Just because a car is on the lower end of the pricing spectrum does not mean it can’t offer some excellent variety. The Ford Fiesta is the least expensive Ford in the entire lineup yet you can purchase a sedan, five-door hatchback, or the ST. This gives you a variety of choices in order to make the best one and have a great car to drive that is inexpensive and reliable. The Fiesta makes a fantastic gift for a student heading off to college and can be give years of great driving and fun on any road.
Fuel efficiency is certainly one of the main concerns for those who are purchasing the Fiesta. This car is typically bought by parents of students or by young professionals who are just starting out. Either way the Fiesta needs to deliver and it does. The base engine you get is a 1.6-liter inline four-cylinder engine that comes in with 120 horsepower and 112 lb.-ft. of torque. This engine is attached to either a six-speed automatic or a five-speed manual transmission, bringing in fuel numbers of 28 city/36 hwy mpg for the manual, 27 city/37 hwy mpg for the automatic and 28 city/38 hwy mpg for the automatic with the fuel-saving package.
For even more fuel efficiency you can choose the smaller engine which is a 1.0-liter turbocharged inline three-cylinder engine. This gives you 123 horsepower and 125 lb.-ft. of torque which is a nice small step up in power. The only transmission choice fir this engine is a five-speed manual which helps produce the 31 city/43 hwy mpg of fuel mileage this model enjoys.
At the top of the power structure, found in the ST is the 1.6-liter turbocharged inline four-cylinder engine that carries in 197 horsepower and 202 lb.-ft. of torque. At this nice amount of power is attached a six-speed manual transmission to help with the gearing and make use of all of the power. The fuel numbers for this powertrain still come in at a very reasonable and enjoyable 26 city/35 hwy mpg.
Now that we have covered the fact the Fiesta is highly fuel efficient the next question to answer is whether or not you really want to drive this car. As a car that has carried over from Europe the Fiesta feels comfortable and controlled on the road and has the ability to maneuver in and out of the traffic easily. None of the engine feel as if they lag behind, making for the right power for this little car that can be your favorite ride.
At the prices for this car you might expect to get very little, but the Fiesta does offer some nice features for you to enjoy. The standard features for the Ford Fiesta S sedan include air conditioning, a four-speaker audio system with auxiliary input, Sync AppLink, two USB ports and keyless entry. Moving up to the SE model brings in cruise control, power windows and the MyKey system. At the Titanium trim the car includes a rearview camera with a reverse sensing system, a Sony premium audio system, leather seating with heated front seats, automatic climate control and the latest Sync system.
That’s not bad for the prices paid and there are a few items that can be added. The additions include the Sync infotainment system, a navigation system, a power moonroof, heated front seats, satellite radio, and the automatic transmission. The Fiesta ST hatchback can be upgraded with hood stripes and Recaro seats. The wheels for this car range up to 17-inches to give larger wheels, which is always a plus.
As an inexpensive car the Fiesta S sedan begins at $15,455 with the SE starting at $16,685. The top end still starts under $20,000 with the Titanium starting at $19,405. The hatchback will cost an additional $300 and the ST does begin its existence a little higher at $22,335, but that’s not bad at all for a hot hatch. With some of the features listed you can easily bring the price into the mid-$20,000 range, but that is more than affordable and with luxury-like features makes a great choice. The Fiesta is an energetic little car that can certainly reflect your personality or that of your college bound student who is getting ready to head out on their own for the first time ever.
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