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The most popular model in it’s family history, the Ford Fiesta V was even more successful than “Good Girl Gone Bad”. Here’s why, in today’s article.

Just like when you want to hook up a girl in a club, you always want to get to work as soon as possible, so I shall promptly answer the question that no one asks:

Why was the Ford Fiesta V the most popular Fiesta model in history?

• As with its predecessor, the Ford Fiesta V came at a time when we weren’t that much into hatchbacks such as the Focus or Golf, because at that time saloons dominated the car market, and SUV tractors were barely entering the scene and ruining it for everyone.


• Ford along with Opel understood that people want small cars that look good, that aren’t necessarily premium but are primarily cheap. And the recipe was successful, Ford Fiesta V and Opel Corsa C firing a firm foot into the testicles of the VW Polo, leaving him in a coma from which he would wake up only in 2018 with the 6th generation.


• Thanks to the semi-independent suspension, the Ford Fiesta V was much more agile than the competition, but not as agile as its bigger brother Ford Focus II, which received full independent suspension.


• There were no cross-overs back then, so you had to head over to the small city car. And the Ford Fiesta V has proven to be decently reliable to face the market.
  
  It is part of the Ford generation of decent, reliable and very dynamic cars. After this generation, things started to fall like a sack of potatoes in the attic.


• Due to its nice and harmless shapes, the Ford Fiesta V was and is a car loved by drivers today, especially to 25 years old and younger. Small cars, easy to park and drive, nice to look at and that don’t cost a fortune too keep on the road. If Ford Fiesta IV is a very good car for beginners, Ford Fiesta V is a very good car for ladies who do not care at all, but absolutely not at all, about cars but who need something to move them about.


• Ford announced in 2018 that it intends to stop the production of everything that means supermini, hatch-back, sedan and everything that is not cross-over or van. That would mean the end of the line for both Fiesta and Mondeo (in the article about Mondeo V we discussed this whole issue).

Ford Fiesta V Engines

Petrol

• 1.3 MPI of 69 horsepower – You would think that the number of horses encourages fun, but unfortunately this antiquity was launched in 1959 and occasionally improved. A Donatella Versace kind of engine, this engine is best to be avoided.


• 1.25 of 73 horsepower – This engine is still being manufactured in 2018, to realize how old it is and how much Ford cares about technology and refuses to invest in new stuff. An engine that has proven its reliability over time, as long as it is fed only with 5W-30 quality oil every 5000 km. However, this engine has as much strength and muscle as Britney Spears mental health during the 2000s.


• 1.4 of 79 horsepower  – The same 1.25 Yamaha-sourced engine but stretched out to 1398 cc. If you think you’ve seen this engine before (possibly even a Ford Fiesta IV), then you’re right. Only now it has received some minor improvements so that it can continue to exist.


• 1.6 of 98 horsepower – Again, the same Yamaha engine that is quite large for the Fiesta and which you’ll find rather in the Ford Focus II. However, if you find a Fiesta with this engine, be prepared for thrills.


• 2.0 of 150 horsepower Ford Fiesta ST – Provided if you can find the ST version. With a 2-liter engine stole…I mean, borrowed from Mazda, the Ford Fiesta ST was an unrivaled car at the time, the only real competitor being the Renault Clio 182. A truly sensational car, ready to rearrange your face every time you step on the gas.

Diesel

• 1.4 67-horsepower TDCI – This is where the Ford disaster happens, because during this period the diesel engines were sourced from PSA, and the petrol ones were “borrowed” from Mazda or Volvo. The petrol engines sure are spectacular, but the diesels have bigger issues than those that have an iPhone XR are living in a rented 1 room flat. In the case of the 1.4 TDCI engine there were serious issues on the injector side, a problem that should be solved in 2018 but not at the Fiesta V. It is good to ask if the injectors have been replaced and check them anyway as you should have Bosch injectors instead of the troublesome Siemens units.


• 1.6 88-horsepower TDCI – This engine alone has ruined the reputation of Ford, Volvo, Peugeot, Mazda and many other manufacturers. An engine that eats turbos for breakfast due to poor lubrication so you need to think very carefully before buying such a technological abortion. That’s why Fords with 1.6 TDCI engines cost as much as an evening down the pub.

Ford Fiesta V General Issues

• Serious ECU issues, valid for all engines. Although they have been most likely replaced in most cars by now, it is good to always have money set aside. Not that 50 pounds would be the end of the world, but it’s good to be on the safe side. That said, it’s useless to sleep with your back to the wall if you sleep with your mouth open.


• The tape decks were another famous sensitive point in the Ford Fiesta V. Sometimes it was taken by surprise with a heart attack and died suddenly, other times it would stay on even after you stopped the engine and stayed on untill it drained your battery dry. If the still has the original tape deck, throw it away and get something more reminiscent of 2018.


• The front suspension suffered from arthritis on this model, especially if it sat in the parking lot for a long time. It doesn’t cost much to replace it, but you try to move about with moist and soft knees.

Ford Fiesta V Verdict

The Ford Fiesta V remains a very popular car among young ladies. Easy to drive, quite practical for you and your friends, with a trunk that swallows your weekly grocery and with economical and somewhat reliable engines. A city car, a real supermini that did not try to look what it’s not, unlike the VW Polo 9N that wanted to enter the premium world only to receive a kick in the nads from the VW Golf.