Fuel Efficient Fun – Is It Possible?

"Justin Hughes" (justinhughes54) 02/10/2015 at 08:00 • Filed to: fiesta sfe

9

44

Even though gas prices are down, the various forms of the Toyota Prius remain as popular as ever for the fuel misers and environmentally minded. But what fun is that? The terms "sporty" and "fun to drive" are never used to describe the Prius, and for good reason. It may get 50mpg, but you won't enjoy doing it. Can you have your fuel efficient cake and eat it, too?

If I was going to get a highly fuel efficient car, I'd like to get my hands on a 1988-1991 Honda CRX HF. It, too, can achieve 50mpg, but without all of the bloated electronic crud of the Prius. Sure, it has no back seats, but from a practical perspective neither does !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , and the CRX has a whole lot more cargo capacity due to its huge hatch area. Its simplicity also keeps it from !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! .

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

Sure, it doesn't have air bags, or stability control, or traction control, or ABS, or navigation, or Bluetooth integration, or… well, much of anything besides four wheels and a seat. But the CRX is one of the most fun front wheel drive cars I've ever driven, whether it's an HF or an Si. In my mind, it was the perfect fun to drive economy car.

Unfortunately, there are two major problems with finding a CRX HF now. Due to being lighter than other CRX models, they were commonly chosen for more powerful engine swaps. These made them particularly fast, but they lost their fuel economy in the process, defeating the purpose of this exercise. Frequently such swaps also included ginormous wheels, extreme lowering kits, massive subwoofers, clear lights whether they were supposed to be clear or not, and wings more appropriate for Manfred von Richthofen's Fokker Dr.1 Triplane than any road vehicle. The other problem is that rust has caused many of the remaining unmolested CRXs to crumble and return to the Earth.

So is the economy minded enthusiast doomed to life in a Prius C and pretending that it's remotely sporty due to its small size? There are some good sporty subcompact options out there, not the least of which is the Ford Fiesta ST. But with mileage of 26 city / 35 highway and a preference for premium fuel, while it's no guzzler, it's no fuel sipper either. It seems that it's still necessary to choose between either fuel economy or a fun to drive car.

Or is it?

There's another little known Fiesta with an EcoBoost motor – the Fiesta SFE. This option is buried deep in the Build & Price checklists on Ford's web site. You must select the SE model, the 5-speed manual transmission, and Equipment Group 200A for the option to even appear in the Exterior Packages section, where it's called the SE EcoBoost Fuel Economy Package. This $995 option replaces the standard 1.6 liter four cylinder engine with a 1.0 liter three cylinder EcoBoost motor. I've owned motorcycles with bigger engines than this. But don't let the small displacement and missing cylinder fool you. Thanks to a turbo, this tiny engine makes 123hp. That's three more horses than the standard four cylinder. But where this small engine really shines, surprisingly, is in the torque department – 148 lb-ft, compared to 112 in the 1.6. Even better, all that torque is available at just 1400rpm. It likes to rev low, which is how the EPA rates it at 32/45mpg, though in the real world people routinely exceed 40mpg in mixed driving. But it also has enough power to get out of its own way when needed.

So what? Other cars like the Honda Fit, the Nissan Versa, and the Chevy Spark aren't that far off in the gas mileage department, and without the added complexity of a turbo. But one reason the Fiesta ST is so fun to drive is that the basic Fiesta platform is excellent. It's a very popular rally car, and not just in highly modified WRC or Global Rallycross trim. Team O'Neil Rally School uses a fleet of Fiestas, and not the ST, either. And that gives the Fiesta SFE an edge over the competition for the eco-minded enthusiast.

Of course, you do give some things up with the Fiesta SFE. Like the ST, it is only available with a manual transmission. While this shouldn't bother enthusiasts, it is likely to turn off many economy minded buyers. Gone are the fog lights, satellite radio, and navigation, with only the most basic SYNC stereo available (though some may consider the lack of MyFordTouch to be a blessing). The alloy wheels give way to steel 15" wheels with hub caps. But at least the Comfort Package is still available, which I'd personally get for the heated seats and heated mirrors, and includes automatic climate control.

