How much extra would you have paid to have a Fiesta built in Germany?
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Lets see,....the Euro Fiesta has a less attractive interior, no 6-speed Powershift, and a noisier cabin. Hmmmmmm, if the Euro Fiesta had the same fuel mileage as the current Yaris and Scion XD I guess I would have been willing to by it for $2k or $3k less than the NA Fiesta.
Nice
Yeah I wouldn't pay extra for a Euro Fiesta. I prefer the Euro Fiesta's looks inside and out to the NA spec, but not enough to really bug me, and I think the NA interior is better trimmed even if I don't like the styling as much. NA model is also quieter and gets PowerShift, so those are big plusses for me.
And if your question is meant to imply that the German factory would build Fiestas better than the Mexican factory, well...I doubt that's the case.
Thats the way I see it also. I drove the EU automatic 4 Speed and if that would have been the auto trans in the US version then I would have gone with a manual trans because it was awful.
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I don't have all the facts on this, but I think the implied statement in courtesi's question (that the German-built Fiestas may edge out the Mexican-built Fiestas in quality) is a valid one. I seem to recall Volkswagen having electrical problems with a certain model, Mk4 Jetta I believe, mostly with those cars built in Mexico, not those built in Germany. As a whole, VWs cars built in Mexico seem to have more issues than their German-built counterparts. It a completely different situation and manufacturer, I concede, but it does raise a few questions in my mind. Not to mention the fact that the plant in Mexico is converted from making trucks while the one in Germany presumably has been making Fiestas for quite some time now.
I have read tons of reviews on the Fiesta in NA spec and to my knowledge, not a single one brought up the issue with build quality of the NA vs. German cars. No reviewer seemed to notice that though they were driving NA-spec cars, the NA plant had not started up yet, so they weren't driving the product the rest of us will be buying. Does any one know where those press fleet cars were built? For me it was just as much of an issue of NA-build quality vs. Euro-build quality as it was about the NA-spec vs. Euro-spec that all the reviewers droned on about.
I don't have much money, so this question is kind of moot for me, but I would love to see the NA Fiesta match the Euro version for quality!
I have read tons of reviews on the Fiesta in NA spec and to my knowledge, not a single one brought up the issue with build quality of the NA vs. German cars. No reviewer seemed to notice that though they were driving NA-spec cars, the NA plant had not started up yet, so they weren't driving the product the rest of us will be buying. Does any one know where those press fleet cars were built? For me it was just as much of an issue of NA-build quality vs. Euro-build quality as it was about the NA-spec vs. Euro-spec that all the reviewers droned on about.
I don't have much money, so this question is kind of moot for me, but I would love to see the NA Fiesta match the Euro version for quality!
That's a good point that the German plant has more experience building Fiestas, but on the other hand Ford's Mexican plants turn out some of the company's best cars - take the Fusion, for example, which has beaten the Accord and Camry in reliability rankings for a few years now.
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If you take into account the E vs the dollar than add another 20%...so
if the US Fiesta is priced at about 15k then it will cost you about another 3k, so 18000 USD....actually considering the much higher labor rate in Germany compared to Mexico this increase in price is VERY reasonable...add that to he fact that you get the ACTUAL model that the world is raving about and it is a NO brainer to me.
Problem is that DOT and EPA regs force Ford to do SOME changes but plenty of others were simply done because it was claimed that US buyers had to have them....some of those changes I agree on...like the Sync thingy..and plenty of them I don't like changes in interior, seating, lack of fog lamps....ect.
regarding quality....the devil IS in the details...the machinery and the like will be exactly like that in Germany for the most part BUT
as with the old MKI Focus....some of the parts and suppliers will be different (40% content will be different compared to the EU Fiesta) so there is certainly a legitimate concern for quality issues..not only that but remember that the Mexican workers are being paid very modestly...so will they care about how they perform their job.....hard to answer that one.
if the US Fiesta is priced at about 15k then it will cost you about another 3k, so 18000 USD....actually considering the much higher labor rate in Germany compared to Mexico this increase in price is VERY reasonable...add that to he fact that you get the ACTUAL model that the world is raving about and it is a NO brainer to me.
Problem is that DOT and EPA regs force Ford to do SOME changes but plenty of others were simply done because it was claimed that US buyers had to have them....some of those changes I agree on...like the Sync thingy..and plenty of them I don't like changes in interior, seating, lack of fog lamps....ect.
regarding quality....the devil IS in the details...the machinery and the like will be exactly like that in Germany for the most part BUT
as with the old MKI Focus....some of the parts and suppliers will be different (40% content will be different compared to the EU Fiesta) so there is certainly a legitimate concern for quality issues..not only that but remember that the Mexican workers are being paid very modestly...so will they care about how they perform their job.....hard to answer that one.
