10 years, 100.000 km: The Ford Fiesta

As a family, we've been driving our 12 y/o Ford Fiesta for 10 years, and we're going to upgrade it. To say my final goodbyes, I decided to review the car.

Exterior

Compared to the current Fiestas, the exterior still looks relevant. It's a bit timeless, but I still would prefer the more aggressive styling of the current generation Focus.

The headlights and taillights are decent, but it could use some style. I'd much rather prefer geometric shapes inside compared to just a bulb. (but, safety first)

Interior

The interior is as spacious as it can get. I myself (186 cm tall, 50/50 ratio of body) can fit in the passenger seat comfortably, but struggle with getting in and out of the back seat. 

The back seats are tiny, and leg room is a problem. Headroom is fine though.

Also, engine noise is very present in the car. It's quiet until the engine reaches 2000 RPM, and upwards of that is just noise.

Drivetrain

The engine is a 1.4 TDCi engine. It's got 70 horsepower and 160 Newton meters of torque. The torque is impressive, considering it could pull a bit more than 1300 kg and uphill. But, it provides all of the power on lower RPMs and doesn't have anything for higher RPMs (besides speed), making it not the best for steep hills.

The transmission is a 5-speed manual, and it's a decent combo for this engine. The 5th gear is really meant for cruising, with the other gears being good for uphill performance.

The clutch biting point is so high that sometimes, you think you've released the clutch entirely and the car still hasn't moved.

Seats

The seats are comfortable, but if you're driving for more than an hour, you feel that you've sat on it for too long. Otherwise, it's got decent cushioning, and that's all I can say.

Technology

This car doesn't have anything related to tech, with the most technologically advanced feature being shifting recommendations. There's no BlueTooth, let alone CarPlay and Android Auto. It's got a CD player and AUX in, but with streaming services being more mainstream and phones ditching AUX ports, it's basically unusable.

Road trips

Despite the lack of tech and underpowered engine, this car is rather outstandingly good for road trips. We went to Greece (including some of the islands), Bulgaria, Romania, Macedonia and Albania. And even with extra weight from the luggage, this car still was able to climb uphill through the Albanian mountains. And none of the people in my family were mad.

Final review

This Ford Fiesta 2012 with 100,000 km done during our time as owners, is a great car that's meant for city driving while also a roadtrip with the friends. As for the lack of tech, you could always upgrade it yourself (though, we didn't, because everything's great when it's stock).

Thanks for the great memories, and I wish you a great time with your new owners, the 2012 Ford Fiesta.