Ford Fiesta Vs Mazda 2?

[jsgatse]

Any thoughts as to which is a better auto? My main concerns are 1) safety 2) space/comfort 3) fuel performance.

Specifically, I was looking at the Ford Fiesta 5 Door Trend PowerShift 1.6 Duratec Inline 4-cylinder DOHC 16V for 654,000 THB

vs

New Mazda 2 Spirit Sport AT 5 Door with MZR : 4-inline cylinder DOHC 16-valve with Sequential valve timing (S-VT) 1,500 cc for 640,000 THB

Thanks for your thoughts and experiences.....

[MoonRiverOasis]

Firstly, before someone jumps in with mis-information, they're not the same car

Space-wise, both are similar.

Fiesta has a 1.6L engine, vs Mazda2 1.5L

Fiesta has 6-speed DSG gearbox, vs Mazda2 4-speed torque-converter auto

Fiesta has Traction Control, Stability Control and Hill start assist, Mazda2 has none of these.

For me it's a no-brainer..

[jsgatse]

Firstly, before someone jumps in with mis-information, they're not the same car

Space-wise, both are similar.

Fiesta has a 1.6L engine, vs Mazda2 1.5L

Fiesta has 6-speed DSG gearbox, vs Mazda2 4-speed torque-converter auto

Fiesta has Traction Control, Stability Control and Hill start assist, Mazda2 has none of these.

For me it's a no-brainer..

Thanks.

And, is it pretty safe? And a decent car overall, or is my initial question like asking "which is better, getting kicked in the face or in the balls"?

[Carib]

Same subject, but in January this year, some good info for you there. :jap:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/432436-mazda2-vs-ford-fiesta-which-one-to-buy/page__hl__mazda2

[jsgatse]

Same subject, but in January this year, some good info for you there. :jap:

http://www.thaivisa....age__hl__mazda2

very helpful, thanks :jap:

[culicine]

Firstly, before someone jumps in with mis-information, they're not the same car

Space-wise, both are similar.

Fiesta has a 1.6L engine, vs Mazda2 1.5L

Fiesta has 6-speed DSG gearbox, vs Mazda2 4-speed torque-converter auto

Fiesta has Traction Control, Stability Control and Hill start assist, Mazda2 has none of these.

For me it's a no-brainer..

How about after sales service? How does mazda compare to the ford? And overall value for money, where would the honda jazz sit among these two? If I don't go the brio/march route, then these three are next in line. However, I'm more interested in the manual versions, and read the mazda 2 was the most fun to drive to and feels similar to the jazz in performance. But the 590K price for the jazz is hard to swallow compared to the mazdas 535K for the manual versions - granted the jazz is better equipped.

Saw an interesting video from thailand - drag race between a jazz (think it was the new model) and a mazda 2 sedan (auto). The mazda 2 just pulled away, which I thought I was interesting. Don;t know how hard the jazz was trying though.

[MoonRiverOasis]

How about after sales service? How does mazda compare to the ford?

Neither of these brands have a particuarly large dealer network, but there's usually at least one dealership in every major district, even upcountry. Ford offer a 24-hour (or it's free) parts delivery guarantee for most common part groups, which no other brand yet does. Service departments are not as nice as a typical Toyota, Honda or even Mistubishi dealership, but training and equipment levels on on par. Ford also offer their 5-5-5 program which is only rivalled by Mistubishi, and upmarket brands like BMW and Porsche in TH.

And overall value for money, where would the honda jazz sit among these two?

The Jazz is a the best in the class when it comes to interior space and versatility - so if that's a primary consideration it's a top recommendation. Toyota/Honda are always more expensive and/or less equipped than their teir-2 competition, but still comapratively good value given strong resale values. On a side note, the Yaris was a great car, but now well outlcassed in this segment, and due for a complete model change soon.

If I don't go the brio/march route, then these three are next in line. However, I'm more interested in the manual versions, and read the mazda 2 was the most fun to drive to and feels similar to the jazz in performance. But the 590K price for the jazz is hard to swallow compared to the mazdas 535K for the manual versions - granted the jazz is better equipped.

