# Anyone buying a fiesta?



## Heavy Hitter (Mar 12, 2010)

I'm deciding between the obviously larger Rav4 and a new Fiesta. The reviews on the Fiesta are insanely positive and intrigue me. I am wondering if I can fit a MTB in the back with the seats down and the wheel off.

The Rav4 I would probably buy used. I am looking at an 07 with a v6 (LE edition) and 36k miles on it. I am looking to spend $20k.

A new car that averages 30+ MPG and can fit a bike in the back is real tempting.

I was looking at the Mazda3, but I decided against it.


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## PaulDuB (Jul 14, 2009)

I strongly considered it, but I was really disappointed with the lack of rear cargo space. The seats do not fold even remotely flat. That was the deal breaker for me as I do not want a roof rack and want to be able to stick the bikes in standing up (with front wheel removed). You can slide one in, but it does not leave you a lot of workable space and a second bike might be a lot of work (if you can get one in at all).


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## vuduvgn (Jan 8, 2004)

We just got a new Prius on a killer lease deal - $200/month. Bikes fit in the back easy, seats fold down flat enough to sleep back there and i've been averaging about 45 mpg.


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## bustamove (Aug 12, 2004)

Prius +1 for practicality, -2 for fun factor.
Priuses can accomodate more cargo than you would initially believe, but they are very uninspiring to drive.

On the other hand, the Fiesta is a hoot to drive, but does require its little engine to spool up into the upper revs before it really starts to get going. Someone found my photos and I can verify trying to fit a bike in the back just wasn't happening.

If the RAV4 is on your short list, then go with that. Bikes fit inside - one wheel off, and upright - no problem. Picture below is of a 2009 RAV4 with my road bike inside.


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## the-one1 (Aug 2, 2008)

2 different cars for the same purpose, hauling bikes.
What it comes down to is what is more important; hauling bikes inside or gas mileage?
If you haul a lot of stuff all the time, I'd go with the Rav4, but if bike(s) are the only thing, then the Fiesta with a roof rack would get my vote.
Hell, the reason I bought my Element was that I could fit 4 bikes upright inside without taking off the wheels. Now granted you can't fit all 4 riders that goes along with the bikes 
But I also have my Protege5 with roof rack to carry my bike(s) to the close trails.


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## pimpbot (Dec 31, 2003)

*VW Golf?*

The new Golf MK6 looks pretty dang sweet. Tons of room in back. I had a MK3 Golf GTi and could easily get a bike in there flat with the front wheel off. New Golfs are bigger.

That inline 5 cyl engine uses a bit of gas, tho. It probably won't make your 30 mpg requirement.


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## J the J (Jul 19, 2010)

check out the Honda Fit

It's pretty cheap, less than 20k, and has a ton of room


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## willie b (Jun 25, 2006)

*I hear Ken likes his Fiesta...*

http://www.zercustoms.com/news/Ford-Fiesta-Ken-Block-Special-Edition.html

I support him even though I am a Subaru guy.


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## Heavy Hitter (Mar 12, 2010)

Good posts. I am going to check out the RAV4. It still gets really good gas mileage from what I have seen. mid 20s and up for an SUV is awesome IMO.

The fact that you just can not fit a bike in the Fiesta is a killer. Struggling to fit a bike in a brand new car, would suck. I have a 1 bmx bike and 1 mtb. I would like to be able to haul 2 MTBs if I take a buddy riding, so the Rav 4 seems like the way to go. I could probably fit them inside the car or buy a rack.


