Ford Fiesta Review 2024

If you cannot find a Ford Fiesta body, engine and trim combo to suit your needs, you’re either very fussy or just not in the market for a small hatch. While it’s by no means the only fruit in the hatchback orchard, the Ford Fiesta is justifiably so successful by providing buyers with a massive suite of models, engines and options.

With this eighth generation of Fiesta, Ford brought more comfort into the equation, so the car massages its way over bumpy roads more smoothly. Yet, it still has the same verve when it comes to corners, you just have to look a little more to find it.

Whether it’s as a first car fresh from ripping up the L-plates, a dependable sole vehicle or the back-up car in the family, the Ford Fiesta does it all and does it very well. Little wonder it’s routinely at the top of the sales chart.

The Ford Fiesta is up against the small hatch big hitters in the shapes of the Vauxhall Corsa and Volkswagen Polo. Both are very accomplished cars with similar levels of comfort, agility, tech, space and safety to the Ford. For some, the Volkswagen has an added veneer of quality, while others will prefer the looks of the Corsa - while the latter also has the advantage of being offered with pure-electric power.

Elsewhere, you’ll find the SEAT Ibiza, one of our favourites, as well as the trusty Skoda Fabia and the excellent Toyota Yaris. There's also the latest Peugeot 208 and Renault Clio - both impressive small hatchbacks. We'd also suggest looking at the Hyundai i20, which is surprisingly good.

The Mazda 2 is hard to ignore for its quality, while the MINI and Audi A1 are also within the Fiesta’s sights at the more premium end of the market.

This is an area where Ford worked hard to shed the previous Fiesta’s somewhat utilitarian approach to fabrics and materials. It’s a partial success as the upper section of the dash softly padded plastic looks and feels good, while the main sweep of the dash and centre console are just as pleasing. All of the controls work with a pleasingly positive action, particularly the column stalks.

Glance further down and deeper into the cabin of the Ford Fiesta and you begin to notice far more basic looking finished and textures. They are hard-wearing and robust, and Ford put the Fiesta together as well as any of its rivals, but it just misses that last degree of wow factor you get in a MINI or Volkswagen Polo.

This is addressed to some degree in the Vignale model with its upscale trim and appearance. However, there are still some standard Fiesta parts on show in this car. Despite this, the Vignale does impart the feel of a luxury car that has been distilled into a smaller package.

Every Ford Fiesta comes with an infotainment screen of some sort. Basic Trend and Zetec models made do with a 6.5-inch touchscreen, but other trims gained an 8.0-inch display. With the Trend and ST-Line models, you get the SYNC system that comes with a touchscreen and steering wheel buttons. It is easily hooked up to Apple CarPlay or Android Auto for music and apps.

It’s as well you can access apps so readily as this version of the SYNC system is rather basic otherwise, even if it’s much easier to navigate your way through now than Ford’s older versions. The screen is big, bright and has easily prodded icons.

Move into most other Ford Fiesta trims and you get an upgrade to the SYNC 3 infotainment system that includes navigation, voice control and FordPass Connect internet access. Again, this still requires your smartphone to work at its best, but it’s still simple to work.

Both SYNC systems come with Emergency Assistance and DAB radio. Alternatively, you could have the Titanium X or Vignale models with a Bang and Olufsen Premium set-up that has 10 speakers for greater sound quality. This is an option for other trim levels except the base Trend.

From 2022, Ford offered a 12.3-nich digital dash display in place of the standard instrument gauges and it's a great system if you choose a used Fiesta with this fitted.

The Ford Fiesta is 4040mm long and 1735mm wide, while both the three- and five-door Ford Fiesta models offer exactly the same amount of cabin space. However, the five-door has a clear advantage when it comes to accessing the back seats, which will be a prime consideration for anyone with children. Letting them into the back with the three-door model is simple enough as the front seats tip and slide forwards, but it’s just more of faff than simply opening a rear door.

