Ford Fiesta Real World MPG

ivan_99 · April 2012

VW TDI usually has real world that exceeds EPA...but yes, point taken, Ford did a very good job with the mileage.

phill1 · May 2012

ivan 99: The VW TDI, is it not a Diesel? If it is, adding the extra cost of the Diesel Engine upgrade compared to a much less expensive fuel injected gasoline powered engine, would not be a fair comparison. My fully equipped 2011 Ford Fiesta SE Hatchback (including) Power Moon Roof has a MSRP of under 18K. With multiple rebates, it was just over 17K. This great fuel economy was achieved (without) the optional "SFE" package as well.

xwesx · May 2012

Oddly enough, I started looking at the TDI Jetta wagon along with the Fiesta a few weeks ago, given the significant gains in cargo room and comparable mileage. I don't think one would normally consider these two vehicles to be cross-shopped. That said, I can load the Fiesta to the gills for under $22K (MSRP), and the TDI is ~$25K without any of those bells or whistles, so I still have to pay up front for that added capacity even though I wouldn't have to sacrifice at the pump.

I'm still leaning toward the Fiesta, though. Actually, I sure wish they would make an announcement on the ST variant. I wouldn't mind picking up one of those....

ivan_99 · May 2012

I agree with your statements...You didn't list Diesel in your disclaimer so that popped into my mind

Diesels have other qualities (torque, longevity), but for under 20K it's hard to beat the new fords (Focus too) for price / mpg ratio.

ivan_99 · May 2012

Here you go...just announced today

Focus ST

xwesx · May 2012

Bummer; you almost raised my hopes until I saw "Focus." *sigh* Fiesta, man, Fiesta! :P

ivan_99 · May 2012

heh...oops

Still a pretty good car...good power to weight ratio.

xwesx · May 2012

Oh it is; but I expect probably about $5K more than the Fiesta ST. If I was going to put that sort of money into a "fun" car, I would just say to heck with fuel economy and get a WRX.

xwesx · May 2012

I am traveling this week, and requested a Fiesta as my rental car. At first they said they didn't have one, and tried to give me a Kia Rio, but after asking them about a Focus (I had reserved an "Economy" car, and I guess both compact and subcompact fall into that category, at least for Budget) they looked again and found keys to a Fiesta SEL sedan.

Of course it is an automatic, but I expected that, and it is bright red! Ugh, definitely not my color, but luckily I'm on the *inside*! Anyhow, I reset the trip meter and the fuel economy gauge (I like that they are independent) before I left the parking garage in Pittsburgh, and after 76 miles and some change arriving in Morgantown, WV, the fuel economy gauge was reading 48.2 mpg. I ran 60-68 the whole way, depending on SL, traffic, and construction, and was shocked to see the numbers so high given the area is relatively hilly, plus there was a stiff cross-breeze most of the way.

Yeah, so I'm liking that! Other noted things: very quiet cabin, nice stereo (esp. given it is an economy car), great handling, decent steering response/feedback (even if it's a little light). No door lock button on the doors? I wasn't impressed by that. All told, though, this rental has done nothing to diminish my enthusiasm for this car. I also noted, though, that the rear leg room is much less in the sedan than it was in the hatchback I drove last Fall. The trunk, on the other hand, is simply cavernous.

xwesx · May 2012

So, finished up the round trip today, 196.0 miles total, with about 150 of them on the freeways and the rest local, very hilly. When I filled up, the damage was 4.753 gallons. That comes to 41.24 miles per gallon. Not bad considering that I didn't take it easy on the little bugger! The meter in the car said 42.7 when I filled up, and 39.9 after I left Morgantown (which is where I was doing the hilly city driving).

I somewhat liked the automatic, though I could tell it used a clutch system and it as a little disconcerting that it shifted (like a manual) without my input. Driving slow, though, as in under 10 mph, was tedious. One could suffer whiplash doing that too often.