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## nuck_chorris (Jun 6, 2008)

the first and second gen rav4 were the best in my opinion


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## BenR (Mar 31, 2007)

I drive a base model honda fit and took an XL Giant Anthem and my Medium Trek EX 9.8 with plenty of extra room left with just the front tires off. The bikes sit upright and it works great. Getting around 35-38 mpg with air on high and the thing is fun to drive. I am glad I got ride of the Tacoma for this...actually more room and drives better. I also paid 15K for a 2010 so the price is right...just thought I would share...BR


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## Heavy Hitter (Mar 12, 2010)

BenR said:


> I drive a base model honda fit and took an XL Giant Anthem and my Medium Trek EX 9.8 with plenty of extra room left with just the front tires off. The bikes sit upright and it works great. Getting around 35-38 mpg with air on high and the thing is fun to drive. I am glad I got ride of the Tacoma for this...actually more room and drives better. I also paid 15K for a 2010 so the price is right...just thought I would share...BR


Thats awesome. I like the FIT, it just looks a little weird to me..Something about how the new Hondas front window is angled bugs me a lot, but I definitley need to look at it more.

I am looking at Mazda 3 aIso. Definitely considering that car, but I guess on the fence about small car vs smaller SUV.

The price is so nice on the Fiesta, Fit, 3..and I am talking brand new. Of course the compact SUVs look pretty nice too and now get great milage as well.

I am looking for decent looks, solid MPG (25 and up would be awesome), and cargo room for 1 or 2 MTBs. I am also 34 years old. I am pretty torn on the small vs compact SUV. The brand new RAV4s are around 25k for the Sport, but I believe they come with an unlimited warranty..I could be wrong, but that's pretty great. I would just rather spend a little less on a car.


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## PaulDuB (Jul 14, 2009)

Personally, I like the looks of the Fit Sport over the base Fit and the Fiesta. The side profiles of both cars are a bit strange IMO, but looks are always subjective. If you read around, many people with Fits get above the EPA rating of 33/35 mpg highway. I myself usually get 40 mpg with the cruise set at 70 mph. The Fit sport adds cruise control and bigger wheels/tires with the option of in-dash navigation, and some other stuff I think.

I compared both quite heavily before deciding on the Fit. I feel there are a lot of tradeoffs between the two. Both have great reviews and are fun to drive, but when it comes to hauling bikes (or anything) the Fit has the advantage which is why I wanted a hatchback in the first place.

Check them out in person. I found the Fit (sport) looks better in person and the Fiesta looked worse. My opinion tho.


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## Heavy Hitter (Mar 12, 2010)

The FIT does sound pretty amazing.I guess it boils down to whether I want a small car or an SUV. And that can be a tough decision. I'm leaning towards SUV still. The RAV4 seems super ideal. I saw a Mitsubishi Outlander that looked pretty cool also.

My buddy who I ride with has an Xterra, and sometimes says he wants a smaller car. It makes me wonder if I'd feel the same after a bit. I also like the Xterra because it is so versatile.

I currently drive a Volvo c70 turbo, which is hell for cargo of any sort. I guess I will sell it first and that should force me to make a decision.


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## gravitylover (Sep 1, 2009)

Boy are you in for a disappointment after going from the ride quality of the C70 to any of these "minis." Put a hitch on the C and keep it.


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## J the J (Jul 19, 2010)

^plus that is a hell of a lot cheaper than spending 20k on a new car.

If you like your current car and it's in good condition/not falling apart why get a new car?

i thought you were in need of a new car. If that's not the case then no reason to buy a new car just for a bike.

just end up wasting tons of money.

get the hitch, get a bike rack.

Use the other $19,300 to pay off your current car if it's not already, use it for a down payment on a house if you are into owning (personally I feel renting is better) due to mobility.

or, my personal choice, invest it in a roth IRA or other investment of some sort.

Save money, retire earlier, spend more time biking and less time working

I plan on driving my prius until it dies or costs more to fix than it's worth.


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## Heavy Hitter (Mar 12, 2010)

Woah man, you jumped to conclusions and went overboard with the life advice. My Volvo was bought used and is close to being a lemon. I have constantly had it in repairs and it is actually falling apart. It was not very expensive to buy. Trust me, if it was just about transporting bikes then I would have a hitch on it.

I have an IRA and Roth. Opened them a long time ago. Also have a 401k. Let's stick to car talk please.

