2018 Ford Fiesta Reviews

It’s Fiesta time! Following the depressing news of the end of its vehicle production in Australia, Ford finally has something to celebrate.

Can the Ford Fiesta EcoBoost compete with the the Ford Fiesta XR2 in a straight line?

Ford's Fiesta is a small car on the up. Since its fairly low-key start in 2004, when it sold a very respectable 3900 units, the small Ford takes up around ten percent of light car sales, up against the Toyota Yaris and Mazda2.This is a hotly contested segment as the target market is made up of bits of multiple demographics. Ford says first-time buyers, first-time new car buyers and also empty nesters buy these sorts of cars, but a lot more besides will consider it.Ford is at great pains to point out the "premium-ness" of the Fiesta. For now, the Thai-built five-door range is composed of one engine and two models - 1.5 litre four cylinder Ambiente and Trend. Gone is the old diesel - nobody (well, around 3% of buyers) bought them and Ford says that the extra outlay for the diesel made no sense with the petrol engines returning such good fuel economy.The basic Ambiente with steel wheels and a five-speed manual starts at $15,825, rising to $19,825 for the Trend PowerShift. All Fiestas get SYNC, bluetooth and power windows all round as well as cruise control. The Trend  adds 15-inch alloys and front fog lamps to the reasonably generous spec of the Ambiente.In December, the Sport will join the range in either five-speed manual or six-speed PowerShift for $20,525 and $22,525 respectively. The Sport adds bigger wheels again, part leather trim, firmer suspension, Sony stereo (which looks like an explosion in a button factory) and the 1.0 litre EcoBoost engine. Capped priced servicing applies to all and will be around $1900 over six years.The new Fiesta is the old Fiesta but with a mid-life refresh. Cynics might say that the virtually unchanged looks means the company is being lazy, but when a car looks good already, why mess with it?There's been a bit of fiddling with lights and bumpers. The most notable change is the nose - the trapezoid grille has been lifted higher and now sits more proudly, bringing it into line with the rest of the global Ford range.Inside it feels a little dated. The plastics are a bit hard and shiny but seem tough enough. The entertainment controls still look like a 2001 Nokia mobile phone and there are too many buttons. The interior's materials have had a refresh, lifting the cabin. But it's very black in there, saved only by the light-coloured headlining.There's been a fair bit of change under the bonnet. The 1.6 litre petrol is gone in favour of a similar, but smaller, 1.5 litre. It's a bit peaky, 82kW at 6800rpm, but the 140Nm arrives earlier at 4400rpm. It's not relaxed by any stretch, but most buyers won't care. There's a choice of five-speed manual or six-speed double clutch, which Ford calls PowerShift.In December, things get a bit more interesting - Ford's EcoBoost 1.0 litre turbo triple cylinder will come on stream, meaning an impressive 92kW and 170Nm.As before, the Fiesta is a very competent and sometimes even fun car to drive. While the tyres are a bit skinny, there's plenty of grip from the front wheels and a little bit of life in the lax rear end.Ford of Europe took care of the ride and handling, making a few detail changes to the Fiesta. The anti-roll bars are 15 percent stiffer and the electric steering has been tweaked to suit the changes.While the rear-end is still quite soft, the Fiesta's handling finesse has improved. It can be thrashed quite mercilessly through tight and twisty bends, while maintaining composure. It does roll, but it's controlled and progressive.The launch test loop featured some fast bends, one of which had a gigantic dip, but the car shot through it, shrugging off the dive without a noise and the cabin without a squeak.Its limits aren't lofty, but you can have some fun. If you want something with a bit more go, best wait until the 1.0 litre EcoBoost, which is a brilliant engine already available in Ford's EcoSport.The engine gets a bit buzzy towards the redline and seems to sound more breathless in the PowerShift than the five-speed manual. Both transmissions are fine, although you have to wonder why there are only five speeds on the manual.Ford explained that just 30 per cent of Fiesta buyers choose manual. It's not really an excuse in a "premium" hatch, but the dual-clutch PowerShift makes up for it with a sixth gear. Unlike VW's DSG, the Ford is much better off the line, much smoother.It also shifts very smoothly through the gears, even in sport mode. It would be nice for gearshift paddles to be standard, but they are unavailablePassengers should enjoy the ride, too - for a stubby little car, it's very well damped over even big bumps and will handle both highway and city without ruffling anyone's lunch.There's a new ECO feature on all Fiestas, which is  a shift-up indicator on the dashboard, letting you know when to move up a gear to save fuel. If the car thinks you're doing a good job, little tree leaves grow in the dash screen. Cute, but we were too busy having fun on the launch drive route to test that feature, so that will have to wait for a more rigorous test.

