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Post by Grampa on Dec 7, 2020 12:37:04 GMT
Driving a Fiesta has been something I've missed out on for decades and with everyone raving about them I've often wondered just how good they must be. Last one I drove was the particularly awful Mk3 - I think it was a J reg - the Mk1 was OK but nothing special, and not a patch of the Metro of the same era - the only one from the Fiesta's early days that had me wanting more was a Mk2 XR2.
So jump forward almost 30 years and my FIL has one - an auto 3 cylinder Zetec - he's been laid up for a few months so asked if I would take it for a spin - Wow for a little shopping car it's great - really peppy and handles just like they say - steering a bit light for my tastes, but it'a car that's come far and up there with the new Corsa I drove at launch and IMO way ahead of a Polo (the only other modern supermini I've driven).
Nice to get a taste at last.
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Post by Bob Sacamano v2.0 on Dec 7, 2020 13:37:02 GMT
Driving a Fiesta has been something I've missed out on for decades and with everyone raving about them I've often wondered just how good they must be. Last one I drove was the particularly awful Mk3 - I think it was a J reg - the Mk1 was OK but nothing special, and not a patch of the Metro of the same era - the only one from the Fiesta's early days that had me wanting more was a Mk2 XR2. So jump forward almost 30 years and my FIL has one - an auto 3 cylinder Zetec - he's been laid up for a few months so asked if I would take it for a spin - Wow for a little shopping car it's great - really peppy and handles just like they say - steering a bit light for my tastes, but it'a car that's come far and up there with the new Corsa I drove at launch and IMO way ahead of a Polo (the only other modern supermini I've driven). Nice to get a taste at last. I really can't agree with this. I learned to drive in my mum's lovely silver W reg. 1.1L Mk1. Fiesta. Light controls, good driving position, airy, and went and handled well. My best friend was learning in a Metro and I had a drive. Jesus, it was terrible - awful bus like seating and steering, an agricultural engine and gearbox with a continuous whine, terrible interior. I never understood why people bought them, some misplaced patriotism I guess. |
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Post by Blarno on Dec 10, 2020 10:21:06 GMT
Fiestas have always been good to drive, even the Mk3, which was just underdeveloped in the case of the XR2i, RS Turbo and RS1800. Later ones (Mk4 onwards) have the best steering of any small FWD car ever.
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Post by PetrolEd on Dec 10, 2020 10:56:23 GMT
Fiestas a great car. What Mark was the one from the mid/late 90's. I remember driving one for the first time and had only driven the Punto and Corsa at the time. What a revelation that thing was. An absolute hoot only held back by a terrible engine but then had a go in a 1.25 and that solved that issue.
Metros have always been the worst thing on the road haven't they? Can only comment from driving a Rover 100 but against the competition it was laughable.
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Post by Bob Sacamano v2.0 on Dec 10, 2020 11:05:08 GMT
Fiestas a great car. What Mark was the one from the mid/late 90's. I remember driving one for the first time and had only driven the Punto and Corsa at the time. What a revelation that thing was. An absolute hoot only held back by a terrible engine but then had a go in a 1.25 and that solved that issue. Metros have always been the worst thing on the road haven't they? Can only comment from driving a Rover 100 but against the competition it was laughable. The Rover 100 was a massive step up from the Metro. Until you crashed in one, of course. |
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Post by Blarno on Dec 10, 2020 11:29:16 GMT
Fiestas a great car. What Mark was the one from the mid/late 90's. I remember driving one for the first time and had only driven the Punto and Corsa at the time. What a revelation that thing was. An absolute hoot only held back by a terrible engine but then had a go in a 1.25 and that solved that issue. Metros have always been the worst thing on the road haven't they? Can only comment from driving a Rover 100 but against the competition it was laughable. Sounds like the Mk4 Fish Face, that's when they introduced the 1.25 Sigma engine. What a belting little engine that is, my wife is on her second 1.25 Fiesta now and I love giving them a good thraping when the chance arises. |
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Post by PetrolEd on Dec 10, 2020 11:35:04 GMT