Once in the back of the Ford Fiesta, there’s a trio of three-point belts and the two outer chairs have ISOFIX kiddy seat mounts. The window line is quite high in the rear of the Fiesta, so younger children may find themselves feeling a bit hemmed in, especially with the standard dark cloth upholstery of most trims.

There’s reasonable space for kids in the back of the Fiesta and it can, at a pinch, take three abreast. For adults, it’s strictly for two and they will find head and leg space at a premium if they are of average or above height.

Turning our attention to load carrying, the Ford Fiesta’s boot has 292-litres of space in normal use, which puts it in the middle ground of this class. It’s deep and uninterrupted by intrusions from the wheel arches, but there is a high load sill to drag heavier bags over.

Extending the load space is simple as the 60/40 split rear seat tips forward when the release levers are pulled. This frees up as much as 1093-litres of space, but it comes with the caveat that its load floor is not flat and has a marked step where the back seat base meets the floor. Nor does the rear bench fold completely horizontal, which hampers its ability to carry bigger boxes home from the DIY shop or cart rubbish to the dump.

Step round to the front cabin of the Ford Fiesta and the driver is well catered for thanks to big door pockets and a centre tray in front of the gear lever. There’s also a lidded cubby between the front seats and a glovebox with enough space to stash a phone charger.

The Ford Fiesta line-up started with an entry-level 1.1-litre Ti-VCT petrol engine. We'd recommend avoiding this engine unless you're on a tight budget (or perhaps are a new driver struggling with insurance costs). With a power output of just 85PS, it soon starts to feel out of its depth on the motorway and it's only available with a five-speed manual gearbox.

Far and away the best choice of engine in the Fiesta is the three-cylinder 1.0-litre Ecoboost turbo petrol unit. It was originally offered in 100-, 125- and 140PS outputs and we’d plump for the middle one for its blend of punch, economy, refinement and running costs. All three deliver plenty of low-down pep and are happy to rev hard when required, though you are unlikely to need this as they pull strongly through the standard six-speed manual gearbox. If you want an automatic transmission, this is offered with six gears attached to the 100PS Ecoboost motor. It can be slow to swap gears and is not noted for the smoothness of its shifts, but generally the auto gearbox is inoffensive.

Mild-hybrid tech was added to the Fiesta range in 2020, with a belt-driven starter/generator replacing the standard alternator on 125 and 155PS 1.0-litre EcoBoost models. This isn't a full hybrid, so don't expect huge differences in performance or fuel economy, but it will capture a small amount of energy ordinarily lost under braking. The 100PS engine continued without any hybrid help.

For those covering bigger distances, Ford originally offered the Fiesta with a pair of 1.5-litre turbodiesel engines available in the Fiesta. They are three-cylinder units and can be ordered with 85- or 120PS. It’s a shame there isn’t an option that sits in the middle as the 85PS motor can feel a bit underwhelming at higher speeds while the 120PS unit can feel like overkill. Still, we like the pace of the 120PS turbodiesel and its ability to cruise all day long on the motorway.

Whichever engine you choose for the Ford Fiesta, and regardless of whether it’s fuelled by petrol or diesel, they are all admirably hushed in town and on the motorway. Even when accelerating hard to join fast moving traffic, the engines have a whizzy, eager feel that makes the driver happy to work them hard.

Road noise is also kept well in the background in every version of the Fiesta even when it’s riding on larger wheels in some of the upscale trims. Although not a criticism as such, we have found the Vignale model to be no quieter than the rest of the range, though this is because of the model’s luxury aspirations rather than any shortfall in its abilities.

Where every Fiesta does pull up short of our expectations is the amount of wind noise that can be heard when driving at higher speeds. It comes from around the windscreen and door mirrors, making a continuous rustle of sound. While not immediately tiring or excessively loud, it does wear after a longer journey and it's something the Volkswagen Polo makes a much better job of filtering out.

The entire Ford Fiesta range of this generation has six airbags as standard in every model, as well as Ford’s Intelligent Protection System. This is Ford-speak for how the ESP traction control, ABS anti-lock brakes and electronic brake force distribution work together in the event of the car sensing it’s out of shape.

