Ford Fiesta TDCi ZXi - Month1 Review

After extensive deliberation (and no little research) I decided to plump 8.5 L of my hard-earned (ok, ok, not exactly) cash on the Fiesta TDCi ZXi. Some of my initial observations on the car for your benefit (hopefully)!

A word of warning though – the car is only a month old. I have, therefore followed the instructions provided to me pretty religiously. Hence, no speeding beyond 80, no revving at low rpm, no highway driving and generally has been handled with kid gloves. I shall update this when I get the car back from my first service and have started to explore its limits.

Engine, Gear Box, Drivability: Extremely refined for a diesel engine, though not as noiseless as some of the reviews might lead you to believe. However, if you switch on the AC, draw up the windows and you hardly hear any noise. Slight sluggishness and minor lag at low rpm - but very negligible and surely forgivable for its many other positives. Extremely smooth gear shifts – the car is tailor made for city driving in India. You are very comfortable driving at low speeds and low gear. The entire car has a very solid feel about it – from the reassuring “thud” the doors give you when you gently close them to the stability of the cars around corners to the smooth braking. It is definitely a drivers cars, without the sporty feel and exhilarating acceleration

Exteriors: Much better than the Ikon. I especially like the smooth body flow and the head-lamps. I do have some grudging admiration for the quirky looks of the Verna though!

Interiors: Pretty much satisfactory, though it gives a “plasticky” feeling for an expensive (hey, it is for me) car. Some good touches include:
(a) Warning when the headlamps are switched on while you exit
(b) Reading lamps at the rear
(c) Very comfortable seats – especially at the rear.
(d) “Kilometers to empty” is a cool feature to have – though I have my doubts about its accuracy!

Mileage: Have consciously not checked this yet – but I think I am currently getting upwards of 15kmpl – will keep you posted on this during my 3 month update!

Cons: There are a few which a potential buyer should be aware of:
(a) Ford is an expensive car to own – period. The savings you gain for this miserly diesel car would be more than off-set by the maintenance costs you may have to bear over the years.
(b) Limited options for authorized service stations in most cities
(c) Hydraulic power steering just does not give you the same joy as the electronic power steering does – that is a big negative
(d) Finally, it is clearly not a sporty car – I expect to have a lot of complaints about not being able to eat up the road on highways.

To summarize, I am pretty happy with what I have got; but I knew of most of the negative before I got the car and hence my expectations were suitably tempered. Know what you are getting into and buy the car on its positives – primarily fuel economy and driving and riding comforts and you will do fine!