Would you drive this?

[Ant]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/player/nol/newsid_7280000/newsid_7280600/7280652.stm?bw=bb&mp=wm&asb=1&news=1&bbcws=1

Popular as hell over here in Europe but do you think that you (meaning in huge broad sweeping - you 'muricans - terms) would drive something like this? Or do you think Ford has dropped the ball on making this decision to unify the markets?
I've read a few of the threads regarding cars and Ford etc and I must say that over here Ford are very competitive, their cars are good quality and their range covers pretty much every useage scenario you could want. I just wonder whether the US is ready for the Fiesta

Oh and it was engineered over here in Europe, you guys obviously weren't trusted with it lest it become twice the size and a V10 Just don't put much faith in the parking brake... Not that I have anything to do with that... No no no no.... (wanders off whistling)

[miles]

The Focus has sold well here since its inception.  I see no reason this car shouldn't, too.

[Ant]

The Focus has sold well here since its inception.  I see no reason this car shouldn't, too.

The Fiesta is a step down in size from the Focus so I just wondered whether it would be a step too far so to speak.

Oh and just in case anyone doesn't realise, despite the tongue-in-cheek language in the post I am genuinely interested in how you think this car will be received in the US. As someone who works in the auto industry I see a lot of development being done for smaller cars (smaller being up to saloon sized) and I just wonder how much of what I read about SUV and "trucks" is the norm over in the US.

[chornbe]

I hope a new Fiesta is better than the last one. And the Festiva. They were around when I was working on cars. Thank you, but no.

[cjgauthier]

       It's no surprise that as our fuel prices move up to Europe's that our car choices resemble theirs. We definitely need a commuter car. The gov't here could give us reduced registration costs for anything that gets fifty+ mpg..

[sleazy rider]

I drive a Focus and love it.  It's just big enough for a commuter and gets pretty good mileage to boot.  The rear seats fold down for the occasional larger load and it's even got heated seats.    As to the Festiva and Fiesta, they were rolling tin cans that rusted quickly and never impressed me.  When I drop that kind of money, I expect a vehicle to last more than two years.

[Ant]

I'm not sure what a Festiva is but it sounds like the Fiesta you guys get is a different beast to the one we get. The Fiesta is a good little run about car that can do longer distances as well and they last a good long while. What model year is the Fiesta you're talking about?

[phoenix]

It will depend a little on the specs, but I would give it more than a fighting chance. Scion seems to do well in areas where there are Scion dealers. Other sub compacts survive. And yes, fuel economy (and other things) seem to me to be pushing people in this direction.

http://www.ford.co.za/servlet/ContentServer?cid=1132849271513&pagename=FMCSA%2FDFYPage%2FDefault&c=DFYPage


and also, if you add a racing stripe to it, you can sell damn near anything here



EngineFeature 1.4i 5dr 1.4i Trend 3dr 1.6i Trend 3dr 1.6 TDCi Trend 3dr 1.6i Ambiente 5dr 1.6i Ambiente Auto 5dr 1.6 TDCi Ambiente 5dr 1.6i Ghia 5dr 2.0 ST 3dr
Type Sigma Sigma Sigma  DV6 Sigma  Sigma  DV6 Sigma  Duratec  
Capacity (cc) 1 388 1 388 1 596 1 560 1 596 1 596 1 560 1 596 1 999
Bore and stroke (mm) 76 x 76.5 76 x 76.5 79 x 81.4 75 x 88.3 79 x 81.4 79 x 81.4 75 x 88.3 79 x 81.4 87.5 x 83.1
Compression Ratio 11.0 : 1 11.0 : 1 11.0 : 1 18.0 : 1 11.0 : 1 11.0 : 1 18.0 : 1 11.0 : 1 10.8 : 1
Power (kW) @ rpm 60 @ 5 500 60 @ 5 500 74 @ 6 000 66 @ 3 900 74 @ 6 000 74 @ 6 000 66 @ 3 900 74 @ 6 000 112 @ 6 500
Torque (Nm) @ rpm 128 @ 3 500 128 @ 3 500 146 @ 4 000 204 @ 1 500 146 @ 4 000 146 @ 4 000 204 @ 1 500 146 @ 4 000 190 @ 4 500
Fuel system Sequential electronic multi-point injection Sequential electronic multi-point injection Sequential electronic multi-point injection Common rail, direct injection with turbo Sequential electronic multi-point injection


of course, if you sell it with some hottie included, I will be first in line.

