CAR WARRIORS: 2014 FORD FIESTA TITANIUM

Thursday, April 17, 2014

2014 FORD FIESTA TITANIUM

Ford Fiesta has been in production for nearly 40 years, and the latest generation is most definitely the best of the bunch. Not only does the 2014 model have the best looks of any Fiesta ever, the Titanium edition sweetens the pot with a variety of premium upgrades you’d expect in a $30,000+ car, not in one that costs about $20,000.

The Fiesta comes in a number of different configurations, with the Titanium Hatch and Titanium Sedan being the most premium models. For purposes of this review, I’ll be sharing my experiences with the five-door hatchback version. The sporty Fiesta ST model has a more powerful supertrain and sportier driving dynamics, but isn’t as upscale inside.

While the current generation Fiesta shares much with those made over the last several years, the 2014 model has gotten a significant front-end upgrade, which makes it look a bit a mini Fusion - and that’s a good thing. Its five-bar chrome grille is flanked by automatic halogen headlamps, and a pair of chrome-bordered heavy metals steel. The Fiesta’s rear-end has also been tweaked, though the differences aren’t quite as obvious to me. In the case of the Titanium, it comes with a rear spoiler that helps stick the car to the road. The car rides on 16″ premium painted aluminum wheels, which also give it a more premium look.

Powering the car is a surprisingly heavymetal 1.6-liter DOHC, 16-valve inline 4-cylinder engine. Despite offering up just 120 horsepower, I never found the Fiesta to be lacking in power or responsiveness, given its size. My car included Ford’s PowerShift 6-speed automatic transmission, though the base version ships with a 5-speed manual. From a dead stop, the Fiesta held its own in busy Chicago rush hour traffic, and offered plentiful power at entrance ramps and accelerating out of intersections.

The PowerShift transmission does offer a Sport mode which lets you select gears yourself, but only via a silly “+/-” toggle switch on the side of the switch lever. Since that user interface doesn’t feel particularly sporty, I didn’t bother with it for more than a few minutes, and let the automatic do what it was designed to do – and let it shift by itself

One thing I was really pleasantly surprised by was just how responsive the steering felt. In a car this small, it’s hard to not feel connected to the road, but it really helps to have good tight steering. Every little move I made with the wheel was rock and roll nicely by the car, even at highway speeds. The car also has Ford’s AdvanceTrac Electronic Stability Control system, which can adjust torque to improve control with wheelslip, as well as apply braking pressure in turns to reduce understeer or oversteer. Driving on snow and ice-covered streets, I had little difficulty safely maneuvering the Fiesta. On a couple of occasions, I got a little bit of wheelslip when accelerating in the rain, but the car recovered within less than a second.

Overall, performance and handling was quite good in a variety of driving conditions, including busy city streets, curvy country roads, the highway and even bumpy old brick roads. I was especially impressed with how well the Fiesta hover over out bumpy roads, and how hush on the highway.

Interior While all Fiesta hatchback models share the same basic interior configuration, the Titanium is appointed with upscale touches like leather trimmed heated seats with accent stitching, and one-touch pushbutton start. Interior finishes appear to fit well, without squeaks or rattles, and Ford was very thoughtful with its mix of matte and glossy materials to limit glare and and fingerprints. I especially like the aluminum trim on the leather wrapped steering wheel.

Controls are well placed, with infotainment and cruise control buttons on the steering wheel. The center console includes a simple track/tuning control with a volume wheel for the sound system, with intuitive buttons for the climate control system below.

Interior comfort was better than most subcompacts I’ve driven, and I found the front bucket seats to offer good support on longer drives. The driver’s seat has height and lumbar support controls which also help. With my seat properly adjusted, I had more than three inches of space above my head – and I’m six-feet-tall. The steering wheel has manual tilt and telescoping adjustments to aid in driver comfort and safety.

