Fiesta Titanium Suits Downsizing Boomers
Years ago, auto industry analysts and manufacturers’ marketing people did their best to look into the future.
What they saw wasn’t a huge surprise. They surmised that just as millions of Baby Boomers would be downsizing their housing, they also would be downsizing their vehicles.
If that came to pass, it wouldn’t take a genius to figure out that those Boomers would want luxury in their little cars. Thus came the self-fulfilling prophecy of the “well-appointed’’ small car.
While a high-end subcompact sounds like a contradiction in terms, that’s what the market has produced.
That’s also what we found ourselves in today: a 2014 Ford Fiesta Titanium. The Fiesta comes in a variety of trim levels, S, SE, Titanium, and the sport-tuned ST.
Fiestas have three engines, the base 1.6-liter four-cylinder that was in our test car, a new 1.0-liter three-cylinder EcoBoost aimed at fuel economy, and a turbocharged version of the 1.6-liter that’s in the performance-oriented ST.
Our test vehicle had the optional six-speed automatic transmission, a major component that Ford’s engineers are still trying to program just right.
We found the powertrain to be a bit twitchy when moving in slow traffic. However, the car would take off smoothly and quickly from a stop, rapidly running through gear changes.
Our test driving was done in Naples, Florida, where the driving patterns are quite different from Massachusetts’. Naples, a sprawling city, is laid out in big grids with three- and four-lane roads. You zip along at 45 to 50 miles per hour for two or three miles, then stop at a series of traffic lights. Waits at major intersections are a couple of minutes.
The Fiesta, while small in this city’s parade of upscale sedans and SUVs, held its own quite nicely. It has quick steering and a firm suspension that made lane changes and merges a breeze because the engine was running in its comfort zone at those mid-range speeds.
And, yes, our test car was upscale. The base price was $18,800, plus a $795 destination charge. Among the long list of standard features were Bluetooth and a iPod connection. Useful items included a rear wiper, integrated “spot’’ side mirrors to give expanded blind-spot coverage, the love-it-or-hate-it MyFord Touch infotainment system, a rear view camera, parking sensors, keyless ignition, heated leather seats, Sony speakers, and auto-dimming rear mirror.
The six-speed automatic transmission added $1,095, navigation was $795, and a ruby red clear coat was $395. Bottom line: $21,880.
If I were buying a Fiesta, I’d strongly consider the ST package and a manual transmission—assuming my normal driving pattern didn’t include lots of time creeping along in metro-area commuter traffic. It would be more fun to drive and retain its value down the road.
Fuel economy ratings are 29 city, 39 highway, and 32 combined. Driving in March in Florida, it’s easy to run near the max numbers. We averaged 38.2 despite lots of long waits at those red lights—not to mention some idling time while trying to take a good photo of the Fiesta.
Mrs. G liked the Fiesta a lot and stole my overall critique by saying, “It’s a wonderful car for one person or a couple. The cabin is luxurious, and there’s plenty of front-seat legroom. But the rear seat is cramped and the cargo area is small.’’
Ford has come up with a great solution to the challenge of building a small car. It’s quite different from Nissan, which has put its emphasis in the subcompact Versa on amazing rear legroom and cargo room. Ford’s taken a different approach. The upsides are the lively engines, great fuel economy, luxurious cabin, terrific handling, and lots of high-end options.
One reason for our Fiesta hatchback’s lack of cargo space is because the car is 13.8 inches shorter than the sedan. There’s practically zero overhang behind the rear wheels. Of course, with the rear view camera and parking sensors, this hatch is a breeze to park.
For those of us who would consider using it as a two-person vehicle with the rear seats folded, there’s a hitch: The rear seats don’t fold flat to make a uniform cargo area. That’s a downer, but there’s a cargo upside, too. Ford has left a generous hidden compartment under the rear cargo floor to stash belongings out of sight.
Overall, the car gives a feeling of quality and luxury beyond its size.
I’m your basic 6-foot, 190-pound American male. I’m comfortable in the Fiesta, but my choice would be to opt up one size to the Focus. However, were I a tad smaller, the Fiesta might be a perfect fit both physically and fiscally.
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