This has been covered in greater detail elsewhere, but yes, in MT form the Mazda2 is a lot more competitve in it's class, given better perfromance than Fiesta (1.4L only with MT), and keen pricing compared to Jazz. The MT Yaris is also a good drive & good value, but again, aging now in style and behind on current NVH levels in the class.

Saw an interesting video from thailand - drag race between a jazz (think it was the new model) and a mazda 2 sedan (auto). The mazda 2 just pulled away, which I thought I was interesting. Don;t know how hard the jazz was trying though.

A simple cold-air-intake mod would have either beating it's stock counterpart (but also noisier). We haven't officially tested the MT Jazz here, but would expect it to be a very close race with a Mazda2 MT, given same setup/driver. There wouldn't be much in it..

IMHO, if buying MT it's between the Jazz and the Mazda2 - if buying AT it's between the Fiesta and the Jazz. All have their relative pros & cons, so it's all down to what's most important to the individual buyer.

I do have to say one more thing though.. In the past 6 weeks I've seen 18 red-plated 2011 Honda Jazz on the side of the road, hood up, and billowing smoke... I've been asking around for some feedback, but no-one's talking...

Edited May 5, 2011 by MoonRiverOasis

[WarpSpeed]

Firstly, before someone jumps in with mis-information, they're not the same car

Space-wise, both are similar.

Fiesta has a 1.6L engine, vs Mazda2 1.5L

Fiesta has 6-speed DSG gearbox, vs Mazda2 4-speed torque-converter auto

Fiesta has Traction Control, Stability Control and Hill start assist, Mazda2 has none of these.

For me it's a no-brainer..

Thanks.

And, is it pretty safe? And a decent car overall, or is my initial question like asking "which is better, getting kicked in the face or in the balls"?

[transam]

Firstly, before someone jumps in with mis-information, they're not the same car

Space-wise, both are similar.

Fiesta has a 1.6L engine, vs Mazda2 1.5L

Fiesta has 6-speed DSG gearbox, vs Mazda2 4-speed torque-converter auto

Fiesta has Traction Control, Stability Control and Hill start assist, Mazda2 has none of these.

For me it's a no-brainer..

Thanks.

And, is it pretty safe? And a decent car overall, or is my initial question like asking "which is better, getting kicked in the face or in the balls"?

Fun post of the day.

[MoonRiverOasis]

Firstly, before someone jumps in with mis-information, they're not the same car

Space-wise, both are similar.

Fiesta has a 1.6L engine, vs Mazda2 1.5L

Fiesta has 6-speed DSG gearbox, vs Mazda2 4-speed torque-converter auto

Fiesta has Traction Control, Stability Control and Hill start assist, Mazda2 has none of these.

For me it's a no-brainer..

Thanks.

And, is it pretty safe? And a decent car overall, or is my initial question like asking "which is better, getting kicked in the face or in the balls"?

There aren't any lemons in the segment.

Relative vehicle safety raises a big debate in TH, given the high share of large pickups on the road, but in the context of subcompacts in TH the Fiesta is a clear leader as the only model available with electronic stability control.

In the USA, the Fiesta currently outsells the Honda Jazz (Fit) by 9,000 vs 8,000 units, with Mazda2 sales at 1400 units (Subcompacts are a very small segment in USA however)

In the UK, the current generation Fiesta is the top-selling vehicle in the country.

In EU, Fiesta is the top selling car in it's class in most countries.

In Australia, the Hyundai Getz is the top seller in the segment, with Mazda2 in 2nd

[culicine]

I don't know which Getz that is, but I hired one in Australia a few years ago (just to get myself around one day and to the airport). Bloody horrible and buzzy. That one is nowhere near the class of the B segment cars here. Maybe as a 1.5 its ok, but I think I drove the 1.3. it was slower than my 35 y.o mini:)

I prefer the look of the fiesta, but it looks so tiny in the back with the front seats fully back. That's probably the biggest turn off for me. Mind you I'd rarely sit in the back. But it looks much smaller than that of the jazz., which seems to have an amazing amount of space.