But gravity you make a good point about ride quality. The c70 moves. Fast. The weakness is the turn radius, but the engine is fast. I should probably go for more room with my next car.


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## Zukfanatic (Apr 17, 2009)

My vote is Suzuki SX4 all the way. Fits my large 29er and plenty of other stuff, All Wheel Drive, fun to drive, and I get about 31-33 mpg on the highway. My wife wants to get rid of our 2008 impreza hatch and get one for herself. I came from a gorgeous Subaru WRX and love my sx4 equally as much. It's such a great, underrated car. I want the Swift turbo to come to the U.S. so badly. All of the real, non-gm suzukis are great cars and ultra-reliable. If you don't like Suzuki, also check out the Hyundai Tucson or the VW Tiguan. Both great little SUVs. The Tiguan is basically a GTI suv and the Tucson is ultra-affordable and has a great warranty.


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## Supadave (Apr 5, 2008)

Zukfanatic said:


> My vote is Suzuki SX4 all the way. Fits my large 29er and plenty of other stuff, All Wheel Drive, fun to drive, and I get about 31-33 mpg on the highway. My wife wants to get rid of our 2008 impreza hatch and get one for herself. I came from a gorgeous Subaru WRX and love my sx4 equally as much. It's such a great, underrated car. I want the Swift turbo to come to the U.S. so badly. *All of the real, non-gm suzukis are great cars* and ultra-reliable. If you don't like Suzuki, also check out the Hyundai Tucson or the VW Tiguan. Both great little SUVs. The Tiguan is basically a GTI suv and the Tucson is ultra-affordable and has a great warranty.


First let me preface this with the fact that I am a Suzuki fan, I drive a Suzuki motorcycle and my snowmobile is powered by a Suzuki mill.
But are you seriously insinuating that evil GM's whopping 3.02% stake in Suzuki effected their design and reliability negatively? Pretty sure that even at their dark ages '80's worst GM vehicle brands have been constantly rated higher in reliability than Suzuki. And while I do like the SX4 let's not put the current (Nissan frontier re-badge filled) line-up on a false pedestal.


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## Dropout33 (Apr 9, 2007)

I've been driving a new Rav4 loaner car from toyota while my 4runner gets some work done and I am so impressed with this car. The Rav has so much room and drives great. The interior room is so much more useful than my 05 4runner.

There is only 200 miles on this Rav but I have been getting 30 on the highway here in NY.


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## steadite (Jan 13, 2007)

If you're looking at Rav4, why not the class-leading fuel economy Chevy Equinox??? Has the size you need PLUS 32 MPG hwy.

http://www.chevrolet.com/equinox/

Edit: whoops...I just noticed your price limitation. I bet there are some used ones that would be around 20k tho.


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## BigRuckus (Jun 5, 2010)

Zukfanatic said:


> My vote is Suzuki SX4 all the way. Fits my large 29er and plenty of other stuff, All Wheel Drive, fun to drive, and I get about 31-33 mpg on the highway. My wife wants to get rid of our 2008 impreza hatch and get one for herself. I came from a gorgeous Subaru WRX and love my sx4 equally as much. It's such a great, underrated car. I want the Swift turbo to come to the U.S. so badly. All of the real, non-gm suzukis are great cars and ultra-reliable. If you don't like Suzuki, also check out the Hyundai Tucson or the VW Tiguan. Both great little SUVs. The Tiguan is basically a GTI suv and the Tucson is ultra-affordable and has a great warranty.


+1 for the Tiguan.
*Pros*
Fun to drive
26MPG
Fits two bikes, seats folded, fronts off.
Fun to drive
Tight and quiet
Fun to drive

*Cons*
Pricey...

...and worth every penny.


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## Heavy Hitter (Mar 12, 2010)

This thread is a MAJOR help for me. Much appreciated guys, I am researching every car being mentioned by fellow riders.


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## Heavy Hitter (Mar 12, 2010)

Do any of you guys lease? I drive less then 15k miles a year and know some folks who do and love it. I know the negative is that you will never own your car and always have a car payment, but the positive is that you can really fix your annual auto budget at a certain point since you will never need to make major repairs.