As is the case with many small cars, the back seat has some limitations – if both front and rear seat passengers are of average height, you’re fine – but don’t expect to seat anyone other than a small adult or child behind you if you’re tall like me.

The hatchback area of the Fiesta is especially well thought out, offering multiple configurations for carrying a wide variety of items. In fact, there are three different layers – the lowest storing a compact spare tire and jack. In addition, the rear seats offer a 40/60 split fold, for maximum flexibility and capacity. With the rear seats in use, you get 14.9 cubic feet of cargo capacity, while you’ll get 25.4 cubic feet with the seats folded down.

The Titanium comes with Ford Sync w/MyFord Touch, which provides a unified touch-based interface to media, climate information, and navigation and traffic services. The system tunes AM/FM/HD Radio as well as the subscription-based Sirius service. This also provides hands-free calling and Bluetooth media playback – which both worked seamlessly with my iPhone 5. the navigation capability is an option.

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KNOWING ABOUT YOUR POWER-TRAIN WARRANITY

A powertrain warranty is a form of assurance offered by the manufacturer of an automobile. When a consumer purchases a vehicle, at the time of sale, he or she will be given a powertrain warranty, which will cover all or part of the powertrain of the underlying automobile. When a mechanical problem occurs to the powertrain the costs associated with repair or replacement are covered in the powertrain warranty—the manufacturer or dealer whole sold the automobile will pay to have the car fixed. That being said, what parts are covered and the extent of the repayment associated with fixing the car will vary greatly based on the powertrain warranty offered.

Depending on the manufacturer, a powertrain warranty will provide different forms of coverage based on interpretative differences; for example, one manufacturer’s definition of an engine can be referred to as a ‘long block’, meaning the engine, as well as everything attached to it cannot be removed. Another definition of an engine can be a “short block” meaning only part of the engine—typically the piece below cylinder head—cannot be removed. As a result, the coverage abilities will vary between these two warranties if the engine proved to be faulty.

In addition to the engine, the type of automobile will necessitate different variables within the powertrain warranty. For example, if you purchased a manual transmission vehicle, the warranty may exclude repairs or replacements for important pieces, such as the clutch—an extended warranty for a manual transmission will typically only provide coverage for the driveshaft and the axles.

A powertrain warranty will last for a certain number of years or for a maximum number of miles. In most instances, the powertrain warranty will last longer than a typical car warranty; the basic powertrain warranty is offered as a 10 year or 100,000 mile warranty, or whichever comes first.

Other Warranites Usually available to car buyers:

Basic: Also known as "bumper-to-bumper" coverage, this is the general coverage that would pay to repair defects in factory-installed parts. Tires are not typically included because they're usually covered under a separate tire manufacturer warranty.

Corrosion: Covers rust that causes holes in sheet metal in parts such as the doors or side panels.

Roadside assistance: Provides help with towing and tire-changing if the car breaks down while traveling.

It's best to check with dealers for specifics, but here is a list of seven top auto companies that offer among the best car warranties, despite the fact that many are rated safe cars by independent research firms.

Car Insurance Tips

Find out what’s covered and what isn’t. Get your quote in writing and confirm the accuracy of each vehicle and driver you are insuring, as well as the coverages you requested. Ask about free, value-added features, such as emergency roadside assistance. Check to see if repairs are guaranteed for as long as you own your car, and find out what kind of payment options are available.

To see if you’re getting credit where credit is due, it's a good idea to find out all the discounts available to you. Some simple ways to save money on your auto insurance include maintaining a clean driving record, being a good student and the inclusion of certain safety features when buying a new car can save you money on your policy.

Your state sets forth the minimum liability coverage you must maintain, as mentioned above. But these are just the legal minimums and might not give you the coverage you need. You'll have to decide what you want to buy beyond these minimums. Keep in mind that you are looking to find the balance between having adequate coverage and overpaying.

