Ford Fiesta Review

Even entry-level models of the Ford Fiesta have a height-adjustable driver’s seat and the steering wheel also moves for rake and reach, so getting comfy isn’t a problem.

Titanium X and Vignale models come with a height-adjustable passenger seat and lumbar adjustment for both front seats, while Titanium and ST-Line X cars can have that kit plus a panoramic sunroof as part of an inexpensive pack.

Beware, though – the glass roof eats into rear headroom, which isn’t super generous to begin with. Space in the back isn’t terrible – a six-foot-tall passenger can fit, but they won’t want to be crammed in there for too long. Really, you’re better off looking at the more-spacious SEAT Ibiza or VW Polo if you’re planning to carry adults in the back.

If you’re going to be using the back seats regularly then go for a five-door Ford Fiesta. They cost extra, but make back-seat access much easier. The Ford’s Isofix points are marked clearly but getting the top of the seat through to the rear door opening is a little bit awkward.

The Ford Fiesta has a number of smaller storage areas for hiding away your day-to-day clutter.

The glovebox is big enough for a bottle of water and the door pockets will take a bottle, too. All versions get two cupholders, a place for your sunglasses in the headlining and ST-Line models and above have a centre armrest with a small storage area underneath it.

The Ford Fiesta’s 292-litre boot is bigger than the old model’s, but it’s still a good bit shy of the 355-litre load bay you get in a SEAT Ibiza. It’s practical though, particularly if you go for the cheap-to-add adjustable boot floor, which eliminates any load lip and thus makes it much easier to slide heavy items into the boot.

It’s also handy when you’ve got the rear seats folded down, giving you a completely flat floor, so it’s much easier to make full use of the Fiesta’s 1,093-litre capacity. All Ford Fiesta models get rear seats that fold down in a 60:40 split, meaning that you can have a passenger in the back as well as a long load poking through from the boot.

The Ford Fiesta is available with a choice of no less than seven engines – five petrols and two diesels.

The choice is simple, really – the 1.0-litre turbocharged EcoBoost petrol is the engine to have. Even the 100hp model feels nippy, getting from 0-62mph in a perfectly respectable 10.5 seconds and sounding pretty sporty doing it. Its eager performance is a great match for the Fiesta and official fuel economy of 65.7mpg means it will be cheap to run, even if getting that exact figure will be nigh on impossible – expect closer to 45mpg in the real world.

The same engine can be had with incremental performance boosts to 125 and 140hp and that added shove will make sense if you regularly drive on the motorway. For example, the 140hp model can sprint from 31 to 62mph a full 2.5 seconds quicker than the 100hp model, a useful difference when you’re joining the motorway with an HGV barreling up the slow lane.

In fact, the petrol engines are so good, there’s little reason to choose one of the diesels unless you do galactic miles. If you do spend all your time on the motorway, though, you can choose from 1.5-litre diesel models with either 85 or 120hp. Both should be able to clear fuel economy of 55mpg, but they cost more than the equivalent petrols and don’t feel quite so nippy.

The Ford Fiesta is a great car to drive for the price. You get a great idea of how much grip you have, allowing you to use the pin-sharp steering to dart into bends safe in the knowledge that it has the grip needed to fire you out the other end intact.

If that sounds like your type of driving, then it’s worth considering an ST-Line model. They have lowered, stiffened suspension – so lean less in corners – and bigger wheels with grippier tyres.

The ST-Line trim makes less sense in town because it reduces the Ford’s ability to absorb short, sharp bumps, although it is still reasonably comfortable. Small back windows don’t help visibility when you’re glimpsing over your shoulder on busy streets, but the Ford Fiesta’s compact size means it’s still easy enough to reverse park and you can have a rear-view camera for a little extra cost if you’d like a bit of help.

An automatic gearbox is a pricey option but (unless your licence dictates) there’s no need – the Ford Fiesta’s controls are so nice to use that it’s very easy to drive smoothly.

City driving has always come naturally to the Fiesta – it was on the motorway that the old model started to feel out of its depth. Now, though, you get a six-speed gearbox (except on 1.1-litre petrol models), which means the engine’s quieter and there’s only a little wind whistle at 70mph.

A lot more frustrating is the fact that the Ford Fiesta doesn’t come with automatic emergency braking as standard, although the price is very reasonable and includes active cruise control which matches the speed of cars in front and accelerates when the way is clear. You also get headlights that dip automatically when they sense traffic coming the other way.