2011 Ford Fiesta Review

Welcome to the review of the Ford Fiesta from 2011-2012, third in a series of reviews covering my purchase of a small car. To be completely honest I was only interested in the Fiesta due to the optional diesel engine and the hot hatch ST version and of course it’s looks. Anyway, the 2011 Fiesta may share parts with with the Mazda2 but it doesn’t show. I loved the ‘sleek’ hatchback look and it’s genuinely small size.

The interior of the Ford Fiesta is good for its age. Although most of the Fiesta’s I looked at had the better quality interior an equal number I saw where built in Thailand for the Asian market and it lacks certain higher grade materials found in the pre 2011 European market model which is a pity. I believe that the older models where made in South Africa.  In this part of the world small cars are view as entry level or cheap cars hence we are treated as second class.  On the Fiesta’s I looked at the hard plastic interior didn’t bother me but the cheapness of it did.  Cheap looking and small speedo and rev counter, tiny information display screens and placed quite far away from view was annoying. The interior was quite spacious with lots of storage positions including under the passenger seat but the rear seats when folded down was not flat which is an issue for me.  I do like the all button look, it fills in the gaps nicely.

The technical and mechanical package of the Fiesta impresses. In 2011 there where 3 engine choices a 1.4 or a 1.6, 4 cylinder petrol and the turbo diesel all of them produce more power than its competitors which is key selling point. The turbo diesel was a oddity in the small car market here and but clearly did not catch on.  The ST ‘hot hatch’ model was not available for this model year.. Safety systems included the usual 2 airbags, ABS and even traction control but nothing more than the class average. There was also a sedan version which is not a good looking car. The 2011 models automatic came with a DSG in VW speak of DCT in Ford speak automatic transmission which seems to be the cause of a lot of problems.

The 2011 Ford Fiesta drive experience: I didn’t ask for a test drive as the sales person x2 was not really interested.

Overall I liked the various Ford Fiesta’s on paper but the reliability reports on the internet was a deterrent. Sure I don’t believe everything I read on the internet but there’s too many to be confident. Since I don’t see many driving about usually means the gossip on the internet is true or they are too expensive to buy compared with the competition. The other key problem was with the stereo system – it  cannot be replaced with a more modern system.

2011 Ford Fiesta

Engines

IL 4 Cylinder DOHC EFI VVT 1.4 Litre (1499cc) Claimed 82Kw @ 6300RPM Claimed 140Nm @ 4400RPM

IL 4 Cylinder DOHC EFI VVT 1.6 Litre (1596cc) Claimed 88Kw @ 6000RPM Claimed 152Nm @ 4000RPM

IL 4 Cylinder Turbo Diesel 1.6 Litre (1569cc) Claimed 66Kw @ 4000RPM Claimed 200Nm @ 1750RPM

IL 3 Cylinder Turbo DOHC EFI VVT 1 Litre (999cc) Claimed 92Kw @ 6000RPM Claimed 170Nm @ 1500RPM

IL 4 Cylinder Turbo DOHC EFI VVT 1.6 Litre (1569cc) Claimed 134Kw @ 5700RPM Claimed 240Nm @ 1600RPM

Weight

Kerb weight FROM 1073Kg Towing capacity up to 900 Kg

Fuel capacity & consumption

Up to 42 litres IL4 1.5 Petrol 5.8 litres per 100km IL4 1.6 Petrol 6.1 litres per 100km IL4 1 Petrol Turbo 5.3 litres per 100km IL4 1.6 Petrol Turbo 6.2 litres per 100km

Other specifications

6 Speed Auto DCT or 5 speed manual Overall height/width 1489/1722 Overall length/wheelbase 3969/2489 ANCAP safety rating 5/5 Tyre size: 185-55-15 or 195-45-17

Performance

Pricing

2011 $16,990 – 23,490 AUD excluding on road costs