Friday, March 29

2016 Ford Fiesta: A Smart Subcompact Car

2016 Ford Fiesta

The Ford Fiesta is a small car and one of the least expensive vehicles on the entire car market.  This makes it a great choice for those who are just starting out and are budget-conscious.  the Fiesta comes in a variety of builds such as the five-door hatchback, the four-door sedan, and the Fiesta ST that gives a fantastic power punch.  Not only does the Fiesta come in a size and with the equipment to be a great subcompact car, but with the fuel efficiency so many want in order to get more out of a tank of gas so as to not spend all the disposable income on gas.

There are actually three engines that come as offerings on the Fiesta.  All models are built as front-wheel drive cars.  The base model shows up with a 1.6-liter inline four-cylinder engine that makes 120 horsepower and 112 lb.-ft. of torque.  This can be attached to either a five-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission.  The manual will bring a fuel economy of 28 city/36 hwy mpg, with the automatic having 27 city/37 hwy mpg.  On this model there is an automatic with SFE fuel-saving package that shows up with 28 city/38 hwy mpg, making a bit more fuel mileage on the car.

The turbocharged model shows up with a 1.0-liter turbocharged inline three-cylinder engine that comes in with 123 horsepower and 125 lb.-ft. of torque.  This engine is only attached to a five-speed manual transmission which aids it in bringing the highest fuel mileage in the lineup at 31 city/43 hwy mpg.  Even at this low power output, the Fiesta makes a great choice for driving on a budget and still gives a good acceleration to get up to speed confidently.

The ST model of the Fiesta is the most fun and the most powerful.  This model is powered by a 1.6-liter turbocharged inline four-cylinder engine that reaches 197 horsepower and 202 lb.-ft. of torque.  This version is great for fun and excitement, giving you a Fiesta that is great to drive, sporty and exciting.  The ST engine is attached to a six-speed manual transmission which helps it bring a still reasonable fuel mileage of 26 city/35 hwy mpg.  With the power and transmission from the ST you can have a sport inspired offering that is great to drive with dynamic steering and awesome acceleration.

Now that you know you aren’t buying a hamster with four wheels when you buy the Fiesta, let’s look at the inside.  In either form there is room for five but the rear seat is expectedly small but still offers enough room for the kids.  The rear seat folds in a 60/40 fashion to give you a full 25 feet of cargo space with the seats folded down along with the several different cargo variations from this nice little car.  The cockpit offers easy to use controls even though the lower trim levels come with very little in the way of equipment to use, but for the price the Fiesta is a car that can be easily enjoyed.

The Fiesta shows up in tow forms that are both stylish.  As the name suggests this car can feel like a party and is a great choice for parents to send their child off to college in.  With a large grill and an aggressive stance, the Fiesta is a great car to choose and at the ST model can come with some great performance features that will be a lot of fun to enjoy.  The SE Black Package offers an exterior that has darkened wheels, exterior mirror housings and other treatments that make the Fiesta look amazing.

To fill the inside of this car with some equipment helps make it more fun to drive and gives you some of the equipment you want, in fact, the most important equipment.  The standard features include air conditioning, a four-speaker audio system, an auxiliary port, Sync AppLink which works with your smartphone, dual USB inputs and keyless entry.  The windows are still crank style in this model of the Fiesta.  At the SE model the Fiesta adds cruise control, power windows and the MyKey system.  The MyKey system allows you to set the driving parameters such as top speed and location for the key in use.  At the top of the line the Titanium model includes a rearview camera with reverse-sensing system, a Sony premium audio system, leather seating, heated front seats, automatic climate control and the newest Sync system.

Heading to the optional features for this car the features that can be added include the Sync infotainment system, a navigation system, a power moonroof, heated front seats, satellite radio and an automatic transmission.  The ST hatchback can be upgraded to be more track ready than ever before by adding racier hood stripes and Recaro seats.  The wheel sizes range up to 17-inches and the Fuel Economy Package on the Se adds the 1.0-liter three-cylinder engine to get the best fuel efficiency possible.

The drive of the Fiesta is akin to driving a European hatchback, which is exactly what you want.  This gives us a car that is comfortable and controlled with the ability to respond instantly to the inputs from you for acceleration or driving.  Just because you have to shop in the bargain bin of cars does not mean you have to drive something that can’t even get up to speed and will get you run over on the interstate.  Instead the Fiesta has plenty of fun to be had and a makes for fun to drive car that allows you to feel like you got a lot for your money instead of feeling as if you had to settle for something unworthy of your driving time.

Since I have told you over and again this car is on the inexpensive side, it’s time to let you know how much you do have to pay to drive the Ford Fiesta.  The base price for the S model sedan shows up at $15,455.  When looking toward the SE model the starting price to have the additional equipment shows up at a very acceptable $16,685 with the top of the line Titanium coming in at $19,405 making this one of the only cars that offers a top model for under $20,000.  To have any of these models in the hatchback form the price moves up by only $300, giving you a reasonably priced choice.  The ST comes in with a starting price of $22,335 and can be brought up to the mid-$20,000 price which is still very reasonable for this nice little car.

This post may contain affiliate links. Meaning a commission is given should you decide to make a purchase through these links, at no cost to you. All products shown are researched and tested to give an accurate review for you.

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