Ford Fiesta 2004 Review

You probably think they are cramped, under-powered, noisy, harsh, gutless on hills, laboured under a full load, rattle prone, have no creature comforts, look like a toy, are unsafe and have puny brakes.

Small cars always have been cheap motoring. Cheap to buy, maintain and run.

But now there is a growing number of quality small cars that have all the virtues of a compact, without many of the drawbacks.

Consider the Peugeot 307, Citroen's C2 and C3, the smart series and now Ford's Fiesta.

These are attractive cars that also are rewarding for drivers and still cheap to own and operate.

The new Fiesta is built in Germany. And that means more than just the fact that the indicators and windscreen wipers are reversed.

It means engineering and build quality is superior and that the driver is well accommodated.

It looks like a shrunken Focus. Almost the same lines, yet still a style all its own.

The $18,990 three-door Zetec (second top in the range) test car has 45 per cent low-profile tyres and seven-spoke 16-inch wheels (an extra $900) that gives it a distinct rally feel.

Inside, there are plenty of WRC references in the C3-style round air vents and brushed aluminium trims.

The seats also are rally style, offering firm support, plenty of adjustment and little sideways slip.

That's just as well, because the chassis is every bit as tight as its famously taut bigger brother, encouraging plenty of G forces in corners.

The 1.6-litre Duratec four-cylinder engine is tuned to aid the driver to find relevant power across the rev range.

Its power is a modest 74kW on 95RON premium fuel, but economy is good at between 13 to 15km of every litre.

Where it does impress is in its drive delivery. With its 11:1 compression ratio and 146Nm of torque at a respectable 4000rpm, there is plenty of urge out of corners, up hills, under load and from low revs. It will pull nicely from 2000rpm and sprint all the way to the 6000rpm red line.

Acceleration in the Zetec is helped by a notchy and precise manual five-speed gear shift. It would be interesting to see if the four-speed automatic box is up to the job.

You will certainly pay for the auto – an extra $2300 – so it would want to be good.

Fellow motoring writer Gordon Lomas reported from the Fiesta launch last month that the auto starts hunting for gears going up gradients but was responsive and smooth.

Bumps in corners are handled well by the sophisticated independent MacPherson strut front suspension and semi-independent rear, but will bang and kick back a little through the steering wheel.

The Fiesta steering is pin sharp and it turns into corners so quickly you could find yourself cutting corners until you adjust to the lack of understeer and steering wheel weight.

Together with audio controls on a steering wheel stalk, it all adds up to a great driving experience.

But the fun doesn't stop there.

A generous boot, rear seat (although leg room is obviously at a premium), and head room make it quite spacious for a compact, although getting in and out of the three-door was tricky for rear-seat passengers.

It should employ a one-touch lever system that not only tilts the seat back, but also slides the front seat forward.

Once accommodated in the back, there is good vision, a deep and comfortable seat, adjustable headrests and low cabin noise.

While it's difficult to tell from a test vehicle that has only had its first service, there is a stiffness and firmness in the body and suspension that reassures it won't rattle itself to pieces in a few thousand kilometres.

It's a robust little unit with plenty of flair and driving pleasure, without too many small-car drawbacks.

If you want auto and a few extras, you will break the $20,000 barrier.

But a few extra dollars hasn't hurt sales of Holden's German-built Astra and it shouldn't hurt this quality compact.