Euro Fiesta bests Fit - Inside Line
Euro Fiesta bests Fit - Inside Line
This test is a little ambiguous. They have a Euro-spec Fiesta, with summer tires, requiring 90 octane fuel. It also doesn't have Navi, but has leather and climate control. But Edmund's estimates the as tested price around $500 more than the Fit.
I am glad to see the Fiesta as a promising contender in this segment, and it's clear that this Euro Fiesta bests our Fit in terms of low-end power, but as far as handling, the Michelin Exalto summer tires skew the handling impressions. AND, Edmund's STILL don't realize that they have a defective MT shifter, as they continue to complain that it is loose in feel, as if connected to nothing.
Your thoughts?
Here's the article and vid:
2009 Ford Fiesta vs. 2009 Honda Fit Sport Comparison Test and Video on Inside Line
I am glad to see the Fiesta as a promising contender in this segment, and it's clear that this Euro Fiesta bests our Fit in terms of low-end power, but as far as handling, the Michelin Exalto summer tires skew the handling impressions. AND, Edmund's STILL don't realize that they have a defective MT shifter, as they continue to complain that it is loose in feel, as if connected to nothing.
Your thoughts?
Here's the article and vid:
2009 Ford Fiesta vs. 2009 Honda Fit Sport Comparison Test and Video on Inside Line
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 1,251
From: Winthrop Harbor Illinois/ Presque Isle Wisconsin
Europeans seem to have always bested the Japanese (on average) in great handling and yet compliant suspensions and build some great cars. Unfortunately at least up until now the versions we have gotten are watered down.
+7% displacement and maybe another +7% power due to more aggressive engine management because of premium fuel, sure the engine will be a better performer.
A fairer comparo would be between the Fiesta a Si version of the Fit which does not exist. Hopefully Ford will inspire Honda to do a Si version and kudos to Ford for (what looks like) them finally giving us one of their hot hatches.
+7% displacement and maybe another +7% power due to more aggressive engine management because of premium fuel, sure the engine will be a better performer.
A fairer comparo would be between the Fiesta a Si version of the Fit which does not exist. Hopefully Ford will inspire Honda to do a Si version and kudos to Ford for (what looks like) them finally giving us one of their hot hatches.
Ford will lame the hell out of it before it ever gets to American soil.
actually the shifter not feeling mechanical is something i have heard from several fit reviews on auto journalism sites, and from a new fit owner i met who came from a WRX.
anywho, as much as i like the fiesta, one thing bothers me... i know its wering 15's, but whats the deal with it pulling off numbers that are BARELY better than the fits? and the fit is not just wearing all season tires...its wearing CRAPPY AWFUL all seaon tires!
what would the results looked like if the fit was equipped with said tires hmmm?
i guess it all goes back to feel. if a car feels better doing something, that always outweighs the numbers, but it still doesnt make a strong point for fiesta owners who will say that the fiesta handles 'so much better' than the fit. (maybe the mazda 2 will fix this?)
and the lack of space is a turn off. if you are going to be swimming at the bottom of the totem poll, you better have some nifty tricks up your sleeve to back it up you know?
the only people who dont care about space in a car that are shopping in this price range are the 18-24 year old girls who rather drive something real impractical like a focus or civic coupe. not some nerdy (to them) hatchback. and most people wanting to downgrade to a smaller car who care about driving will probably choose the fit anyway, as it drives almost as well as the fiesta but has SO much more space.
where does this leave the fiesta? honestly, as someone who wants another german car i can understand the attraction to its european-ness, but the only cars to pull that off, at least well enough for me to get into debt for another 5 years, are actually european. no fiesta will feel as planted as a VW golf/rabbit. especially if it weighs less than the fit.
and total fail on that engine output. honda knows how to suck power out of tiny engines. .01 more litres of displacement and a requirement for more expensive fuel for whats basically almost the same amount of hp? please.
anywho, as much as i like the fiesta, one thing bothers me... i know its wering 15's, but whats the deal with it pulling off numbers that are BARELY better than the fits? and the fit is not just wearing all season tires...its wearing CRAPPY AWFUL all seaon tires!
what would the results looked like if the fit was equipped with said tires hmmm?
i guess it all goes back to feel. if a car feels better doing something, that always outweighs the numbers, but it still doesnt make a strong point for fiesta owners who will say that the fiesta handles 'so much better' than the fit. (maybe the mazda 2 will fix this?)
and the lack of space is a turn off. if you are going to be swimming at the bottom of the totem poll, you better have some nifty tricks up your sleeve to back it up you know?
the only people who dont care about space in a car that are shopping in this price range are the 18-24 year old girls who rather drive something real impractical like a focus or civic coupe. not some nerdy (to them) hatchback. and most people wanting to downgrade to a smaller car who care about driving will probably choose the fit anyway, as it drives almost as well as the fiesta but has SO much more space.
where does this leave the fiesta? honestly, as someone who wants another german car i can understand the attraction to its european-ness, but the only cars to pull that off, at least well enough for me to get into debt for another 5 years, are actually european. no fiesta will feel as planted as a VW golf/rabbit. especially if it weighs less than the fit.
and total fail on that engine output. honda knows how to suck power out of tiny engines. .01 more litres of displacement and a requirement for more expensive fuel for whats basically almost the same amount of hp? please.
