FORD FIESTA (2012-2017)

By Jonathan Crouch

MODELS COVERED:

3 &5dr Hatch (Petrol - 1.25 60 & 82PS / 1.0 80PS / 1.0 EcoBoost 100 & 125PS / 1.6 auto 105PS / 1.6 EcoBoost 180PS] / [Diesel – 1.5 TDCi 75PS / 1.6 TDCi 90PS]

INTRODUCTION

Ford’s Fiesta has always been affordable and great to drive. But state of the art? Ford reckoned it was that too in the improved post-2012 seventh generation form we look at here, especially when it came to the clever three cylinder 1.0-litre petrol engine that many buyers chose. Beneath the smarter styling lay some clever user-friendly technology too – and cabin quality that made down-sizing into the car less of a chore. This was the way to right a best seller. So how does this car stack up as a secondhand buy?

The History

Ford’s Fiesta lineage goes all the way back to 1976 and in the decades since, it’s remained the definitive face of the supermini sector, not only a best seller in its segment but also often the UK’s best selling new car. The seventh generation model, launched in 2008, was one of the most successful yet, blending the entertaining handling for which this car has become renowned with sharp styling and clever packaging. As a result, it did its bit in restoring Ford’s fortunes in Europe. By 2012 though, with all-new superminis like Peugeot’s 208 and Renault’s fourth generation Clio by now turning the heads of small car buyers, there was a danger it might struggle. Something Ford hoped to avert by launching the much improved MK7 model we’re going to look at here.

This Fiesta was still a small car but by 2012, it was thinking big in almost every way, starting with styling designed to make more of a statement in the supermini segment. Under the bonnet of this facelifted MK7 model, Ford served up an impressively clean and frugal range of petrol and diesel units, highlighted by the three cylinder 1.0-litre Ecoboost unit already seen in the larger B-Max and Focus models, the world’s cleverest conventional petrol powerplant of its period. Plus buyers got a more up-market cabin, safety technology that could brake the car automatically and call for help in an accident and even a clever MyKey device to give parents greater control over young drivers who might be using the car. In short, this, on paper at least, seemed to be a thoroughly well thought out piece of supermini design. It sold until the Summer of 2017 when an all-new eighth generation model was launched.

What To Look For

We found lots of satisfied customers of this generation Fiesta but inevitably, our survey revealed quite a few issues too. Several owners complained of interior rattles – typically around the A-pillar trims, the dashboard, the passenger door trim and the boot. One owner found they were getting a cold draught from behind dash onto their knees. Another found the stereo turning itself on intermittently and the USB port not working properly. Other issues we came across included electric folding mirrors that made a shrieking noise, a fuel flap that was difficult to open, parking sensors that never worked properly, a boot that kept unlocking itself, fabric on the driver's seat squab that kept coming loose, a climate control system that kept resetting itself to 22 degrees and fuel economy that was always 8mpg below that indicated by trip computer.

What else? Well, there have been issues with clutch problems on 1.0-litre EcoBoost petrol models; make sure the clutch isn’t smelly, slipping or failing to bite smoothly and that you can change gear easily. There are also reports of reverse gear being occasionally very difficult to engage. Diesel models also have a history of suffering with injector issues which can be pricey to resolve. As usual with superminis, check for parking scuffs and kerbed alloy wheels. The alloy rims on some earlier models have been known to buckle easily, so check their condition carefully and look out for juddery steering and odd noises from the wheel arch areas on your test drive.

On The Road

Variations on the Fiesta theme may come and go but before driving any version of Ford’s definitive supermini, there’s one thing you almost always know for certain: that it’ll be a great steer. There’s a deftness to the way this car responds, an agility to the way it nips around the bends that no other small car can quite match.

Engine-wise, Ford served up a mixed bag. Old-tech 60 and 82PS versions of the old 1.25-litre petrol unit are best avoided. Better is the 80PS normally aspirated 1.0-litre Ti-VCT unit, but it’s rather slow and doesn’t cost much less than the version of this 1.0-litre engine we’d really point you towards – the 100PS turbocharged EcoBoost unit, also available with 125PS. Ford also produced a 180PS 1.6-litre EcoBoost engine for the ST hot hatch. Plus a couple of TDCi diesels, a 75PS 1.5 and a 95PS 1.6.

Overall

The Ford Fiesta has always been a vehicle the British public has warmed to but the truth is that before the seventh generation model first arrived in 2008, supermini buyers chose a Fiesta either because it was great to drive or because they’d been offered a deal too good to turn down: there wasn’t really another reason to buy one. This MK7 model changed all that – and this facelifted post-2012 version took things a step further still, smarter to look at, smarter to sit in, smarter to operate and, perhaps most importantly, smarter under the bonnet. In short, this is, more than ever, a small car that used car supermini buyers simply can’t ignore.