Fiestas a great car. What Mark was the one from the mid/late 90's. I remember driving one for the first time and had only driven the Punto and Corsa at the time. What a revelation that thing was. An absolute hoot only held back by a terrible engine but then had a go in a 1.25 and that solved that issue. Metros have always been the worst thing on the road haven't they? Can only comment from driving a Rover 100 but against the competition it was laughable. The Rover 100 was a massive step up from the Metro. Until you crashed in one, of course. Well if that was a step up, I wouldn't want to be in the original. I always thought when Metro went to 100 they just chucked some wood onto the dashboard and that was it. I do remember the crash tests they published in the 90's. The Metro and the Voyager were absolute horrors. Weren't Renault the best by far? |
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Post by Bob Sacamano v2.0 on Dec 10, 2020 13:07:07 GMT
The Rover 100 was a massive step up from the Metro. Until you crashed in one, of course. Well if that was a step up, I wouldn't want to be in the original. I always thought when Metro went to 100 they just chucked some wood onto the dashboard and that was it. I do remember the crash tests they published in the 90's. The Metro and the Voyager were absolute horrors. Weren't Renault the best by far? It was far more than a facelift - the 100 had new K Series engines that were very good, new gearboxes, more soundproofing, and proper Moulton Hydragas suspension that made it handle and ride very well. Together they lifted a car that was languishing as a dog at the bottom of the class up to something that was actually class competitive for a few years. |
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Post by Blarno on Dec 10, 2020 16:48:39 GMT
The K Series predates the 100. They were fitted in the new Metro from 1990 onwards, along with a 5 speed gearbox for the first time.
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Post by Bob Sacamano v2.0 on Dec 10, 2020 17:28:28 GMT
The K Series predates the 100. They were fitted in the new Metro from 1990 onwards, along with a 5 speed gearbox for the first time. You're right - they made all those changes when it became the Rover Metro and then changed the name to Rover 100 four years later (I think, in export markets it was the Rover 100 from 1990). |
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Post by Grampa on Dec 10, 2020 17:54:26 GMT
Driving a Fiesta has been something I've missed out on for decades and with everyone raving about them I've often wondered just how good they must be. Last one I drove was the particularly awful Mk3 - I think it was a J reg - the Mk1 was OK but nothing special, and not a patch of the Metro of the same era - the only one from the Fiesta's early days that had me wanting more was a Mk2 XR2. So jump forward almost 30 years and my FIL has one - an auto 3 cylinder Zetec - he's been laid up for a few months so asked if I would take it for a spin - Wow for a little shopping car it's great - really peppy and handles just like they say - steering a bit light for my tastes, but it'a car that's come far and up there with the new Corsa I drove at launch and IMO way ahead of a Polo (the only other modern supermini I've driven). Nice to get a taste at last. I really can't agree with this. I learned to drive in my mum's lovely silver W reg. 1.1L Mk1. Fiesta. Light controls, good driving position, airy, and went and handled well. My best friend was learning in a Metro and I had a drive. Jesus, it was terrible - awful bus like seating and steering, an agricultural engine and gearbox with a continuous whine, terrible interior. I never understood why people bought them, some misplaced patriotism I guess. The one I owned was a 1.3 which didn't have the gear whine of the 1.0 (no idea why) the steering was much sharper than the Firsta I used to drive at work (1.1 Pop) at the time - the Metro's engine was sweeter, the Metro cornered better and had a better gear change. The seats were more or less on par - the bus like driving position is the only thing that seems familiar from your description, which I solved on mine by lowering the column. The interiors were both pretty horrible by today's standards and about equal. |
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Post by Grampa on Dec 10, 2020 18:01:30 GMT
Fiestas a great car. What Mark was the one from the mid/late 90's. I remember driving one for the first time and had only driven the Punto and Corsa at the time. What a revelation that thing was. An absolute hoot only held back by a terrible engine but then had a go in a 1.25 and that solved that issue. Metros have always been the worst thing on the road haven't they? Can only comment from driving a Rover 100 but against the competition it was laughable. In 1981 the Metro was competitive - buy the time the Rover 100 came out, everything else and therefore standards to judge it by had moved on quite a bit. |
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