Don't know where they got the cheap price for the Fiesta from - it's 14.500 Euro in Germany, which is over $21.000 at the current exchange rate...
The Fiesta has been around for years and years in Europe, and it's a nice car. I wonder how it's gonna look like when it comes to the US.
Finally, another small car that looks pretty good! Looking forward to it.
The Fiesta has been around for years and years in Europe, and it's a nice car. I wonder how it's gonna look like when it comes to the US.
Finally, another small car that looks pretty good! Looking forward to it.
+1 on the comparing euro spec to us spec... two totally different markets with different smog restrictions/crash test standards/etc...
btw hows the fuel economy on the fiesta??
*edit* autoblog got 38 mpg.. which matches a lot of our real, non-epa estimate mpgs for our GEs...
http://www.autoblog.com/2009/06/26/r...r-u-s-arrival/
btw hows the fuel economy on the fiesta??
*edit* autoblog got 38 mpg.. which matches a lot of our real, non-epa estimate mpgs for our GEs...
http://www.autoblog.com/2009/06/26/r...r-u-s-arrival/
Last edited by dela; Sep 21, 2009 at 02:20 PM.
Member
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 300
From: Milwaukee
Also interesting is how they fail to mention fuel economy numbers. Duh!! They are economy cars. How can they not mention this? Why? Because that would conflict with their winning choice. The Fit easily trumps the Fiesta in mpg.
Member
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 181
From: Rochester Hills, MI
From most projections I've heard, no, that is not the case. I've heard rumors of mid-30s combined EPA ratings.
Member
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 953
From: NY
'Crappy awful' tires on the Fit? I guess I know shit about tires, because they're getting me back home safely without one worry thus far and they don't feel or respond crappy awful, to me. I've had all kinds of tires on my cars through the years-from cheap to expensive and the stock all season dunlops don't feel or handle poorly to me- even in heavy rain. But I'm not knowledgable in such things- I just drive. So what do I know? Except to say, they haven't caused me a problem. I hear so much crap about the dunlops and I just don't get it.
As for comparisons between ford and honda- for me a new ford means nothing. That's when it's on it's best behavior. Compare the sucker to a honda 7- 10 years down the line, when fords start a rapid self destruction and honda just keeps sailing along. All my fords gave me trouble in the long run, and I'm a long run owner. So...no thanks.
Dan
As for comparisons between ford and honda- for me a new ford means nothing. That's when it's on it's best behavior. Compare the sucker to a honda 7- 10 years down the line, when fords start a rapid self destruction and honda just keeps sailing along. All my fords gave me trouble in the long run, and I'm a long run owner. So...no thanks.
Dan
Comparison Test: 2009 Ford Fiesta Titanium vs. 2009 Honda Fit Sport
2009 Honda Fit Sport Long-Term Road Tests Blog on Edmunds' Inside Line
'Crappy awful' tires on the Fit? I guess I know shit about tires, because they're getting me back home safely without one worry thus far and they don't feel or respond crappy awful, to me. I've had all kinds of tires on my cars through the years-from cheap to expensive and the stock all season dunlops don't feel or handle poorly to me- even in heavy rain. But I'm not knowledgable in such things- I just drive. So what do I know? Except to say, they haven't caused me a problem. I hear so much crap about the dunlops and I just don't get it.
As for comparisons between ford and honda- for me a new ford means nothing. That's when it's on it's best behavior. Compare the sucker to a honda 7- 10 years down the line, when fords start a rapid self destruction and honda just keeps sailing along. All my fords gave me trouble in the long run, and I'm a long run owner. So...no thanks.
Dan
As for comparisons between ford and honda- for me a new ford means nothing. That's when it's on it's best behavior. Compare the sucker to a honda 7- 10 years down the line, when fords start a rapid self destruction and honda just keeps sailing along. All my fords gave me trouble in the long run, and I'm a long run owner. So...no thanks.