Just wondered anyone that rides who does this.


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## gravitylover (Sep 1, 2009)

Sounds like a recipe for disaster. Putting a mt bike in the car after riding should do wonders for the overall cleanliness of the car and they usually don't like dirty chain lube on the carpets and such when you return it at the end of the lease.


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## thebronze (Jan 13, 2004)

If both cars are even with comfort level and reliability, I'd get the fiesta, the money you save on gas alone will pay for a hitch rack over the rav4. But IMO the RAV4 will probably be more comfortable for road trips. Gotta agree w gravitylover, putting the bike in the car trashes the cars interior. I did that for years and the only upside is its safer from thieves.

Do this, figure out how much it will cost you to drive both cars for a year. Subtract the difference and see what that will buy you. You might end up with enough cash to pay for a new bike, fork, or wheelset.

For example, gas is $2.60 in Texas right now, costs me $33 to fill up, lasts about a week or 312 miles in my subaru @24mpg. Same mileage in the new fiesta(@28mpg) would cost about $29. So $4 a week x 4 is $16 a month, 16x12=$192 a year in gas savings, erring on the conservative math/mpg estimate. That number could easily double if the car returned 32mpg overall, which would pay for a new fork or drivetrain


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## dejock (Feb 25, 2010)

check out the mazda5. get the manual tranny. http://www.mazdausa.com/MusaWeb/displayPage.action?pageParameter=modelsMain&vehicleCode=MZ5


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## Heavy Hitter (Mar 12, 2010)

Whatever car I buy I am getting a cover for the back instantly. I am not going to trash the back of the car and put dirty chain lube on the carpets. Tons of folks here put the bikes in their cars. That being said, it is definitley a factor in considering lease vs buy.

Bronze, good post. I don't the gas differential is worth going small again though. Checking out the Tuscon,and RAV4 and seeing the mileage they get makes it worth going a little bigger now, IMO.


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## marzjennings (Jan 3, 2008)

dejock said:


> check out the mazda5. get the manual tranny. http://www.mazdausa.com/MusaWeb/displayPage.action?pageParameter=modelsMain&vehicleCode=MZ5


+1 to a Mazda 5, smallest mini van out there, room for 4 bikes and gear, not bad mpg, seats 6 when required.


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## Heavy Hitter (Mar 12, 2010)

The 2010-2011 Tucson model looks like a serious contender for me. If I bought, the warranty is 10 years, 100,000 miles. That is pretty amazing.


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## Supadave (Apr 5, 2008)

Heavy Hitter said:


> Do any of you guys lease? I drive less then 15k miles a year and know some folks who do and love it. I know the negative is that you will never own your car and always have a car payment, but the positive is that you can really fix your annual auto budget at a certain point since you will never need to make major repairs.
> 
> Just wondered anyone that rides who does this.


I leased, twice. It's not that you'll never own your car, it's more like you have the option to trade up or walk away half way through your finance term.

My first truck I leased for three and walked. My second truck I leased for three, LOVE it, kept it and I'll own it in three.


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## Zukfanatic (Apr 17, 2009)

Supadave said:


> First let me preface this with the fact that I am a Suzuki fan, I drive a Suzuki motorcycle and my snowmobile is powered by a Suzuki mill.
> But are you seriously insinuating that evil GM's whopping 3.02% stake in Suzuki effected their design and reliability negatively? Pretty sure that even at their dark ages '80's worst GM vehicle brands have been constantly rated higher in reliability than Suzuki. And while I do like the SX4 let's not put the current (Nissan frontier re-badge filled) line-up on a false pedestal.


