Ford "You Choose" feedback review thread

[AnnMumsnet]

This thread is for the five Mumsnetters who are reviewing the Ford car of their choice over the next 3 weeks.

The cars being reviewed are:
Fiesta x 2 Mumsnetters
KUGA x 1 Mumsnetter
Mondeo Estate x 1 Mumsnetter
Galaxy x 1 Mumsnetter

Each tester and their family will have the car for three weeks and will also be making a video review - look out for these on site soon.

Here are the review questions - don't feel you have to answer them straight away - some of them will make more sense once you've had the car for a week or so. We'd like you to state the car you are driving (full model details if possible), and give us your initial thoughts, first impressions - both from you and the rest of the family - and then add feedback at least twice a week for the next three weeks until the car is collected - though please feel free to give more regular updates throughout the extended test drive, and don't feel you have to stick to the questions too rigidly - they are just a guide.

Thanks for volunteering. Safe driving.

Here are the questions -

~ What were you/your partner's first impressions of the car?
~ What do the children think of it?
~ Do the children fit comfortably in it?
~ How easy is it to fit car seats/ adjust seats etc
~ What's it like to drive?
~ Is it a comfortable ride?
~ What's the boot space like?
~ Does it have any useful extras - cup holders etc?
~ How does it cope with different road conditions eg town, country, motorway
~ What do your friends/ family think of it?
~ Has testing this car made you more or less likely to buy a Ford?
~ Has testing this car changed your perception of Ford cars at all?
~ What one thing do you like best about it?
~ What one thing would you change about it?
~ The idea of this project is to show there are Fords for all kinds of families - so how well did you think the car you chose worked for your family?

Please add any other comments and don't forget your video diaries and photos!

You can read more about Ford and Mumsnet by visiting their hub here

Any queries please email [email protected]

Thanks again,
MNHQ

Just checked our video...thought we had much more than we do really need to do a lot this week! Cannot believe its almost over! We are going to miss this car lots!

Another Mondeo update.

We're back to normal life now - nursery, work, football.

~ Do the children fit comfortably in it?

I've been thinking about this and I think this sounds daft but I'm starting to get niggled by how far away from me DD is when she's in the back. I can't reach to her when I'm in the front which is making the dummy juggle really hard. This isn't a fault of the Mondeo specifically, more to do with a disadvantage of large cars generally.

~ How easy is it to fit car seats/ adjust seats etc

I found a handy electronic seat raiser button thingy at the weekend. It's great to be able to do that at the touch of a button. I have an old whiplash injury which is flaring up at the moment and there's so many ways to adjust the seat it's a real bonus - I've been able to get really comfortable.

~ What's it like to drive?

I drove our Seat for the first time in a couple of weeks yesterday. It felt so light and nimble compared to the Mondeo. I love driving the Mondeo but it is definitely heavy. As I just mentioned, I have a bit of an injury which is playing up at the moment and it really affects my wrist. I'm really feeling this when I'm turning corners at low pace in the Mondeo. I know that this is because the car is so much bigger.

DP drove the Mondeo to his parents yesterday and it was great to do a slightly longer journey in a big solid car in the horrible wind and rain. Our car always feels a bit unstable in the wind. So there are big advantages to having a heavy car in those circumstances!

~ Is it a comfortable ride?

DP drove the car to footy yesterday, with two of his team as well. They're all really impressed.

I love the heated seat. I seriously cannot get enough of them! I still haven't figured out the heating so that's making me a bit uncomfortable. It's supposed to be automatic but I just can't seem to get warm enough so it's a good thing to have a hot ass.

~ What's the boot space like?

We put this to the test again at the end of last week with a trip to Ikea. We needed new drawers for our wardrobe and for the first time ever (except when we've hired a van) we didn't have to worry about having drawers in our ears when we left. They fit into the boot easily, even with DD's buggy in there and the ubiqitous Ikea tat that we also bought. We've currently got both of DD's buggies in the boot and DP still had space to do a big Tesco shop yesterday.

