The 2013 Ford Fiesta is the American manufacturer’s popular subcompact car that is currently in its fifth generation. The U.S. automotive market generally does not get that active with an economy car, but this car is designed very well, making it a major attraction.
The Ford Fiesta shows that fuel economy and value for money can be combined with great looks and comfort as well. Here is a look at the latest version of the Fiesta and how it performs with respect to other subcompact cars.
New For 2013
Now in its third year, the Fiesta pretty much stays the same for 2013. The only change is that the top trim level for both the sedan and hatchback is now called the Titanium (replacing the SEL sedan and SES hatch).
Exterior
The 2013 Ford Fiesta is available as a sedan and a hatchback, and both feature a very sleek and aerodynamic look that grabs attention. The sedan is comparatively more conservative in style than the hatchback, getting Ford’s signature three-bar chrome grille. The hatchback, on the other hand, has a narrower front grille and a much sportier design.
The exterior of the 2013 Ford Fiesta has some upscale elements as well, like LED side marker lights on the front fenders and a rear spoiler, both of which come with the optional Sport Appearance Package.
The car gets 15-inch steel wheels as standard, although 15-inch and 16-inch alloys are available as well. Ford Racing offers special 17-inch alloy wheels too. Other optional features include chrome belt line moldings, a power moonroof, and power heated side mirrors.
Interior & Cargo
The interior of the 2013 Ford Fiesta is among the best in its class. The soft-touch dash, smart styling, metallic accents, and great build quality make the Fiesta’s cabin unexpectedly luxurious. In comparison, most other economy cars offer economy-class cabins as well.
For those who want an even better premium vibe from the Fiesta’s interior, the top-end Titanium model comes with Interior Styling packages. The 2013 Ford Fiesta gets a Sync system to support voice control over Bluetooth phone and audio systems. It also allows voice-activated navigation, which works reasonably well. The Kia Rio is the only car that offers this kind of voice control capability among economy cars.
Despite the plus points, there are some flaws with the 2013 Ford Fiesta’s cabin. The buttons and controls for the car are not very intuitive, especially as compared to those in the Rio and other economy cars. The base audio system in the Fiesta also performs poorly, even though it looks good. On a positive note, the three-knob climate control is a joy to use.
The 2013 Ford Fiesta sedan has a cargo capacity of 12.8 cubic feet, which is average for its class. The hatchback offers a little less space with the rear seat up. The seats do fold down, but not completely flat. The maximum capacity with the seats folded down equals approximately 26 cubic feet, which is significantly less than that in the Rio and Fit.
Safety
The base model of the 2013 Ford Fiesta comes with anti-lock brakes as standard, with disc brakes up front and drum brakes for the rear. The car also comes with other standard safety features like traction and stability control, front side airbags, integrated blind-spot mirror, driver knee airbag, and side curtain airbags.
With the Sync Elements package, the Fiesta gets a 911 Assist function that uses the paired cell phone to automatically call an emergency operator. The car has a stopping distance of 119 feet from 60 mph, which is a little better than the average in its segment.
Driving Experience
All models of the 2013 Ford Fiesta have the same 1.6-liter, four-cylinder engine that delivers 120 horsepower and 112 lb-ft of torque. The engine is combined with a five-speed manual transmission as standard, and a six-speed automated manual transmission called PowerShift is optional.
With the standard manual gearbox, a 2013 Ford Fiesta can go from zero to 60 mph in 9.5 seconds, which is just about average for an economy car. With the PowerShift transmission, the time increases to 11.3 seconds. Nevertheless, the engine power and efficiency is a little better with the optional transmission.
The 2013 Ford Fiesta has an estimated fuel economy of 29/39 mpg city/highway. A Super Fuel Economy package is available for a price, but the resulting improvement in fuel economy is not that great.
Overall, the 2013 Ford Fiesta is one of the most driver-friendly cars in its segment. The acceleration provided by the four-cylinder engine is just about average, but it can offer its power at any time, which is a boon in stop-and-go traffic and passing and merging on the highway.
The four-cylinder engine is very peppy, and offers lots of power at low revs and remains smooth even when it is pushed to the maximum. The manual transmission is precise and very easy to use. The optional automated manual transmission is a little unusual, especially at low speeds, but it is good nonetheless.
The 2013 Ford Fiesta offers a great driving experience and ride quality. Its steering is responsive, and the suspension has been tuned extremely well. Both these qualities make the Fiesta feel very agile and powerful as well. Handling characteristics are great, and the suspension remains soft enough to keep the ride supple and smooth.
Key Competitors For The 2013 Ford Fiesta
- Chevrolet Sonic
- Honda Fit
- Hyundai Accent
- Nissan Versa