You know, I am not saying that it was all GM's fault, cause it was not. Except for one car - the old swift - which was the same thing as the geo metro I believe and had the same rot issues. I am saying though, that American Suzukis, which until recently were not the same ones as those that were sold in other countries, were basically garbage. Now what Suzuki is trying to do with many of their new cars like the SX4, Kizashi, and new Swift, is make them global vehicles. It's similar to what ford is doing with the Fiesta. What I love about the SX-4 vs any other car is that the reliability is fantastic, it's small but roomy, the warranty is excellent, and it is AWD which for mountain bikers can be an even bigger asset than it is to many others. It's a nice alternative to an Impreza or small SUV. BTW that pickup that they came out with is idiotic. They need to stick to small/subcompact/sporty cars. I say they bring back Isuzu for their truck brand (just kidding).

Big Ruckus - Tiquan = our next family car. Our Suzuki dealer is also the best VW/Audi dealer in the area which is nice. I have to convince my wife that she needs a 6 speed manual though. I am not the biggest VW fan but I LOVE the Tiguan.


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## thebronze (Jan 13, 2004)

Heavy Hitter said:


> Bronze, good post. I don't the gas differential is worth going small again though. Checking out the Tuscon,and RAV4 and seeing the mileage they get makes it worth going a little bigger now, IMO.


Yeah, one of these days i'll find a car that has good fuel economy and is comfortable on road trips. I thought the subaru forester was it, but its not really getting the job done. I'm seriously considering buying a junker minivan for all bike trips. Rip out the rear seats and throw the bike in there.


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## Heavy Hitter (Mar 12, 2010)

Im going to look at a base GL version of the 2011 Tucson today. I am very intrigued by it.


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## Zukfanatic (Apr 17, 2009)

Awesomne - tell us how you like the Tucson. I am excited to hear about your impressions of it because I think it looks awesome. I just want to know how it drives and how good the fit/finish is.


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## 2QWK4U (Feb 19, 2010)

Should you get a Ford, request an X-plan number this should add $1-2k in savings.

http://www.blueovalforums.com/forums/index.php?/forum/45-ford-x-plan-pin-requests/?


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## bustamove (Aug 12, 2004)

*Tucson review on CarReview*



Zukfanatic said:


> Awesomne - tell us how you like the Tucson. I am excited to hear about your impressions of it because I think it looks awesome. I just want to know how it drives and how good the fit/finish is.


We spent a week with the Hyundai Tucson earlier this year and liked it. Even one of the readers commented that the 2010 Tucson would be his first choice if he was shopping around for a new vehicle.


https://reviews.carreview.com/blog/2010-hyundai-tucson-review/


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## bustamove (Aug 12, 2004)

*SX4 is a respectable car*

I drove both a bone stock SX4 crossover and another that was prepped by Road Race Motorsports. It was hard to remain objective after driving the model that was modified by RRM for obvious reasons. Below are links to our reviews on CarReview.com









https://reviews.carreview.com/blog/superfly-2010-suzuki-sx4-sportback/

Within my review is a video clip of the RRM modified SX4 driving off and its sweet exhaust note.

Someone who was more objective than me has high praise for the Suzuki SX4:
https://reviews.carreview.com/blog/first-impressions-2010-suzuki-sx4/


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## Heavy Hitter (Mar 12, 2010)

I love the Tucson. If I buy new it is #1 on my list. Awesome car.


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## Fat Bob (Mar 5, 2004)

HH.... I was in a similar situation. I went from an A6 3.2 Avant with 300+ bhp, to a Fit Sport with ~100 bhp. I had every option available in the Audi, it was a spectacular vehicle.... problem was I was tired of the maintenance. I couldn't go to the dealer w/out spending $1k per visit. My situation changed work wise, and putting 3k miles a month on the A6 just didn't make sense. The Fit Sport was cheap $15 out the door with a lifetime engine and drivetrain warranty! And gets ~38 mpg hwy versus the 25 ish mpg I was getting in the Audi. The other thing about the Audi was that as big as it was, it wasn't very tall. I can fit 2 29er's inside of my little Fit. If you do get a Fit, find a manual trans. Makes all the difference in the world. It's a fun little car to drive in town, but is a little lackluster @ 70+. I couldn't be happier with my cheap little Fit.


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