As many superminis are aimed at the urban driver, it’s logical that Ford‘s Fiesta comes with an automatic gearbox.
Teamed with the 96PS 1.4-litre petrol engine, it makes a lot of sense to someone who wants to cut out the clutch work involved in town driving as it is smooth in its gearchanges at low speeds.
The ‘box is only fitted with four speeds so it is not constantly switching around. This could mean that the engine revs highly at motorway speeds, but it proved no worse than the manual equivalent, although it does hang onto gears longer than is ideal.
The big downside to the auto Fiesta is the finances. Five price rises in a year have taken their toll on the small Ford, and £15,979 is a lot to pay, especially for a car that only retains 30.5% of its value after three years.
Add emissions of 154g/km and a combined fuel economy of 43.4mpg and the monthly running costs could easily creep up too.
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