I have been running Fiestas as a driving school car for two and a half years now. And I much prefer driving my 06 Panda 1.2.
The Fiesta 1.4 Zetec, contrary to press hype was not to me a good handling car. It gripped well, never letting go, but body control was poor. Over bumps and around corners it flopped and wobbled which was very wearing when trying to live with it daily. The Corsa in comparison was nicely controlled. Tyres made a difference. Most came with Hankook, which while never letting go, always felt a bit strange, like they were about to let go. Directional control was also a bit vague at first turn-in. On Continentals you can feel the grip and the turn-in is crisp, much better, but the wayward body was still there. Four Fiesta 1.4s, 63k miles, average 42mpg training learners.
I've now got a Fiesta 1.0 ecoboost 125. 5 weeks and 1600 miles and I'm getting 42mpg training learners. So no difference in economy. "Normal" driving may show an improvement, but my own individual journeys suggest not. This latest car is also a Titanium, with bigger wheels and tyres and I understand that Ford have worked on the suspension. With the bigger tyres, grip is actually less. It loses grip where the previous car did not on bumpy bends, suggesting it needs smaller tyres to increase the footprint pressure, or the suspension is now too stiff, although it does not feel stiffer. Body control is a little better, but still irritating.
The ecoboost 125 engine is trying to be a racer, while being marketed as an economy feature. There is a changeup light, but if you change up when it illuminates it drops it off the bottom of the power curve. Accelerating hard, it makes a glorious noise, as all 3-cyl engines will, and pulls very hard indeed. Overtaking is the only thing that will put a real smile on your face. The resultant fuel consumption will wipe it off again. You don't get something for nothing. When accelerating hard, the 1.4 could be made to read as low as 13mpg on the instantaneous fuel consumption readout. The 1.0 will drop to 7mpg!
To try to regain some economy, it is overgeared. Minimum speed in 3rd gear is 28mph, in 4th is 38mph. 5th cannot be used comfortably at 50mph, requiring 55mph or more to be comfortable. The effect is that you are always in at least one gear lower than expected, using more fuel. Like the VW Golf and Polo E models and the Maestro E and HLE of the eighties, unless you lived in a flat area, they were less economical than standard models. Car makers have short memories. More recently, the first of the current Corsas were overgeared to compensate for the bigger body, gear ratios were changed within months of launch as they were undriveable.
The highly strung nature of the 1.0 ecoboost 125 makes it harder work to drive. I have driven a Focus with the 100hp and this is sweeter.
As for well made, it is only skin deep. My Panda does not pretend to be high class, but does it job very well with no pretence. The Fiesta tries to be posher, but underneath it is not special. For the job it does, it does it well, but I wouldn't buy one for myself. If it is transport you want, it will do the job. If you want to enjoy your driving, it may disappoint.