MRO I know you don;t like to talk about FC much but is there really such a big difference between the auto jazz and fiesta, that it should factor heavily in ones decision? If they are within 2 km/l overall that would be ok I guess.

[MoonRiverOasis]

I don't know which Getz that is, but I hired one in Australia a few years ago (just to get myself around one day and to the airport). Bloody horrible and buzzy. That one is nowhere near the class of the B segment cars here. Maybe as a 1.5 its ok, but I think I drove the 1.3. it was slower than my 35 y.o mini:)

I prefer the look of the fiesta, but it looks so tiny in the back with the front seats fully back. That's probably the biggest turn off for me. Mind you I'd rarely sit in the back. But it looks much smaller than that of the jazz., which seems to have an amazing amount of space.

MRO I know you don;t like to talk about FC much but is there really such a big difference between the auto jazz and fiesta, that it should factor heavily in ones decision? If they are within 2 km/l overall that would be ok I guess.

In our testing (not directly comparable to anything but our results) this is what the 5-door (hatch) variants get:

Fiesta 1.6L 6AT - 16.4km/l

Fiesta 1.4L 4AT - 13.1km/l

Fiesta 1.4L 5MT - 16.0km/l

Mazda2 1.5L 4AT - 15.0km/l

Mazda2 1.5L 5MT - 15.8km/l

Jazz 1.5L 5AT - 15.7km/l

Yaris 1.5L 4AT - 14.2km/l

March 1.2L CVT - 17.2km/l

March 1.2L 5MT - 18.0km/l

Swift 1.5L 4AT - 14.3km/l

So the Fiesta and Jazz are clear leaders on this front (with AT) and not as far behind the March as we expected (or, the March was not as good as we'd hoped )

[culicine]

That's great info MRO. They look similar to results on the headlightmag.com website. As long as you can compare within you own test, thats the main thing. The march is indeed a little disappointing - a friend regulary gets 20, and up to 30 km/l but she's a new driver and takes it very slowly. From what can gather, the fiesta AT stands out when on the highway, but its figures are closer to the jazz in the city. Something to do with the gearing / gearbox perhaps.

[WarpSpeed]

From what can gather, the fiesta AT stands out when on the highway, but its figures are closer to the jazz in the city. Something to do with the gearing / gearbox perhaps.

Yes and the Jazz is a fair bit taller and less aerodynamic.. By taller I mean more blunt thus less aero efficient..

Edited May 6, 2011 by WarpSpeed

[transam]

From what can gather, the fiesta AT stands out when on the highway, but its figures are closer to the jazz in the city. Something to do with the gearing / gearbox perhaps.

Yes and the Jazz is a fair bit taller and less aerodynamic.. By taller I mean more blunt thus less aero efficient..

Bit like me.

[ThaiPauly]

I started exactly the same topic a couple of months ago and it took me a long time to make up my mind and i got a lot of help from posters on this forum

In the end I picked the Fiesta and I collect it on Monday, just a week after ordering. I went for black, but if you want white then the wait is much longer.

I chose black as I don't like the plastic black trim that comes with every color, with black it fits in, also I dd not like the fact that there was no visible exhaust , so they are fitting chrome tail pipes (for free!!)

What did it for me was fuel economy, the voice activated air con controls and audio, the styling the performance, its definatley nippier than the Mazda, the 24 hours roadside assistance which I hope I never need, they also gave me free insurance and a body kit (worth 16,000B). I belive the free insurance co-incided with the offers at the BK Motor Show so I don't know if they will still do it, but it was not available before April for sure.

Fiesta have now sold one million cars since their launch in 2009 and from what I have seen on youtube they get good reviews. Where I live in Chiang Mai they have sold over 500 since they were launched here 6 months ago.

But FWIW and IMO don't go for the leather seat option at 16,000 baht. The times I test drove it my back was soaked after just 15 minutes driving. They are NOT factory fitted, therefore have no warrenty. After I declined them , when I went to see the car when it arrived they went to pains to show me a group of Thai guys working in the service area recovering the normal cloth seats with leather.

