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Should i buy?

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City
Texarkana
State
TX
Country
United States
What I Drive
f250
#1
I drove a 2019 fiesta the other day. For the price I was impressed with features and comfort. Reviews seem positive.
I can get $4k in discounts ($1k farm bureau insurance discount) meaning I could pick up a new 2019 Fiesta SE for $11k.

I'm buying a car for my college kid.

Those who own a fiesta would you buy again?
 

Handy Andy

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1,140
City
Grand Rapids
State
MI
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What I Drive
2018 Ford Fiesta SE HB
#2
Yes, but with reservations.

This is long, so proceed or skip over - you pick...

Now, before this post goes oxymoronic and misconstrued, you should also know I am a guy that loves to be in control of the vehicle.

No, I do not perform stunts. Although in the effort of swerving out of the way of someone else's vehicle being hurled at you while they're busy updating their Facebook status, may make one appear as such - well.. you get the idea.

Not a lot of people drive a 5-speed stick...

Some drive a...
  • vehicle that with a few steps of a pedal, brake, pedal and a slide shift (see Competition : See Chrysler) they have a take off feature that can make a young person feel invincible and developmentally - with that type of confidence, one usually winds up making a lot of mistakes that if left to continue, can get someone hurt.
  • vehicle that has limited slip differential as well as a combination of either a Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) or All-Wheel Drive (AWD) or both ...you would not realize your were on Black Ice until the drivers in front of you are slowing down - are you ready?
  • vehicle that has more square feet of surface metal than most houses have as a floor plan. Some live in their vehicles' because it doesn't require property Taxes, or are forced to live as such to be able to find work.
  • vehicle that let's you drive more from looking down at the dashboard than looking out the windshield - these are easy enough to see they have their heads buried below the window sill frame, staring at their phone and the dash. Adverted Vision is a gift, but not many know how to use it...
Again using the choices above is not just limited to that group - I'm discussing having to know how to be a defensive driver when others are not paying attention. Overconfidence in the belief that the vehicle will protect you and it's passengers, that is what gets people into trouble.

Why the Reservations?

Because of the effort Ford or any other Vehicle maker is doing to allow the driver more freedom yet by that very mechanism of choice, the Car Makers' are forced to take the control away - that control being you in the drivers' seat and operating the vehicle with the sensations as well as the training, along with ones own experiences with driving. Sensory of motion, acceleration and deceleration and the control of speed and direction - be it using Automatic or Manual transmission vehicles. Because of the desire some have to be in Social Status versus getting to their destination - much of the appreciation for the view of scenery is now lost to the destination of sending a message ahead to others that they will be arriving soon.. The new driver does not truly understand, or know how to interpret and react by what is part of a sensory network more experienced drivers know. They are hurling down the road in a vehicle at speeds one of yesteryear would know of by their senses and react quickly to hazards. I can't truly blame the operator, the Makers have gone to great lengths to reduce fatigue. We, of the older generation used to take fatigue for granted by simply stopping for a cup of coffee or a bathroom break. Many may not have the sensory prowess due to the changes in vehicle geometry and responsiveness of the metal to rubber to pavement contact that is lost on todays' tuned suspensions.

And I must add, that I am also being an Over The Road - OTR - read: CDL long-hauler. I have to know my vehicle. Else one doing the job of shipping won't survive

So to own a vehicle that "takes driving to a new level" means I'm more of a late arrival taking on these newer vehicles that have made several changes (or advances - depending upon your view) to accommodate the new driver that is not as trained nor as experienced in driving in conditions that require concentration. Not paying attention, inexperienced driving and distractions are what can get you killed.

Those reservations are from the effort of trying-more, they try to "entertain you" - referring to the Center Console - is an invitation to distracted driving and can get you hurt if you don't know what buttons to push...

I hate to say this, but with all the Manufacturers doing this style, this places me in the "Reservation" category simply due to the complexity of the Center Console and removal of the control one has at a moments notice. We, the older ones, had to get used to the idea of change thru the use of switch; to turn off or on a feature that can provide a margin of safety. Now? Moronically, you have to be stopped and at a safe condition before you can toggle that feature on or off. You have to wait for the screen on the center console to change to an input mode to change or adapt to the driving conditions. In the instance of Traction control - or Skid, or even the Hill-Assist - you have to come to a complete stop before it can be a benefit to the new user. I am not kidding. Be aware that unless you set up your vehicle for one mode and the weather or traffic conditions change to another - you cannot make changes unless you're stopped Thank Goodness that someone felt that brakes and steering still need to be left to the operator. But if you are not able to handle the ABS brakes kicking in in snowy weather - Traction Control can get you stuck in a snowbank faster than simply driving into it. The Manual and its ability to apply Engine braking is lost in these CVT transmissions and newer drivetrains - you're now driving a marshmallow.