The Peugeot 208 GTi is in serious trouble. Just two weeks after we praised it, we've driven the second in a wave of affordable hot hatches coming our way, the Fiesta ST. We're in love all over again, and it's the real thing.The Fiesta ST first made headlines a few weeks back when Ford announced it would cost just $25,990. Standing back and looking at the prices, $25,990 is not a lot more than the excellent but much slower Suzuki Swift Sport, $2000 less than the VW Polo GTI and $4000 less than the 208.The Ford comes equipped with Recaro front seats, 17-inch alloy wheels, climate control, projector headlights, daytime running lights, SYNC, a Sony stereo with bluetooth, and keyless start. A 4.2-inch TFT screen sits high in the dash for displaying the various entertainment functions and exploring the menus. Cruise control is also standard.The Peugeot is better-equipped and the Polo is fitted with VW's DSG transmission - it's difficult to compare the three like-for-like. But cars like this are bought by people who care about the driving, not whether it has sat-nav or dual-zone climate control.The ST is three door only. It's meaner than the five door, lower too. In profile it looks like a big cat with its ears pinned back. The rear seat is easily accessed and while there's enough room for a couple of sub-six footers, their heads will be close to the roof. The new, higher front grille is replaced with blacked-out honeycomb, a subtle rear wing and new front and rear bumpers.The interior is all cloth and because the car comes out of Ford's Cologne plant in Germany, the plastics are all a notch above those found in lesser Fiestas from the Thai plant.Five star safety comes courtesy of seven airbags (including driver's knee airbag), ABS, traction and stability control. An additional feature for wayward teenagers is the ability to set the top speed, an annoying speed limit warning chime and the upper volume limit on the stereo with Ford's MyKey technology.The Fiesta ST also uses a paired mobile phone to place a call to emergency services with a vehicle mounted GPS unit grabbing the location and sending it through. The system is activated by airbag deployments or the fuel cut-off being activated.The ST is powered by a 1.6 litre turbo four cylinder EcoBoost engine. In normal driving it develops 134kW and 240Nm of torque. If you put the boot down, the figures increase to 147kW/290Nm of torque. To do this, the engine management goes into overboost for a maximum of twenty seconds. Ford claims 6.2l/100km and 145g/km of CO2 and a 0-100km/h time of 6.9 seconds.Inspired. The Fiesta ST was tuned by Ford's Team RS crew in Germany, the same people responsible for the Focus ST. A drop of 15mm, a new rear twist beam and thoroughly reworked springs and dampers turn the accomplished Fiesta hatch into a tarmac eating monster.It's much stiffer than the basic car and over poor surfaces, you'll feel it - if you're going slow enough. Kick the car into action, though, and the stiffness melts away into one the finest small car chassis ever to roll off a production line. The front wheels carve through the curves with a simple roll of the wrists. Mid-corner bumps are dismissed, rough tarmac just a mild wriggle while the torque vectoring system (inherited from the Focus) sorts out the mess while you line up the next bend.There's no standout feature, all of it works together beautifully. The brakes - discs all round, unique to the ST - are strong and fade-free, the traction and stability control systems' interventions are subtle and well-tuned. The grip seems never-ending, the ST can be adjusted with brake or throttle right up until you turn in to the corner, the wheels talking to you the whole time. The torque slingshots you out the other side, your whoops of delight echoed by the turbo's "weeee!". There's so much twist you can leave it in third and concentrate on the braking, acceleration and turning.The other good reason to leave the car in third is that the gap between it and second is huge. Shifting down simply causes a racket from the engine as it bounces off the redline in all but the tightest of corners. When you're off the gas, it behaves almost like any other Fiesta, just a bit stiffer. If you're stuck in traffic, you've got a good Sony stereo to entertain you and the ride, while firm, will leave your vertebrae in place.