Euro Fiesta
The reason it is being made in Mexico, is of course, it cost less to make there. If Ford had to pay big wages to make this car, there would be no Fiesta coming here.
I really don't think the nationality of the people affect the quality of the car, the company who builds it determines how good or bad the cars are.
German labour is way more expensive than Mexican labor, so they can afford to build the car for the U.S. market.
If mine was made in Germany, it would take lots longer to get. It still is taking way too long to get.
Dan
11 Fiesta on Monday, I doublt it.
You would have paid extra for the Euro Fiesta, it would have cost more than than the Focus.
The reason it is being made in Mexico, is of course, it cost less to make there. If Ford had to pay big wages to make this car, there would be no Fiesta coming here.
I really don't think the nationality of the people affect the quality of the car, the company who builds it determines how good or bad the cars are.
German labour is way more expensive than Mexican labor, so they can afford to build the car for the U.S. market.
If mine was made in Germany, it would take lots longer to get. It still is taking way too long to get.
Dan
11 Fiesta on Monday, I doublt it.
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I certainly hope this is true! But besides the fact that NA is getting a mildly revised version of the Fiesta (i.e. not a version 2.0 but maybe a version 1.2 or 1.3), can you think of why this would be the case?
Folks, the Fiesta's Cuautitlán assembly plant is Ford's highest-quality plant world-wide so I don't think you'd get better assembly quality if you got one made in the German Cologne plant or the Portuguese Azambuja plant. The only reason I'd prefer the European model would be to get a Fiesta RS, else getting a Mexican-built Fiesta is just fine with me.
Ford has a lot riding on this car and they know that the people buying them are on the web. That is what created the buzz for the Fiesta and they also know that if the car isn't what its suppose to be then the web will kill it. That is why I have the belief in the car and the quality of it.Plus the plant that is building it has built the best selling truck for the past 25 years along with the Taurus and other high profile Ford models. which proves they know the importance of there job. Plus here is another reason
Car Wars: GM, Ford Top the Imports in Latest J.D. Power Quality Survey - DailyFinance
Car Wars: GM, Ford Top the Imports in Latest J.D. Power Quality Survey - DailyFinance
For a Fiesta built in Germany of less quality than in Mexico? Nothing.
Ford Hermosillo, Ford's only Mexican plant aside from Cuautitlan Izcalli, has just been awarded JDPower & Associates' Silver Medal for plant quality in North America. At 33 problems per 100 vehicles, Ford of Mexico builds less than 1/3 the industry average defects (107 per 100 I think). None of Ford's European plants even come close to Hermosillo for build quality. In fact, no non-luxury plant in Europe does. Daimler in Sindelfigen can't beat Ford Hermosillo.
I expect nothing but perfection from a Mexican built Ford. Our ZX2s are without fault, and quality has improved from 2002.
Ford Hermosillo, Ford's only Mexican plant aside from Cuautitlan Izcalli, has just been awarded JDPower & Associates' Silver Medal for plant quality in North America. At 33 problems per 100 vehicles, Ford of Mexico builds less than 1/3 the industry average defects (107 per 100 I think). None of Ford's European plants even come close to Hermosillo for build quality. In fact, no non-luxury plant in Europe does. Daimler in Sindelfigen can't beat Ford Hermosillo.
I expect nothing but perfection from a Mexican built Ford. Our ZX2s are without fault, and quality has improved from 2002.
I have been in both cars, and the US car is better quality. The fit and finish of the dash components is way better on the US cars, the doors close much better, the interior materials are nicer, the seats are vastly better, and the US car has better mapping for the ESC and TA.
However,
I would still prefer the German version and here is why.
The EU gearbox is designed for performance and not economy, so the ratios are very close together. The US version has gearing that allows for lower revs in 3rd and 5th, resulting in gaps that I am sure I won't like.
The steering wheel is better looking and the smaller rim is easier to grip with my smaller hands. The EU car also has volume control on the steering wheel, and the US does not have that feature.
The headlights and front bumper of the EU car are works of art! The projector lights with city lights look very upscale and the headlights function outstanding. The US headlights don't look as good with the silly reflector, and no projectors offered. The US bumper cover is my least favorite part of the car, and its my favorite on the EU version. I don't care for the lack of fog lamps and the smaller air intakes. Hands down, the EU version of the Fiesta is better looking.