~ Does it have any useful extras - cup holders etc?

We keep finding useful things all over the place but actually we don't need most of them. Except for the heated seat. Obv.

~ Has testing this car changed your perception of Ford cars at all?

We've had a Ford previously - a Ka and it's certainly something we'll consider going forwards. So no change in perception really.

~ What one thing do you like best about it?

At the moment - Heated seats!

~ What one thing would you change about it?

It's really heavy.

~ The idea of this project is to show there are Fords for all kinds of families - so how well did you think the car you chose worked for your family?

I think I've said this before, that although we have used the space over Christmas the car is probably too big for us. It doesn't fit on the drive and parking on our street can be a problem. If we grow as a family (more kids and bigger house) then I think it would work much better and almost be indispensable. I guess I'd say I've got eyes bigger than my belly at the moment - I say we need a big car but actually, we need someting more medium sized.

Chocoroo - one of the previous MNer testers went to IKEA - check out the video compilation - the one just under "Mumsnetters' test-drive video diaries: December 2009" here - about 1.5 mins in!

We need to do a "tip run" this weekend to take some old furniture. This would be a couple of trips or so in our car so will be interesting to see how the Kuga goes.

Will make sure I email some pictures of us in with the car too. Took a couple or so on the video camera, but they are int he car and Dh has the car today.

I cannot work out how to take stills on the camcorder. Although I have pressed the photo button. Do we need to send more pics Than the ones sent initially?...we are doing a Costco and idea run at the weekend..is a longish drive so shall do a lot more footage then! In car footage anyway!

I am not sure. I forgot to send in the initial ones!

I sent a couple at the start...can certainly take more before next week. That along with 30 mins of video

just one or 2 snaps by email to me is brilliant...thanks

fiesta update; have done school runs in it this week fitting in book bags, rucksacks, pe bags and packed lunch boxes. all sat on back seat! I have also had to top up with diesel again. I got 157 miles out of £10 diesel which is fab. although it panicked me when the low fulelight came on as it said I had 60 miles left and then it beeped at me! but I got home ok :)
I coped well in all the winds the past few days and seemed quite sturdy so felt safe in there. I've had to drive home from work in the dark this week and im not taken with the tinted windows and the rearview mirror as I found it harder to see out. I could see the lights on the car behind me but if they had none in I wouldn't have seen them there. I'm still in love with the rear view mirror display and the little green arrow pointing to the revs telling you to change gear.
I'm also starting to find the radio controls on the steering wheel annoying, I find it much quicker to just use the actuall stereo dials on the dashboard. as if I'm tryin to reverse or going round the round abouts and I suddenly want to alter the vplume then its tricky if the steering wheels not In the neutral position.
but still having so much fun in it. it's very responsive and the brakes are good !!

Fiesta update:
I love the folding-in wing mirrors. Today I parked on a narrow road and it made me feel a lot happier with them tucked away.

I feel like the key fob doesn't work from a huge distance though, DH had the keys and I needed to fetch my coat, so pointed the fob at the car from about 50 metres away, intending to give them back to him and no response. I had to keep walking towards it and clicking away - I bet I looked a right twit.

I took my wheel base for the pram/car seat out yesterday. Not a chance that they'd fit in the boot, but they go ok in the back next to DD so that's ok if not ideal. I could then get the shopping in the boot without a problem. Does mean that if we had 2 DCs a Fiesta wouldn't necessarily be the first choice.

I wonder why the fuel flap is over on the left-side? On my Focus it's on the right side, at my local Asda the pay-at-pumps are mostly on the right, there's 5 of those, and only 2 for the left side. Now, I know some people stretch nozzles over but I don't! :) Clearly with these thoughts I have far too much time on my hands.

ooh yes I like the wing mirrors to. ds2 thinks that they are awesome! I'm
use to file cap being in left as my volvos on the left. why do they differ sides ??? bizarre. I havnt start in the back, will try that at the weekend I think. just to see what leg room would be like for an adult. although as ds1 is almost same height as me I assume it's alright as she said It was fine.
lack I pockets in the rear doors is also something lol, ds2 has no where to put his matchbox cars and bits and bobs he brings out with us every time.