Light cars used to be the second car, the one that'd begrudgingly be taken to the supermarket when the real car was out. Not anymore. Light cars now make sense as the sole vehicle for city dwellers without kids - they're easy to park, will carry four adults in varying degrees of comfort and don't cost a fortune to fuel up.The rush to downsize means more than one in 10 cars sold today is from the light category. Carmakers have responded to that growing market with more standard gear at lower prices. They also understand a positive first experience could get you back to the dealership for your next vehicle, so you won't be ignored for looking at the “cheap” cars.They will try to upsell you into a higher model, though, so beware of alloy wheels and dual-zone aircon if steel rims and a power window is all you need. The average cost of the light cars in this field - entry level autos - is just north of $17,000. The Volkswagen is the dearest at $19,490 and is the only car here to demand premium unleaded petrol. It also feels to be the best built, but all of these cars are sturdy, reliable transport. Budget buyers should consider the Mitsubishi Mirage if outright performance isn't an issue. It costs $15,290, is the cheapest to refuel and annual servicing costs are just $250. The Mazda2 proves this segment isn't entirely price-driven. The little hatch leads the sales field this year, followed by the Toyota Yaris and Hyundai i20.They're not the cheapest cars to buy or run but they have a reputation for reliability and value that - at least in the case of the Mazda2 - has it campaigning strongly despite its age. Honda's Jazz has the best resale of this bunch, reflecting the brand's (slowly waning) reputation for producing better-built vehicles. The Barina is the thirstiest, needing 7.3 litres to travel 100km. That's half a litre more than the Mazda2.Carsguide has used the national average of $1.49.4 for unleaded petrol and added 8 for the 95RON fuel needed to keep the VW on the street. We have each car travelling 15,000km a year for three years. Price: from $17,290Residual value: 48 per cent $8299.20Servicing: $780 ($260 first year)Thirst: 6.3L/100km $4235.49   Price: from $17,490Residual value: 46 per cent $8045.40Servicing: $840 ($280 first year)Thirst: 6.1L/100km $4090.05   Price: from $17,990Residual value: 46 per cent $8275.40Servicing: $740 ($246.67 first year)Thirst: 7.3L/100km $4907.79      Price: from $15,240Residual value: 45 per cent $6858Servicing: $750 ($250 first year)Thirst: 4.6L/100km $3092.58   Price: from 17,690Residual value: 48 per cent $8491.20Servicing: $1284 ($398 first year)Thirst: 6.2L/100km $4168.26   Price: from $17,440 (Neo)Residual value: 48 per cent $8371.20Servicing: $1949 ($599 first year)Thirst: 6.8L/100km $4571.64   Price: from $17,990Residual value: 55 per cent $9894.50Servicing: $1711.58 ($537.42 first year)Thirst: 6.6L/100km $4437.18   Price: from $19,490Residual value: 50 per cent $9745Servicing: $1085 ($347 first year)Thirst: 6.0L/100km $4249.80   Price: from $18,590Residual value: 50 per cent $9475Servicing: $567 ($189 first year)Thirst: 5.9L/100km $3966.57   Price: from $18,290Residual value: 42 per cent $7681.80Servicing: $841 ($239 first year)Thirst: 6.3L/100km $4235.49  

June 30 is D-Day. The end of the financial year is the best time to buy a new car because there are always special deals in showrooms. As carmakers and dealers aim to clear their outdated stock, Toyota uses a June push to cement its showroom leadership. Some of the special deals are on cars that have done demonstrator duty, or were built in 2012, or are just not selling as well as expected. So they're not the tastiest fruit in the bowl.But there is great buying across the board as demand for new cars fuels one of the longest growth periods in motoring. The bottom line is that you can save money -- and lots of it. So here's a look at the June sales, with Carsguide's assessment of the best deals on wheels.CITROENThe new importer is pushing hard so the Aircross SUV starts at $31,990 drive-away front-wheel drive or $33,990 with AWD, a saving of $3800. There's $5000 off the C4 Seduction turbo diesel auto hatch at $25,990. Carsguide says: The Aircross isn't great, but the C4 discount is tasty.FORDThe death notice for the Falcon and Territory has not helped buyer confidence but a 2.9 per cent finance push on Fiesta and Focus still looks good. The superseded Kuga SUV from $31,990 drive-away is a $10,000 saving. You can save about $3000 on a 2012 Escape SUV from $27,990 drive-away.The Territory gets a $6500 tickle, the TX seven-seater at $38,490 drive-away (third-row seat usually costs $2500). The impressive Mondeo liftback starts at $29,990. Good buying on Falcons, thanks to the arrival of the VF Commodore, from $33,990 and better if you haggle.HOLDENAs the VF Commodore creates queues, the outgoing Z-Series starts at $34,990 with five years' warranty and roadside assist. That also applies to the SV6 at $35,990 and the Cruze SRi and SRi-V at $23,490 and $26,990. Last year's Barina CD hatches are $15,990 drive-away with a sunroof. The Colorado is $39,990. Hard to see past the excellent Cruze SRi.HONDAClipped prices and free on-roads. The City VTi sedan is $17,990 and the (slightly) more