Like thats gonna convince me to buy them

I have always had leather in all the cars I have owned here and have found a place that does top quality leather for 10,000 baht more, and in any colour, at Ford it just comes in balck

[culicine]

Thanks ThaiPauly - I think you get a lot more car in the fiesta that the jazz or mazda for the same money. I read that the free insurance is available from their website - how much did you pay for it? Maybe you got the body kit in liew of that. In a few weeks I'd appreciate if you can also post your fuel economy and opinions about performance in different situations. Thanks...

[ThaiPauly]

Thanks ThaiPauly - I think you get a lot more car in the fiesta that the jazz or mazda for the same money. I read that the free insurance is available from their website - how much did you pay for it? Maybe you got the body kit in liew of that. In a few weeks I'd appreciate if you can also post your fuel economy and opinions about performance in different situations. Thanks...

Will do.

With the other extras I paid just under 720,000. Both the body kit AND Insurance were free.

[wandrinstar]

The New Fiesta smells funny,the Mazda smells better , i loved the Face n Balls remark.

[jsgatse]

i loved the Face n Balls remark.

Glad I brought a smile

Here's my update.....

Anyway, after going back and forth on just about every auto and truck in the market, we finally decided upon a Toyota Vios E Safety. We currently have a Vios and it holds up decently. I really wanted the dual airbags, so that's why we got the "E Safety" version. Plus, we want to install an LPG kit in a bit, and it seems that the LPG going into Toyota's seem to be pretty trouble free. It certainly doesn't have all the space we were looking for, but with the realitively low price of trucks here in Thailand, we deceided that in a year or so, should we find that we really need the extra space, we'll get a truck. Plus, we live in BKK, so the majority of our driving really is just zipping around town.

So, instead of spending 1.2 or so on a Fortuner or other, we spent 639,000 on the Vios E Safety with the thought that perhaps we might spend another 700,000 or so someday on a double cab truck.

Thanks to all for the info. I really appreciate it.

[culicine]

Thanks ThaiPauly - I think you get a lot more car in the fiesta that the jazz or mazda for the same money. I read that the free insurance is available from their website - how much did you pay for it? Maybe you got the body kit in liew of that. In a few weeks I'd appreciate if you can also post your fuel economy and opinions about performance in different situations. Thanks...

Will do.

With the other extras I paid just under 720,000. Both the body kit AND Insurance were free.

Thanks. That's a pretty good deal you got, give the top jazz is now 715K. Can you post some pics? I thought I liked to orange one, but it's not so great out in the sunlight. I've seen them in blue and white which loks pretty good. That purple is interesting too but haven't seen that in the flesh yet:)

[rotary]

That service is up to the dealer u use more than the make. There are good and bad of every make as far as dealers go. Now we drive Fords and have found out that the best service is from a sub-dealer in smaller towns.

The dealer from Korat has a sub-dealer in Pakchong. Now these Pakchong guys know me, know I own several Fords in several countries and their service is 2nd to none.

There are other small towns that will offer the same great service I am sure.

Firstly, before someone jumps in with mis-information, they're not the same car

Space-wise, both are similar.

Fiesta has a 1.6L engine, vs Mazda2 1.5L

Fiesta has 6-speed DSG gearbox, vs Mazda2 4-speed torque-converter auto

Fiesta has Traction Control, Stability Control and Hill start assist, Mazda2 has none of these.

For me it's a no-brainer..

How about after sales service? How does mazda compare to the ford? And overall value for money, where would the honda jazz sit among these two? If I don't go the brio/march route, then these three are next in line. However, I'm more interested in the manual versions, and read the mazda 2 was the most fun to drive to and feels similar to the jazz in performance. But the 590K price for the jazz is hard to swallow compared to the mazdas 535K for the manual versions - granted the jazz is better equipped.

Saw an interesting video from thailand - drag race between a jazz (think it was the new model) and a mazda 2 sedan (auto). The mazda 2 just pulled away, which I thought I was interesting. Don;t know how hard the jazz was trying though.