I set the camcorder up for a last minute session today using the stand, it worked well for a while lol I kept forgetting it was there so apologises when you watch it mn and my children start arguing with me as we're driving along lol. I couldn't pull over and reach to turn it off so I was tying to not argue back. oh dear I don dare watch it!

I sat in the back if the car this afternoon. to try I out for leg room and I was actually quite surprised by the leg room available. I was comfortable. my parents have a fusion and it's a bit cramped In the back. but today in the fiesta it was good. although there are three seatbelts in the back there's not a lot of space for the middle person. they would need a little bum to fit between the other two people in the back.

I do have trouble with the voice activation and remembering the terms needed to control it. ds1and ds2 could both control it by shouting from the back seats, ds1 found it easier to remeber terms than I do. I do feel it's easier to just use the controls on the dashboard than it is to use the voice control.

can't believe I've only gof it for one more day :(

Well this will be our last proper update I guess. Need to do another few mis of video footage...v worried we haven't done enough. We have done lots of short snippets of what we like, driving in diff places, boot contents, folding seats, crammed with people, driving it, not driving it and in the house. Hopefully enough for them to throw something good together.

I love the folding mirrors too. Neither of my kids understand why the car has to go back bless em!...dd discovered the magic button to open windows yesterday and was even more amazed to see them open with magic voice control? This doesn't come as standard on the galaxy however. Dd would shout OPEN or CLOSE whilst dp pressed the button on her door to open them. Squeals of delight from a two year old

We did a 90 min drive in through traffic, motorways etc. not was brilliant. Very very comfy. I usually get a very numb bottom when I sit anywhere for longer than 30 mins and need to move. But in the galaxy I could have sat easily for much longer than we did.

I tried to set my iPhone up with the USB connector and it said it was connected. I got all excited when I saw it on the touchscreen and the dashboard screen, as I could access it via the steering wheel, track lists etc. however no sound came out and nothing in the manual helped. I then hooked it up via the headphone jack and I could then get sound through the car but not access the playlists through the car, I had to go via my phone. Which was not easy as it was located in the glovebox! I can put my phone on Bluetooth to connect it through the car to use the phone, so why can't they make music connection via Bluetooth too? Since its already installed? This is a small niggle in a brilliant car though.

We got SO much in the boot. I was quite shocked. And it would have taken a lot lot more. 40 rolls of loo roll, 2 months worth of meat, a years supply of baked beans etc(thanks Costco) and a bookcase and drawers from ikea. I NEED this car......

"not was brilliant"=it was brilliant

We have our car until Thursday, so doing so last review videos this weekend.

DH and DD are filling the boot for a "tip" run later so will fill that as we often struggle with ours cars as too small. This will be a good test for us.

Need to remember to take those photos too of us next to the car.

And will get DH and DD to do a bit to camera giving their reviews.

Car goes back tomorrow :( - got to do some last minute filming today, we went out yesterday past Burton on Trent, and DH was videoing the various breweries and giving his opinion on the beers. I'm not sure this is what MN wants

Updat for the Ford Fiesta 1.6TDCI Titanium ECOnetic.

~ Has testing this car made you more or less likely to buy a Ford?
This test has certainly made me more likely to buy a Ford, and in particular the very type we have been testing. The past three weeks have certainly proved its worth to me, both the size and drive of the car along with the fuel economy have been exceptional to me.

~ Has testing this car changed your perception of Ford cars at all?
Having previously owned a ford fiesta pre ds2 I had been impressed with the zetec engine when it was released. My canadian sister in law had always laughed about Fords claiming the "Ford" stood for "Found On Road Dead" however Ford have definatley come along way since my younger driving days and with the Fiesta I have driven the past few weeks I can find no fault with them. It has been reliable, comfortable and economical. Everything you expect from a new car.