I definitely like it overall. Still on top of my list (as a manual only).

phill1 · May 2012

For the great Fuel Economy, the bit of shutter and downshifting that the Ford Fiesta with it Automatic Transmission sometimes displays at low speeds is a very small price to pay. My 2012 Kia Rio 5 with its state of the art 1.6 ltr. GDI Gas Direct Injection Engine coupled with its (very) smooth shifting 6 Speed Automatic Transmission hardly gets 26 mpg City or 34 mpg Highway. Quite disappointing after driving a similar size Ford Fiesta for a year and a half. Had I known that before purchase, I probably would purchased a 2012 Ford Focus Hatchback instead that would have been larger, quicker, and got no doubt better Fuel Economy. At the very least, I would have opted for the larger Hyundai Elantra or even the much larger Kia Optima. The Ford Fiesta is one of very few vehicles that actually produce and exceed EPA miles per gallon estimates. The new 2012 Kia Rio and Rio5, nice looking and very comfortable but not fuel efficient at all.

xwesx · May 2012

I agree; it is a small price to pay. It seem like they could eliminate that low-speed behavior by adjusting the clutch operation. It is either engaged or disengaged, and seems to lack the "feathering" capability of the human control. That aside, though, I like the way it shifts. I can hear it shifting like I would, except I'm not doing it....

I am proud to say, though, that I managed to drive it for three separate days and not stomp the floor even once. That's a big achievement for me given how infrequently I drive automatics! I did fail to put it in Park on a few occasions when I shut it off. Thankfully, though, the car is very astute about reminding me of my error.

A couple things that would take some adjusting for me:

1. No manual locks! Seriously? I finally found the one electronic lock/unlock in the car, centrally mounted on the dash (who thought that was a good choice?), after a day, but it still seems odd to me that any car would rely so heavily on the operation of electronics for such a basic function. If I do purchase one, it will be the first car I ever used or owned that had no manual override ability for the locking function.

2. The radio/whatever-it-is. Holy cow. How complicated does this sort of functionality need to be?! I finally figured out how to manually tune the radio (do I get a gold star?).

:sick:

Oh, and I asked the guy at the return station when it was last filled, and he said that according to his records the car had 205 miles since the last fill. If true, that would put my calculated fuel economy up to 43.1! I reset the trip and mpg meters when I took possession of the car, which accumulated 196.0 miles before I filled it. Either way, I'm extremely pleased with the results.

obkt · August 2012

There's a new gas station in town called Alon. Used to be Fina. They are selling gas that's 100% free of ethanol. 87 octane. I live at 4K feet so 87 is like mid range. I've picked up 3-4 mpg driving around town. 36mpg with the AC on. 2011 Fiesta SE hatch with auto transmission.

xwesx · August 2012

I finally took the plunge and purchased a Fiesta! I decided to save myself a few grand and purchased a 2011 SES Hatchback, optioned out exactly like I wanted (except the color), with manual transmission. It had 13,980 miles at my initial fill.

I purchased it Thursday afternoon, then we immediately took it on a camping trip to Palmer (about 320 miles south). After my first full tank, which was almost entirely highway (running 70 the whole way with four passengers and loaded to the gills with our camping gear), I put in 10.1 gallons after 394.5 miles, which calculated to 38.86 MPG. The readout said 38.9. I thought that was great, especially considering the load and a gnarly headwind we took for about 60 miles through the Alaska Range.

We put another 82 miles on it driving locally in the Palmer area, and put 2.1 gallons in it after that, netting just over 39.

Finally, coming home today we came out with 36.9, driving the entire distance (336 miles) home in steady rain. Considering the added resistance and the slight gain in overall elevation, I was quite pleased with the trip.

Had we taken our Forester, we would have seen 12 mpg less every step of the way, which means we saved a solid $40 (paid ~$3.80 per gallon). :shades:

crkyolfrt · January 2013

I think the system uses a fuel sample measuring device on post fuel pump. Computer controlled of course which will measure various factors including speed of vehicle, position of accelerator pedal, rpm etc. This info is determined by (I assume) using a sample ratio of a predetermined quantity of fuel being instantaneously used. i.e. It can update itself ongoing to allow for the ability to show current average usage.
There are many parameters that could result in optimistic or pessimistic readings ranging from temperature of fuel to actual calibrations of the software measuring device that could be programmed either by honest mistake or deliberate manipulation.