lavish VTi-L automatic version starts at $21,990. The bigger Civic sedan is being cleared from $21,990. Free auto on the Jazz VTi at $19,990. The Civic is worth a look at $2500 off.KIAFree on-roads, discounts and $1000 gift vouchers on many models. A five-door Rio S is about $3K off at $15,990 drive-away with a $500 gift card; the three-door Rio is $14,990 and the five-door Si is $18,990. Runout Cerato TD sedans start at $17,990 for the S, saving about $5000, the Si sedan is $23,990 and hatch at $17,990. All get a $1000 gift card. Cerato SLi and SLS have drive-away pricing but miss the gift card. All Optimas have free on-roads. A 2012-build Optima Platinum is $37,990, saving about $4000 with a $1000 gift card. Most Sportage SUVs include on-roads and a $1000 gift card. Carnival and superseded Rondo pricing is drive-away. The Sportage diesel and Optima are top-notch.MITSUBISHIThe manual Lancer gets an old-school value pack on the Special Action Model for $19,990 drive-away. The Mirage is $12,990 drive-away for the ES manual, with a $500 cash-back that also applies to the auto.Driveaway prices also for the compact ASX at $24,990 for the 2WD manual, the Outlander LS 2WD auto at $29,990, Pajero GLX-R auto at $54,990 or $59,990 for VRX. Both come plus $3000 cash-back, saving about $6000.The Triton ute is now tackling Great Wall from China at $19,990 drive-away for a GL single-cab 2WD with alloy tray, or add luxury for a GLX dual-cab 4WD diesel at $31,990 drive-away with $2000 cash-back, saving about $14,000. The utes look good at those prices.NISSANA 2.9 per cent finance package, with agreed value after three years, makes the Pulsar ST sedan look good at $49 a week or $19,990 drive-away. The X-Trail ST 2WD petrol manual cops a $4000 reduction to $25,990 drive-away, while the Navara RX 4WD dual-cab manual is cheaper than ever with a $9500 cut to $30,990 drive-away. The Pulsar sedan deal is attractive.OPELThere are drive-away deals across the range. The basic Corsa is down by about $2500 to $16,990 drive-away, the Astra is from $22,990 drive-away for the 1.4-litre turbo petrol hatch with three years of free servicing, saving about $5500. The top-line Insignia sedan is from $39,990 drive-away with heated leather seats. The Astra is easily best of this breed.PEUGEOTFree on-roads at Peugeot on most models but not the cool new 208. The 4008 SUV cops a $1500 saving from $29,990 drive-away and there are deals on the outgoing 4007. Nothing to see here.RENAULTA Koleos from $26,990 drive-away looks even better with interest-free finance. The Megane hatch is from $22,990 drive-away with finance pegged at 1.9 per cent. The slow-selling Fluence and Latitude sedans are available with 2.9 per cent finance. The Megane CC convertible goes from $43,990 including on-roads. The sporty Clio RS is from $34,990 drive-away and the hotrod Megane RS has 2.9 per cent finance.Commercial deals start with the short-wheelbase Kangoo petrol manual with dual sliding doors from $20,990 drive-away, moving up to the Trafic short-wheelbase manual for $29,990 and the long-wheelbase manual for $32,990, while the Master large van starts from $46,990 drive-away. There's a five-year/200,000km warranty on all light commercials ordered in June. Hard to argue against a $3000 bonus on the Koleos but stocks are tight.SUBARUDrive-away pricing -- for savings of $3000 to $4000 -- is the bait, with Impreza pricing from $23,990 (excluding the WRX, of course). The Tribeca from $54,990 now includes on-roads but you need to visit a dealer to get the full story. Nothing outstanding.SUZUKIThe front-drive SX4 gets a Navigator pack with voice-controlled 6.6-inch satnav with Bluetooth for $19,990 drive-away for the manual and $21,990 auto. That also applies to the 2WD auto Grand Vitara at $29,990 drive-away, including reversing camera and satnav with Bluetooth. The Alto GL manual also gets satnav for $11,990 drive-away for the manual, with the Swift GL manual at $17,490 drive-away including cruise control and Bluetooth. The Grand Vitara is a polished piece.TOYOTAThere's 2.9 per cent finance on Aurion and Camry with the Camry Altise looking best at $29,990 drive-away. Other drive-away deals include $15,990 for the Yaris YR five-door, $21,490 for the Corolla Ascent automatic, $39,990 for the Kluger KX-R 2WD five-seater, $60,990 for the Prado GXL turbo diesel auto and $39,990 for the HiLux SR 4WD dual-cab ute. The right time for the cabbies' new favourite, the frugal hybrid Camry.VOLKSWAGENDrive-away pricing on passenger cars and zero finance on commercials. The Polo is $16,990 on-road, the Jetta is down to $25,990 and the Passat $36,690. The Polo is Carsguide's 2010 COTY.VOLVOFuel and servicing for three years or 60,000km plus roadside assistance. There are conditions -- with a pre-paid BP card based on 15,000km a year and $1.50 a-litre pricing -- and the latest V40 hatch is excluded. Clever twist on bargaining but a pity it doesn't apply to the V40.Paul Gover's 10 COMMANDMENTSYou must still do your homework. You must still check the fine print. You must still be prepared to haggle and compromise.But do it right, crunching the numbers and running right to the dealer's deadline, and you can drive away in something special at a special price.The starting