Dan
I had dunlops, they were good on handling and a piece of shit mileage wise lol... I forget how many miles I got on them before I had to replace them. I bought 60k or so mile tires for it, I have put about 15k-20k on the tires with crazy canyon driving and the tires look brand new still.
However, back to the fiesta: I saw one in the torrance/gardena area a few weeks ago, that car is bad ass! I'm hoping that FORD learns and brings its euro spec fiesta because that is one awesome car to have. PS check out the episode of top gear:
YouTube - Jeremy's Extreme Ford Fiesta road test
Hope that link helps you guys out.
Nacho
Someone that spends her life on FitFreak.net
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 1,448
From: West Coast, USA
'Crappy awful' tires on the Fit? I guess I know shit about tires, because they're getting me back home safely without one worry thus far and they don't feel or respond crappy awful, to me. I've had all kinds of tires on my cars through the years-from cheap to expensive and the stock all season dunlops don't feel or handle poorly to me- even in heavy rain. But I'm not knowledgable in such things- I just drive. So what do I know? Except to say, they haven't caused me a problem. I hear so much crap about the dunlops and I just don't get it.
As for comparisons between ford and honda- for me a new ford means nothing. That's when it's on it's best behavior. Compare the sucker to a honda 7- 10 years down the line, when fords start a rapid self destruction and honda just keeps sailing along. All my fords gave me trouble in the long run, and I'm a long run owner. So...no thanks.
Dan
As for comparisons between ford and honda- for me a new ford means nothing. That's when it's on it's best behavior. Compare the sucker to a honda 7- 10 years down the line, when fords start a rapid self destruction and honda just keeps sailing along. All my fords gave me trouble in the long run, and I'm a long run owner. So...no thanks.
Dan
If I was in a competition or really pushing a car, it probably would make a HUGE amount of difference to switch out tires and wheels, etc. But I'm not.
When the time comes to replace the tires because they are worn out, I'll probably check Consumer Reports or similar sites and look for a good value on a long-wearing, durable tire.
I don't need sticky tires when most of my cornering takes place from a dead stop with a turn signal at an intersection.
And yes, I am a long term planned owner. I haven't had my Fit for a year yet. I have no intention trading over for another car.
BUT, I applaud Ford for making the effort and seeing the feisty Fiesta being compared to a Fit certainly will draw some buyers over to the Ford. Which helps to keep Honda on it's toes too. Which is a good thing.
What happens when everyone does the same bland thing? Well, you get the Big 3 meltdown. None of them were pushing the other to innovate or forge a new path.
Ford is doing pretty darn good. Chrysler, well, have ya seen this...
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/21/bu...a/21press.html
Chrysler exec Jim Press owes IRS, credit union more than $1.4M | detnews.com | The Detroit News
Do you really want an executive that does that bad of a job with his own planning? Uh...NO.
Ford is moving to the top of the US automakers, I think we'll see some good things coming from them in the future. They're miles ahead of Chevrolet and fully dusted Chrysler in Consumer Reports Reliability:
http://blogs.edmunds.com/strategies/Reliability.jpg
I love the way the Fit comes fully loaded. But I still want the leather seats, and if the Fiesta will be coming with leather and that sways some people towards the Ford, you can bet that Honda will indeed begin to offer that option in this country too.
They WON'T do it unless pushed by competition. I generally don't give a crap about concept vehicles. And using a Euro vehicle against a US vehicle is similar, because that may NOT be the vehicle that ends up here. Like was done with the Smart car. Lots of variation in Europe. Jack squat in the US.
We'll just have to wait and see if we get a full-out Euro version or a dumbed-down US version.
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 1,251
From: Winthrop Harbor Illinois/ Presque Isle Wisconsin
+1 .................
i'm with you on the tires. Real life v. test track/extreme driving. Real life for my own uses means "The tires are round, hold air, fit on the steelies without falling off and thus far haven't exploded or left trails of rubber parts." So I'm satisfied.
If I was in a competition or really pushing a car, it probably would make a HUGE amount of difference to switch out tires and wheels, etc. But I'm not.
When the time comes to replace the tires because they are worn out, I'll probably check Consumer Reports or similar sites and look for a good value on a long-wearing, durable tire.
I don't need sticky tires when most of my cornering takes place from a dead stop with a turn signal at an intersection.
And yes, I am a long term planned owner. I haven't had my Fit for a year yet. I have no intention trading over for another car.
BUT, I applaud Ford for making the effort and seeing the feisty Fiesta being compared to a Fit certainly will draw some buyers over to the Ford. Which helps to keep Honda on it's toes too. Which is a good thing.
What happens when everyone does the same bland thing? Well, you get the Big 3 meltdown. None of them were pushing the other to innovate or forge a new path.