So, what's the point?

If you segue into another newer car from say, a 2004 or so, you're in for a treat, but be careful - the store you just stepped into - and started up - can turn into a Bull and let loose a terror onto the streets that cost you some $$$ in unexpected ways. (Bull Loose In A China-Shop - syndrome)

So for a Teenager, we, as parents, used to take the Fuses out of the Dash to disable the RADIO and Cigarette lighter so the occupants could focus more on the experience of driving from Point A to Point B and not be distracted - to arrive home safe and not as a police escort.

You can't do that today...SYNC and all of its abilities inclusive with it, can help you track them and provide some limitations to protect them, as well as allow them to use the entertainment system - and although you can set limits - the design is not foolproof.

Again the "have to come to a complete stop" in order to change a vehicle system status - versus the ON/OFF a switch can provide - tends to make the changeover from the older "traditional drivetrain, steering and braking" a challenge for an older experienced driver that has to re-learn what Millennials' take for granted. Again - please take away from this; as a "looking back moment of where we were and how far we've come" - it's inevitable - so take this for what it's worth.

I live in the Midwest, so winters tend to make the other 3-seasons more of "Road Construction" - but the Fiesta SE I own has handled this pretty well.

Again, I know that thru the march of technology with all the advances it has provided as a means of convenience. Using Technology for your Safety being one of the main drives for it. What you can lose is the loss of the mechanics of using the vehicle as a tool for getting you from Point A to Point B - is what I'm trying to get at. A responsibility, as well as a means to stay in control is being left to technology. As a driver, you have more of an Automatic power delivery system due to the Emissions issues and the Carbon footprint which equates, thru the loss of a level of interaction using the engine to help you keep control of the vehicle in certain conditions, is now left to the computer the Maker put in, not you.

Now I'm not talking about Emissions, I'm talking about handling - a responsibility that you now have to the other drivers - granted to you as a privilege to drive yourself to work, home, events or for a living - its' not a right - it is a privilege.

IT's when you mentioned Teens, that why I posted the above. So you know how I feel about the subject of submitting a vehicle to a Teen...one will operate the other - the winner is what they evolve into described above. I can only hope the outcome of these advances in Safety and the support that Technology gives it - makes them a better driver.

So you know where I stand - OTR not considered...

Vehicles I've owned this is being compared to...

Scion xA (2005) (Traded)
Chevy Tracker (2000's) (Traded)
Ford Aspire (KIA derivative) (Traded)
GEO Tracker (1991) (Totaled)
GEO Sprint (1987) (Traded)
Amongst the earlier years, AMC Pacer, Chevy Camaro, Nova - all used...

So the above list are only posted to show - are from a long line of "love for the Drive" I come from. It is not the longest nor should it be used for, or compared to another's long line of ownership - I'm only stating this as a reference that aside from the Nova - all the other vehicles were Manual shift.

So what I like about the Ford Fiesta I own, is that the Manual is still available...not too many other lines are around for the price you will be spending that even offer a Manual. This includes Mitsubishi and Toyota - Nissan is not even offering the Manual as an option. (Reference Price $$$)

Now when it comes to what your siblings are going to operate, remember the issue of convenience over safety - Safety wins every time. So those that take responsibility for driving as a privilege, are faced with the facts that - more sooner than later, all vehicles are going to be set up with automated systems that take the steering wheel and all the associated parts - away from the driver. Leaving the drive to the computer so the driver becomes an occupant so that they and their passengers can focus more on the enlightenment and entertainment

So to me, it - being in control - matters - for I do not wish to become a statistic or have someone scrape me up off the pavement only to be sifted off, for recycling the plastics and metals I got ground into due to someone else not paying attention.

Being that Driving as a means of showing independence was important back then, it still is today - in LEGACY alone. Being mobile, driving - it helped build our society because we enjoyed the commute to and from work. Work was just something we did on the other end - or Point B - we spent the rest of our day leaving it behind and the vehicle we drove, was our vehicle to do so.

The BONUS here is...

I bought one, would LOVE to own two - in different colors - even an ST - but I digress...get them while you can.
 

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