point is all the deals, from sticker specials to cheap finance and steak knife-style free extras, being offered by most of the 60-plus brands in showrooms today.If something you want is on special, go for it. But check that the car was built in 2013, and is not a geriatric old-timer from 2012, and ensure your target is exactly what you want - not a stripped-out stocker, perhaps missing an automatic gearbox - that will cost thousands to get the way you want it.Once you lock down a target, don't think the advertised special is the end of the deal. You also need to negotiate for a better price on delivery and on-road costs, and avoid the trap of buying over-priced extras such as paint and upholstery protection, window tinting and extra-long warranties.No-one can expect to go into the ring with a showroom professional and expect to win, because buyers only get a new car occasionally and sales staff are dealing every day. But, by concentrating on the real bottom line - the changeover price - and being prepared to compromise, you can come out ahead.The best tips are the simplest. Run as close as you can to June 30 to sign the deal and get the car, because dealers are all aiming for targets that can mean tens of thousands in bonus money from headquarters. Also be prepared to take a car they have in stock, even if it's not your favourite colour, because dealers are aiming to clear everything they have on the lot.And have your finance in place before you arrive, especially if you're taking up a special deal, because that makes things quicker and you'll also be spared any hassle and potential extra costs.Watch out for 2012 cars because the warranty clock has already been running, don't forget that a big discount today will also mean less at changeover time, and remember that a demonstrator car could have had a hard life already. 

There's no argument that the car market has changed. The once dominant big cars are on the nose, replaced largely by other big cars in the form of SUVs, but at the same time small cars that were once shunned by all but the poverty-stricken are enjoying unprecedented popularity.This newfound popularity has meant that carmakers have put more effort into making them attractive to this new generation of buyers instead of stripping them of everything but the basics in the hope of making a buck as they once did.The result is cars like the Thailand-produced Ford Fiesta, an attractive, fun-filled little car that drives well, is economical, and has loads of neat features. Ford offered two body styles, a four-door sedan that gave you the security of a boot and a little more body stiffness to aid handling, and a five-door hatch that was more practical and versatile.There were also two engine options to choose from, a 1.6-litre petrol four and a 1.6-litre turbo-diesel. Both were quite economical, the turbo-diesel more so by quite a margin, and both performed quite nicely.The only criticism of the petrol engine was that it lacked a little performance at low revs, but it was still perfectly adequate for the job. At the same time the turbo-diesel was lauded for its sparkling performance, the downside was that it only came with a five-speed manual gearbox.For those wanting an auto there was no choice but to go for the petrol engine, and you could then opt for the new six-speed auto, which was in fact a dual-clutch DSG gearbox.All models boasted standard stability control, but the base CL only had two airbags unless it was equipped with the $600 option that upgraded it to the seven that all other models had.A downside that needed to be understood is that the Fiesta didn't come with a spare wheel, for that you had to pay extra. Instead it had an aerosol kit for use when you get a flat.Ford made choosing a Fiesta a challenge. The turbo-diesel was a winner, in both performance and economy, but it only came with a manual gearbox.If you wanted an auto transmission you had to forgo the economy of the diesel and buy a petrol engine, which wasn't as economical and lacked the diesel's performance.But given the auto is a DSG, which can prove troublesome, perhaps the best option is to avoid the complication of technology and opt for a simple manual gearbox.If you really want the auto test-drive it thoroughly to try and find any faults it might have. Don't just drive it around the block; take it for an extended run, driving it under varying conditions, high speed, low speed, walking speed, accelerating from a stop, overtaking etc.Check in the boot to see if your chosen car has the optional spare or not, and think about what you might do if it doesn't. If there is no spare check to see that the aerosol kit is there.Some owners say that their petrol models ping, which forces them to run them on 95-octane fuel instead of the cheaper 91. That, of course, increases the running costs significantly.Build quality is a complaint often heard from WT Fiesta owners, so take the time to inspect your chosen car closely.Inspect the body for bumps and scrapes, they always bring the value of a car down, and also check the service record to reassure yourself that the required servicing has been carried out.Questionable build quality detracts from an attractive package, but the diesel engine is worth the punt.