The Fiesta SFE, equipped as I've described, is available for $17,705 as a hatchback (the one I'd get), or $17,305 as a sedan. Compare that to $19,540 for the Prius C One, the cheapest Prius C you can get, and that doesn't include a 60/40 split rear seat or even cruise control. Bump the price to $20,340 for a Prius C Two that's equipped comparably to a Fiesta SFE.

Sure, the Prius C still has the Fiesta SFE beat for gas mileage, 50mpg vs. 40. But how long will it take you to make back the $3,635 price difference in fuel savings? According to !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , the Fiesta SFE's annual fuel cost is $850, compared to $600 for the Prius C, a difference of $250 per year. That means it will take more than 14 years to break even on fuel savings in a Prius C Two. Will anyone actually keep a Prius C for 14 years? More importantly, will a Prius C last for 14 years without major work like a battery replacement, an extra hybrid expense that would effectively push the break-even point even farther out? In the real world, the non-hybrid Fiesta SFE seems like the more economical choice.

Other than the extra fuel, what do you do with the money you saved on getting the Fiesta SFE instead of the Prius C? Make it even more fun, of course. Its small engine and economical, high fifth gear means that you have to downshift a lot. The shifter isn't the best, but Ford Racing offers a short shifter upgrade for $200. While you're there, pick up their Fiesta Handling Pack for $300. Try getting that from your Toyota dealer for your Prius C.

You can get a more serious suspension if you plan to autocross or track the car, but if you were going to do that you would've just bought a Fiesta ST. But that doesn't mean you can't buy a set of used Fiesta ST alloys for around $400 and put some better performing rubber on them. Some Michelin Pilot Super Sports will run you $664. Sure, you'll give up a few miles per gallon by doing this, which means you might actually drop below 40mpg on occasion. Whoop de do.

There's one last thing you have to consider, though. Add up the total for this Fiesta SFE and the performance parts, and the price tag comes to $19,269. For a few dollars more, you can get yourself into the most basic Fiesta ST for $20,945. Is it worth it to you to spend that much on a sporty fuel sipper when you can go whole hog for around $1,700 more? Maybe, yes, it just might be worth it. A lightly modified, corner carving Fiesta SFE might just be the epitome of the fun of driving a slow car fast. You can have fun extracting every last pony out of all three cylinders, carrying that speed through the curves with an excellent chassis and Ford Racing tuned suspension, and feeling like you're going really fast, but without actually achieving " !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! " speeds. I find that far more entertaining than driving the same road at the same speed in a fast car that feels the same way I do when I haven't had my morning coffee, unless it's at full speed on a track.

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > Justin Hughes 02/10/2015 at 08:12

0

I didn't realize that we got the three cylinder motor as an option for the Fiesta. That's awesome! Charlie gets pretty good gas mileage even though it's driven hard. Around town, it's probably averaging around 30ish, and should be a little higher on the highway. I'll have to keep an eye on it next weekend when I take it out of town for an event to see how it does with highway mileage.

CalzoneGolem > Justin Hughes 02/10/2015 at 08:13

4

Hahayoustupidludditeshutupandgohandcrankyourmodeltalready > Justin Hughes 02/10/2015 at 08:14

0

Or, Mazda.

Clown Shoe Pilot > Justin Hughes 02/10/2015 at 08:14

1

I had an unmolested 1991 CRX HF. It was a ton of fun to drive, for sure. I sold it to a guy in Hawaii and he was planning to restore it to factory fresh.

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > CalzoneGolem 02/10/2015 at 08:16

0

Met a dude at autocross last weekend with one of these who autocrosses it. He says it's tons of fun and a better CRX successor than the CRZ.