~ What one thing do you like best about it?
I dont think I can choose just one, there are two things that I LOVE about the car. The first is the rear view camera. This has been brilliant for parking and reversing in to spaces. It really helps to improve you rconfidence with parking and knowing how much clearance you have before any possible bumps may happen. The guidance lines on the mirror display for reversing in to car park spaces was very helpful, no wonking parking for me while driving the car!
The second thing is the shift indicator display on the dashboard. This is the little green arrow that flashes up to indicate that you should change gear, this helps to improve your fuel economy. It has taught me to change gear at certain rev points, im hoping this theory will ap[ply in my own car and may help me with my fuel consumption in that. Cost wise It has been fantastic, I have driven nearly a thousand miles (sorry ford!) and hav only had to top up with just over £20 of diesel. Fantastic. I spend around £200 a month on petrol for my Volvo so this econetic car is well worth its weight in gold.

~ What one thing would you change about it?
I would like there to be lights in the back. Along with the tinted windows and lack of lihtening in the back it made it harder for me to see to click clunck my sons seatbelt around his booster seat. He had no problems undoing it but just couldnt manage it by himself. So when I triedn the lack of light was somethiing I noticed quite a bit.

~ The idea of this project is to show there are Fords for all kinds of families - so how well did you think the car you chose worked for your family?
For a small family like mine this size car was perfect. I fitted both my teenage ds1 and 5 yr old ds2 in comfortably. We filled the boot up with lots of shopping and toys and have never struggled to fit anything in. I cannot rave about its finacial economity with fuel enough.

I have also found out the the Econetic badge on the car means that due to the very low fuel emissions it is exempt from road tax. From what I have read im not sure if this is just for the first year or indefinate. Also it can be exempt from resident parking permits by some local authorities. Ive tried googling to find out where its exempt from, but havnt found a list as yet. But I imagine if it is exempt form an area near you it may be well worth investigating it further.

Thankyou mn and Ford for choosing us to trial this car. Weve had a brilliant time testing it and will be very sorry to it go next week

Ford Fiesta - end of week 3 (sob) - although I'm slightly concerned the email I've had says that the car must be available from 9am, but the delivery driver isn't expected until 2pm. I do hope they aren't thinking I'll stay in all day with an 11 month old!

~ What were you/your partner's first impressions of the car?
Looks nice but as a small family car, it seems on the large side
~ What do the children think of it?
She doesn't say much, but she naps which is great. Or she shouts, which is less great.
~ Do the children fit comfortably in it?
Only one DC and she's in a Group0 car seat so yes, easily.
~ How easy is it to fit car seats/ adjust seats etc
Easy to fit it unless it's dark, in which case it's like working in a bat cave, there's no light
~ What's it like to drive?
It's perfect for driving around town and country lanes, nips along dual carriageways with relative ease
~ Is it a comfortable ride?
Yes, except over speed bumps - the tyres are a bit unforgiving
~ What's the boot space like?
This is my one let-down, the boot space is poor for our buggy. We picked one that fitted my Focus, and it just fits the Fiesta, but only one way, I find it a real pain to get it in and out and this frustrates me. If I'd had this car, I'd have measured up and bought a different buggy!
~ Does it have any useful extras - cup holders etc?
Lots of cup holders, the reversing camera is an interesting extra, I've read it's £475 extra but it's worth considering.
~ How does it cope with different road conditions eg town, country, motorway
I think it's a bit noisy on the motorway myself, but it's great for town and country
~ What do your friends/ family think of it?
Very impressed, although a few of them have commented on how spacey the radio etc. looked
~ Has testing this car made you more or less likely to buy a Ford?
I already owned a Focus, and had previously had 2 Fiesta's so I was pro-Ford as it was. However, I was about to change my car and was seriously considering another model, instead I've bought another Ford!
~ Has testing this car changed your perception of Ford cars at all?
No, I still think they are very reliable
~ What one thing do you like best about it?
It's a very nippy little car
~ What one thing would you change about it?
The boot, it's too small, - or the darkness in the back, that's frustrating. I could change the buggy, but I can't change the darkness so I guess it's the darkness.
~ The idea of this project is to show there are Fords for all kinds of families - so how well did you think the car you chose worked for your family?
THis was the ideal second car for our family

