there are practically no differences in the volume of luggage compartments of two cars, but with the folded rear seats, Fit undoubtedly provides more space for your things. The Honda rear seat system turns the space behind the front seats with an absolutely flat cargo platform, while the fiesta chubby seats protrude upward, reducing the useful area of \u200b\u200bthe trunk.

The materials of the interior decoration are generally better in Ford, and the organization of the internal space in it is more elegant than in FIT. If you close your eyes to the cheap silver plastic used in the finish of the central panel of Fiesta, then you are mainly surrounded by structured surfaces of black color, which look more rich.

Nevertheless, for example, the windows buttons, the winding regulator, the buttons on the central panel in the Honda are located exactly where you expect them to detect, their use does not cause any difficulties. (Dear Ford, revise the controls of the secondary functions of Fiesta for the American market).

The speed is not their strength, but the dynamics is surprisingly pleasant.
A new phenomenon

In a sense, this comparison is akin to a dispute about personal preferences, since each car has its own strengths that impress different categories of customers, Fit turned out to be more practical, Fiesta struck us with dynamics and handling.

Ford Fiesta came out the winner of our competition, because he took the work of taking care of trivial things. The buyer of such a car is unlikely to expect a sharp steering wheel, and yet he receives it. The same is with a pleasantly sounding engine. Or with the fact that the steering wheel seems to be specially created precisely under your hands, or a pleasant mechanical sound of a closing door. Having released Fiesta, Ford raised the principle of creating a compact car to a slightly different level, to which even an almost ideal Honda Fit has not yet reached.

The emphasis on the optimal combination of the equipment of the manufactured car and its cost is not complete without a certain share of deception. Even the victory of Fiesta in our test does not mean that Ford will not have to work on its weaknesses so as not to fail Fiesta 2011 sales in the USA. If Ford engineers manage to repeat the Honda Fit trick with the rear seats that are completely retreating to the floor, then he has every chance of making Fiesta a sales hit. (Dear Ford,)
 



 
Weight
2009 Ford Fiesta
2009 Honda Fit


Subjective rating
2,5%
100,0
50,0


The rating must be taken! (Which of the cars from the point of view of the editorial office is better for the average buyer in this segment of cars)
2,5%
83,3
66,7


Assessment for 28 pre -agreed points (from the characteristics of the engine to the convenience of the rear seats)
30%
74,7
72,6


Equipment
15%
60,0
20,0


Driving qualities
20%
99,7

90,5


Price
30%
97,1

100,0


Total score

100%

85,1
75,8


The final rating
 
1
2








 
 



For reference:
* Honda Jazz in the set of 1.4 Sport AT in Russia costs from 694 950 rubles.
* Ford Fiesta in the collection of 1.4 Titanium in a 5-door body in Russia costs from 634,900 Pyb.

A source: Inside Line