Justin Hughes > SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie 02/10/2015 at 08:17

0

Funny thing is, it's a little known, little publicized option - the opposite of the Mustang, where the 2.3 EcoBoost is The Next Big Thing (TM). Yet it's the identical model structure - the base model with the "old" engine, the middle model with an EcoBoost motor, and a top model whose performance blows away the lesser models. It's just with the Mustang, nobody cares about the base V6. Here, nobody knows about the mid-range 1.0 EcoBoost.

CalzoneGolem > SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie 02/10/2015 at 08:17

0

And yet everyone bought Prius instead.

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > CalzoneGolem 02/10/2015 at 08:18

0

I'm fairly certain that as a whole, the public never bought the right car.

BATC42 > Justin Hughes 02/10/2015 at 08:20

0

I'll add to your excellent article that in order to have fuel efficient fun the main thing you need is a great chassis that provides the car with the best handling possible. That's why I think the Fiesta is such a good choice for a small fuel efficient yet fun car. Its sibling, the ST, is one one of the best small hot hatches, and that chassis leads back to what you get in entry level cars, even if their are, of course, major differences between the two.
I don't know much of the US market in terms of comparable cars available, but I think the Fiesta is almost a loner (well, there's the Mini also). If you're in Europe, then you'll have a handfull of choices. Peugeot has the 208 and the 308 which are both reminescent of mid-90's Peugeots in term of chassis and handling (read, some of the best out there), Citroën has the DS3. Renault has the Clio (which is available with a sport chassis similar to the standard Clio RS chassis) and the Mégane. Audi offers the A1, VW has the Polo and you can get the Golf in fun/fuel friendly trim (GTD/GTE). Many fuel efficient and fun cars available.

44444444444 > Justin Hughes 02/10/2015 at 08:21

0

Great post. It shows the one downside to performance—it has a tendency to reduce economy until you get to a the range of a hypercar like a Tesla P85D (and I'm sure flooring it reduces the range a bit) or 918 (at which point fuel costs don't matter). 125hp out of a 3 cylinder is impressive.

I don't drive a small car by any stretch of the word... Although I do like to think I have a decent balance between economy and performance in the V70R... It gets 24+ highway from a 300hp 5 cylinder... It could be better but the car weighs 3800lbs and the gears are really short...

Brian Silvestro > Justin Hughes 02/10/2015 at 08:41

1

Why would anyone go and willingly buy Fiesta ST wheels

They're heavy and and not fuel efficient and way too big for the car

Justin Hughes > BATC42 02/10/2015 at 08:44

1

Europe is lucky to have so many options available. Of course, with higher gas prices and some countries taxing based on engine displacement, you have a lot more incentive to make a good fun car with a tiny engine. The Mini is more upscale, and a bit more expensive.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie 02/10/2015 at 08:47

2

The Insight is what people would have bought if they were really interested in fuel efficiency over everything, enough to sacrifice some of their space. There weren't. As a posture-mobile that has enough space inside that nothing is sacrificed, and that requires only the intellect of a St. Bernard to drive, the Prius was in like Flynn. Stupid Honda, thinking people wanted what they said they wanted...

Justin Hughes > Brian Silvestro 02/10/2015 at 08:48

1

It was an example. Cast-off OEM wheels are a good cheap way to add bigger, nicer alloys to a lower model car with absolutely no fitment concerns. Some individual aftermarket wheels cost more than the full set of ST alloys I found for $400.

But for a few dollars more, you could absolutely get some better looking wheels, and lighter, too, which further improves performance and economy.

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > Justin Hughes 02/10/2015 at 08:54

0

Fuel Efficiency doesn't have to be about MPG. To think about it another way, consider how much you spend on fuel for a certain period of time. For me, because I don't have very far to go, I get around 2 weeks out of 60-70$ from a 5.3 V8. I get between 15-18 MPG (Canadian) at the moment, which sounds terrible, but is efficient enough for me.

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > Hahayoustupidludditeshutupandgohandcrankyourmodeltalready 02/10/2015 at 08:56

0

Or, anything, if you have a short commute. If you have a long commute, then Mazda.

Alfalfa > Justin Hughes 02/10/2015 at 08:59

1

There's also the Fiat 500. The Pop gets 40 highway MPG, the Abarth 34. The Pop is still quite a bit of fun to drive, actually.

