2010 Ford Fiesta TDCI Trend 1.4 turbo diesel
Summary:
Nice ride for everyday commuting
Faults:
Basically nothing so far. Though there were minor issues when the car was brand new:
Engine light used to turn on - that caused a loss of power and jerky ride. Dealer remapped the ECU - it sorted out the problem.
The hood was not aligned correctly - the gaps between the hood and the headlights were seriously uneven. That caused some efforts to close the hood. Dealer fixed that.
There was a lack of coolant (about 1 litre) in the system - dealer filled it up, but I had to pay for that extra coolant!..
Recently I've noticed that a handbrake has some too much free play, and there's some squeaking sound coming from the engine when idling. I think dealer will sort that out at the first service.
All in all, no big problems, but quite some issues, which were overlooked by the manufacturer.
General Comments:
This Fiesta is for someone who wants a small vehicle and economical ride. Basically, it fills those needs quite well. The plus sides would be:
Nice seating position. The steering column is adjustable in 4ways - so almost everyone could get a nice fit in the driver's seat.
Good visibility - large windows and lifted seating position sort that pretty well. This Fiesta has some traits of a small minivan - the body and seats are higher than those of previous generations. By the way - this trend is seen in many small hatches today.
Comfortable ride. It's really smooth and absorbing for such a small car. Also the seats are quite comfortable too, offering a good lateral support.
Smooth engine. It's tuned to have all the power and torque at low rpms, so it's easy to ride in everyday traffic. The best grunt is between 2000-3000rpms, though even below 2000 it drives well (if not loaded up), and it's useless to rev it past 3500.
The looks. This is of course personal preference, but I think the styling inside out is one of the strongest points the Fiesta has.
It's quite roomy, even at the back (keeping in mind that we are talking about class B hatch), and has a full size spare tire.
Handles well. The steering is responsive, weight well balanced, the ESP works well if you get yourself in trouble. The weight of the clutch, the power of the brakes and steering - everything is well matched.
Now some downsides:
Not that economical. Ford claims 3.7 highway, 4.7 city and 4.2 avg. In reality you need at least 5L/100kms average. Of course, if you'll drive steady at 80kmh (50mph) you will get 3.7L/100kms, and if your city is without traffic and traffic lights, you might get 4.7L/100kms. But as I prefer some extra speed, my average consumption is a little more than 5 L.
The driver's seat could adjust lower. At its lowest setting it's quite high (I'm 5'10 if you're wondering).
There's no coolant temperature gauge. I find that a bit uncomfortable.
The trunk lacks an extra compartment (or just a stretch net) for small items. And in my opinion the trunk could be some 5cm shorter, allowing more leg room for rear passengers. It's a small car anyway; if you have a big load, you'll need to get the rear seats down anyhow.
In conclusion it's a nice car. Fills all the basic needs of moving around. Feels like a real car too, not like some small shaky bucket with a motorcycle engine.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 7th July, 2011
20th Jan 2014, 03:33
Second update at 99 000km. The car runs well, no major issues, however at this point we discovered that the chassis of the Fiesta is relatively weak... The steering joints (or couplings - I'm not really sure what they're called) are worn out.
The stabilizer couplings are worn out.
The handbrake cable is worn out.
One might think that 99k km is quite good, but have in mind that mostly it was driven on open roads and highways, and nobody excessively used the handbrake...
Anyway I consider this 99k km performance quite decent for such a car.
12th Sep 2016, 18:11
Third update at 179 000km: I'm satisfied with how it held up. No major issues, a couple of front chassis parts had to be replaced, front brake rotors replaced only once, nothing ever replaced on the rear brakes. It runs well. After all this time I can obviously say that for real, the strongest points of this generation Fiesta are: the very ergonomic driver's seating position and the accurate and confidence inspiring handling.
It is a GOOD car of its class.
30th Dec 2012, 07:46
After 2 years and 77 000km, I can fulfill my review even more. First thing to say - it's a good car. During all this driving, I've done ONLY regular services, I haven't changed any mechanical parts or even a single light bulb.
Secondly - as a small car it really does the job. Now - considering the fact that it's a segment B vehicle - the ride is comfortable, high speed cruising is easy, it's well planted on the road, it can cope with heavy loads. City driving of course is a piece of cake.
Talking about the engine - 1.4 TDCi, obviously you can't use words like "powerful", "revvy", "hard pulling", etc. But the torque curve is tuned so that it's always there when you need it. Also it's very "jumpy" of the line, because the ECU is programed to automatically throttle up the engine when the clutch starts gripping. This way it's hard to stall the car and often you don't need to push the throttle before letting out the clutch. And in 1st gear with no throttle, you can go through any incline possible.
You who are truly obsessed with fuel consumption, the TRUE figures are: you'll never average below 4L/100km, and you'll never exceed 7L/100km, no matter how you drive. Real life consumption is somewhere at 5.5L/100km.
If you're looking for a class B hatch and you like the looks of a Fiesta, then after finding your engine and trim and running a decent check on the car's history - go for it!..