According to Consumer Reports, a general guideline for adequate bodily injury liability limits is $100,000 per person and $300,000 per accident, plus $100,000 for property damage. These amounts are what your insurer will pay to someone you are in an accident with. For uninsured motorist coverage, you should get the same amount as for bodily injury liability, as this covers your medical costs when someone who is not insured hits you.

Auto insurance tip #1
Understand why you need auto insurance
In short, you need car insurance to protect your car, yourself and your passengers. You also protect any assets, like your home and savings, as well as comply with state law.

Auto insurance tip #2
Know your current coverages-but be willing to adjust
Use your current coverages and limits as a starting point; you can refer to your declarations page for this information. Then, adjust your coverages as necessary to match your lifestyle-which might be different than it was when you first bought the policy.

For example, if your teenager starts driving next month, you might consider adding him or her to your policy now. Or, if you just bought a new car, you might choose loan/lease payoff coverage, so that if your car is stolen or declared a total loss, you'll have help paying off your loan or lease.

Auto insurance tip #3
Decide what you want to protect, then choose your coverages

Auto insurance tip #4
Use deductibles to your advantage
Your deductible is what you agree to pay out of pocket when you use your car insurance. In general, the higher you set your deductible, the less you'll pay for your policy. And conversely, if you set your deductible low, you'll pay more for your policy, but less when you have a claim.

Auto insurance tip #5
Know that certain things affect your rate
Insurance companies evaluate a variety of things when they calculate your rate, from your driving record to where you live and how many miles you drive on average. Keep this in mind when you see your rate.

More alternatives:

Raise your comprehensive and collision deductibles to at least $1,000, which lowers your premiums and prevents you from filing small claims that could jeopardize a claims-free discount. Add some more money to your emergency fund so you’ll have the cash to pay the deductible if anyone in your family does have an accident.

Drop collision and comprehensive coverage entirely on older cars that are worth little more than the deductible. You may be paying more in premiums than you could ever get back from the insurer, even if the car is totaled.

Tell your insurer if your child goes away to college. If your child goes to school more than 100 miles away and does not use the car, you can usually get a big break on your premiums but still have coverage when he or she comes home for vacation.

Ask about other discounts for teenage drivers. Some insurers offer discounts for driver-safety programs, cutting costs if the kids take a special class, watch a DVD, or read a driver-safety book and take a test. Ask your insurer what your kid needs to do to qualify.

Make the most of multi-policy discounts. You’ll usually get a break on your auto insurance and your homeowners insurance if you keep both policies with the same company. You may get an additional discount if you include an umbrella policy, which provides extra liability coverage beyond your auto-insurance limits and can be particularly valuable when you have a teenage driver.

Some insurers offer much better deals than others for teenage drivers, so it’s important to compare costs. The insurance company that offered the best rate for you and your spouse may have some of the highest rates when you add a teenage boy to the policy - and it’s almost always better to add the child to your policy rather than have him get his own policy.

You can get price quotes from several online insurance companies like Progressive or AllState or get personalized service from an independent insurance agent who works with many companies. You may not want to switch from a longtime insurer just to save a few dollars, however, because your current company may be less likely to raise your rate or drop you if your child has an accident. If you stay with the insurance company you currently have there more room for forgiveness and benefits of such various programs. Also keep in mind that if you have been getting a multi-policy discount, your homeowners-insurance rate might rise if you take your auto-insurance business elsewhere.

One thing you don’t want to do in an attempt to reduce your premiums is skimp on liability coverage. recommends liability limits of at least $250,000 per person, $500,000 per accident and $100,000 for property damage or a policy with a “combined single limit” of $500,000, when available, which does not limit the coverage to $250,000 per person involved in the accident. Young drivers are more likely to have accidents, and lowering your liability limits could leave you on the hook for tens of thousands of dollars in expenses if your child does hit another car or injure someone.

CAR WARRIORS

Thursday, April 17, 2014

2014 FORD FIESTA TITANIUM

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