The EU version has a rear mounted fog lamp that I am big fan of.
You can get factory 17" wheels with summer tires from the factory, and the wheels don't have the TPMS system.
The EU Fiesta runs on 93+ octane fuel, which I prefer.
I would pay a few extra thousand dollars to have the German Fiesta, even with the faults with the interior. The exterior and gearbox more than make up for the seats, gaps, and interior materials.
However,
I would still prefer the German version and here is why.
The EU gearbox is designed for performance and not economy, so the ratios are very close together. The US version has gearing that allows for lower revs in 3rd and 5th, resulting in gaps that I am sure I won't like.
The steering wheel is better looking and the smaller rim is easier to grip with my smaller hands. The EU car also has volume control on the steering wheel, and the US does not have that feature.
The headlights and front bumper of the EU car are works of art! The projector lights with city lights look very upscale and the headlights function outstanding. The US headlights don't look as good with the silly reflector, and no projectors offered. The US bumper cover is my least favorite part of the car, and its my favorite on the EU version. I don't care for the lack of fog lamps and the smaller air intakes. Hands down, the EU version of the Fiesta is better looking.
The EU version has a rear mounted fog lamp that I am big fan of.
You can get factory 17" wheels with summer tires from the factory, and the wheels don't have the TPMS system.
The EU Fiesta runs on 93+ octane fuel, which I prefer.
I would pay a few extra thousand dollars to have the German Fiesta, even with the faults with the interior. The exterior and gearbox more than make up for the seats, gaps, and interior materials.
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The 93 RON would probaby yield slightly better MPG...and yet you would pay a bit more for the gas (likely 100% gasoline) so it probably would actually be a wash compared to the US car running on 87 RON...which would make the EU Fiesta my choice.
The slight weight savings, the slightly more "chuckable" suspension, a slightly more desirable interior and exterior..and seating, not to mention the fog lamps front and rear and the city lights as well.
As far as overall quality is concerned I haven't heard anything negative about the EU Fiesta at all. As a matter of fact the Focus has been at or near the top of the ADAC list for years...so it would be of little doubt that the Fiesta would be near the op as well for overall reliability.
The slight weight savings, the slightly more "chuckable" suspension, a slightly more desirable interior and exterior..and seating, not to mention the fog lamps front and rear and the city lights as well.
As far as overall quality is concerned I haven't heard anything negative about the EU Fiesta at all. As a matter of fact the Focus has been at or near the top of the ADAC list for years...so it would be of little doubt that the Fiesta would be near the op as well for overall reliability.
Isn't the US Fiesta supposed to have very solid-sounding doors? As in, they make a nice "thunk" when closed, while the EU version sounds less substantial? At any rate, I read that somewhere.
I prefer the EU front clip to the US design, and I prefer the EU door cards and lower dash shape, but it's not a big deal for me that they're different. The increased sound deadening and better ATX make up for it, IMO. Though I'd get rid of the chrome driving light bezels ASAP if I got an SES
Also I don't understand how one could could possibly prefer a car requiring premium fuel.
I prefer the EU front clip to the US design, and I prefer the EU door cards and lower dash shape, but it's not a big deal for me that they're different. The increased sound deadening and better ATX make up for it, IMO. Though I'd get rid of the chrome driving light bezels ASAP if I got an SES
Also I don't understand how one could could possibly prefer a car requiring premium fuel.
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The EU version is more in a sense of ergonomics where as the NA version is more about ''Flash'' as I call it. Though I would prefer the EU model due to European Safety Standards and more options. The EU has ten times more options and I could really personalize the Fiesta for me.
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bird...you're spot on.
I remember when Scion came on the scene that it was trying to capture the younger ppl with the ability to create VERY personalized individual cars ...well of course Scion really didn't live up to that promise and it did cost them LOTS of potential buyers...
I think Dearborn missed the boat on this one...but I don't understand WHY....
They still could have offered a long options list on a special order basis at a premium using many of the accessories from the EU car....
I really believe that Ford would have captured many young buyers in the US IF they instituted the FoE options selection.
What options are you talking about that EU has that US doesn't the only ones that I can think of are power fold mirrors and automatic a/c,headlamps and rain sensing wipers and that hardly adds up to 10 times the options even though they would have been nice to have the price would have been a lot higher and would have only been available on the SES model I am sure. Plus they had to save these options for the next Gen Focus.
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