A few months ago I got offered to review a car… yup you read that right! Ford asked me if I would like to ride around in one of their cars for a week. I really do have the best job right!?
So one unsuspecting Tuesday afternoon the door bell rang and I found myself with the keys to the Ford Fiesta ST…
After figuring out the gears of this new car I told the kids to hop in and off we went for a quick spin around the neighbourhood… It took me a while to get used to the idea of driving a new car. But I can tell you that I adjusted pretty quickly! And over the week I grew to love this zippy little vehicle. It certainly felt “sexier” than my mom-mobile. That’s for sure! Since I usually drive a Verso I loved how small, compact and quick this car was. Yes, it was only a 2 door and much smaller than what I would assume I would need as a mom of 2, but I was pleasantly surprised to discover how much I enjoyed driving it… and the kids loved it too. Always asking me to take the “new car” each time we headed out the door.
My husband was also thrilled to discover the new set of wheels in the driveway on his return home from work and he too was quick to grab the keys and head for the freeway to see what the ST could do. I’ll let him tell you his thoughts…
Sitting in the leather bucket seats, I felt a bit dazed and confused by the blue lights of the dashboard and struggled to put in the key, until I was informed that there was none! Reversing out of the driveway was straightforward and then I took this little puppy out on the highway and, oh my word, it flew! The initial “grunt” from the engine resulted in a pretty decent speed in no time! I had to share the ecstasy of the sheer acceleration of this machine with someone and proceeded to ring my mate’s doorbell and offer him a ride at 9pm! Lets just say it was a ride we won’t forget for a while
And that wasn’t the end….
A week later, when they collected the ST, they dropped off the Ford Ecosport (SUV) in a very bright orange! Now THIS was more of a mom motor… and besides the colour I was quite keen on this little number.
My husband, however, wasn’t so sure…
On hearing that the engine was a 1L I figured my run around fun was over. From ST to ST OP so to speak! I had very low expectations, especially after enjoying the power of the ST, but that was until I actually got behind the wheel and pressed the accelerator. It was very impressive. Besides the slightly plasticy feeling to the dashboard I really preferred it to the ST – less lights and buttons. A bonus in the Ecosport was the ease of playing my favourite playlist via the Bluetooth functionality.
We decided to take the Ecosport for a Winelands trip and really enjoyed the cruise. Obviously being a bit higher up than usual was great and we loved the feeling of owning the road!
The Ecosport is spacious and comfortable to drive and travel in, plus it has some great boot space. However the biggest selling point has to be the amazing fuel consumption. With a 1L turbo charged engine, the car is extremely economical to drive around town and on longer trips and in today’s economy this is certainly a bonus and something we should all consider when buying a new vehicle.
This orange orangutang made our weekend and is definitely a car we will consider when next we are in the market to trade in our vehicle. Thanks Ford. We both had good fun trying out your vehicles. Feel free to stop by again anytime!
Images: Kathryn Rossiter
