2015 Ford Fiesta 1.0 EcoBoost Long-Term Test - The First Year

It’s been a year. On this very day one year ago, I took delivery of an oval-badged, ovoid-shaped, three-cylinder hatchback.

My 1.0-liter Ecoboost-powered Ford Fiesta, with its five manually-operated forward gears and turbocharged torque has provided 12 months and over 10,000 miles of mostly trouble-free driving. Two oil changes and no need for other maintenance have kept operating costs low. And its 17-inch Maxxim Winner wheels, provided by Discount Tire, and Michelin Premier A/S tires have classed up the joint much more than I could from the factory.

I don’t regret my decision to plunk down my own hard-earned cash on Ford’s most diminutive vehicle (in terms of overall size and engine displacement) sold in North America, but it hasn’t been all sunshine and rainbows, either.

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Tire Test: BFGoodrich KO2 in the Snowy Hills of Maine

BFGoodrich’s All-Terrain T/A tires can be found everywhere, from your local construction site to the most grueling of off-road races. I’ve fitted some of my trucks with the original KO and used them on and off-road, so I was curious what improvements BFGoodrich could bring to its latest iteration: the new KO2.

BFGoodrich brought me up to Bethel, Maine to test out its new tire in the nearby hills — and to catch this year’s Red Bull Frozen Rush.

The Frozen Rush trucks run a one-off spiked version of the same tire, but I was more interested in the street version that might adorn one of my (or your) vehicles.

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  • Kcflyer Can they delete the hideous cladding? Addition by subtraction
  • Tassos While I sure am not interested in any big and heavy crossover, even if it is a Honda, I got to say that this thing's "up to 300" mile range is really dismal.But why? You'll ask. It's not bad. That is not good enough. When we have Model Ss with certified EPA 402 mile real range, and many years later (ie today) this brand new wannabe Tesla killer gets barely 300, while it should get 500, using the progress in the years after the S it came out, it is really disappointing. And sure as hell "up to" 300 does not mean even 300 at all.The price is not bad, since it is in devalued, worthless, Idiot Joe Briben 2023 dollars. If you don't mind a Crossover, it may actually be a good place to put your $, compared to a ... savings account above all. And the top should easily exceed $65k, if not $70k, when it comes out (with another 10% of your lame $ eaten away by the rats of the failed Idiot Joe Briben Administration.)
  • El Kevarino If you have an EV platform that supports dual motor AWD, then why choose FWD for the 2WD version?
  • Analoggrotto Try as they may and as they might but the future of Electric, the future of human reality is TESLA. Only the highest level of affluence, priviledge and wealth can earn one a place in the stars. In fact when you look at the night's sky do you notice that the stars are brighter? This is because of Supreme Wizard Elon Musk, who has brightened them with this awesome grace.
  • Dukeisduke Sixty-five miles of range added in ten minutes? Doesn't sound very impressive.Also, how are they going to build these in volume if GM is building Ultium packs by hand (which they have been, slowly)? Or are the packs coming from Korea?