Fiesta Faction banner

Who is trading wayyyyy up?

13K views 63 replies 49 participants last post by  BondiBlue 
#1 ·
I'm trading in my escape when my fiesta arrives. While the escape gets decent mpg for it's class, I'm still only averaging around 20mpg. The jump is making the wait hurt especially since in 2 weeks I'll begin my weekly 360mi round trip to RI and back

Anyone trading in a guzzler?
 
#2 ·
Well, I was daily driving an old Volvo station wagon that is now my occasional use cargo hauler. That only got 27mpg (fortunately, it had a manual transmission; the old style automatic transmissions of the time would have made it even slower and significantly thirstier).

The Fiesta (manual) gets 40-41mpg in the same type of driving (with better ride and handling, less noise, working air conditioner, better acceleration, modern safety equipment).
 
#3 ·
I guess it depends on how ya look at it,

I am trading up and down.

Up because I'm back in a Ford, it gets great gas mileage and its cheaper overall.

Down because I'm going from a fully loaded sports car with every option to an economy car, lol.
 
#4 ·
I guess I am considering the same... my commute to work now is about 300miles a week and its killing me, I need to fill up twice a week now. My big mistake was to get the car I always wanted ACURA TL TYPE S amazing car Luxury style options and power. Had the car for 3 years its all been paid off finally and my job relocated making the commute longer now and more miles. I was looking into hybrids like Prius, Insight, maybe even FIT. So the question now is downgrade this fully loaded car to save on gas or bite the bullet. So far I like the styling and the looks of the fiesta and of course the MPG's are a plus, what i dont like is it might be too tight cramped seats and obviously no power going from a 300hp car to 120hp so that will be a major driving experience difference. Right now im doing around 18city and if I try to hypermile a sports car on the highway lol i just about get 31-33hwy which im impressed but avg22-23mpg between both. Well good luck on all who have gotten them already and I am still looking forward to see some more home made personal reviews in terms of performance, audio, mpg, etc.
 
#5 ·
I was a little torn on my deal...

I traded in my 2005 Mustang GT Premium (with upgrades). I was torn to let it go but a change in employment in 2009 necessitated it. I tried to sell it out right but for the life of me I couldn't; no one is really buying performance cars these days unless they got a fat wallet. So I traded down in that the Mustang was a really fun car to drive and up because the Fiesta is getting awesome MPG.:(:)
 
#6 ·
I'm trading in a 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer GTS, loaded with all options except navigation. The main reason for the trade is that the Lancer absolutely SUCKS in the snow. 18 inch low profile tires, NO traction control, NO stability control, and a CVT transmission that gets overheated really quick and shuts down when spinning the tires in the slippery stuff.

I've always preferred small cars and don't need a 4WD or AWD vehicle year round. I had traction control in my old Hyundai Elantra and it was all I needed to get around in winter.
 
#7 ·
definitely a step up!

I feel like I'm in a luxury car compared to what I traded in. It was a basic model 2003 Saturn VUE with 135k miles and I hadn't had AC for over a year! I couldn't afford to get the AC fixed because everything else was breaking down. My Fiesta has a much more comfortable interior, more standard features, gets waaaaay better gas mileage, not to mention the great AC and a warranty on practically everything. :p Even though it's a step down in size it's a big step up!
 
#8 · (Edited)
Here's what I traded in for my Fiesta.




I'm getting ready to relocate to a school that will have me commuting 60 miles round trip for the first 6 1/2 weeks, and then 30 miles round trip for about a year afterward.

I figured the boost from an average of 15 mpg (got down between 9mpg and 12 mpg in mainly city driving. Best ever was 19 mpg and that happened only once) to approximately 38 mpg (the commute will be a fair mix of city and highway driving where I'm going, the stop-and-go will kill the mileage unfortunately) would help out at the pump :D

That, and I rarely used it as a truck anyway. That 5.9L V8 made freeway onramps fun though :cool:
 
#10 ·
I traded in my 2000 Saturn SW2. She had 80k miles on her, and was starting to decline to the point that I didn't want to pump any serious money into her... I never tracked the actual MPG I got with that car, but it seemed to do well. Few trips to the pump. It was a good little car, and was like a tank in the snow. The Saturn was my very first car - and I will miss it, but I L-O-V-E my Fiesta!!!!!

 
#14 ·
Got one identical to it, 105K on the odometer, still running like a champ. Seems to average anywhere between 31 and 33 on the highway.

I will admit, it's nickled and dimed me a little bit here and there, but I like it.

Can't blame you for upgrading to the Fiesta though, and believe me, when the Grand C-Max is released, the Saturn will be departing and the Grand C-Max will be arriving :D
 
#11 ·
I went from a 1995 Ford Explorer to my Fiesta. I was getting about 15-18 mpg now I'm getting about twice that. It sucks getting into a payment, but the reliability and mpg more than make up for it. I do miss the extra space for hauling stuff though.
 
#12 · (Edited)
Actually, I knew about the Fiesta (saw the car at Ford World Headquarters years ago) and wanted it about a few years ago.

My lease on my 2008 Lincoln MKX ran out last Oct 2009.

I purchased a junk 1992 Olds Achieva with 80K miles on it late Sept 2009 then turned in my MKX before I went over the mileage limit.