Alchemists used to try and transmute gold from base metals. Ford has been somewhat more successful in transforming a fairly basic three-door Fiesta into a low-cost enthusiasts’ car. It’s a mildly warm hatch but at just $22,990 the Metal truly is precious — which explains why there’s only a handful of the 250-vehicle allocation still for sale.VALUEThe Metal’s natural rivals are the Suzuki Swift Sport and Hyundai Veloster at $23,990. Both have sporty pretentions and more power/torque than the Fiesta can muster. With six-speed manual gearboxes, they are also quicker in a straight line and easier to hold in the peak rev range. The Swift in particular is a force to consider.The chassis is as composed and the suspension keeps the wheels planted with an agility you can feel from the first turn but it doesn’t look as dramatic as the all-black Metal. No-cost gear on the Ford includes cruise control, reverse parking sensors, decent aircon and auto-folding side mirrors.TECHNOLOGYThe Ford formula follows the successful Toyota 86/Subaru BRZ approach. Build a decent, well-suspended vehicle with enough power to give the car some zip without being an absolute handful and enough steering feedback to know where the front wheels are pointing in either case.The 1.6-litre engine needs to be wound up tight between 4000-6000rpm to entertain the senses and overcome the gap between ratios in the five-speed manual gearbox.  Uphill hauls can still catch it out but, like the Toyobaru twins, speed isn’t the ultimate thrill here. It’s the way it rides — and occasionally bangs — over ruts in the road; flawed but fundamentally fun.DESIGNThe shame is the Fiesta Metal is only a three-door. A five-door model would have sat under the Fiesta ST and still given family buyers a sporty car to aspire to without being too edgy for everyday driving. Being the Euro-sourced WS platform, rather than the Thai-built WT version, it has softer plastics on the dash and the bits where elbows contact doors and a tilt and reach adjustable steering wheel.The hatch is deep but not wide — good enough for a couple of small suitcases. Like most three-doors, the reach to the seatbelts is a stretch, but the front seats tilt and slid forwards to give the back-seat passengers a semblance of a dignified entrance/exit.SAFETYThe Fiesta feels solid enough to merit its five-star rating. A driver’s knee airbag lifts the number of balloons to seven and there are the usual safety systems along with seatbelt reminders for both front pews.DRIVINGYou get what you pay for and it is the price that gives the Fiesta Metal such prowess. In absolute terms, it doesn’t rate. The suspension can clatter over undulations, the steering kicks over mid-corner bumps and there’s an occasional hole in the power delivery. Cop all three in a row and owners will still be grinning at the car’s overall roadholding and capacity to be pushed around turns. In more mundane driving it is easy to manoeuvre, the accelerator isn’t hair-trigger sensitive and it doesn’t have the fuel consumption thirst of a hotter hatch.VERDICTFun without being too frantic, the Fiesta Metal rewards driving inputs. It has already won fans as a new car and that reputation will only grow when it starts being resold as a used vehicle.Ford Fiesta MetalPrice: from $22,990Warranty: 3 years/100,000kmService interval: 12 months/15,000kmCrash rating: 5 starsSafety: 7 airbags, ABS with EBD, TC, ESCEngine: 1.6-litre four-cylinder, 98kW/160NmTransmission: 5-speed manual, front-wheel driveDimensions: 3958mm (L) 1709mm (w) 1481mm (h) Spare: Space-saverThirst: 6.0L/100km, 140g/km CO2

...and what to watch for when you are buying it.NEW - The Fiesta was Ford's attempt to win over small car buyers who shunned recent offerings from the Blue oval brand.The company made a big song and dance about appealing to young women with the Fiesta, but added that the sporting model in the range would appeal to young men. If it was having a bob each way there was no doubt the Fiesta was conceived to bring young women to the brand. The Fiesta looked funky, had a funky interior and was packed with all the funky features a young woman on the move could wish for.There were two body styles on offer, a three-door hatch and a five-door hatch, and three models, the price leading CL, the LX and the sporty Zetec. The mid range LX was only available as a five-door; the others could be had with three or five doors. Three engines were offered, two of them petrol and one a diesel.The petrol engines were a 1.4-litre and a 1.6-litre, but the diesel was the big noise with a claimed consumption of 3.7 L/100 km. There was also the choice of manual and automatic