My Honda ST motorcycle has a fuel usage computer and while I know it is more rare, its computer actually shows pessimistic readings. I always get better miles per gallon than it ever shows. I suspect they designed it that way so that you are inclined to refuel sooner rather than later and running out.

And I have checked it on brand new OEM tires, since tire wear is another parameter that influences distance travelled when using the car's own odometer and computerization if equipped with an onboard fuel usage computer...and affects the numbers a lot more than most would think. As the tires wear, diameter becomes less and odometer starts showing more miles traveled than actual. GPS would help an owner determine the affected percentage at any given time once they create a base line for their odometer potential error. Naturally, this is best done when car is new on new OEM tires. If you ever stray from OEM tires, then again the profile and sizing among tire makers of tires that state the same size as OEM, sometimes are quite different. Again, this is very evident when buying new bike tires. But absolute same potential with cars.

Just as an aside info to whomever might be interested...be it in cars or bikes, any electronically controlled fuel injected car's fuel pump emerged in the gas tank (which represents basically all of them now, use the fuel to cool the fuel pump in operation. Always refueling before reaching 1/4 tank is a good idea for fuel pump longevity because the more gas that is in there to cool, the cooler it runs and longer it will last. This is a bigger issue in hotter climates of course. Owners who routinely don't refill until they are on fumes or constantly drive around adding 5 or 10$ at a time (most students, haha) unfortunately will get less pump life and probably end up replacing one prematurely and will never realize it was totally preventable.

I know this is the real world MPG thread, but am curious how these dual-clutch automatics are standing up? Anyone you know or have read online about that have put a LOT of miles on them and had zero longevity issues? (assuming the fluids are changed at the requisite and very lenient (IMO) mileage of every 150000 miles?

phill1 · January 2013

Seriously, was this Post for real? More likely a "thesis" for a PHD Degree. Worrying about the longevity of a dual clutch automatic transmission and possible fluid changes up to 150000 miles? Are you considering the purchase for Police or Taxi use? LOL

crkyolfrt · January 2013

edit: after reading your quick to insult post #117, I was tempted to remove this one, but decided it might be useful to someone else who might actually appreciate knowing the difference in autos and their efficiency potential.

One reason (but is only one of potentially many) is that the dual-clutch tranny in the Fiesta does not suffer the parasitic losses that your conventional hydraulic tranny with torque convertor that the Rio uses. I believe this is one reason, if not probably the primary one they decided to use a dual clutch set up in the Fiesta and Focus.

But what I would like to know as per my question at the end of my post above...is about longevity vs cost to own/repair. I wonder if anyone has gone 250000 or more miles with nary a hiccup? Naturally, any use in city would be the bigger test since the tran would spend more time shifting and clutch engaging than a user who drives for 100's of miles at a time out on the open freeway with it engaged in one top gear and rarely shifting except maybe for the odd hill. I suspect that computer and clutch pak servos etc are all quite expensive. I think with VW or Porsche dual-clutch trans they don't sell you parts..they sell an entire assembly, read huge bucks.

crkyolfrt · January 2013

Phil said:
Seriously, was this Post for real? More likely a "thesis" for a PHD Degree. Worrying about the longevity of a dual clutch automatic transmission and possible fluid changes up to 150000 miles? Are you considering the purchase for Police or Taxi use? LOL

Pardon me then... I will never take you seriously or make a helpful reply to another of your repetitive posts again. You have always indicated a passion for details, repetitive repetitive details...yet when someone comes along with a few bits of info that a person could use to good advantage, you get on their case???????

Some people would prefer to insult than learn. You decidedly fall into the former category. No wonder you rub others the wrong way from time to time. I've read a LOT lately. This seems to be your curmudgeonly way.

PF_Flyer · January 2013

Let's get back to the cars and stop making each other the discussion OK?

Thanks for your cooperation and participation!

xwesx · January 2013

I've heard multiple mentions of the fuel pump longevity vs. fuel level issue in the past, and I'm wondering why that would be the case. Why would manufacturers even put the fuel pump in there in such a way to allow normal fluctuations of the fuel levels to cause damage to the pump?