[Flyer]

This was the Festiva:

It was a horrid little sardine can of a "car" that would rust out in a weekend, but got great mileage..,
One motoring generation ago, Ford never really did themselves any favours with their small cars. It was almost as if they were offering them grudgingly, and they'd really rather you bought a Town Car.
Across the pond, you take your small cars much more seriously, and the new offering Fiesta looks cool as heck. Sporty, well styled inside and out, and the Zetec series motors have a pretty good rep. over 'ere.
You have to remember too, your idea of a commute over there is barely to the end of the driveway over here, where folks think nothing of commuting three hours/day at interstate (and well above)speeds.

[garry]

What model year is the Fiesta you're talking about?

Per Wikipedia:

The US Mark I Fiesta was built in Saarlouis Germany but to slightly different specifications; US models were Base, Decor, Sport, and Ghia, the Ghia having the highest level of trim. These trim levels changed very little in the US Fiesta's run from 1978 to 1980. All US models featured the more powerful 1.6L Kent (1598cc) 4 cylinder engine (retrofited with a catalytic converter and air pump for lower emissions), energy-absorbing bumpers, side-marker lamps, round sealed-beam headlamps, improved crash dynamics and fuel system integrity as well as optional air conditioning (a/c was not available in Europe).

[Chips]

I'm confused.  Wasn't the Escort supposed to be their first world car?

And speaking of confusing... the 'rest of world' Focus is built on a different platform than the North American Focus.

[ksann]

It would have been high on my shopping list a few months ago before I bought my Civic.

The Civic is bigger than I needed (but the Fit was too noisy).





ken

[Ant]

And speaking of confusing... the 'rest of world' Focus is built on a different platform than the North American Focus.

Yeah, the NA Focus uses the much older C170 platform (and will be doing until 2009) whereas the rest of the world has used the C1 since 2004.

[Ant]

Actually when I think about it the Mondeo was a "world car" too
Trying to think what it was called in NA (why do you guys always have to have different names to the rest of the world!?  )

Edit: Scratch that, a little Wikipedia investigation shows that actually you guys got something that just looked a little like the Mondeo but shared nothing technologically and it was called the "Contour".

[Lazarus]

Edit: Scratch that, a little Wikipedia investigation shows that actually you guys got something that just looked a little like the Mondeo but shared nothing technologically and it was called the "Contour".

And it was also a crappy little car...  I was running a rental car fleet at the time and got saddled with a few.  I'm 6'2 and could barely wedge myself into the driver's seat and handling and acceleration were a joke.  Noisy little bugger too.

[Tar Snake]

I hope a new Fiesta is better than the last one. And the Festiva. They were around when I was working on cars. Thank you, but no.

I disagree. The only car I ever bought brand new from a dealer was a 1994 Ford Aspire, which used pretty much the same drivetrain as the Festiva, but came in the more popular at the time 1990's jelly bean shape.

It ran well, got 39mpg on the highway had a 5-speed manual, A/C, no radio but the wires were already ran for speakers so it was easy to put a nice system in it (did it myself). I'd probably still have it but I got in an accident and found out the hard way it was a "disposable" car. My insurance totalled it.

A brand new car for 10K out the door, I couldn't complain.

[Ant]

It's no wonder you (as a nation) are jaded towards the smaller cars! Any half way decent small car that gets taken to the US seems to be bastardised and made generally shit before it is allowed to hit your shores Is this because of some sort of legislation that is in effect?  

[Iceburg98]

We had the Fiesta once... we gave it back...

