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What do you like best about your new Fiesta?
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I read a review on the Mazda 2, it was not as nice. Even Chrysler plastic interiors look great in photos, but get in one and it's Rubbermaidville. The Ford they said was more refined.
Dan
65 Corvair
Tired of waiting for my Fiesta
Mind if I get a link to that review? Not that I don't believe you I just want to see exactly what they said.I read a review on the Mazda 2, it was not as nice. Even Chrysler plastic interiors look great in photos, but get in one and it's Rubbermaidville. The Ford they said was more refined.
Dan
65 Corvair
Tired of waiting for my Fiesta
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9 Posts
Have to agree. I sat in both the Mazda2 and Fiesta at the NY auto show, and thought the Fiesta's interior was much classier. The Mazda has a white gauge cluster (yuck) and didn't have the LED message center, or the ambient lighting. The plastics used in the dash also seemed low grade and lacked texture.
Why? I suppose the 2's controls are probably a bit easier to figure out (no cell-phone inspired design flourishes) but the materials in the Fiesta are much more upscale from what I can tell. The 2 just has a standard Japanese econo-car interior, IMO.
So nice to have choices
There are so few small cars where you have options for the interior color & trim. All the cars I was looking at had just one interior, usually in black. I was happy to get heated seats and came pretty close to ordering the leather. Throw in the options for blue tooth and the moonroof; you can't get all of those anywhere else in this price range.
There are so few small cars where you have options for the interior color & trim. All the cars I was looking at had just one interior, usually in black. I was happy to get heated seats and came pretty close to ordering the leather. Throw in the options for blue tooth and the moonroof; you can't get all of those anywhere else in this price range.
I love everything about the Fiesta. I sat in the Fiesta at the NY Auto Show and loved it right away. I call this an upgrade in features but downgrade in size from my Milan, but who really cares when your a single male looking for a car that looks good and drives good with a lot of features people with similar competitor cars will be jealous of.
Fair enough. Personally I can live with less straightforward controls in return for better materials and more appealing (IMO) design, but to each his own!
I think Ford is finally giving us what we really want. A European inspired car with lots of technology that better cars have for an affordable price.
This has everything and more I would ever ask for. Push Button Start with keyless entry, SYNC, 4" LCD Screen, Interior Mood Lighting, Capless Fuel Filler, LED Lights for Fog Lights, plus more....
I also love that Ford finally is making another 5 Door. My first Ford I ever bought was a Yellow Ford Focus Zx5 and it has been the car all people remember to be my most fun car to own. Now I get to do it again in a Fiesta!!
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Ford fails so hard at making counsels that look good and are functional. Every Ford my parents have ever owned is an absolute mess in terms of style and functionality. My old Lexus and Acura both had better dashes and they were made in 2002 / 1996!
Older cars are usually better in terms of ergonomics/ease of use; as cars get more complicated and packed with features it's going to be increasingly difficult to arrange the controls in a logical way. Until the 90s basically all that had to be put on a center stack were the 3 HVAC knobs (or auto AC equivalents) and the radio/CD buttons. The Fiesta adds Sync and hands-free calling, plus it's all super-stylized, and it's only going to get more complex from here on out.
On the other hand my mom's '08 Sable (same thing as a Taurus) has a very attractive interior (IMO) and controls that define foolproof:
As far as Fiesta controls go, I wish the buttons to select a music source (Radio, Sirius, Aux, etc) were on the right, farther away from the driver, and the presets were closer on the left. I'm pretty sure I'm going to be flipping channels more than I'm going to be flipping audio sources. But I get to see the car for the first time today, and I'll find out whether it's a big reach or not. It's probably not.
My Toyota Matrix is cunfusing. Up for on, down for off. That seems to be the way to do things. Except for the windshield wipers, but not the rear wiper. Very styish gauges, except you can't see them with sunglasses on or in the sun! Interiors are desighned by stylists, sometimes they care how they look, other times it's how they work. Seems to go in cycles.
Dan
I recently test drove an SE model of the hatchback at my local dealer. I had high hopes for this car. I really did. But I was thoroughly disappointed. The car itself drove nicely but what worries me the most is that it’s a Ford. It simply felt cheap.
For close to $20K, I was expecting a better built car that felt more solid. Instead what you find is a car that has body panels that flex when you pull the door handle to open the door. What you find are exposed screw heads on the steering column that make the interior look cheap and unfinished. What you hear is an engine that sounds rough and noisy and feels like my current 2001 Ford Focus engine.
The car just feels cheap. Really cheap. It feels like it’ll fall apart in 3-4 years. Given how poorly my Focus has held up (it’s been reliable BUT has had all sorts of other issues…leaking thermostat, window regulators that have been changed TWICE on each door, interior lighting that has failed and is falling apart, etc.), I don’t want to pay $20K for another car that may do the same. Not only that (and I don’t care what anyone says) but cars made in Mexico are crap. VW learned the hard way and Ford will soon learn the same.
Finally, Ford baited and switched many options with this car. Ever since the beginning, Ford marketed this car with sporty options like 17 inch rims ALL THE WAY to the end of release into this country. Just before release, they do this song and dance about how these options are suddenly not fit for the US market. That was enough for me to tell Ford to shove it.
I'll wait for the CR-Z now and see how that is. If it turns out to be the same thing, I'll just keep my Focus for now and have to fix the current problems it has.
For close to $20K, I was expecting a better built car that felt more solid. Instead what you find is a car that has body panels that flex when you pull the door handle to open the door. What you find are exposed screw heads on the steering column that make the interior look cheap and unfinished. What you hear is an engine that sounds rough and noisy and feels like my current 2001 Ford Focus engine.
The car just feels cheap. Really cheap. It feels like it’ll fall apart in 3-4 years. Given how poorly my Focus has held up (it’s been reliable BUT has had all sorts of other issues…leaking thermostat, window regulators that have been changed TWICE on each door, interior lighting that has failed and is falling apart, etc.), I don’t want to pay $20K for another car that may do the same. Not only that (and I don’t care what anyone says) but cars made in Mexico are crap. VW learned the hard way and Ford will soon learn the same.
Finally, Ford baited and switched many options with this car. Ever since the beginning, Ford marketed this car with sporty options like 17 inch rims ALL THE WAY to the end of release into this country. Just before release, they do this song and dance about how these options are suddenly not fit for the US market. That was enough for me to tell Ford to shove it.
I'll wait for the CR-Z now and see how that is. If it turns out to be the same thing, I'll just keep my Focus for now and have to fix the current problems it has.
The redundant controls on the steering wheel take care of switching channels for you. On left side are << and >> buttons - switches to previous or next station in memory respectively. Same for Sirius, IPOD or other USB connected device and for your phone if you are connecting via bluetooth audio. set em once and just flip with your left hand.
The M button in the middle jumps to next media AM - FM - USB - Line In - Sirius, etc.
Phone symbol allows you to answer phone or hang up. Also tells sync next command is in regard to phone. Driving along & want to call Sam - push phone button, switches radio to phone & displays "Phone Menu" in display. Push the sync button once & it will start the interactive thing going or if you know what you want to do push sync button twice in succession (shut up and listen mode) and say "Call Sam"
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