That doesn't make any sense at all.

crkyolfrt · January 2013

So you have never known a manufacturer to design something to fail.... nicely out of warranty?

I presume that the expectation is that most owners will refuel before pump temps get excessive enough that it will fail within warranty periods.

Even low fuel lights are conservatively triggered to come on with tons of warning. Many cars can go well over 60 miles or more before running out. So with 2 or 3 gallons still sloshing around is probably still a reasonable heat sink.

Excessive heat is the enemy in so many aspects of different components, whether they be electronics, metallurgy, tires, oil, batteries and everything in between. Many items are designed with a duty cycle..( a simple transformer based soldering gun for example, or an inexpensive oil less air compressor) and rely on cooling periods between use in order to not self-destruct.

phill1 · January 2013

So sorry, and I certainly apologize for upsetting you with my sarcastic remark. Perhaps readers appreciate elaborate scientific data in regards to everyday driving conditions. I will remain mute and add no further comment to this thread as I promised I would do the same after being expelled from the Kia Rio5 one as well for hurting another Posters feelings. Cheers

xwesx · January 2013

Quite true. I rarely fill my vehicles up before a quarter tank, and I've run them up to 220,000 miles without fuel pump issues, so I very much doubt that this would ever be a problem unless someone routinely ran their tanks dry.

I had a fuel pump fail on one vehicle at about 215,000 miles, but someone else owned it for the first 170,000, so I can't reasonably attribute that failure to anything other than statistical chance.

That aside, I'm quite happy with the FE on my '11 Fiesta 5-speed. Even at -30F or colder on a full tank driving around town, I still haven't dipped lower than upper 20s. I'm expecting my average after a year to be somewhere close to 35 mpg, but I still have seven months to go before I hit a year.....

crkyolfrt · January 2013

It seems that the Fiesta really does deliver good fuel economy be it with the stick or DCT. Ford seems to have gotten all the criteria to ensure the claims (exceeding actually in most cases from what I've read) just right, be it through gearing, weight, aerodynamics etc.

xwesx · January 2013

That surely seems to be the case. I've been pleased with every aspect of it save for the lack of ability to turn the traction control off (I'll remedy that this summer) and the squeaky brakes.

navy92960 · April 2013

I just traded in my 2012 Fiesta SE hatchback (automatic) with 27,000 miles on it. 24,000 miles were 5% city, 45% highway, and 50% stuck in HEAVY DC beltway traffic. Over that time I averaged around 34 mpg while not trying, but I could get over 40 if I really tried on a lighter traffic day. I think my record was a 43 mile trip to work getting 46mpg - I had around 300 miles on the car at that point, and I love to use the A/C.

The last 3,000 miles were mostly puttering (slightly aggressively) around town, and I averaged 27-30 mpg.

That said, all of this was based off the computer readings, which I routinely found to be optimistic by 1 to 2 mpg.

Now I'm driving a 2.0L 2013 Escape AWD averaging 19 mpg - nicer to drive all around, but I'll miss the gas mileage! As for the dual clutch transmission in the Fiesta, I hated it. You explain the theory of relativity to a 2nd grader in the time it took between putting your foot down and the car actually accelerating.

xwesx · April 2013

I can't disagree on the dual clutch automatic - I really didn't care for it, either. Good FE, though! Better than I tend to get out of my manual.

As for the FE computer, it is absolutely spot-on. There's a fair bit of variation from tank to tank looking at calculated vs. computer, but that has to do with variability in the filling process. I record every fill and the "MPG" readout at every fill, and when averaged (even on just a monthly basis), both are within two hundredths the same.

