Spare tire, auto feature questions

1656 Views 3 Replies 4 Participants Last post by BRGT350, Sep 23, 2009

azulejost

Discussion Starter · Sep 20, 2009

Another day with possibly too much time looking into cars, the Fiesta specifically. This has led to a new set of questions on which I'd appreciate feedback.

My understanding of the EU spec sheet suggests a can of tire rescue gunk acts as the standard "spare tire" while a 14" x 5.5" steel wheel is optional. I've probably overlooked this, but what do the agents have as spares? I'd like to see a full-size spare, but I'm guessing there may not be space for the height of 6.5" wheels? Is the spare the awful looking donut that doesn't inspire confidence in making a 2 mile, 30 mph across town trip to the repair shop?

Also, the Titanium model has so many automatic features I have traditionally wanted to avoid yet find myself thinking I will opt for on the Fiesta. Does the Auto Climate Control automatically activate AC when on defrost mode? When you override the auto setting and go to manual mode, how many fan speeds are available? Are the cars equipped with the heated windshield in addition to the heated rear glass? I've never seen this feature in action so I'm interested to know how quickly/effective it is.

Thanks a lot and have a great evening.

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golf strom

· #2 · Sep 20, 2009

Interesting Azulejost!

Although I am sure that you could get away with a can of tire gunk inflator stuff I would much prefer a full size spare. Will it fit in the truck cavity!!?!?!?!? My guess is that they will not. The only small car I can remember having a full size spare that properly fit underneath the hatch floor without bulging was my old 1984 VW Rabbit GTI. I don't think that offering full size spares especially in small cars is very common today mainly due to cost and weight issues.

Ford in Europe offers heated element front windshield glass...and the elements are sooo small that the human eye cannot see them and they do not cause any issues with glare or such and provide superior defrosting deicing ability compared to heated air....will this be offered here?

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TimBrown

· #3 · Sep 23, 2009

golf strom said:
Interesting Azulejost!

Although I am sure that you could get away with a can of tire gunk inflator stuff I would much prefer a full size spare. Will it fit in the truck cavity!!?!?!?!? My guess is that they will not. The only small car I can remember having a full size spare that properly fit underneath the hatch floor without bulging was my old 1984 VW Rabbit GTI. I don't think that offering full size spares especially in small cars is very common today mainly due to cost and weight issues.

I have a full size spare in my focus, and the floor sits flat.. well, there might be a slight bow, but it's millimetres at best. I don't notice any intrusion. I'm not a big fan of small spare tires, especially when running 17" wheels, but I definitely don't want to see a can of inflator spray as the default. I'm betting a small, uninspiring spare will be standard, as I sort of doubt US and Canadian buyers would be impressed by something that usually accompanies luxury cars -- the lack of a spare. Granted, that's often because that lack bespeaks run-flats, but I still think it would garner negative press to omit one.

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BRGT350

· #4 · Sep 23, 2009

my Fiesta has a spare, that is almost the exact same size as the 16" wheels that come on the car. I was shocked at how wide it was for a spare. Many agents, including myself, have used the spares since the ultra low profile tires don't last on the battered American roads.

For the auto features, the full defrost option turns on the AC, which is the same thing my Focus does. You can overide all of the auto HVAC commands by turning Auto off. I will get the Auto HVAC if it is an option because I don't like the look of the standard HVAC controls. I won't ever use the Auto feature, but want it because the HVAC controls are a push button with LCD display rather than a giant knob that you turn. I like to be able to select multiple options for air flow, and the giant knob doesn't allow for that. None of the agent cars have the heated windscreen or the auto folding side mirrors. I don't see either of those being options for the US market. I doubt auto climate control will be either.

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