Jump to content
Do Not Sell My Personal Information


Ecosport vs Fiesta Active - which would be better for us?


GCarty80
 Share

Recommended Posts

I've my current Fiesta Zetec 1.4 TDCi for 8 years now -- it's a 3-door model as when I bought it my dad had a Motability car (due to my sister having autism and learning difficulties).

Unfortunately a brain haemorrhage cost him his licence in 2012 leaving me as the only driver in the family, and my current car isn't very practical when my sister comes out with us (even though she's only 4'10"!).  My annual service/MOT last month also revealed an axle problem that could require an expensive and time-consuming repair in the near future, so I'm looking to replace it with a new 5-door model.

I've been driving Fords for 17 years now with no major problems so I see no real reason to change manufacturers, but I'm torn on which model to go for: my mam likes the look of the EcoSport, but after reading so many bad reviews I'm wary of this model. Personally I'd rather stick with a Fiesta, although I'd have no issue in meeting her halfway by going for the Active model.

I do roughly 13,000 miles per year, the vast majority of which is my commute to work in Newcastle, although I also take my mam for shopping (with my sister sometimes coming with us for a look out) on Saturdays. Every 2 or 3 weeks are so we get a big shop that currently requires some bags go on the back seat (or on the floor behind my seat).

I'm also still not quite decided on whether to go for petrol or diesel although I see an increasing consensus that a mileage like mine is no longer quite enough to justify diesel – the new 1.0 Ecoboost petrol engine, road tax changes, and the prospect of Low Emission Zones and diesel tax hikes in the near future are all factors that have change in petrol's favour since 2010.

I'd be interested in what thoughts the regulars here have concerning my dilemma...

George

Link to comment
Share on other sites


Oops, forgot to mention that my mam and I both agree that a Kuga's too big (I'm not the best at parking for one thing...)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's difficult for us to choose a car for you...I struggle to choose the right car for myself tbf! :laugh:

Which Fiesta do you have?  If it's a Mk7 they are difficult to park due to lack of visibility, more so than larger cars!  I can park a Mondeo estate easier than a mk7 fiesta lol.  Parking sensors are pretty common these days though so try to find a car with them and that should help.

Why not a Focus btw?  Do you need the height of the Active/EcoSport?  Focus is big enough for rear passengers and shopping, but not so big to be awkward.

As for petrol vs diesel, I'd definitely recommend petrol these days.  Turbo petrols have come a long way recently so you shouldn't lose too much mpg but diesels are a lot of hassle these days.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, TomsFocus said:

It's difficult for us to choose a car for you...I struggle to choose the right car for myself tbf! :laugh:

Which Fiesta do you have?  If it's a Mk7 they are difficult to park due to lack of visibility, more so than larger cars!  I can park a Mondeo estate easier than a mk7 fiesta lol.  Parking sensors are pretty common these days though so try to find a car with them and that should help.

Why not a Focus btw?  Do you need the height of the Active/EcoSport?  Focus is big enough for rear passengers and shopping, but not so big to be awkward.

As for petrol vs diesel, I'd definitely recommend petrol these days.  Turbo petrols have come a long way recently so you shouldn't lose too much mpg but diesels are a lot of hassle these days.

 

Really? I find a Mk7/Mk8 Fiesta loads easier to park.

Definitely easier than the Focus.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

12 hours ago, TomsFocus said:

It's difficult for us to choose a car for you...I struggle to choose the right car for myself tbf! :laugh:

Which Fiesta do you have?  If it's a Mk7 they are difficult to park due to lack of visibility, more so than larger cars!  I can park a Mondeo estate easier than a mk7 fiesta lol.  Parking sensors are pretty common these days though so try to find a car with them and that should help.

Why not a Focus btw?  Do you need the height of the Active/EcoSport?  Focus is big enough for rear passengers and shopping, but not so big to be awkward.

As for petrol vs diesel, I'd definitely recommend petrol these days.  Turbo petrols have come a long way recently so you shouldn't lose too much mpg but diesels are a lot of hassle these days.

First of all, thanks for taking an interest in my query! I think my difficulty is more in trying to weight by mam's desires with my own, especially as she's a very anxious person (the reason why she never even took driving lessons) whom I don't want to upset. I guess what I'm really wanting is to know the relative pros and cons of the two vehicles for when discussing my next move with her.

Yes my current car is a Mk7 Fiesta -- as I see it the main difficulty with parking is that the slope of the windscreen makes me imagine the front is much longer than it actually is. My family's last Motability car (also a Mk7 Fiesta, but the five-door version) had parking sensors, but I found them off-putting as for me they seemed to give too many false alarms!

I suspect a Focus also falls into the "too big" category: my sister is only 4'10" tall, and while my family's 2001 Motability car was a Focus all the ones after that were Fiestas (plus a Focus today is rather larger than a Mk1 Focus of 2001). I suspect my mam's interest in the EcoSport may have been because she'll be 60 next year and hasn't been in the best of health lately (she's been diagnosed with severe anaemia). I suspect that's why she wants something taller, and (AFAIK) she doesn't even know the Fiesta Active model exists.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites


 

33 minutes ago, GCarty80 said:

First of all, thanks for taking an interest in my query! I think my difficulty is more in trying to weight by mam's desires with my own, especially as she's a very anxious person (the reason why she never even took driving lessons) whom I don't want to upset. I guess what I'm really wanting is to know the relative pros and cons of the two vehicles for when discussing my next move with her.

Yes my current car is a Mk7 Fiesta -- as I see it the main difficulty with parking is that the slope of the windscreen makes me imagine the front is much longer than it actually is. My family's last Motability car (also a Mk7 Fiesta, but the five-door version) had parking sensors, but I found them off-putting as for me they seemed to give too many false alarms!

I suspect a Focus also falls into the "too big" category: my sister is only 4'10" tall, and while my family's 2001 Motability car was a Focus all the ones after that were Fiestas (plus a Focus today is rather larger than a Mk1 Focus of 2001). I suspect my mam's interest in the EcoSport may have been because she'll be 60 next year and hasn't been in the best of health lately (she's been diagnosed with severe anaemia). I suspect that's why she wants something taller, and (AFAIK) she doesn't even know the Fiesta Active model exists.

 

The current Focus is only about 12" longer than the EcoSport/Fiesta Active, but doesn't have the height which can make getting older relatives in and out more difficult so probably not for you.  

I'd say the Fiesta Active boot isn't quite big enough for a big shop, and not quite tall enough to be useful for mobility issues, though it's obviously a bit smaller than the EcoSport which should mean more MPG and possibly easier to drive/park.  I personally think the EcoSport would be best for your needs.  The higher driving position may negate front end parking issues as well.  Really you need to take both for a drive, ideally with your Mum as well. :smile: 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'd definitely agree with taking both out. My grandparents went with a B-max to make it easier for them to get in and out, which is based on the Fiesta.

Funny thing, the Fiesta MK8 has the same size boot as the Mk3 Focus, so it's not a bad size. (Though that's more a criticism of the Focus, it's poorly packaged)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...

In the end I decided to just go for the regular Fiesta as I could get it much quicker than the Active version (which I would have had to wait an extra couple of weeks for, and still wasn't available in any of the colours I wanted).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share




×
×
  • Create New...

Forums


News


Membership