why is my fiesta so chronically slow??

[budgie smuggler]

My wife has a 1.25 `17 plate fiesta. It's a non-turbo 82 PS model.

I knew it was always going to be fairly slow, but clucking bell it is positively slug like.

Pulling away in it is absolutely gutless until you get to high revs. On the motorway, if traffic slows from 70 to 60, you often have to drop a gear or two to get going again, and even then when you are flat to the floor ALL the traffic still pulls away from you. (Including the wagons).


I used to have a mk4/5 ('98 plate) with the 1.25 engine. Now that had 10 BHP less (so over 10%) yet it had none of these issues. It wasn't quick, but it was perfectly adequate for keeping up with traffic. I know what you're thinking - weight. And it was slightly lighter but not much - 50KG.

Is this some eco bks where they've done something to the mapping to lower the CO2? It makes the car really annoying to drive because you are constantly changing gears and getting cut up because people think you are dawdling.

Or is it just that everything else now is a turbo diesel with an auto gearbox hence seeming quicker?

[budgie smuggler]

300bhp/ton said:

Have you driven any other 1.25 '17 plate Fiesta's as a comparison? If not, might be worth doing this. At least that way you'll know if they are all like it or not, or if you maybe have a potential issue.

Good point, I haven't. Guess that's an easy way to eliminate the engine being borked in some way.

[budgie smuggler]

JONATHAN_11_80 said:

I had a 12 plate 1.25 fiesta as loan car a few years ago and found the performance to be fine both on the motorway and off. It could be that the engine is still tight being a 17 plate. These engines are usually nice free revving engines.

Thanks that's what I'm hoping. Kinda worried though they've done something to improve co2 etc and bksed the performance since the 12 plate is EU5, this one is EU (and the co2 is slightly lower).

It revs pretty freely but is just flat as a pancake at the lower end.

thebigmacmoomin said:

Should have bought the 1.0 Ecoboost 100bhp

Yeah, deffo. Wasn't available on the deal though and we needed a car straight away. The 1.0 is worlds apart from this, even though on paper it's roughly the same performance.

Edited by budgie smuggler on Tuesday 16th May 14:50