Ford is doing pretty darn good. Chrysler, well, have ya seen this...
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/21/bu...a/21press.html
Chrysler exec Jim Press owes IRS, credit union more than $1.4M | detnews.com | The Detroit News
Do you really want an executive that does that bad of a job with his own planning? Uh...NO.
Ford is moving to the top of the US automakers, I think we'll see some good things coming from them in the future. They're miles ahead of Chevrolet and fully dusted Chrysler in Consumer Reports Reliability:
http://blogs.edmunds.com/strategies/Reliability.jpg
I love the way the Fit comes fully loaded. But I still want the leather seats, and if the Fiesta will be coming with leather and that sways some people towards the Ford, you can bet that Honda will indeed begin to offer that option in this country too.
They WON'T do it unless pushed by competition. I generally don't give a crap about concept vehicles. And using a Euro vehicle against a US vehicle is similar, because that may NOT be the vehicle that ends up here. Like was done with the Smart car. Lots of variation in Europe. Jack squat in the US.
We'll just have to wait and see if we get a full-out Euro version or a dumbed-down US version.
If I was in a competition or really pushing a car, it probably would make a HUGE amount of difference to switch out tires and wheels, etc. But I'm not.
When the time comes to replace the tires because they are worn out, I'll probably check Consumer Reports or similar sites and look for a good value on a long-wearing, durable tire.
I don't need sticky tires when most of my cornering takes place from a dead stop with a turn signal at an intersection.
And yes, I am a long term planned owner. I haven't had my Fit for a year yet. I have no intention trading over for another car.
BUT, I applaud Ford for making the effort and seeing the feisty Fiesta being compared to a Fit certainly will draw some buyers over to the Ford. Which helps to keep Honda on it's toes too. Which is a good thing.
What happens when everyone does the same bland thing? Well, you get the Big 3 meltdown. None of them were pushing the other to innovate or forge a new path.
Ford is doing pretty darn good. Chrysler, well, have ya seen this...
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/21/bu...a/21press.html
Chrysler exec Jim Press owes IRS, credit union more than $1.4M | detnews.com | The Detroit News
Do you really want an executive that does that bad of a job with his own planning? Uh...NO.
Ford is moving to the top of the US automakers, I think we'll see some good things coming from them in the future. They're miles ahead of Chevrolet and fully dusted Chrysler in Consumer Reports Reliability:
http://blogs.edmunds.com/strategies/Reliability.jpg
I love the way the Fit comes fully loaded. But I still want the leather seats, and if the Fiesta will be coming with leather and that sways some people towards the Ford, you can bet that Honda will indeed begin to offer that option in this country too.
They WON'T do it unless pushed by competition. I generally don't give a crap about concept vehicles. And using a Euro vehicle against a US vehicle is similar, because that may NOT be the vehicle that ends up here. Like was done with the Smart car. Lots of variation in Europe. Jack squat in the US.
We'll just have to wait and see if we get a full-out Euro version or a dumbed-down US version.
agree 100% in that Ford is miles ahead of Chevy and Dodge... Dodge continues to make bullshit small cars and huge v8's... They are now selling the Viper brand and want to put the Viper engine into their crewcab duallies... Now that is stupid.
Chevy, they've been making nice smaller suv's that can compare to the honda crv, however honda crv gives you 400+ miles to the tank, my bro proved it to me from l.a. to oklahoma this year. Chevy will hopefully make a nice comeback as I have always been a fan of american cars, however since 1996 we've had nothing but honda's in a family of ford/chevy cars.
Member
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 94
From: Chicagoland
they had a weeklong street demonstration of new fiestas in DT Chicago month or 2 ago (or so). car looked really good, but for me fiesta's sole purpose is to pressure Honda into building even better vehicles. although i admit i just couldn't allocate time for a test drive so i have no idea how fiesta drives and such.
but as far as stock tires, while i'm no guru but i find stock quite good, perhas even very good, compared to what came stock on other cars (wifes camry, sisters in law solara, father inlaw avalon. i'm living with toyota people as you can tell) . that's wet or dry. even now with 20K+ miles on the original tires it is better then new set of "better then standart " grade all season tires we got for the camry.
and snow traction is best then anything i ever experienced
(havent done any polar jeep trips though.)
but as far as stock tires, while i'm no guru but i find stock quite good, perhas even very good, compared to what came stock on other cars (wifes camry, sisters in law solara, father inlaw avalon. i'm living with toyota people as you can tell) . that's wet or dry. even now with 20K+ miles on the original tires it is better then new set of "better then standart " grade all season tires we got for the camry.
and snow traction is best then anything i ever experienced
(havent done any polar jeep trips though.)