The Fiesta also comes with Hill Start Assist to guard against rolling backwards when pulling away on inclines, while Trailer Sway Control prevents snaking if you’re towing. ISOFIX child seat mounts in the rear seats and a tyre pressure monitoring system complete the standard offering.

Ford offered a number of optional safety packs, including the NCAP Technology Pack that comes with Lane-Keeping Alert and assistance, speed limiter, automatic headlights, and a headrest for the rear middle passenger. Another pack called the Driver Assistance Features brings rain-sensing wipers, Traffic Sign Recognition and Driver Alert with a 4.2-inch colour display in the main instrument pod.

Rear parking sensors were available separately or as part of the City Pack that also provided electrically folding door mirrors with integrated puddle lights. A reversing camera was another option, along with parking assistance and a Blind Spot Information System to warn of cars you might not see in the mirrors.

Ford also offered its MyKey that means different sets of keys to the car can be programmed with individual settings. For instance, a younger driver's key might not let them play the stereo too loudly in case it distracts their attention.

The Ford Fiesta's long-term reliability appears to be pretty good. There have been a few grumblings over Ford's EcoBoost engines and older PowerShift automatic gearboxes, but any issues seem to have been ironed out by this generation of Fiesta.

Ford Fiesta insurance gets off to a very affordable start with the 1.1-litre Ti-VCT model that sits in group 5. It’s only available in the lowest Trend specification, but it’s ideal for those just passed their test or parents looking for a second car to share with new drivers.

Our favourite 1.0 Ecoboost turbo petrol-powered models sit in group 10 if you choose the 100PS version of this engine. Move up to the 125PS motor and that hikes up to group 12, or group 13 for the Titanium X and Vignale trims. The 140PS Ecoboost resides in groups 14 or 15 depending on spec, making this Fiesta better suited to those with several years of no claims bonus to their credit. The 155PS engine pushed up as high as group 17. Check out our guide to the cheapest Ford cars to insure for more info. 

Ford dropped the Fiesta Style and Zetec trims in mid-2019, replacing them with the Trend that then kicked off the range. It comes with 15-inch steel wheels (covered with wheel trims), LED headlights and daytime running lights, a heated windscreen, manual air conditioning and selectable drive modes. An 8.0-inch touchscreen media system is standard (with DAB radio as well as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto) along with a Thatcham alarm system, cruise control (with speed limiter) and a lane-assist feature.

The Ford Fiesta Titanium adds rear privacy glass, keyless start, rear parking sensors, traffic sign recognition and automatic high beam, while the Titanium X builds on this with 17-inch alloy wheels, LED rear lights, automatic climate control, premium seats (with part synthetic leather), heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, keyless entry and a rear-view camera.

The Ford Fiesta Active features a rugged exterior styling kit, rough road suspension (with increased ride height), 17-inch alloy wheels, cloth trim in black/blue with dark blue stitching, cruise control, the eight-inch media system with Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, rear parking sensors and keyless start. The Fiesta Active X adds 18-inch alloy wheels, LED rear lights, automatic climate control, heated front seats and steering wheel and a rear-view camera.

The sportier Ford Fiesta ST-Line comes with 17-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights, rear privacy glass, a bespoke body styling kit, sports suspension, selectable drive modes, manual air con and the eight-inch touchscreen infotainment system. The seats are trimmed in cloth with red stitching, while driver-assistance tech includes cruise control, rear parking sensors, traffic sign recognition and lane-keep assist.

The Ford Fiesta ST-Line X comes with 18-inch alloy wheels, LED rear lights, automatic climate control, premium seats (with part synthetic leather), heated front seats and a heated steering wheel. Keyless entry and start are standard, as well as a rear-view camera.

The luxurious Vignale trim offered its own exterior styling for the grille, bumpers, and front fog lights, as well as 17-inch alloy wheels. It also came with a panoramic glass sunroof, quilted leather, heated front seats, and reversing camera.