View Full Version : 2016 Ford Fiesta review
Whenever I walk up to the rental counter with a reservation for a compact car, I cringe and prepare to putter away in a Versa. This time I ended up with a Fiesta sedan.
This car is small. But that's about the only complaint I have. Despite its size, the trunk swallowed up my bag with room for at least one more; I've been unable to close the hatch in a Versa with the same bag. The cabin is tight but thoughtfully designed, and my only ergonomic complaint is the stupid Sync feature. I'm not particularly tall, so others may have issues with fit, but I was comfortable during a four-hour trip on a mix of highways and somewhat dodgy local roads. Okay, I have one other complaint -- the windshield washer fluid froze in the nozzles after two nights in the teens. Never happened to me before, probably thanks to cheap fluids.
The engine is not particularly impressive, but it accelerates way better than that debacle of a Jeep I had, and body motions are tight. In fact, the car feels very solid and (rightfully) nimble. Sport mode on the transmission is a nice surprise, holding gears during acceleration and even downshifting as speeds decrease.
Overall it's a pleasant surprise and I think it warrants a look from anyone looking for a truly compact car. I would probably spend a few more bucks to get into a Focus, but I'd get into a Fiesta before quite a few more expensive vehicles.
Jeff_DML
01-12-2017, 10:40 AM
I rented the sedan version before. For what I remember it was not offensive but have not rented a versa to compare with it.
I think at one point the Versa held the title as America's cheapest car. Does it still?
John V
01-12-2017, 12:53 PM
The Versa is a steaming pile of what Nissan has become. It truly is the worst car I've encountered in the last five years.
The Versa is a steaming pile of what Nissan has become. It truly is the worst car I've encountered in the last five years.
Sounds like my experiences with Altima rentals. They're genuinely awful in so many ways. Unless a purchase decision is strictly about out-the-door price, I can't imagine choosing one over an Accord, or similar.
The rental Altima I had last summer was the single worst car I have ever driven, at least in the last 10 years. It did not have a single redeeming quality. No power, horrid ride, bad ergonomics, shitty entertainment/BT system, uncomfortable seats. It was just pure shit. I would pretty much buy ANYTHING else.
I just had a Kia Optima rental that may want to have a few words with you
John V
01-12-2017, 01:38 PM
Nissan depresses me because their cars used to be pretty great. They were never up to the overall quality of a Honda but they were cheaper and more fun. Now they're just cheaper.
Nissan depresses me because their cars used to be pretty great. They were never up to the overall quality of a Honda but they were cheaper and more fun. Now they're just cheaper.
Not just cheaper. Also uglier.
Also uglier.
Lutz disagrees with you.
Did you watch his interview at the Stinger reveal?
Lutz disagrees with you.
Did you watch his interview at the Stinger reveal?
No, I didn't see it.
And while I appreciate a lot of things about Lutz, the guy is wrong a lot. See, e.g.,:
http://buyersguide.caranddriver.com/media/assets/submodel/7651.jpg
http://allfotocars.com/data_images/gallery/03/merkur-xr4ti/merkur-xr4ti-02.jpg
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/79/2004_Pontiac_GTO_2_--_02-26-2010.jpg/280px-2004_Pontiac_GTO_2_--_02-26-2010.jpg
The rental Altima I had last summer was the single worst car I have ever driven, at least in the last 10 years. It did not have a single redeeming quality. No power, horrid ride, bad ergonomics, shitty entertainment/BT system, uncomfortable seats. It was just pure shit. I would pretty much buy ANYTHING else.
+1
As a rule, I try to avoid Nissans at all costs when renting a car. I'll take pretty much anything over a Nissan. In my experience, they all suck. Terrible seats, outdated tech, crappy interior, crappy CVTs
+1
As a rule, I try to avoid Nissans at all costs when renting a car. I'll take pretty much anything over a Nissan. In my experience, they all suck. Terrible seats, outdated tech, crappy interior, crappy CVTs
Thanks. I forgot to bash the CVT. God that car sucked.
I give the Worst Rental Ever award to the Jeep Whateveritwas that I had the pleasure of driving around San Diego last fall. The Versa, for all its many faults (including my favorite -- the E-Z-Popoff body panels), doesn't pretend to be better than it is. The Jeep should've known better from the start.
I have posted it here before, but I was shocked earlier this year when I ended up with a Camry rental and it was really not that bad. Acceptable ride feel, good ergonomics, solid tech. I wanted to hate it (on principle) but I couldn't.
I drew a Passat rental last week, which shocked me. Refreshing to have a slightly Teutonic feel in a rental. But I was surprised at how outdated the tech is in that car. Our 2008 Audi has better. It didn't even have Bluetooth (that I could find) and no aux port.
