Trying to Justify Buying a Fiesta

[Justintoxicated]

So I don't want a new car, because I hate car payments, and I'm a new home owner so I am already a bit house poor. However I have never sceen a used fiesta for sale, at least not a newer one.

Currently I own a Nissan Titan, and a Geo Metro. Yea I got the truck in 2005 before gas was what it is today. But I still find myself needing a truck and its a great weekend ride. What it is not, is practical for my daily 35 mile commute to work.

The Geo metro was a great buy, I have put about 45k on it, but I'm getting tired of riding with No in So Cal, and not being able to make bluetooth phone calls because of road noise (Well it works if I shout). I was digging the fiesta as a replacement for the geo, but at the same time that car payment could be going towards gas for my truck. I don't know what to do. I'm planning to test drive one in the next few days, I went to look into them over laborday but they were sold out, or dealership was closed at the local places. I really want a hatchback and manual transmission so I guess I have to get an SE model. I was a bit turned off about not being able to get a basic replaceable stereo system, I have never had a good factory radio before... I mean yesh even my Metro has bluetooth USB etc and it was a $180 Eclipse CD player i got 4 years ago, I didn't want to pay a premium but I guess the fiesta forces me to upgrade packages.

Anyways I'm stuck, car needs work, and its getting old, I need some convincing or something I guess. Dealers do not seem very flexable on price, I was going to purchase if they would go lower than the Costco price but they don't seem to want to do that. I guess they don't need to since they can't keep them in stock....

[Audrey]

There are good commuter cars that don't have the new car instant-depreciation-tax associated with them. What about a Fiesta is unique that you like?

[missourimule]

I've reconciled myself to the fact that I'll never be happy with a used car so I'm not going to buy another one.

If you want a good car that gets great mileage and a comfortable ride, get a Fiesta. If you want a larger car consider the Focus but plan on spending about another $3-4K. I do like the Focus hatchback but not so much the Fiesta hatchback. That's why I got the sedan.

The Fiesta is actually quite a good highway car. I've made two trips of 600 miles and it was very good especially with all the equipment that it comes with. That Bluetooth is definitely worth having. I suppose my main two beefs is the lack of an armrest but I resolved that problem with the Boomerang model which I like very much. Well worth the money at $175. The other is the lack of volume control on the steering wheel. Ford really needs to fix that problem. (What were they thinking??)

The fact is that you can't get anything decent in used cars today that doesn't cost almost (or even more) than a new car. So what is the upside? I don't see one.

Car payments aren't a big deal. I make two of them myself along with a mortgage payment. I don't live in a castle though so it doesn't cause any problems but I wanted two reliable cars, under warranty that I don't have to put any money into although I did ruin a tire recently that was due to metal or something in the road. That's a first in over a million miles of driving.

For the money the Fiesta is hard to beat. Go for it.

I can imagine that you are very dissatisfied feeding that Titan. It's got to be a gas guzzler.

[RaefWolfe]

Try doing a search on ford.com for inventory of Fiestas. You may find what you're looking for on a national scale, and then your dealer can get it shipped.

[Captainmorbid]

Drive it... It'll make your mind up for you! I know what you mean about the truck, I kept mine for grunt work and snow bank busting.

[Justintoxicated]

Originally Posted by Audrey

There are good commuter cars that don't have the new car instant-depreciation-tax associated with them. What about a Fiesta is unique that you like?

Price and economy and safety. I also like the direction ford is moving in and their stance they took during the recession. I'm open to other options but what else will get me to 40mpg other than a metro like I already have. I also like that is it available in a manual transmission and don't mind the way it looks over all (I don't like the way a yaris looks for example, kinda girly or something (not trying to offend anyone) ) although I suppose that is another option, although the economy is terrible compared to my metro.

[Audrey]

Originally Posted by Justintoxicated

Price and economy and safety. I also like the direction ford is moving in and their stance they took during the recession. I'm open to other options but what else will get me to 40mpg other than a metro like I already have. I also like that is it available in a manual transmission and don't mind the way it looks over all (I don't like the way a yaris looks for example, kinda girly or something (not trying to offend anyone) ) although I suppose that is another option, although the economy is terrible compared to my metro.

Price, MPG, safety, and brand approval.

These are all compelling reasons for getting a Fiesta specifically. I think you should let them sway your decision. The Fiesta is a solid enough car that people aren't too keen to sell it after the first year (or so it seems), but I'm sure it does happen. With some patience and hunting, perhaps talk to local dealerships that do trade ins, you can find a used Fiesta in your region. The best thing to do is talk to dealers to get them searching for you too.

[wmussatto]

One or two people on the forum sold theirs. Unexpected addition to the family I believe.

[RaefWolfe]

Originally Posted by Justintoxicated

I'm open to other options but what else will get me to 40mpg other than a metro like I already have.

The Hyundai Accent is a good deal cheaper off the lot (a fully stocked Sedan came to about 14k if you took one off other lot around here rather than ordered) and has a much longer warranty. The hatchbacks are only about 15k or so for a similar build off the lot. See if you can test drive one of those, if you're worried about money.

There's also the brand new chevy sonic that replaces the chevy aveo. I think it's supposed to get 40 mpg and is a similar price to the Fiesta. I don't know much about it - it wasn't out when I was car shopping a few months ago.

[grafxman]

You might check out this thread:

http://fiestafaction.com/forums/fies...tle-thing.html


I didn't order my Fiesta. I told them what I wanted and after a while a salesman found it. I did one of those request a quote things like you find all over the net at the dealer's web sites. I specified exactly what I wanted and told them no phone calls. I had to include my phone number to make the request. I wanted all contact by email. That way everything is in writing. Of course some called me on the phone and they were eliminated from the buying process. Others tried to give me a sales pitch on something different, tried to get me in for a test drive, etc. I stood firm on my demands.

After a day or two Doug Lawrence from Mike Shad Avenues in Jacksonville responded via email and told me there was a black one available. I told him I wanted blue. He said he would keep looking. Eventually he found one somewhere around Orlando and they traded a Mustang for it. I was firm about the drive away price. Some dealers may think that is before taxes. I made certain they understood that was all I would spend and no more whatsoever. Actually I did pay a tiny bit more than my firm price of $19,000 drive away because the car already had a key pad and mud flaps and a few other odds and ends.

So my advice is to pick a fair and reasonable price as determined by research at Edmunds, Consumer Reports, etc. and stick to it. Don't be hornswoggled by a sales pitch for something other than what you want. Most salesman will naturally want to sell you what they have available on their lot. I think a stick shift is a better choice. It costs less than an automatic. Just read about all the problems in these forum pages about the automatic and you will quickly realize the stick is the way to go.