phill1 · April 2013

I was one of the early Ford Fiesta "Pioneers" and pre-ordered my 2011 Fiesta SE Hatchback on 03/03/2010. I took delivery on 07/24/2010. I believe mine was the first one with the Power Moonroof that was delivered in South FL. Just over 30K driven so far and no a single problem or issue. From day 1 consistent 33-35 mpg city and 41-43 mpg highway with A/C always engaged. I`ve decided to trade this vehicle in this coming summer for a 2014 Ford C-MAX SE Hybrid. My local Ford Dealer informed me that the 2014 Order Book opens in mid May and Scheduling for production starts in mid June and actual Production JOB 1 Date beginning on July 8th. After 3 years in my gas sipping Fiesta, I`m a committed Ford Buyer now and feel the C-MAX Hybrid is my best option. I would have kept the Ford Fiesta and traded in my 2012 Kia Rio5 instead due to its very (poor) fuel economy but it still has the remaining 5 years and 60 K Bumper to Bumper Warranty and the Fiesta`s will end this July. Rather then purchase an extended Ford ESP Service Protection Plan for $1300, I`ll put those funds towards the purchase of the 2014 C-Max instead.
PS: Ford has had a "Computer Patch" to resolve most of the jerkiness of its Dual -Clutch Automatic Transmission for sometime now. Be forewarned, once they reprogram, it (cannot) be brought back to its original default settings and there goes your exception Fuel Economy and gas milage.

xwesx · April 2013

Glad to hear you have had such good luck with your Fiesta, Phill! Mine is also an early build car (May 2010), came with every bell/whistle available at the time except the roof, and is pretty reliable. I'm having some electrical issues, which I will have the dealership address later this month or next.

As funny as it sounds, my biggest annoyance with it is the loss of the "triple-tap" turn signal feature! When I first bought the car, I was amazed at the brilliance of such a seemingly mundane feature (especially when driving my other car, which does not have this feature). Alas, two weeks ago, it suddenly quit working and now is the same as every other "modern" (e.g., >=1990) car I've owned.

I keep trying to convince myself to keep it rather than selling to buy a Fiesta ST.

explorerx4 · April 2013

I'm pretty sure the single/triple tap is programmable through the 'settings'.

xwesx · April 2013

Oh, I'll take a look at that, then. Maybe I can get it back! If so, it does beg the question of why it stopped working in the first place....

phill1 · April 2013

Single/Triple Tap? Did`nt know I had that feature? What does it do? Control Directional Signals? 33 months and 30K driven and (zero) problems with my Fiesta. Planning on trading it in for a 2014 Ford C-MAX Hybrid when the order book finally opens.

xwesx · April 2013

Basically, you touch the turn signal (as for a lane change, where you press the signal stalk a little, but not enough to lock it on), and it will blink three times rather than just once. If I wanted to do that with my Forester (or even with my Fiesta as it now stands), I would have to hold the stalk in that position for the duration of the blinks before releasing it.

With "triple tap," as I call it, I press it briefly and the signal blinks three times on its own.

Of course, I forgot to explore the settings yesterday, but I'll make more of an effort to remember today.

explorerx4 · August 2013

2011 SES. 407 miles , DTE reads 88, fuel average readout 42.4.
Temp was between 70 and 80 and ran the A/C the whole time.
I'm going to some local driving before I fill it up.

phill1 · August 2013

Just traded in my 2011 Ford Fiesta SE Hatchback with 31400. Bought a 2013 Ford SE C-MAX Hybrid. Hope my Fuel Economy is as good as the Fiesta. Next time you need to do a Car Rental, try getting a 2012/2013 KIa Rio or Hyundai Accent. You will then appreciate your Ford Fiesta even more when you average 23-25 mpg city and 31-33 mpg highway!

xwesx · August 2013

31400! I think I have nearly that exact same mileage on my 2011 SES hatch (5MT) as of today! It's scary to think that it had less than 14,000 on it when I bought it on 8/23 last year.

Sometimes I wish it wasn't so much fun to drive; I'm sure I would get at least a couple miles per gallon more out of it! As it is, I tend to get 39-40 in highway driving (70 mph), and generally average 36-37 in local driving during the summer months. Even during the winter, it won't dip under 30 unless the temps are colder than -40F, and those temps really butcher any car's fuel economy.

Kirstie_H · December 2013

If you are a parent of young children (at least one under 12 years old) who owns a 2012-14 Ford Fiesta, a reporter would like for you to fill out a survey, due by December 13, 2013, for use in a print publication. Please email PR@edmunds.com no later than Wednesday, December 11, for a copy of the survey.

Ford Fiesta Real World MPG

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