Whos up for the new Fiesta XR4 - Page 3

merlin · 08-06-2007, 06:07 PM

Meh I don't know - I love the whole hot hatch concept but a Fiesta is still a "girls car" in my mind - way too small and cute. And for the money wouldnt you just go the far better built/more prestigious Polo GTI, not to mention it is far easier to modify being its a turbo and all.

The XR5, Golf GTI, Astra Turbo ect move things up into the big boys league but the WRX is still the best bang for your buck.

Ives · 08-06-2007, 06:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FourBarrel

I recently looked long and hard at the XR5. The only things I didn't like about that were the 4 doors and the price tag.

I also think 3-door XR5T looks better than the 5-door. However imo, the XR5T is a good value.

colossus · 08-06-2007, 08:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by merlin

The XR5, Golf GTI, Astra Turbo ect move things up into the big boys league but the WRX is still the best bang for your buck.

Its funny that after over 10 years nothing can still really touch the WRX in terms of a value for money AWD performance car. You would think that someone would at least try...

**Polyal** · 08-06-2007, 08:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by colossus

Its funny that after over 10 years nothing can still really touch the WRX in terms of a value for money AWD performance car. You would think that someone would at least try...

That new lancer turbo AWD below the EVO will certainly give it a crack. And whats all this AWD talk lately, big deal.

Bucknaked · 08-06-2007, 08:52 PM

I wonder if over in Holden land, the Astra and Barina owners get as much grief about their small cars as falcon owners give about the focus and fiesta.

I am thinking about trading in my Focus for one of these puppies. Might be time to go in and see for myself. And I don't mind stripes.

**Polyal** · 08-06-2007, 09:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bucknaked

I wonder if over in Holden land, the Astra and Barina owners get as much grief about their small cars as falcon owners give about the focus and fiesta.

I am thinking about trading in my Focus for one of these puppies. Might be time to go in and see for myself. And I don't mind stripes.

Quad stripes! Do you own pinstripes by any chance?

Its a ripper of a little car.

Bucknaked · 08-06-2007, 09:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Polyal

Quad stripes! Do you own pinstripes by any chance?

Its a ripper of a little car.

: I was thinking of getting stripes for my house

Ives · 08-06-2007, 09:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bucknaked

I wonder if over in Holden land, the Astra and Barina owners get as much grief about their small cars as falcon owners give about the focus and fiesta.

Yeh I'd like to find out too.

Personally, im over with what ppl think about my car. They're not worth my time and attention.

photn · 08-06-2007, 09:34 PM

trade in the Focus for the Fiesta XR4 and youll have a big smile on your face!!!.....

BPXR6T · 08-06-2007, 09:34 PM

I've read some mixed reviews. A while back I read a stack of reviews for the XR5 and they all raved about it. Some of the XR4 reviews I read last night were positive but others had comments like it felt half finished, lacked power, handling suffered when pressed, etc...

Bucknaked · 08-06-2007, 09:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by photn

trade in the Focus for the Fiesta XR4 and youll have a big smile on your face!!!.....

Will definatley get myself along for a test drive.

photn · 08-06-2007, 09:50 PM

make sure you drive a normal fez first so you can compare the diff

Bossxr8 · 08-06-2007, 09:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by colossus

Its funny that after over 10 years nothing can still really touch the WRX in terms of a value for money AWD performance car. You would think that someone would at least try...

Subaru are doing a pretty good job of ruining it themselves. The new one looks hiddeous, and will turn away plenty of potential buyers just like the bug eye version did.

Ives · 08-06-2007, 10:30 PM

Yes, many people compare the new Impreza's look to Protons & Camries.

MeestaNob! · 08-06-2007, 10:55 PM

Question: For those rueing the lack of extra oomph once the XR4's NA engine has done all it can, what's to stop people from putting on a small turbo? Is there a distinct lack of performance advantage, or is it a cost thing?

photn · 08-06-2007, 10:57 PM

the Duratec HE engine was not designed for a turbo. it was essentially designed for NA application. you wont get much from the turbo...
with NA you can hit 280bhp just like the Pirtek Rally Fiestas....its the Exactly same engine...

Steffo · 09-06-2007, 02:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by photn

the Duratec HE engine was not designed for a turbo. it was essentially designed for NA application. you wont get much from the turbo...
with NA you can hit 280bhp just like the Pirtek Rally Fiestas....its the Exactly same engine...

Factory design, with an engine like this, isn't very relevant. If you're going to modify an engine by putting a turbocharger on it, first and foremost you lower compression and of course, fit camshafts to suit, so that makes their design null and void.

XR8-260 · 09-06-2007, 02:23 AM

This engine is the same one they use in the Mazda 3/MX5 right?

Steffo · 09-06-2007, 02:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 3

This engine is the same one they use in the Mazda 3/MX5 right?

Variations of the Duratec 2.0 feature in the Focus, Mazda 3 and MX-5 in Australia.

But the Duratec family spans the 1.6, 2.0 and 2.3 and many others, so technically the Fiesta 1.6 & 2.0, Focus 2.0, Mazda 2.0 & 2.3 are all from the same family.

XR8-260 · 09-06-2007, 02:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steffo

Variations of the Duratec 2.0 feature in the Focus, Mazda 3 and MX-5 in Australia.