Unfortunately, the Olds blew its engine after about 5 months. So I rented my brother-in-law's Grand Marquis for about 5 months until my Fiesta came in July 2010.

After those 2 vehicles, the Fiesta was a "trade way up"!!!!!

P.S. My supposed friend bought me a XMas shirt that stated "Everyone Remain Calm I'm An Under-Achieva".
 
#13 ·
Traded in this 2004 Dodge Stratus:



Comfortable and stylish, but didn't make sense with all the heavy traffic driving I do now (I used to do a lot more highway).

So far the Fiesta is getting a remarkable 10 mpg better than the Stratus, and all I'm really giving up is back seat room, which I hardly use anyway.
 
#17 ·
i sold my 2002 land rover discovery before i bought my fiesta. it took 3 months to get a committed buyer but it paid off.

now i go from 12mpg to 40 :)
now i pay 12 bucks for windshield wipers v.s. 100 bucks (saves money on repairs)
i have a more functional car
i have a fun driving car
i have a more ideal car :)
 
#18 ·
I traded in my 2009 Ford Flex SEL. I loved the Flex, but I only got about 17mpg with it. I do miss all of the room in the Flex, but we only have one child, so the Fiesta is enough. My husband has a 2010 Mustang, so we're a Ford family for sure. :)
 
#19 ·
I traded up in some ways, down in some.

I'm coming from a 2006 Ford Five Hundred Limited with AWD. I didn't trade it in, still own the 500 but getting rid of it soon.

The trade up - I was getting 8-9mpg :eek:

My fiesta has 200 miles on her now but the little computer says she's only getting between 15.0-15.7 mpg (city driving). . Anyone know how long the break in period is, and when I should start seeing better mpg's?
 
#20 ·
My fiesta has 200 miles on her now but the little computer says she's only getting between 15.0-15.7 mpg (city driving). . Anyone know how long the break in period is, and when I should start seeing better mpg's?
I'd reset the computer because your car probably idled a lot before it got to you so you'd get a better idea of what you are currently getting without all that idling weighing your average down. If you have the automatic, typically when you get over 1,000 miles, the transmission has learned how you drive by then and the fuel economy goes up. If you live in the northern part of the country, I've been experiencing a 10-20% hit in fuel economy when the temperature is below 30.
 
#28 ·
Said goodbye to the VW from hell!

Traded in my silver 1999 VW New Beetle for a shiny red Ford Fiesta! :D I traded up in reliability and interior space compared to the VW. I loved my Beetle for it's small size in parking spots and 38 mpg but it was sucking all the money out of my wallet with the constant repairs. Only had 66,000 miles on it when I traded it in but you wouldn't believe all the parts and labor I put into that crappy little piece of German engineering.

Had to: replace malfunctioning hatchback lock (twice); headlights and tail-lights burn out all the time; replaced rotors & brakes; passenger side electric window died in the down position (bummer when it rains); driver side window died the next year; passenger side door lock button broke and fell off; driver's side door panel kept pulling off when you open the door; replaced serpentine belt; replaced timing belt; air conditioner smelled like old socks when in use; replaced the thermostat; catalytic converter sounded like it was going to fall out on the road (never replaced, too expensive); replaced oxygen sensor; fuel filler door latch failed to open, replaced cable; parking brake got stuck in engaged position; new batteries every few years; front grill was useless plastic that cracked and looked like crap; heated power mirrors never worked right; replaced oil dipstick funnel tube when it cracked and got oil all over my garage floor; and I'm sure I have mentally blocked out other repairs from my brain as the car was just so darn cute and fun to drive! I loved it but it didn't love me :(

So now I'm driving a new Ford and loving every minute of it!
 
#29 ·
I had a great 04' F-150 with a 5.4l. After 135,000 trouble free miles I keep hearing every new noise to be BIG &'s!

I have weekly commute of >800 miles so more than doubling my mpg just about pays for my car payment at $2.50/ gal. At $3.00/ gal I'm actually saving $'s.

Yeah I miss the truck but I added a trailer hitch to the Wife's 10' Escape and it works for now. The Fiesta is waaay more fun than the truck but lacks when compared to my 1125r or ST1300. Sometimes warm and dry with medium fun does win out.

Later
Neil S.
 
#30 · (Edited)
2007 Tacoma @23mpg combined.

I'm going to miss the truck but I haven't used it for much more than my bike in the last 8 months so I decided to go with economy this time. Just put the bike in the hatch tonight for the morning (had to make sure it fit!) and it works if I move the front passenger seat up and take off the front wheel.

I need a bike rack... the 39mpg combined (literally 50/50) makes me happy though.

It's untimely demise...
 
#32 ·
My dealer allowed me to trade in 2 cars. The first was a 2004 Chevy Malibu LT V6, for the trade we pretty much got what was still owed on it. The other car was a 2007 Suzuki SX4, for such a small car and small motor (2.0L I-4) it got horrible gas mileage (around 24 MPG, 75% highway). Unfortunately we were way upside down on the Suzuki but the discounts we got through USAA's car buying program plus the Ford incentives made it a little less painful in the end.
 
#33 ·
Traded in my 2001 Honda Civic LX. That car had good gas mileage, about 33 average, but no fun upgrades like my Fiesta. While it was a small car and I managed to do well with parallel parking, I'm sure having the Fiesta will give me even more of an edge in finding good spots :D


How to park on Flickr
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top