transmissions with the final drive being through the front wheels. On the road the Fiesta was poised when cornering, had a compliant ride, and its engines were smooth and flexible. Inside, it was quiet and refined, the seats were comfortable and there were plenty of nifty features like voice-controlled Bluetooth and a USB slot for an MP3 player.NOWFew complaints have been received at Carsguide, suggesting that Fiesta owners are generally happy with their purchase. The most common complaint relates to engine pinging, and despite dealer recommendations to switch to higher octane fuel it doesn't seem to go away. Fuel economy is also a concern for some owners, particularly with the 1.6-litre engine, which doesn't come close to the official Ford figure. Anyone buying for fuel economy should strongly consider the diesel, which does deliver very good economy.We have also had the odd report of the engine cutting out for no apparent reason, and dealers have not been able to find the cause of the problem. Random failures of this sort are quite common on today's cars with all their electronics. It only takes a poor connection somewhere, or a sensor that misbehaves occasionally and you have a car that does things that are difficult to explain.The performance of the air-conditioning has been called into question by a number of owners who say it blows cool rather than cold on hot summer days. Rattles are also the subject of complaint, which would appear to be the result of variable build quality. Like all modern cars servicing the Fiesta is vitally important to ensuring a long and reliable life, so check that the car you want to buy has been serviced regularly and according to the book.SMITHY SAYSA smart looking, great driving and fun-filled little hatch that's packed with character.Ford Fiesta 2009-2010Price new: $16,450 to $24,990Engine: 1.4-litre 4-cylinder, 71 kW/125 Nm; 1.6-litre 4-cylinder, 88 kW/151 Nm; 1.6-litre 4-cylinder turbo-diesel, 66 kW/200 Nm.Transmission: 4-speed automatic, 5-speed manual, FWDThirst: 5.7 L/100 km (1.4), 5.8 L/100 km (1.6), 3.7 L/100 km (TD)Body: 3-door hatch, 5-door hatch Variants: CL, LX, Econetic, ZetecSafety: 5-star ANCAP

Fuel prices have edged higher in the past week and that's the direction they'll keep going for now.This week the Australian Institute of Petroleum fuel price report shows the national average for unleaded petrol rose by 1.5 cents a litre in the past week to 137.7 cents.The metropolitan average rose by 1.8 cents to 136.3 cents, while the regional average rose by 0.9 cents to 140.5 cents.CommSec chief economist Craig James says: "The bottom line is that motorists should expect petrol prices to edge their way higher if the positive mood on financial markets continues.Filling up the car with petrol is the single biggest weekly purchase for most households, so the future course of petrol prices will be keenly watched by any consumer-dependent business."But surely not so closely as they're being watched by you. With that in mind, we've found the cars that on current prices can be fuelled for about $1000 in a 15,000km driving year.These cars get Carsguide's Triple-F rating - they are all family and fuel friendly. We've used the manufacturers' claims for combined conditions, so if you're driving is mainly urban you'll go north of these numbers; if there's a good open road component it will be south.We've taken broad averages to arrive at our round figures (see below) but they are indicative of what you can achieve with judicious driving and making your visits to the bowser on the days of the lowest pricing.ANNUAL JUICE USE TAKES INTO ACCOUNT:National average price in the 12 months up to Friday July 27 according to Australian Institute of Petroleum15,000km annual averageManufacturer's claim for combined fuel useULP: 134.7 centsDiesel: 137.9 centsFAMILY SEDANToyota Camry HybridPrice: from $34,990Thirst: 5.2L/100km unleadedAnnual juice use: $1068.60If Toyota is synonymous with sci-fi looking hybrids, its best one is cloaked in anonymity. Indeed it doesn't get much more anonymous than a Camry, the Hybrid version of which looks exactly like the common or garden petrol version.It shares the good bits - seven airbags, five-star crash rating and a full-size spare wheel - but its economy is staggering: 5.2L/100km versus 7.8L/100km for the petrol Camry.  