Ford Fiesta hatchback 2008 – 2012
We take a quick look at a used car best seller with great looks and some substance too!
We’ll kick off this small review by talking about what’s good about the Ford Fiesta and there’s no better place to start than the overall design. It’s certainly a huge leap forward over the previous generation and it’s a lot more modern looking than a lot of its key rivals.
Ok, we all know that beauty is in the eye of the beholder where most people who own a Ford Fiesta tend to think it’s pretty good looking and it’s hard to disagree. It’s the same story inside too where the cabin has bags of character and the layout of everything has a real sporty feel about it. We particularly like the way Ford have arranged the buttons on the central console. It has a similar appearance to that of a mobile phone making it very easy to actually access all of the car’s entertainment and communication functions.
Another great thing about the Fiesta is that the driving position is pretty much spot on and there’s a huge range of adjustment in the driving seat and the steering wheel. What this means is that you can get comfortable regardless of your size or shape.
When you get to drive the Fiesta you’ll find the steering both accurate and light while the handling is nimble yet totally stable. In fact, throw in the very slick gear change and it means that this little car is a huge amount of fun going around twisty roads.
What’s particularly impressive is that despite the sporty driving experience the Fiesta is still very comfortable. The way its suspension absorbs bumps and pot holes puts much larger cars to shame (we’re pointing the finger at the Audi A5!). As for the engines they are all fairly nippy and well refined though we would recommend the 1.25 ltr and the 1.6 ltr petrol versions.
There’s certainly a lot to like about the Fiesta but unfortunately there’s also some things that aren’t so good. You can get the car in a 3-door guise but if you’ll be carrying rear passengers regularly you’ll definitely want to plump for the 5-door version. However, even if you did veer toward the 5-door your passengers would probably be more comfortable in a Volkswagen Polo. That’s because the Fiesta’s swooping roofline means that the headroom is a little bit limited and the leg room isn’t much better either. The boot is a decent size and you can get bags more room by folding down the split 60\40 rear seats. However, when folded the seats don’t lay flat so the load area is quite awkward in shape.
If you stepped into a Volkswagen Polo and then immediately sat in the Fiesta you would be surprised to discover that the Fiesta actually costs more than the Polo. That’s mainly because the Polo has a better overall quality feel than the Fiesta. However, if you’re the kind of person that puts style and fun ahead of image and practicality then the Fiesta is an excellent choice!
