The 2014 Ford Fiesta 1.0L EcoBoost is a small, 3-cylinder car that puts the spotlight on fuel economy and still manages to be fun to drive.
| STATS | Starting Retail Price | As Tested Price | HP / Lb-Ft |
| 2014 Ford Fiesta 1.0L EcoBoost | $16,080 | $17,365 | 123/125 |
| EPA Rating MPG | As Tested MPG | ||
| Rating: BUY IT! | 31/43/36 | 34.3 |
Economy cars don’t have the best reputations for being fun. The idea is that you buy one because you just need to get from point A to point B as cheaply as possible. They cost less to buy and they cost less to run by letting you drive past the gas station more often than not, but they aren’t cars for people who love to drive.
The 2014 Ford Fiesta 1.0L EcoBoost manages to deliver on the economy car promise without sucking the life out of your soul. First, in this iteration of the Fiesta, you’re going to be driving a 5-speed manual transmission. There is no option for an automatic unless you want to go with the 1.6L and suffer the corresponding decrease in fuel efficiency.
The fact that it’s a manual gives you the ability to hold each gear for as long as needed to use every ounce of power this little turbocharged, direct-injected engine has to offer. It’s got 123 horsepower and 125 lb-ft of torque at 2,500 RPM so merging into heavy highway traffic simply isn’t a problem and it’ll easily get up to speed to join the pack.
The electric power-steering is well-tuned and the wheel is nicely balanced to make for smooth handling, as long as the road doesn’t get too choppy. Driving over rough roads with potholes or even larger dips and bumps tends to toss around the Fiesta like a kite in a thunderstorm. Not only is it a challenge in those situations, it’s none too smooth for the passengers.
The 2014 Ford Fiesta 1.0L EcoBoost also got a face-lift with its new engine so that it now has that wide Ford grille. On such a small car it loses the aggressive vibe it gives some of the larger vehicles in the line and instead looks like a mischievous grin that, paired especially with the hatchback, hints at the fun to be had behind the wheel.
The interior is comfortable, but not luxurious. This is still an economy car, but it does have nice finishes that don’t feel cheap. Seats are comfortable though a little flat so they’ll be fine on shorter drives but could be tiresome on longer road trips. Things are a bit narrow, so larger passengers will be bumping elbows.
Rear seating space is also narrow, with the 6-foot crowd likely not able to tolerate the ride for long and with a taller front passenger, too, they may all come to blows about who gets stuck in back. The rear seats also fold 60/40, but they do not fold flat so you get the cargo flexibility of a hatchback, but not the extra flexibility of the fully flat floor.
The 2014 Ford Fiesta 1.0L EcoBoost is a great addition to the Fiesta lineup. It looks good, is surprisingly fun and nimble, and delivers on the promise of fuel economy without sacrificing driving enjoyment.
On the TFLcar scale of:
- Buy it!
- Lease it!
- Rent it!
- … or Forget it!
I give the 2014 Ford Fiesta 1.0L EcoBoost a Buy It!
Check out this first drive review of the 2014 Ford Fiesta 1.0L EcoBoost…
Nicole Wakelin fell in love with cars as a teenager when she got to go for a ride in a Ferrari. It was red and it was fast and that was all that mattered. Game over. She considers things a bit more carefully now, but still has a weakness for fast, beautiful cars. Nicole is a member of the New England Motor Press Association and also writes for Automotive IT News, NerdApproved, and GeekMom. You can find her on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+.
