Test Drive Honda Fit 2008 - 2010
Ford Fiesta against Honda Fit. Compact car now sounds proud
Supporters of small cars are ready to infinitely firmly about the fact that the combination of affordable prices and compact dimensions do not leave the chances of competitors in terms of practicality and efficiency. The opponents are tangible noses, because they do not want to ride in reduced seafood cores. The Golden Middle Between the two of these camps got two contemporary little bars who managed to prove that the economy does not necessarily eliminate the receipt of pleasure from driving. These two are Honda Fit (Analog Honda Jazz) and Ford Fiesta. The first one of the best compacts available to customers. The second is just as good, for the only exception for the residents of the homeland of baseball and apple pie, which can not be purchased yet.
Newbie challenges Matram
Ford Fiesta is a pioneer from Ford in the so-called segment B, size and cost following in the model line immediately for Focus. Despite successful sales in Europe, Fiesta is not represented in the US market, in principle, not paying interest in small maps. Then the crisis hit, and Ford had to reconsider their policies.
Ford keeps a detailed list of what Fiesta will be available when selling in the United States as a model of 2011.
Well, if so, we allowed themselves some kind of liberties during this test. Fiesta Colors of ripe lime, which you can see on these photos, the European version in the body of the hatchback with four doors in the maximum titanium configuration, with a leather interior, opening the door without a key, wipers with rain sensor and automatic climate control. There is no guarantee that you will be able to purchase Fiesta in such a configuration when the model goes to the dealer centers in the United States. The cost of $ 19,358 is also the 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 for the sake of reducing the cost of development and assembly time. Despite the curtain of the mystery around the equipment of the American Ford Fiesta, we know exactly what it will be largely similar to the European release and will be equipped with a 1.6-liter engine, very similar to the participant's power unit of our test.
The size of the Honda Fit shadow and his blow to your wallet in the amount of $ 18,820 is quite comparable to the 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 as such are not needed, and gradation is carried out in terms of finishing. So, the navigation system and 16-inch wheels are an indicator of the top model Fit Sport.
If you are a permanent reader of the Inside Line resource, then you can easily find out this Honda Fit Sport color orange metallic, as it is he who participates in a long-term test. I do not think that 17,000 km of run on the odometer of our FIT will somehow affect the test results, since no one will also say about the second participant that he has just come down from the conveyor. Ford Fiesta for our test was borrowed from the Ford Fiesta Movement program, and he has even more than 17,000 km.
Little does not mean pitiful.
Promises of small cars
Despite the fact that the test results obtained by us did not show a significant gap between rivals, it is necessary to note one item: the FIESTA does not turn off the electronic control system control system, and this imposes an artificial imprint. After all, otherwise, very modest results of 0.81g in the side acceleration test and 105.4 km / h in slalom test, obtained by us on Fiesta, could be more interesting. (Dear Ford, please install the ESP System button on the Fiesta for the American market). Yet 1 108-kilogram Fiesta is able to deliver more driving pleasure. It has the best steering in this class, ranging from perfect efforts on the steering wheel and until the chassis response. Well, thanks to moderately, fiesta stringent shock absorbers at the same time strong and puffy. It seems that you go on a much more expensive car.
Do not forget that our Ford wish in summer tires that not only increase the adhesion with the roadpapers by reducing the service life of their service, but also have a positive effect on the responsiveness of the steering and the result of a dough for a complete stop from 96 km / CFC (35.97 m ). (Dear Ford, it is a sharp steering wheel and manageability make the Fiesta model so attractive for buyers. Do not smooth these aspects of the American Fiesta option to install another (cheap) rubber or suspension softening.)
1 139-kg Honda Fit almost the same toddler. Its steering wheel is easy to rotate, besides, it can be simplified to remain neutral in turn, if before that you were with it rude and cutting when the stabilization system is disabled. Accepted on the slalom to 103.6 km / h and developing in the dough on the side acceleration 0.82g, Fit uses its all-season tires of size 185/55 R16 in full program. Stop from 96 km / h is very mediocre 42.06 m.
But all these numbers will not tell you anything about how these cars behave in everyday life. Fun to funny lightweight movements of the fit speed lever seemed straightforward from computer arcade, and its steering wheel 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 on the dynamics of the CD car car, and on her background Fit began to seem more toy.
Fit and Fiesta The best representatives of a new class super compact.
Not too fast
Again, the inability to disable the tracks-control Fiesta affected the results of acceleration tests. From scratch to 96 km / hour, it accelerates for 9.4 s, and a quarter of Miles takes place for 16.9 s, accepted at the finish to 132.1 km / h, which is essentially very close to Honda's results, which make up 9, 5 seconds on acceleration, 16.9 s and 130.5 km / h per quage. These results for a couple of tenth seconds worse than those we got when Honda Fit just got into our hands completely new. Perhaps then the coating on our track was more chain.