It's also quieter. In addition to using one-third less fuel, it costs $130 for each of the five services for the first four years or 75,000km.The price premium - $1,500 more than an equivalent petrol-only model - might pay off but the Hybrid model can tow only 300kg and the boot is slightly smaller. The top version, with near-Lexus levels of luxury, costs $41,490.FAMILY WAGONHyundai i40 Tourer dieselPrice: From $34,490Thirst: 4.7L/100km dieselAnnual juice use: $1,001.10In contrast with the gormless i45, Hyundai has done a great deal of local adaptation work on the i40 sedan. Even if the wagon does not yet have its specially-adapted-for-Oz suspension settings, it is a much better proposition than the i45.That miraculous fuel figure is for the manual, the action of which is a bit like stirring a stick though thick mud. Yet while the auto is claimed to use almost a litre more per 100km, on open road run between Sydney and Brisbane Carsguide recorded only 4.4L/100km.In any case, the sheer driveability of a diesel combined with a good auto makes it preferable. In solely city duty, the i40 is more likely to use above 8.0L, which is surely still worth it given the diesel's open road flair.SMALL SEDANHonda Civic HybridPrice: $35,990Thirst: 4.4L/100km unleadedAnnual juice use: $937.20Honda does a couple of obvious hybrids and one that's far less so. And the Civic version is arguably the best of its breed. The new Civic is a big jump from its distinctly average predecessor. It is up on quality and is simply far better to drive.It uses two power sources - petrol engine and electric motor - but unlike the Camry (and Prius) which can separate the two when needed, in the Civic Hybrid they work in tandem.This is technically simpler but returns higher fuel figures. The Civic Hybrid gets 4.4L/100km against the Prius's 3.9. Still, it's more spacious than the old model and needs smaller batteries so the boot is bigger.The rear seats don't fold down to increase luggage space. It gets a five-star crash rating, electronic stability and traction control, brake assist and six airbags, but a space-saver spare.SMALL HATCHVolkswagen Golf BluemotionPrice: $28,990Thirst: 3.8L/100km dieselUnlinkAnnual juice use: $809.40Golf can be played in a range of colours but the most efficient is blue. In VW-speak, it's BlueMotion, the in-house term for those selected models tuned for maximum economy and minimum emissions.The Golf BlueMotion costs $28,990 $1000 more than the Golf 77TDI that it replaced but comes only with a manual gearbox. But you're prepared the shift for yourself in order to save the planet, aren't you?A plethora of fuel-miser tech here  low-rolling resistance tyres,  stop-start system, brake energy recuperation, slippery aerodynamics, tall gear ratios and a gearshift prompt indicator  are added to the already frugal 1.6-litre turbo-diesel. It's also a brisk performer with Golf's usual excellent handling and ride comfort. It works as well in city traffic as it does loping along a country road.COMPACT SUVMazda CX-5 Maxx Sport dieselPrice: from $39,040Thirst: 5.7L/100km dieselAnnual juice use: $1,214.10This slips us well over the grand mark, but torque isn't always cheap especially not 420Nm of it. CX-5s are selling like cold beers at the cricket because they are at least in diesel form very lively, economical and practical wagons.There's no doubt the CX-5's success is due to it enlarging in the appeal of the Mazda3 hatchback. But it's a better vehicle thanks to the SkyActiv tech that covers body, engine, transmission, suspension and platform. The bi-turbo four-cylinder diesel engine has class leading economy via its six-speed auto, despite the added weight of all-wheel-drive. Compact enough for comfort in city traffic, it's also very roomy with excellent rear seat leg and head space. The cabin could be a bit more stylish, but it’s simple and the controls are easy to operate. The rear seats split and fold flat. On the road the diesel version slaughters the petrol model.CITY CARFord Fiesta TDCiPrice: from $21,490Thirst: 4.4L/100km dieselAnnual juice use:  $937.10In any guise the Fiesta is well made, affordable and a driver's delight. As a diesel it's also lean running. Made in Thailand, it's big on value. The 88kW/200Nm make this lightweight city car something of a hot hatch, with steering and handling to match.As with other diesels originally derived from Europe, you have to change gear for yourself, though with the arrival of the next EcoBoost petrol engines next year, Ford's excellent twin clutch automatic could become available. Sedan and hatch are identically priced.Though the five door brings the extra load flexibility of its ilk, the sedan's boot approaches that of the next class up in terms of capacity. It'll swallow a monthly grocery shop all right. The diesel is specially calibrated for maximum fuel efficiency and features a coated particulate filter to keep emissions low. The Zetec spec, at $23,490, is worth the extra spend.