John V
01-12-2017, 04:46 PM
The Passat seemed to get the worst of VW's cost cutting measures over the last several years. Whereas the Golf always seems way more expensive than its sticker price, the Passat was the opposite.
I still maintain that the Yaris Marisa had as a rental a few years ago takes the cake as the Worst Rental Ever. God, that thing was terrible.
Camrys are sorta kinda OK to be in, but really terrible to drive. The brakes throw you in the dash if you think about touching them, and the tires squeal if you try to corner at more than 0.2g.
I feel like I won the rental car lottery a few months ago when I drew a Charger SRT with my regular full-size booking.
It was really quite excellent. I especially liked the V8 rumble and the squeal-the-rear-tires-at-will torque. Tech was solid. Comfortable interior. Felt pretty bad ass.
I feel like I won the rental car lottery a few months ago when I drew a Charger SRT with my regular full-size booking.
It was really quite excellent. I especially liked the V8 rumble and the squeal-the-rear-tires-at-will torque. Tech was solid. Comfortable interior. Felt pretty bad ass.
Yep- the Charger is solid (even the v6). After my recent positive experience with one, I plan on asking if one is available next time I rent.
Also, I think the charger you rented was probably an "R/T" not an "SRT", right? The SRT is sort of the luxo-sport sedan model with a 6.4 V8, leather, adaptive suspension, etc. Costs 50+k. The R/T starts in the 30s and has a 5.7 v8.
I'm always a bit weary of making a "fullsize" booking because of some of the truly awful cars you might get such as the Altima. Seems safer to book an "intermediate" or "midsize" and then negotiate the rate if there's a better fullsize car available (like the charger).
The Passat seemed to get the worst of VW's cost cutting measures over the last several years. Whereas the Golf always seems way more expensive than its sticker price, the Passat was the opposite.
I still maintain that the Yaris Marisa had as a rental a few years ago takes the cake as the Worst Rental Ever. God, that thing was terrible.
Camrys are sorta kinda OK to be in, but really terrible to drive. The brakes throw you in the dash if you think about touching them, and the tires squeal if you try to corner at more than 0.2g.
Agree- the Passat also sucks. But maybe things have improved after the facelift? I've got to imagine that they've finally deigned to make bluetooth and USB standard. The other issue is that you're likely to get vinyl seats in a Passat rental which I found quite sweaty (yes way worse than leather).
SARAFIL
01-12-2017, 10:07 PM
Do you guys get whatever they give you at the counter? Seems like you're never happy with what you end up with that way. At least with Emerald Club w/ National I get to walk the aisle and pick my own miserable car so there's no one to blame but me if it sucks. Usually some variety (mid-sized sedans, small SUVs, pickups, vans - who knows!). I have Executive status now so I get to pick from a slightly nicer mix that includes Mustangs, Camaros, Chargers, etc.
Do you guys get whatever they give you at the counter? Seems like you're never happy with what you end up with that way. At least with Emerald Club w/ National I get to walk the aisle and pick my own miserable car so there's no one to blame but me if it sucks. Usually some variety (mid-sized sedans, small SUVs, pickups, vans - who knows!). I have Executive status now so I get to pick from a slightly nicer mix that includes Mustangs, Camaros, Chargers, etc.
Even for a non-status person like me, I always ask what the options are and try and choose the least shitty. We got a Passat over Xmas that was...fine. Not nice, but not aggressively terrible like the Nissan would have been.
I managed to get an EcoBoost Mustang on a trip to DTW a while back, which was OK for a rental car.
For Hertz, I have their Gold thing (which isn't much of a perk), and I've found that the selection in the lot is just as terrible as the selection at the desk. Inevitably I end up with a grey Corolla.
Even for a non-status person like me, I always ask what the options are and try and choose the least shitty. We got a Passat over Xmas that was...fine. Not nice, but not aggressively terrible like the Nissan would have been.
I managed to get an EcoBoost Mustang on a trip to DTW a while back, which was OK for a rental car.
For Hertz, I have their Gold thing (which isn't much of a perk), and I've found that the selection in the lot is just as terrible as the selection at the desk. Inevitably I end up with a grey Corolla.
I used to be picky about my rental cars, but business travel is so annoying as it is, and the cars tend to be uniformly blah in one way or another, that I've largely given up on seeing what's available. Part of the issue is that I'm put into compact class cars by default, and I only get larger ones if there's a compelling reason. Being Hertz Gold or related statuses helps a bit if you're in the right airport.
I returned the Fiesta yesterday after logging a touch over 40 MPG during the week. I realized at some point that the car has a DCT, like the Focus; I actually found it very nice, even in stop and go traffic, although the lack of torque converter definitely changes the way you need to modulate the accelerator from a stop. Yeah, if I ever have a choice, I'd go for one of these before any other car in its rental class. Maybe in hatchback form instead of sedan, because cooler.
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