The Mark Three Fiesta

Introduction

When Ford introduced the Mark Three Fiesta in 1989, it was an important step forward for small cars for just one reason: the Fiesta could have anti-lock brakes and Ford introduced the HCS engine with the mark three Fiesta.

Sadly, time has not been kind to this generation of Fiesta. The car was no more spacious than the Peugeot 205, and whilst it had a reasonable ride, it suffered from rather heave-ho handling. Most engines were noisy and harsh when pushed, but at a cruise, the car was reasonably quiet.

Engines

There are a large number of engine options for the Fiesta, so in chronological and size order, the first donk is the 1·0 HCS petrol. This unit was fitted to the base model just came with just four forward gears. This engine, an update of the 957cc unit used in the previous generation Fiesta, is noisy, harsh and not all that economical. Ford dropped it in 1992.

The next model up, the 1·1 HCS, was initially the best selling version. When mated to the five speed gearbox, the 1·1 was certainly economical, and on a long run, could top 50 mpg. It was also not as sluggish as the 1·0 (but hardly a ball of fire). In around 1994, the 1·1 was dropped from mid-spec and higher models and subsequently discontinued.

To coincide with the demise of the 1·1 from most Fiestas, Ford reintroduced a 1·3 HCS Fiesta around and about 1993. This engine has seen service in all generations of Fiesta (and the Ka). In this application, it gains fuel injection. Whilst not especially powerful or economical, the unit does produce a reasonable amount of low down torque. The 1∙3 HCS is the predecessor to the Endura-E.

Ford used the 1·4 litre CVH engine in the Fiesta, and with some success - like the previous generation car, the 75 PS unit suits the Fiesta quite well - in a sort of thrashy, juicy way. In around 1991, Ford introduced fuel injection and a catalyst, which reduced the output of the engine and increased fuel consumption. The 1·4 was dropped from the range in around 1992, to reappear as the CVH PTE engine in the Si around 1994.

The 1·6 litre CVH unit, as used in the previous generation XR2, was used in the Mark three Fiesta but in three flavours. The lowest powered 1·6 was used in the 1·6 S, which came with a carburettor. The XR2i used a fuel injected version, producing around 110 PS, and finally, the RS Turbo, generating 130 PS from a turbocharged version of the same. I have never regarded the 1·6 litre version of the CVH engine to be a good one (even if it is reliable), but the carburettor 1·6 suits the S model very well. It both performs well and is quite economical. The XR2i, for what it is supposed to be, falls well short of the mark. It’s powerful, but it is no fun, and the RS Turbo is similar, except brings the dubious joy of a laggy turbo installation to the party. I can see the appeal of the XR2i and the RS Turbo, but compared to the competition, they don’t handle well and are crude and unrefined. Sadly, the best of the trio, the 1·6 S, didn’t last too long in the Ford line up, and by 1994, all CVH units had been dropped from the range.

In 1994, to coincide with an update of the Fiesta, Ford introduced the 1·6 litre 16V Zetec engine, as used in the Mondeo and Escort, into the Si and Ghia models. With 90 PS, the car was no ball of fire, but performed well enough, even if in the Fiesta, it was a rather thirsty unit. The Fiesta 1·6 has a lower Euromix figure than the Mondeo 1·6!

In 1994, the CVH donks of the XR2i and RS Turbo were replaced with 1·8 litre 16V Zetec engines. In the XR2i, power dropped to 105 PS, and the RS Turbo was replaced by the RS1800 (with 130 PS). The XR2i’s 1·8 litre engine is a lot smoother than the old CVH unit, and whilst on paper the car is slower, subjectively it feels just as quick, if not quicker because it is quieter. I have not tried the RS1800 (quite a rare car - it was very expensive).

Finally, Ford used its 1·8 litre diesel engine in the Fiesta. This donk has broadly similar power and torque outputs to the 1·3 engine, but feels slightly quicker to drive. Sadly, the pre-1994 cars were rough, unrefined and very nose-heavy. The modifications in 1994 made the diesel versions quieter, smoother, and went some way to improving the handling (but also dented fuel economy). You can read about my experience with a Mark three Fiesta diesel here.

Ride & Handling

As noted above, this generation of Fiesta is not noted for it’s handling prowess, even after the facelift in 1994. The original cars suffered from slow, dull-witted steering, and a lurching sensation as the car enters a corner. The earlier XR2i and the RS Turbo models suffer from an unduly harsh ride, whereas the lesser sporty models are set up rather more for a soft ride.

In essence, the car does not drive as well as the competition. The cooking models have twitchy tails - especially the 1·8 diesel. The best compromise is either a 1·1 Ghia (which had wider tyres) or the 1·6 S.

All have a reasonably smooth ride, especially on the motorway, making the Fiesta one of the better supermini motorway cruisers of its time. The exception are the XR2i and RS Turbo, which never settle down on a fast multilaner.

Post-1994 models are much improved. The Si models handle well, with little roll and no lurching when cornering, with a firmer ride. Lesser models are not quite so competent, but are still an improvement over earlier cars.

Interior

Up front, the Fiesta has ample from, but in the back, it is cramped by modern standards. The boot is of an average size for the sector, and unfortunately (unlike the previous generation) the spare wheel is kept under the car, where is is vulnerable to theft and gets covered in muck thrown up from the road. On the positive side, the driving position is quite good, even given the fixed steering wheel, and even the more basic Fiestas are quite comfortable on longer trips.

Exterior

The mark three is a bit of a plain Jane, to be blunt. Its design dates back from a time when Ford built functional cars, with functional exteriors. From some angles, the Fiesta looks a bit like a Peugeot 205 but without any charm. The XR2i and RS Turbo models have combined fog and driving lamps at the front, which gives them a slight aggressive hint. This generation of Fiesta continued as the Fiesta Classic until around 1997.

Equipment

The early Fiestas had little equipment - you have to move up to the Ghia to benefit from electric windows and central locking - with base models especially devoid. The L’s notable items of equipment included two wing mirrors, a boot lamp, and intermittent front wipers. Hardly luxurious! LX versions came with a different trim and a sunroof, and Ghias came with electric windows and central locking. Power steering was only available on the cooking models from 1994, as were most items of safety equipment. This generation of Fiesta used a semi-mechanical ABS system that did not operate below 20 mph, so was useless on ice at low speeds, or would cut out as the car decelerated from higher speeds.

DervMan’s Verdict

Study the Mark three Fiesta’s technical specifications in isolation, and you can see why it was a number one. The car is reasonably fuel efficient, it’s cheap to insure in cooking model flavour, it has enough space to suit a small family, and it can come with five doors. On a quick test drive, it does okay - the smooth ride helps. There are a number of engines to suit most buyers.

But compared to its peers, the Fiesta is dull to drive, with the exception of the post-1994 1·6 Si model.

My preferred model would have to be the post-1994 1·6 16V Si. It’s only slightly thirstier than the 1·4, is inexpensive to insure and has improved handling over the rest of the range. For downright economy, take a pre-1994 diesel, but beware of the handling. An alternative would be a pre-1994 1·1, since this is almost as economical, just a good deal slower, but suffers from much less weight at the front.

I’d avoid the 1.0 litre, 1·6 XR2i and RS Turbo. The XR2i because it has a crude, noisy CVH lump that lacks the torque to pull the skin off a rice pudding below 3,500 rpm and the RS Turbo because it has a crude, noisy turbocharged CVH lump with lots of turbocharger lag and a habit of going off-tune within a few months of a service.