bhp – Ford Ka vs. Fiesta vs. Focus ST vs. Focus RS Turbo

I have just realised in my search for a possible set of wheels, I looked at Czech, Brit, French, German, Italian and Japanese options but missed the Yanks. Perhaps it’s simply because I never had a good impression about big ole American cars being economical on fuel. The Chevy and Ford is available in Singapore though so I might as well just give them a look through. To be on the safe side on things, I will stick with Ford for now.

Many of us would be well familiar with the meltdown in the US and how the big 3 Detroit car makers were affected. It may not be spoken but it some way, I’m sure drivers have been hesitant in buying a new Chevy or Ford locally. Being ‘kaisu’ as were are, the ‘what if they go bust?’ question is probably one of those things still out there today. Obviously, should Ford go bust, what’s going to happen to your warranty? With that, servicing might or might not be an issue.

As for me, before the warranty and stuff, what bugs me is how and why Ford got into this mess. They obviously aren’t as popular in the US being an American brand. So what are the reasons Yanks are going for Jap cars instead of getting one from the first ‘affordable’ car manufacturer? Missing the ‘Model-T’ thinking here? In the end, it all boils done to practical reasons when I come to consider a Ford over a Japanese car. Anyways, among the possibilities of hatchbacks, sedans, superminis, MPVs and SUVs; The smaller cars are the only ones that would interest me. Definitely none of their MPVs and SUVs. Below are 4 different cars they just launched in the last 12 months.

Fifth Gear – Ford Ka Mk2

Fifth Gear – Ford Fiesta Mk7

Fifth Gear – Ford Focus ST Mk2

Fifth Gear – Ford Focus RS Mk2

The 2nd generation Ford Ka Mk2 is too fun and chic for me meaning it probably makes for a great lady’s car. Size wise, I’m not sure what I can use it for. Great speed and power which will be simply wasted on me so no ST or RS Turbo either. Besides, a 2.5 litre engine will hurt in the road tax department. At a time when the cost of COE is rising and dealers nudging up their prices upwards, Regent Motors is doing the direct opposite. Which bodes well for the consumer. The Ford Fiesta Mk7 1.4(A) is available at just under SGD 68,000 for both the 3dr and 5dr versions. Comparatively the cars in the same class below.

• Volkswagen Golf (Mk6) 1.4(A) TSI DSG – SGD89,800
• Ford Fiesta (Mk7) 1.4(A)  – SGD 68,000
• Suzuki SX4 Hatchback – Sports Edition 1.6(A) – SGD64,900
• Mazda 3 Hatchback 1.6(A) – SGD72,788
• Honda Civic 1.6(M) VTi – SGD83,800

The VW Golf is the only one is the same engine capacity but a whopping $20k more to put on the road. Of course, you get 26 extra horses. The Mazda 3 (based on the Ford Focus chassis) cost $3k extra. The only clear winner in terms of pricing here is the Suzuki SX4 – Sports Edition Hatchback with a savings of $3k as well. Bearing in mind, all the Japanese options are 1.6 litres thus cost a little more to tax.

Funny how I’ve never considered a Ford Fiesta. If the only thing that matters is the last dollar in your wallet, The Suzuki SX4 maybe the way to go. However, it was first released in 2006 and a recent facelift in 2008. Specifications wise, The Fiesta delivers 96bhp and isn’t a sprinter at 13.9s to hit 100km/h. The SX4 does somewhat better at 102bhp and 12.5s in the century sprint. The SX4 has an additional 15Nm more torque meaning slightly better revs in the mid range. Then again, I doubt one would notice the difference much unless you go head to head in a dash off the lines. With a manual overdrive on the 4-speed (A) gearbox, the Fiesta should be able to give you the extra power when you need it.

End of the day, if the ride quality and finishing of the Fiesta is better than the SX4, there isn’t a better time to get a Ford. I’m pretty darn sure with some haggling at Regent Motors, you will be able to offset the $3k difference easily. Now, if only they had a manual gearbox option…

This entry was posted on Sunday, September 13th, 2009 at 18:00 and is filed under automobiles, videos and tagged with Ford Fiesta Mk7, Ford Focus RS Mk2, Ford Focus ST Mk2, Ford Ka Mk2, Honda Civic, Mazda 3, Model T, Suzuki SX4, Volkswagen Golf Mk6. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.