On that note, I do drive a Focus and love it - great little car - although i was a bit miffed to learn it wasn't the same one that the Europeans gets, but then we always get the "toned down" versions of European cars over here. I don't think most Americans drive well enough to have "earned" the better European versions yet (although I still wanted a European SVT focus with AWD and 20-some more HP than the American version   )

[chornbe]

I'm not sure what a Festiva is but it sounds like the Fiesta you guys get is a different beast to the one we get. The Fiesta is a good little run about car that can do longer distances as well and they last a good long while. What model year is the Fiesta you're talking about?

Oh, late 70s, early 80s. Absolutely horrible.



And later, the Festiva

[Tar Snake]

I replaced the totalled Aspire with one of these for $2300, and loved it. I think it has good lines, and was a fun car to drive:

A 1990's Dodge Colt (Mitsubishi Mirage)

[Fourstring]

What's with the high beltline and window?  Do European drivers never look when they back up or check their blind spots?  Come to think of it, that would sell in America...

I'm still waiting for the 09 Fit.  It's supposed to fix the gripes with the current model.

[Ant]

What's with the high beltline and window?  Do European drivers never look when they back up or check their blind spots?  Come to think of it, that would sell in America...

I'm still waiting for the 09 Fit.  It's supposed to fix the gripes with the current model.

Look where her head is though, relatively high up in the car. The rear window won't be a problem at all, I can see your point with the side windows but I really think that it is less of an issue than it might appear from the photos. I'll be working on one of the prototypes in the next few months, I'll let you know

[Baz]

This was the Festiva:

It was a horrid little sardine can of a "car" that would rust out in a weekend, but got great mileage..,
One motoring generation ago, Ford never really did themselves any favours with their small cars. It was almost as if they were offering them grudgingly, and they'd really rather you bought a Town Car.
Across the pond, you take your small cars much more seriously, and the new offering Fiesta looks cool as heck. Sporty, well styled inside and out, and the Zetec series motors have a pretty good rep. over 'ere.
You have to remember too, your idea of a commute over there is barely to the end of the driveway over here, where folks think nothing of commuting three hours/day at interstate (and well above)speeds.

You know there are still a few of these around up here pointing out that they survived longer than all their Japanese competition of the time. I have never owned or driven one.

[Mac]

I don't think it would sell in the US. The market here doesn't seem to want a good small car that gets 40+ mpg for a reasonable amount of money. We hate diesels too for some strange reason.

[Tar Snake]

You know there are still a few of these around up here pointing out that they survived longer than all their Japanese competition of the time. I have never owned or driven one.

They were made by KIA in Korea. They aren't bad for what they are, basic economical transpo.

My sister also had the old school Feista which was German. She drove it cross country with her husband and two little kids no problems except the kids drove my brother-in-law insane .

[bomber]

I think it WILL sell -- gas prices are up, which'll have an impact, but I think there is another couple of reasons that will help sales over here in Murica

1 -- the big manufacturers seem to have slowed down taking "wolrd" cars and making them worse for the NA market -- if we get what you guys get, they'll sell (lookit Scions for goodness sakes!)

2 -- youngsters -- the day of the serviable $500 beater is gone (OK, I'm dating myself {quick, mortal or neal sin?}) make that $1500 beater -- a set of plugs, points and an aircleaner will no longer allow the shade tree wrench (or Dad) resurrect a rusty, but affordable, ride of the kids -- first time buyers are kinda stuck for the same reason -- by the time you get into the price range for a dependable, mid- to small-sized car, you could damn near buy one of these, new --

but, in all honesty, my career as a high-powered vehicular marketing mavin has yet to soar, rocket-like, to strataspheric heights -- I've been predicting HD will saturate the market for 30 years now.

;-}

[Giaka]

The Fiesta is a step down in size from the Focus so I just wondered whether it would be a step too far so to speak.

Nope more and more micro cars are showing up on the roads here daily. I for one would like to see a 100 mpg TDi/Hybrid Polo.

[Flyer]

I for one would like to see a 100 mpg TDi/Hybrid Polo.

A TDi Polo GTi!
Gimme about 240hp and 300 ft/lb...