Right well ford are collecting the car tomorrow between 12-2 pm.. Last little bit of video reviewing tonight once the kids go to bed.

Want to say Thankyou to ford and MN for this chance. It's really opened our eyes to ford and what they offer in their cars. Ours is due an mot in 6 weeks so we may well be visiting a ford garage very very soon and looking at the full range. We have loved the galaxy and if we could keep it we would!

The drive is smooth, the engine is quiet. The children are not on top of one another in this car, they don't seem to fight so much in it because of the space....which is a huge bonus. It is ideal for our family.

It was easy to get used to the controls after a few drives, even though they looked tricky to begin with. I'd love more time with it to work out the iPod connector as I think this would have been brilliant but we couldn't hear the music.

I can't pick one single thing that is the best as it had so many redeeming features. It want one!!

So, the lovely, lovely Mondeo has left us. I didn't even get to give it a proper send off as I was glued to the loo with a stomach bug when the gentleman came to collect it. :(

We've been really lucky to have such a great car to test out over Christmas and the New Year. I think the big takeaway for us has been two fold - 1) We will need to get a MUCH bigger car when we decide to have another child. 2) Having a second car is something we really need to consider.

I think generally, DP and I are agreed that although the space of the Mondeo has been an absolute bonus over Christmas we just can't have such a big car living where we do currently. Our terraced city street is over-run with cars and we're lucky enough to have a drive, but the access is tight and the Mondeo is too wide to fit. I think getting such a big car will probably go hand in hand with getting a bigger house too which makes it a really expensive decision to make.

Having the Mondeo has made us appreciate just what good, solid, reliable cars Fords are. We had a Ka for a while and it was still going well when we sent it to cra-heaven in the scrappage deal. The Mondeo always felt really sturdy and very practical. Lacking a little bit of fun...maybe?

So all in all, we're sad to see the Mondeo go. We might sound like we've been a bit negative about it, but I think that's a little bit based on disappointment that it's not the car for us. We need to think about what might be - finding something between the Focus and Mondeo in size I think or looking at getting another medium sized car and becoming a two car family.

Thank you so much to Mumsnet and Ford for letting us be a part of this. I hope the video isn't too awful...I'll try and pop the camera in the post today and email the pictures later today.

Have taken some pics today of Dh and DD with car, and DD took one yesterday of me with car. Can't get one of us all as not figured out timer on my camera!

Will get DH and DD to do their final review on video this week too. Car goes back on Thursday.

car is gone...well it's actually sat outside with the man looking it over it...booooooo. At least he said he was here for the car...hope I didnt just give it to some stranger

We already feel like we are missing a limb.

It was all kinds of good....but back to our sardine can for now. Thankyou MNHQ and ford

For the record ours was a CD340 10.5 GALAXY 2.0TDCI (V) TITANIUM 6SP 140P model...to be exact

camera and footage returned yesterday too...hope its ok, there are lots of little bits....

I posted camera off yesterday too. I watched it back and there are bits where I thought I'd turned it off and I hadn't! so there are bits where I'm messing around with camera trying to get it in right position and then. it's where I'm arguing with ds2 as he desperately wanted to be in the footage all the time. I didn't know how to delete though. so I'm cringing in anticipation of then watching it. and I told ds1 not to zoom and he did! sorry !!

I'm missing the car though enormously! mine has refused to start and I'm having to borrow a car while the battery charges up!!