[senna101]

I just spent one day driving around in my friend's new Fiesta on Sunday. It was the5-Dr 1.6 Sport Powershift model. As an ex-auto journalist and a petrol-head, I tend to focus on how the car drives more than anything else. And I have to say, I was very surprised with the Fiesta's handling! Short wheelbase and suspension that's slightly on the firm side makes the car a little 'busy' when going over uneven patches (like it's taking extra efforts to communicate with you) but in corners - tight turns and fast sweepers alike - IT WAS A GEM!!! Body roll was minimal, chassis was communicative and a great level of mechanical grip. Loved how it felt so solid, well made and put together too. You don't hear noise from components when going over uneven surfaces as you would in say, a Jazz. Gearchanges were almost seamless, albeit not as quick as say the DSG in a Golf GTi. But this isn't a GTi, so there. Kickdowns were responsive enough for me as well. My only complain is there's no manual control over the 'box. But after spending one day with it, I think I can live with the lack of manual control. I don't think the Fiesta will be this affordable if Ford threw in a sequential or flappy-paddle shifter.

My personal favourite brand is Honda but with the Fiesta in the market, if I were going to buy one, I won't think twice and will go for the Fiesta. A friend argued with me based solely on paper specifications - that the Jazz is lighter and has better power-to-weight ratio, but many people forget that in the Fiesta, you actually get a manual gearbox with a clutch (or clutches in this case) and a manual box will always be more efficient than an full-on auto box with torque converter. Plus the Fiesta has six-speeds. Looking at the specifications i.e. power, torque, weight etc. I was expecting it to be a bit of a slouch but it wasn't the case!

I have recently decided to get the Civic - classic example of bad timing! No cars until possibly next year, says Honda. The second-hand market is a minefield and it doesn't help that I don't speak the local language - apart from when ordering food etc. Anyway, after driving the Fiesta, topped with a frustrating experience in the second-hand market, I might just settle for the Fiesta. My only other grouse is it's a tad too small for my liking. Maybe I'd go for the Focus instead. Just need to convince myself about the less-than-sterling resale value (compared to the Toyotas and Hondas) and somewhat shoddy aftersales servcice, based on what I was told.

Hope the above helped. And no, I don't work for Ford

Cheers

[culicine]

HI Senna, that's a nice report on the car. The only drawback I see with the fiesta that I can see is the lack of leg room in the rear. I'm 189 cm and would push the front seat right back. The jazz wins in that regard. A video on the net showed the fiesta shifts fasted than the manual version in the US - the revs drop more during shifs in the manual, and the auto looked a tad faster to 60 mpg. Pretty Impressive! I definately agree - go with the new fiesta over any second hand car with unknown history.

[MoonRiverOasis]

I just spent one day driving around in my friend's new Fiesta on Sunday...

Thanks so much for the insight, and welcome to the forums!

I couldn't agree more BTW - there's no better driver's car in the segment, but IMHO it also beats all competitors in the NVH department too - however, this is harder to tell as the driver due to all the physical feedback you're getting.

[culicine]

Can I ask how the 6 speed gearbox in the fiesta is. I read that can be jerky from 1st to 2nd and 3rd to 4th. But not having driven it I have no idea. This would make it annoying to drive in the city in stop and go traffic.

[senna101]

@ culicine: Thanks. I do agree with you - I found the car a tad small for myself too, and I'm just 175cm. The Jazz is definitely roomier, no contest to that. As for how the 6-speed gearbox was, I'd have to say it's a gem. My first experience with a similar type of gearbox was in a Citroen C4 - great drive, but you had to ease off the accelerator every time the gearbox changed gear (as you would in a fully manual car) - and that means you have to be conscious of gear-change points at any given rpm, speed and throttle. Ok with a car-nut like me, but terribly irritating for more 'normal' drivers who are used to autos i.e. not lifting off when the gears change. If you do that in the C4, you'd be throwing up your lunch from last week in less than 5km. Or 5 mins, whichever comes first. I have to be fair though - the C4 was a single-clutch affair. The Fiesta had NONE of these. Gearchanges were almost imperceptible - almost. But for normal driving, you can say it's seamless. Ok the more seamless gearbox would be a CVT box. So no, none of the jerkiness you've heard about. I WAS stuck in evening traffic on Srinakarin and the Fiesta behaved perfectly.