No one is going to start on these cars, as on the drag stripe, and therefore these numbers can in some way to mislead you. In the real world with its traffic jams and incessant maneuvering between the long-term highway, Fiesta is much more dynamic than Honda Fit. The 1.6-liter Ford engine turned out to be very directly in the low revolutions range, besides, it strikes the smoothness of his 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 supers.
We tested by the Fiesta with an engine of 1.6 liters (inline four-cylinder) develops the power of 118 hp and 152 nm of torque on fuel with an octane number of approximately 90. (Dear Ford, Honda managed to remove from its 1.5-liter engine 117 hp and 144 nm on the 87th gasoline. Find a way to repeat this achievement). Switching a five-speed manual Ford Fiesta gearbox closer to reality than Fit, although it does not get some clarity of moves, plus a shorter fifth gear means that the engine will operate on high speeds than those to which Americans are accustomed to the highway. A longer transmission would help save fuel on long journeys, for which Fiesta fits almost perfect.
Effect of European style on Fiesta design is obvious, especially on a wedge-shaped fit.
Practice
In matters of the dynamics of Ford Fiesta, it easily bypass the opponent, which cannot be said about practicality here leadership moves to the opponent. Honda Fit is just a layout sample. This is a small car that did not have to go to the traditional compact class compromises. Surprisingly openly opening doors and low-layered floor do the landing of the ground-based, you are on the driver's seat without any problems.
Inside the fit pleases the spaciousness, it has become more space for elbows, the line of the review has improved, especially in comparison with the fiesta visor. In the rear seat Fit much more space for the legs and head than in Fiesta.
The trunk Fit also turned out to be suitable. When the rear seat is in the usual position, the differences in the volume of luggage compartments of two cars are practically no, but with folded rear seats, Fit undoubtedly provides more space for your items. The folding seating system of the Honda turns the space behind the front seats with an absolutely flat truck, while chubby seats of Fiesta protrude up, reducing the useful trunk area.
Materials of the interior finish are generally high quality in Ford, and the organization of the internal space in it is more elegant than in Fit. If you close your eyes on a cheap silver plastic used when finishing the Fiesta central panel, then you mainly surround the structured surfaces of black color, looking more richly.
And yet, for example, the windows buttons, engine wiper controllers, buttons on the central panel in Honda are located where you expect to detect them, their use does not cause any difficulty. (Dear Ford, negotiate the controls of the secondary Fiesta functions for the American market).
The speed is not their strength, but the dynamics are surprisingly pleasant.
New phenomenon
In some sense, this comparison is akin to a dispute about personal preferences, since each car has its strengths imposing different categories of buyers, Fit turned out to be more practical, Fiesta struck us with dynamics and handling.
Ford Fiesta came out the winner of our competition, as it took the work to take care of trivial things. Buyer of such a car is unlikely to expect to get a sharp steering wheel, and still gets it. The same with a pleasantly sound engine. Or so that the steering wheel as if it was specifically created at your hands, or a pleasant mechanical sound of the closing door. Recommending Fiesta, Ford raised the principle of creating a compact car into a slightly different level, to which even almost the perfect Honda Fit is not yet reached.
The emphasis on the optimal combination of the equipment of the produced car and its cost does not cost without a certain share of deception. Even the victory of Fiesta in our test does not mean that Ford does not have to work on its weak places in order not to fail the sales of Fiesta 2011 in the United States. If Ford engineers manage to repeat the Honda Fit trick with the rear seats completely retractable in the floor, then it has every chance to make a fiesta sales hit. (Dear Ford,)
The weight
2009 Ford Fiesta.
2009 Honda Fit.
Subjective rating
2,5%
100,0
50,0
Rating must be taken! (Which car from the point of view of editing is better for the average buyer in this segment of cars)
2,5%
83,3
66,7
Score for 28 pre-agreed points (from engine characteristics to the convenience of the rear seats)
30%
74,7
72,6
Equipment
15%
60,0
20,0
Riding qualities
20%
99,7
90,5
Price
30%
97,1
100,0
Total score
100%
85,1
75,8
Final rating
1
2
For reference:
* Honda Jazz in a complete set of 1.4 Sport AT in Russia costs from 694 950 rubles.
* Ford Fiesta in a complete set of 1.4 Titanium in a 5-door body in Russia costs from 634,900 pyb.
A source: Inside Line.