[lizard]

I like the look (esp. with the model) and was somewhat disappointed to hear that it wasn't coming here (initial reports in several US car mags said no to NA). If our gas prices stay above $3/gal and it isn't a POS it will probably sell. I'd consider one especially if it could be had here in a turbo-diesel that makes power and gets good mileage. I'm really po'd that nobody but Mercedes currently offers a car with a diesel here in the US. I can't afford to buy 3 Benz's (one when you get the car, one in parts, and another in labor to maintain it) and I don't want a dually just so I can have a diesel. Hope the Polo diesel gets here in the next 5 years. The Ford looks better though.

[K2D2]

I drive a Scion tC.  It get's about 29 mpg mixed Highway and City driving.  Pretty cool looking car, very spacious inside, minus some head room for the rear passengers.  The better they make these compacts or even sub compacts the more us 'mercains will buy them.  We don't like driving crap.

I saw a Smart car driving on the way home last night in West Hartford.  Barley took up 3/4 of the lane and when I got next to it, the wheel base seemed dangerously short.  I bet it would give my Sprint a run for it's money if we measured up the wheelbases...

K2

To bring this back on topic.  I do like that Ford.  

[FBRR]

Actual Ant Gm are bring in the Astra ( Saturn Astra) nearly unchanged from Europe.
Having driven maor than a few Opels ( Calibra and Vectors ) I've been waitng for a proper SMALL car to be imported or built HERE!!
As gas prices rise, well built "small" cars will be accepted.

Our biggest problem compared to Europe is the safety standards in the USA add far too much weight to our vehilces. We need to put all US vehicles on a diet!!!

[Kat-Rider]

I think the US market will be ready for smaller cars when gas stays around 3.25+ for an extended period.
But..my car is paid for, runs good and gets decent gas (28-30 highway)  At what point does the increased car ins, and picking up a monthly payment offset the gas?
Maybe when I give the Buick to the kids at 16 I will get something like that for my commute to work.

[lanispet]

Popular as hell over here in Europe but do you think that you (meaning in huge broad sweeping - you 'muricans - terms) would drive something like this? Or do you think Ford has dropped the ball on making this decision to unify the markets?
I've read a few of the threads regarding cars and Ford etc and I must say that over here Ford are very competitive, their cars are good quality and their range covers pretty much every useage scenario you could want. I just wonder whether the US is ready for the Fiesta

i've never understood how Ford U.S. has managed to find such a range of utterly clueless fuckups. i swear to God my cat could run the remains of FoMoCo better than the current batch of millionaire mouth-breathers. If Henry I were still alive, he'd be breaking skulls like peanut shells.

The current Euro Focus is sold in the U.S. as the Mazda3. As one might have reason to suspect, it is a full generation ahead of the previous generation platform. At least. Yet, Ford U.S. face-lifted the doddering old Y2k platform for 2008, but made up for it by adding... wait for it... Sync(tm)! Who needs good handling and a comfortable interior when, after a few days of programming, you can get your radio to change stations with your voice and avoid that whole moving-your-hand nonsense!!!

Again. My cat. She's under-employed. Photogenic, soft to the touch, and smarter than anyone at Ford's marketing arm.

People might buy the mini-Ford in the U.S. IF. It drives at least as well as the Honda Fit, Toyota Yaris, and Scion XA. Isn't linked to some ridiculously insulting ad campaign. Gets mileage commensurate with its size (35+++). Can get out of its own way on the Interstate. Isn't named "Fiesta" or "Festiva", which were dead-end piles of dung when Ford tried to foist them off on broke-ass buyers here in the States.

So, at the end of all those "IF"s... is a "No".  

[JoBu]

The fellow in the vid had a point...we Americans are hung up on bigger is better.  Just look at how well small motorcycles sell here.  I'm referring to less than 500cc bikes.  Yes, I know the last style of the Ninja 250 sold very well, but it is often (if not always) looked upon as a "starter bike" or a "girl's bike".  Having just demo'd a new Ninja 250, I was simply blown away.  I certainly fell into the less than 500cc is not enough bike category, but no longer.  