But the Duratec family spans the 1.6, 2.0 and 2.3 and many others, so technically the Fiesta 1.6 & 2.0, Focus 2.0, Mazda 2.0 & 2.3 are all from the same family.

Cheers. I wonder if the 2.3L from the mazda 3 SP23 would have fit into the fiesta? That would be awesome

:.

Steffo · 09-06-2007, 02:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 3

Cheers. I wonder if the 2.3L from the mazda 3 SP23 would have fit into the fiesta? That would be awesome

:.

With some work, yes it can. I was hoping for Ford to make some special low numbers run, FPV Fiesta or something... some engineless ST's imported then stuff the Mazda 6 spec (122kW 207Nm) 2.3 Duratec into them. Would catapault it to the top of its class without shadow of doubt. And give lots of bigger cars a fright.

Of course, that's just a dream....

Piotr · 09-06-2007, 04:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steffo

Variations of the Duratec 2.0 feature in the Focus, Mazda 3 and MX-5 in Australia.

But the Duratec family spans the 1.6, 2.0 and 2.3 and many others, so technically the Fiesta 1.6 & 2.0, Focus 2.0, Mazda 2.0 & 2.3 are all from the same family.

The 1.6L engine in the normal Fiesta has no relation to the 2L duratec unit in the xr4. The 1.6L is a Zetec-SE "Sigma" engine that was designed by Yamaha, the 2L is a mazda engine.

09-06-2007, 04:16 AM

The 2.3L VCT is also avaliable in the Ford Escape and Mazda Tribute... with a yummo AWD gearbox

And re: turbo, if you tried this with the regular Duratec, you start blowing holes out the side of your engine around 1 bar boost spikes. 7 PSI on the standard 2.0 with fuel ecu gets you around 145kw - comparitable with NA mods of doing intake, exhaust, cams and flash tune. These engines are now the number 1 choice amongst Caterham kit builders, and the heads flows so well you'll never need to do a port job. A quote from the designer of this engine "The head design and flow properties would make an F1 engineer's mouth water"

The direct injection engine used in the MPS is an interesting piece of kit.

Ives · 09-06-2007, 10:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 3

Cheers. I wonder if the 2.3L from the mazda 3 SP23 would have fit into the fiesta? That would be awesome

:.

I've seen the 2.5l 5-cyl turbo fitted to the Fiesta before.

Miyagi · 09-06-2007, 12:01 PM

You need to consider these cars are also designed with balance across the whole package. Put too much power through a stock FWD car in any form and you'll need to uprate a lot of other components to keep it balanced.

The Ford XR4 is a great addition to the XR stable... going to sell very well i wreckon as it's priced nicely and appears to actually be available!

photn · 09-06-2007, 12:26 PM

sorry steffo, i didnt realise everyone has squilions to spend on rebuilding a perfectly/new engine just to turbo it....

the matter of fact is if you just want to SLAP! on a turbo the Duratec engine isnt the best to do it with and you wont extract much from it!

I believe the Question was what is stopping people putting a small turbo on it....Not rebuilding the engine to handle insane amounts of boost. so your answer is irrelevant!

da_ilks · 09-06-2007, 01:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by merlin

And for the money wouldnt you just go the far better built/more prestigious Polo GTI, not to mention it is far easier to modify being its a turbo and all.

Polo is more expensive, and from what I've read around, doesn't handle as well as the XR4, and the build quality isn't noticeably better. The XR4 is built in Germany after all...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bucknaked

I wonder if over in Holden land, the Astra and Barina owners get as much grief about their small cars as falcon owners give about the focus and fiesta.

Yes, they do.... I'm happy with mine, doesn't bother me when people give me **** about it. I like it

:

ardei · 09-06-2007, 04:09 PM

I think an important market everyone is forgetting is the P Platers who are prohibited from driving turbo hot hatches such as the aforementioned Polo/Golf GTi, Ralliart Colt XR5, Astra Turbo, Megane 225 and MPS. Pretty much, P platers looking for hot hatches have been forced to look at SP23s (which are warm hatches but very good none-the-less), RSC 182 (although these aren't new anymore) or Suzuki Swift Sports. That's probably what I find exciting about the XR4, it's legal to drive, yet a very similar Polo GTi is not.

photn - Steffo wasn't mucking around, you can't just SLAP a turbo one as you said (to any car!). Besides getting a new set of exhaust manifolds and re-routing your intake piping (which is the only way to 'slap' a turbo on), you have to lower the compression unless you want to run a high compression turbocharged engine - which means you will have to upgrade internals such as forged pistons, crankshafts, etc and THAT's the expensive stuff, not lowering the compression or changing the cams.

And I'm just talking low boost here, <10psi. If you want more, then it gets more expensive.

At the end of the day, people who use forced induction do it because it's cheaper to get more power, people who go the N/A route follow their hearts and are passionate in keeping it N/A and seeing a beautifully tuned engine at the end of the day.

Bucknaked · 09-06-2007, 05:09 PM

Saw a XR4 today at my local dealer. In Black, no stripes. Just arrived. Didn't go for a test drive, just a look over. It's a smart looking small car. I like it very much

barra240t · 09-06-2007, 05:13 PM

Hey,

We just put one on as a demo. Took it for a run and its a great little car. Make sure you put premium in it though! Thats what she needs! Its a cranky little thing and sounds good too.