- Messages
- 393
- Likes
- 2
- City
- Houston
Driving enthusiasts think that plucky, underpowered subcompacts, such as the Ford Fiesta, beg for the driver involvement that comes from a three-pedal, manual gearbox. This is one reason we've eschewed the Blue Oval's PowerShift six-speed automatic for the standard five-speed manual in all our previous tests of the car, which is one of our favorites in the class. This review marks the first time we've strapped our test gear to a Fiesta fitted with the optional ($1095) automatic, and the results left us pleasantly surprised.
Unlike the competition, the Fiesta has an automatic transmission of the dual-clutch variety rather than a conventional automatic. This type of gearbox often means clumsy, stuttering drive-off behavior from rest because it lacks a torque converter, which has both a torque-multiplication effect and smoothens the power delivery. Ford's initial programming when it introduced the car in 2011 also lacked the crisp, rapid-fire shifts we've come to expect from other dual-clutch gearboxes, which can be more typically found in high-performance vehicles. In principle, though, we tend to prefer dual-clutch automatics over the continuously variable transmissions (CVT) often found in small cars.
Shifting Ahead
The Fiesta was lightly refreshed for 2014, and Ford made revisions to the transmission's tuning that have greatly improved the on-road demeanor of recent models. Ratios now swap with greater assertiveness, and the throttle tip-in character better mimics a conventional automatic's. While an awkward thumb toggle on the side of the shifter is the only means of manually swapping gears, dropping the selector into its S position calls up a cleverly tuned Sport mode that raises the shift points, readily downshifts on its own, and still allows for cruising in top gear.
Our 2016 SE hatchback test car had the standard 1.6-liter four-cylinder, which emits a pleasant growl as it produces 120 horsepower at 6350 rpm and 112 lb-ft of torque way up at 5000 rpm. (Ford does not offer any automatic option on Fiestas with the 1.0-liter EcoBoost three-cylinder, a $995 option.) There's still some hesitation as the dual-clutch transmission engages when departing from a standstill, but it's less jolting than before. For maximum acceleration, hold down both pedals and watch the engine zing to 3000 rpm before releasing the brake pedal. At that point the gearbox sharply engages the clutch. Aided by this aggressive launch technique, our test car took 8.7 seconds to get to 60 mph and passed through the quarter-mile in 16.8 seconds at 83 mph. That would have placed it near mid-pack in our last B-segment comparison test, as would its 2570-pound curb weight; the Fiesta lost out to the Mazda 2 and the previous-generation Honda Fit in its initial comparison test in 2010, so it hasn't been invited back for later rounds.
The automatic's EPA ratings are 1 mpg worse than the manual's, at 27 mpg city and 37 mpg highway, and our observed 29 mpg puts it at the low end of this economy-conscious segment as a whole. But we tend to use wide-open throttle a little more often than most drivers, so 30 mpg or higher in the real world is a reasonable projection.
Life with Tiny
The basic Fiesta can't do fun like its sportier ST sibling, but it's nicely composed on the road for a small car with a stubby 98-inch wheelbase. The diminutive footprint makes the ride rather busy on the highway, as well as bumpy over rougher pavement. But that's par for the course for cars at the Fiesta's minimal cost of entry ($14,965 for the S sedan, $15,265 for the S hatch).
Body motions are well managed, and decent grip from the 15-inch Hankook Optimo all-seasons produced a 173-foot stop from 70 mph and 0.83 g of lateral grip-both of which would've topped the charts in the most recent segment comparo. Ford lets drivers deactivate the Fiesta's traction control, but the always-on electronic stability system restrains the car's at-the-limit performance. We wish the rather numb electrically assisted steering was as communicative as that on the ST, or even the Honda Fit, our current champ in the nonperformance portion of the segment. At the same time, the steering is precise and provides adequate confidence when pitching the car into corners.
Although the Fiesta is among the most refined and quietest of the subcompacts, its cramped, basic interior is a trade-off for affordability, and the Ford entry measures in as the least spacious in its class. The tight back seat is a squeeze for adults, and the Fiesta's second row doesn't fold completely flat like the Fit's. The front seats are comfortable but lacking in thigh and side support, and soft-touch surfaces are few and far between among the swaths of hard plastics. The overall design looks a bit dated and fussier than we'd like, as is the operation of the standard Sync interface and its tiny center screen; Ford's vastly improved Sync 3 system with navigation and a 6.5-inch color display is a $795 option on SE and Titanium trims but is not available on the base S model. Fiesta hatchbacks get an additional demerit for poorer rear-window visibility than the sedan, owing to the sloping rooflines.
Small But Not Stripped
The handsome hatchback carries a $300 premium over the frumpier-looking sedan; our mid-grade SE hatchback test car started at a respectable $16,495. Seven airbags, USB and 12-volt outlets, and a tilting-and-telescoping steering column are among the standard amenities on all Fiestas, with the SE trim adding power windows, cruise control, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, Ford's MyKey security feature, and more. The SE also opens up access to fancier extras, such as the 123-hp turbo inline-three engine, Sync 3, a cold-weather package ($290), and a couple of appearance upgrades.
Along with the PowerShift automatic, the only other option on our test car was White Platinum Metallic Tri-Coat paint ($595), which-after a $490 Sync & Sound discount-made for an as-tested figure of $18,185. The Fiesta's top-level Titanium trim-which brings leather seating, 16-inch wheels, automatic climate control, a rearview camera, and more-starts at $18,915. At that point, stretching for the delightful, manual-only ST ($21,845) becomes an enticing prospect.
While the Fiesta is not the biggest, the quickest, or the best value in its segment, it's a capable and refined little car at a reasonable price, and it's fully competitive with newer entries from Chevrolet, Honda, Kia, and Toyota. We'd still prefer to save the money and handle shifting duties ourselves, but opting for this improved version of the dual-clutch automatic does little to dilute the Fiesta driver's overall experience.
Read more on Car and Driver.