Justin Hughes > Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer 02/10/2015 at 09:06

0

That's another way to think about it. I had my 20mpg Crown Vic ex-cop car, but only drove 2 miles to the commuter rail, or didn't drive at all when I rode my bicycle there (for the free parking). I used more gas getting groceries than commuting.

A friend of mine justified the fuel and non-efficient driving of autocross track days in his '73 BMW 2002tii by using public transportation exclusively for nearly all of his other traveling.

Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again. > Brian Silvestro 02/10/2015 at 09:15

0

17" is easier to find good rubber in though...

Brian Silvestro > Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again. 02/10/2015 at 09:17

0

There's ZII's in 15s that are perfect!

Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again. > Brian Silvestro 02/10/2015 at 09:23

0

Aren't most 15's 6.5" wide?

Snuze: Needs another Swede > Justin Hughes 02/10/2015 at 09:25

0

This is a great article, I didn't realize Ford was offering the 3 cylinder 1.0 turbo in the US. Odd numbers of cylinders always seems strange to me. But if you're very economy minded and still want fun this sounds like it could be a great choice.

One other thing, in your article you dismissed the Spark, which is understandable considering it's a pretty terrible car. But what do you think of the Sonic? For around the same money as the Fiesta SFE or ST you can get a Sonic LT with the 1.4L Turbo and 6 speed manual. The chassis is admitedly not as good as the Fiesta, but it can do the same mileage and with more power than the SFE. A non-RS Sonic with the manual returns 29/40 EPA rated MPG but makes a whopping 140HP and 150 ft/lbs.

Brian Silvestro > Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again. 02/10/2015 at 09:40

0

you can get a lot of wheels 15x7, I've found a few awesome 15x8s too

Justin Hughes > Snuze: Needs another Swede 02/10/2015 at 09:42

0

I haven't driven a Sonic, so I can't speak to its fun-to-drive factor. I can speculate that a European engineered Ford would likely get it better than a Korean engineered Daewoo Chevy. Upgrade parts may be a bit more difficult to find in the US, but thanks to the internet it shouldn't be too hard to get overnight parts from Japan Korea.

I have sat in both cars, and in that respect there's no comparison in my mind. Even a mid-grade Sonic felt cheap, with vast expanses of plastic and a motorcycle gauge cluster tacked onto the top of the steering column. The Fiesta interior looks and feels much nicer, more upscale in a slightly less expensive car (comparing a $17,705 mid-grade Fiesta with a $18,180 mid-grade Sonic LT). It felt smaller, and I think it actually was, but I haven't researched the Sonic closely so I can't say for sure. I don't think my girlfriend's kids would fit comfortably in the Sonic's back seat, but they would in the Fiesta.

One thing the Sonic definitely has going for it is an automatic transmission. Not for the enthusiasts, but most non-enthusiasts looking at the Fiesta SFE will immediately cross it off the list for not having one.

Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again. > Brian Silvestro 02/10/2015 at 09:44

0

Damn you for making me look. Team dynamics have some nice ones.

Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again. > Brian Silvestro 02/10/2015 at 09:50

1

U need dis.

Brian Silvestro > Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again. 02/10/2015 at 10:08

0

Yeah I was going to point you in their direction if you asked.

These are what the 15x8s look like on a FiST:

Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again. > Brian Silvestro 02/10/2015 at 10:09

0

Haha I have seen that fiesta. Me gusta. Doesn't he have rub with the 8's?

Brian Silvestro > Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again. 02/10/2015 at 10:12

0

Apparently not. He also uses BC racing coilovers, so that might have something to do with it.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > Justin Hughes 02/10/2015 at 10:15

0

This is great! I think that Fiesta SFE would be a great fuel miser while driving it flat out. But I think it is important to consider that gas is cheap when you get anything over 25mpg really. Whether you are getting like 27mpg or 40 mpg, you are going to be saving a ton of money. For example, I can get a good 25 mpg in my Miata while not trying to save fuel. Sure, it will drop to like 18-20 if I am really driving it hard, but I still have a ton of fun while getting 25. Plus, if I am doing 65 on the highway for a while, I will easily get 31-32 mpg. Even if gas was double the price right now (would be like $4.60 for premium) I would still only be paying $45 to fill the tank which is not crazy expensive in my mind for the amount of fun.

