Just browsing and holy crap is a used Fiesta cheap. What's the story?

As I was kicking around Autotrader yesterday, I saw how cheap the Ford Fiesta hatchbacks are. I've seen several very low mileage 2013 or 2014 models that can be had for $10-$11k asking price. That means with some dealer haggling, you can pick one up for 4 figures. I'm talking 5spd SE models with some nice goodies in them and under 20k miles....not a high mileage stripper (they're typically bad in any context... )

Damn, it really has me curious. My 2010 Prius is great at doing it's job. But it's my only car, save for my wife's '06 Sedona, it's sucking the enthusiast life right out of me. It's boring as E36 M3. Tempting to consider making a swap, which would cost me very little. I'm dying for something to drive that has any personality whatsoever.

What's the deal with these things? And no, as cool as an ST or Ecoboost would be, they'd be out of the price range I'd want to spend.

Just don't get the "powershart" transmission. Soooo many problems with them. Manual all the way.

Have you driven one? Maybe you'll like.... I had a 2015 SE as a rental. It was slow death by boredom. Why not a $6k M3 and $2k of mods? use the rest for gas & repair budget?

Just get a toy car to drive sometimes to make you feel good, and keep the Prius for the appliance job that it is so very good at! I think a fiesta is not much of an upgrade from the Prius, and not as good an appliance.

http://atlanta.craigslist.org/atl/cto/4802193904.html

http://atlanta.craigslist.org/nat/cto/4797716816.html

http://atlanta.craigslist.org/atl/cto/4824978627.html

http://atlanta.craigslist.org/eat/cto/4805062103.html

Yeah, I thought the Fiesta was pretty boring too.

I thought the same of the Prius, but maybe my expectations were different. Boring seemed fine in the Prius.

But you are right, those things are pretty affordable. If you bump your search parameters to $12K, there are 128 of them with under 30K miles on them.

DO NOT consider the auto. The boredom will surely overcome you before lunchtime on the day you buy it.

Sonic wrote: Just get a toy car to drive sometimes to make you feel good, and keep the Prius for the appliance job that it is so very good at! I think a fiesta is not much of an upgrade from the Prius, and not as good an appliance. http://atlanta.craigslist.org/atl/cto/4802193904.html http://atlanta.craigslist.org/nat/cto/4797716816.html http://atlanta.craigslist.org/atl/cto/4824978627.html http://atlanta.craigslist.org/eat/cto/4805062103.html

Just browsing right now, really. When I bought the Prius, Kara and I agreed I'd sit tight on a toy until we got close to settlement on the house. We're only 5 weeks from settlement, so just starting to get more serious about it. While she's being a good trooper, she's pretty antsy about not wanting to drive the Sedona daily forever. So I want to keep a good chunk of change for a downpayment to replace that. I've got a toy sitting in Mentals' garage, which I can't wait to drive. Just picked up a set of 15" Nissan alloys for $50.

May well go E46 or similar and keep the Prius, just window shopping right now and noticed the Fiesta.

Aside from the manual trans i see the Fiesta as a pretty huge downgrade from a Prius.

I mean, i wouldnt trade my Prius for a Corolla and a Corolla is still a better car than a Fiesta at doing 'normal car things'. We're talking about a lower-end car that does basically the same things worse with cruder tech while costing more to own/operate.

I don't consider the Fiesta a bad car at all, and it is probably more entertaining to drive than the Prius, but i think you could do a lot better in that price range if what you are shooting for is mostly "it can do everything worse as long as it is more fun to drive", because that is a pretty HUGE range of possibilities.

Klayfish wrote: < While she's being a good trooper, she's pretty antsy about not wanting to drive the Sedona daily forever. So I want to keep a good chunk of change for a downpayment to replace that. I've got a toy sitting in Mentals' garage, which I can't wait to drive. Just picked up a set of 15" Nissan alloys for $50. May well go E46 or similar and keep the Prius, just window shopping right now and noticed the Fiesta.

Sell Sedona. Give Prius to Kara. Buy toy.

I don't find my Fiesta boring.

Driving a slow car fast is more challenging .

Jerry From LA wrote: Sell Sedona. Give Prius to Kara. Buy toy.

That would be cool, except the Prius can't tow 3500lbs or haul 7 people. The van is our hauler for our family of 5...and sometimes my kids friends, and seems some towing/hauling/carrying stuff duty. Replacing it is in the cards at some point, but not yet.

I'm not doing anything yet, I just came across the Fiesta as I was browsing. The Prius is awesome at what it's designed to do, I couldn't say a bad word about it. But I was just browsing in case I decide not to buy a toy to supplement and have a single car. No matter how good the Prius is, if I was going with one car only for 365 24/7 use, I don't think it'd be a Prius.

I would buy a few year old mazdaspeed3 or Cooper S and live with the fact that it will cost you an extra $2 to drive each 100 miles.

Prius is anti-fun.

the Prius can't tow 3500lbs or haul 7 people.

Isnt that the saddest damn thing? I cant wait for a Prius-ish minivan. I want Ford to put their C-max drivetrain in the Transit Connect and Toyota to put their Highlander Hybrid stuff in the Sienna. Even if it only averaged 34 mpg that'd be damn good for a Minivan, and electric torque is great for getting a heavy load rolling (towing) and the motor itself doesnt suffer any additional wear from running under higher loads unlike some more conventional drivetrain components.

Vigo wrote:

the Prius can't tow 3500lbs or haul 7 people.

Isnt that the saddest damn thing? I cant wait for a Prius-ish minivan. I want Ford to put their C-max drivetrain in the Transit Connect and Toyota to put their Highlander Hybrid stuff in the Sienna. Even if it only averaged 34 mpg that'd be damn good for a Minivan, and electric torque is great for getting a heavy load rolling (towing) and the motor itself doesnt suffer any additional wear from running under higher loads unlike some more conventional drivetrain components.

Is the Highlander setup like the old RX400h? I.E. a Prius drive unit replaces the rear diff? Or does it have it all integrated into the trans like the Prius?

I definitely want to see Camry Hybrid stuff in a Sienna. Or Accord Hybrid in an Odyssey.

Actually, a good start would be sliding doors on the V + a removeable jumpseat for 2 in the very back.

That's also super clean E36 M3 4 Door money...

mr2peak wrote: That's also super clean E36 M3 4 Door money...

It is, but between work and shuttling kids around, I'm on pace to drive 34-35k miles per year. I don't have a lot of free time, and my mechanical skills are fairly novice. So a DD that can eat up a metric ton of miles in relatively fuss free and reliable efficiency is very important. Hence the Prius.

If you're wide in the shoulders like the wife and I, you'll hate it. Not near enough room in the summer, thrwo in a winter jacket to make you bulkier and you'll wish for anything else. Also slow, boring and just ho-hum.

Bobzilla wrote: If you're wide in the shoulders like the wife and I, you'll hate it. Not near enough room in the summer, thrwo in a winter jacket to make you bulkier and you'll wish for anything else. Also slow, boring and just ho-hum.

This. I wanted to love the fiesta, but I simply didn't fit in the thing. Too narrow and with the seat all the way back, the rear seat was rather tight.