@ MRO: Actually I did forget to mention that NVH was very low! Even at speeds. I'd expect a car this size to amplify everything but no, insulation against NVH was beyond commendable! Running over bumps gave only dull thuds, instead of backbone-rattling crashes. Only problem is, all this insulation and other features adds to the car's kerb weight.

@ jsgatse: I guess the original question was... or still is... Fiesta vs M2. If you're not too concerned about resale value i.e. you're keeping the car for a long time, and enjoy driving, go for the Fiesta. I can't comment about M2's space as I've never driven it before, but the Fiesta can't be that far behind in terms of interior space. Fuel consumption - I drove the little thing quite hard and yet it returned single-digit reading for L/100km - at least according to the fuel computer - (yup, the Fiesta doesn't do km/L). As for safety - well I can't think of any modern cars that can be termed as 'dangerous' It has the usual array of airbags, ABS, EBD etc. etc.Let's put it this way - it can't be more dangerous than the M2 now, can it?

[ThaiPauly]

I picked up my black Fiesta S 2 days ago.

Very pleased, I changed the font grille as I did not like the two plastic triangle shaped things that serve no purpose at all, It looks far better all black. In fact another purchaser who was buying on the same day saw my car and wanted to then have the same, and the body kit makes it look stylish as well.

Fitted some very balck V.Cool film yesterday, now it looks the works. Very pleased with the quality of the audio system, I would rate it over my last car which was a BMW.

Complaints, sure, but only two, I hate the fact that the gear control indicaters are on the wrong side of the gear lever, basically they are suited to left hand drive cars, you just cant see then and have to look at the dashboard to ensure you are in the correct gear, I am sure I will get used to it, but when driving it home I put it in reverse by mistake, and a near disaster was just averted by an inch or two. Secondly, don't buy an armrest as an extra, its difficult (though not impossible) to get to the handbrake unless you have the armrest up or are a very slim armed female like my missus who has no problem with it, but its good for long journeys when you know you won't need it much, but not worth the extra 5,500 B IMO

Just my thoughts so far

[WarpSpeed]

My first experience with a similar type of gearbox was in a Citroen C4 - great drive, but you had to ease off the accelerator every time the gearbox changed gear (as you would in a fully manual car)

I don't do this with my manual and never have, the reason to have a manual is due in great part to eliminating this delay in shifting, if the RPMS drop when shifting unintentionally it's a bad clutch but no reason to let off while shifting, on the contrary the opposite is true as then the engine is in danger of stalling you need to give throttle.

[MoonRiverOasis]

I picked up my black Fiesta S 2 days ago.

Very pleased, I changed the font grille as I did not like the two plastic triangle shaped things that serve no purpose at all, It looks far better all black. In fact another purchaser who was buying on the same day saw my car and wanted to then have the same, and the body kit makes it look stylish as well.

Fitted some very balck V.Cool film yesterday, now it looks the works. Very pleased with the quality of the audio system, I would rate it over my last car which was a BMW.

Complaints, sure, but only two, I hate the fact that the gear control indicaters are on the wrong side of the gear lever, basically they are suited to left hand drive cars, you just cant see then and have to look at the dashboard to ensure you are in the correct gear, I am sure I will get used to it, but when driving it home I put it in reverse by mistake, and a near disaster was just averted by an inch or two. Secondly, don't buy an armrest as an extra, its difficult (though not impossible) to get to the handbrake unless you have the armrest up or are a very slim armed female like my missus who has no problem with it, but its good for long journeys when you know you won't need it much, but not worth the extra 5,500 B IMO

Just my thoughts so far

Congrats on the purchase ThaiPauly!