Snuze: Needs another Swede > Justin Hughes 02/10/2015 at 10:30

0

I'm not sure why you deride the Sonic's Korean origins - the Koreans seem perfectly capable of turning out nice vehicles, just look at Hyundai and Kia. Furthermore the Sonic is manufactured and assembled in the US, the Fiesta not so much, but I wouldn't hold that as a point of contention against Ford. Parts availability is the same for both as they are mass marketed US vehicles. The aftermarket for the Sonic is not nearly as bleak as you suggest with several companies making upgrades in-house in the US. No over-nighting questionable parts from Korea required.

I haven't done a real world comparison (i.e. driving both back to back), but on paper the Sonic is actually roomier inside than the Fiesta, especially in the rear seat. It also has more cargo volume and more total volume. I had a Fiesta rental car last summer, and I found the interior to be slightly nicer than the Sonics, I didn't think it to be particularly great. It was exactly what I would have expected for a small car at that price point.

None of this is to take away from the Fiesta, mind you, I think it's a good car. I see a ton of them on the road, so Ford must be doing something right. I was just pointing out that I think the Sonic is also a worthy contender for a car that will give you both fun and fuel efficiency.

Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again. > Brian Silvestro 02/10/2015 at 10:30

0

Hmm, I've messaged him to see if he does. He only has 205 ZII's on so it shouldn't be much worse than stock.

EDIT: will wheel width change autocross class? Although I'm in Canada so I guess we might have different rules?

Brian Silvestro > Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again. 02/10/2015 at 10:35

0

In SCCA wheel width does in fact affect your class placement. However, if you're already going 15s, that's already two inches less than stock, which is one more than allowed in stock class.

But I could be completely different for Canada. I wouldn't worry too much about it.

Justin Hughes > Snuze: Needs another Swede 02/10/2015 at 10:41

0

I don't really know the Sonic, other than sitting in one at a car show, so I won't argue against your points. The Koreans have come a long way in quality, like the Japanese did back in the day. There's nothing revolutionary about the Sonic, but that's not necessarily a bad thing when it comes to a cheap, practical, fuel sipping, fun daily driver.

Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again. > Brian Silvestro 02/10/2015 at 10:43

1

Well for now I'll hold off until I actually try it this summer.

Maddox Kay > Justin Hughes 02/10/2015 at 11:08

1

Fuel efficient fun? 178hp and near 300tq tuned in a 3200lb hatchback on coilovers and pilot super sports works pretty well for me. Oh, and 40+ mpg if I stay out of boost (which I absolutely don't.)

Justin Hughes > Maddox Kay 02/10/2015 at 11:32

1

Jonee > Justin Hughes 02/10/2015 at 15:32

1

'Nuff said.

JEM > Justin Hughes 02/10/2015 at 18:13

1

Fuel efficient and fun?

They're called motorcycles ;-)

(someone had to)

Justin Hughes > JEM 02/10/2015 at 18:42

1

True! A little tricky when you've had 5 feet of snow in the past month like I have, though...

NJAnon > Justin Hughes 02/10/2015 at 18:52

0

Gas is cheap where I live. MPG is less of a concern vs. longevity of a car.

Joseph Vilis > Justin Hughes 02/10/2015 at 23:17

1

I agree wholeheartedly, slow car fast, and in my case a slow motorcycle fast via my Honda MSX125 Grom. The smallest motorcycle I have ever owned, and the most fun at legal speeds.

pip bip - choose Corrour > Justin Hughes 02/11/2015 at 02:37

0

no.

JEM > Justin Hughes 02/11/2015 at 07:52

0

Oh, believe me, I know. The snow piles are as tall my Jeep.