But, back to the topic at hand.  I really like the looks of the new Ford and yes, I'd drive one (especially, if I could get a nice corporate discount).    Personally, I'd LOVE to see a return of the hatchback to the level of popularity experienced in the mid-late 80's.  I like the idea of sportiness combined with utility.  I'm also a huge fan of the station wagon (can't believe I just admitted that).  I was truly bummed when Mazda dropped their Mazda 6 wagon.  I dig the Mazda 3 though.  I'd like to see SUVs and Crossover vehicles lowered quite a bit to improve handling and aerodynamics while still retaining their luggage capacity.  

I do hope this Ford is successful as well as a lot of other smaller hatchbacks and wagons.  I can't help but think their popularity would have to increase somewhat as the fuel prices (and everything else, for that matter) continue to climb.

Cheers,

Joe

[Guzzipat]

I drive a Ford, an 12 year old diesel Mondeo Estate, with 130,000 miles on the clock. I don't like cars much but this one is a good reliable workhorse.

The "world car" idea had been tried before by GM, their attempt was a miserable failure. That was mainly because they tried it with a crap car, the "Vectra". Harldly anyone not given one by their company wanted one.
Ford have a better chance because they make better cars. I am not certain it could ever work. Driving conditions and culture are very different. It's hard enough to find a car that works well in all European conditions, one car for all world conditions ? It can only wind up as a compromise, may be good for Ford, not neccessarily for drivers.

[Ant]

It drives at least as well as the Honda Fit, Toyota Yaris, and Scion XA. Isn't linked to some ridiculously insulting ad campaign. Gets mileage commensurate with its size (35+++). Can get out of its own way on the Interstate. Isn't named "Fiesta" or "Festiva", which were dead-end piles of dung when Ford tried to foist them off on broke-ass buyers here in the States.

Answers to your IFs in order:
Yes it will (if Ford US don't ruin it... it was engineered here though so there is a semi-decent chance of it not happening)
Dunno, all American ads are annoying
Yes it will as long as you don't drop a V6 in it
Yes it will
Brand name issues are one thing but this car appeals to people in their 20s (well it does here) as well and they won't know about the old Festiva or whatever.

So, at the end of all those "IF"s... is a "No".  

Quote a lot of "yes"s (how the hell do you pluralise yes? ) there, and the only maybes are down to Ford US... Hopefullly the yes will still win though

[Ant]

I drive a Ford, an 12 year old diesel Mondeo Estate, with 130,000 miles on the clock. I don't like cars much but this one is a good reliable workhorse.

Me too, except mine isn't the estate version. It is my home away from home, it is a real workhorse. Complete shit-tip full of tools and bits of building material (from working on my house... more convenient to store it in the car since I don't have a garage!) but it never complains no matter what I throw at it.
If i'd looked after it it'd have been a nice looking car still as well.

[Guzzipat]

Me too, except mine isn't the estate version. It is my home away from home, it is a real workhorse. Complete shit-tip full of tools and bits of building material (from working on my house... more convenient to store it in the car since I don't have a garage!) but it never complains no matter what I throw at it.
If i'd looked after it it'd have been a nice looking car still as well.

I only bought mine cause it was cheap, expected very little. I thought if it lasted a year I would be happy, it was just transport.
It is slow, but it is so reliable, never fails to start, even when I go away on the bike and leave it for weeks on end.
It's become a comfortable old friend now, I suppose it will expire some day, then I will just buy another.

If you want a status symbol spend lots of money, if you just want reliable transport get a Mondeo. They just work and seem to thrive on abuse. I am considering shelling out for a full service, the old crate has been so good it deserves it.

[birdrunner]

The current Euro Focus is sold in the U.S. as the Mazda3. As one might have reason to suspect, it is a full generation ahead of the previous generation platform. At least. Yet, Ford U.S. face-lifted the doddering old Y2k platform for 2008,

I drive the Mazda 3.   There's tons of them in my town.  I love it.  It's the best car I've ever owned.   I can't understand why Ford N.A.  insists on giving us the old piece of crap Focus.  (Ok the Focus isn't a complete piece of junk,  but only when not compared to the hugely superior Mazda, or the Euro version.

[MK96xj]

If they gave me one sure i would drive it.

FORD,,,,, FORD,,,,, I'm waiting