2011 Ford Fiesta SFE (29 city / 40 hwy MPG US)

[Quazar]

Originally Posted by Fat Charlie

Just how different is the car? Getting parts might just be a hassle for your dealership's parts guy, not you. If a platform is available in the US, then the parts catalog should be good. Foreign market parts (exhaust resonators, diesel bits, Euro spec lamps and the like) will be listed but restricted. It involves a phone call or two, but I've been able to get "export only" parts (with the VIN) through the regular system, no importing required. And yeah, the warranty probably wouldn't apply outside its original market.

Still, for a daily driver as an efficiency choice it doesn't look like a good move.

The engine and transmission are not produced or sold here in the USA. I would assume that possibly this would affect other parts of the car, like the entire drive train, exaust ect. I would be surprised if most of these were available without importing them.

[Real_Ale_Act]

Originally Posted by Nels

For instance, there seems to be a 'sweet spot' at about 57-58 mph where the car requires a lower throttle position to maintain speed.

Methinks perhaps what you've seen is this in action:

Originally Posted by Nevyn

Do you have a scangauge? I know that there's a sort of "super highway mode" that hides. If you can watch ignition timing and engine load, you can find it, and then highway MPG skyrockets to mid 50 MPG.

[Fat Charlie]

Originally Posted by Quazar

The engine and transmission are not produced or sold here in the USA. I would assume that possibly this would affect other parts of the car, like the entire drive train, exaust ect. I would be surprised if most of these were available without importing them.

Not many of the parts in our US market cars are produced in the USA and I get them without being involved in import/export.

I would really expect that the parts catalog for that platform would still recognize that the engine exists, even if that engine isn't sold in the market that you're standing in. The parts are in the system and I've been able to order parts for foreign market cars without any hassle beyond a phone call. The parts themselves could be made in Korea, the Czech Republic, Mexico, it doesn't matter. I wasn't involved in importing any parts, I just ordered them.

[Arragonis]

Originally Posted by rmay635703

Hmm the US sites all say it gets 64mpg US for some reason.

Interesting maybe I could buy a Ford Fiesta Diesel
How to Import a Ford Fiesta Diesel | eHow.com

How much does it cost on top I wonder?

I was advocating Ford getting the thing approved for the US rather than personally importing one however if you do then you should buy from Europe or North Africa and not the UK - prices for equivalent models are lower plus they are LHD.

Like importing an American car to the UK I wouldn't do it unless there was a specialist of some kind, someone who would keep 'popular' or service parts on the shelf. The Diesels do have some specific components not share by the Petrol models.

They are really good to drive though.

[Quazar]

Originally Posted by Fat Charlie

Not many of the parts in our US market cars are produced in the USA and I get them without being involved in import/export.

I would really expect that the parts catalog for that platform would still recognize that the engine exists, even if that engine isn't sold in the market that you're standing in. The parts are in the system and I've been able to order parts for foreign market cars without any hassle beyond a phone call. The parts themselves could be made in Korea, the Czech Republic, Mexico, it doesn't matter. I wasn't involved in importing any parts, I just ordered them.

Ahh, I see what you are saying. I didn't mean they would actually be involved in the import/export process, I was (rather unclearly) implying that the parts will be more expensive due to shipping and handling charges from import/export situation.

[FXSTi]

Sorry to dredge up an old thread.

I noticed a couple people asking what the car could do hypermiled. Mine is a manual hatch and not an sfe. My driving style could be described as almost constant hypermiling, but still learning. My mileage is still trending upward even as the weather is getting cold, so I know there is still room for improvement. My commute is 54 miles one way in very low traffic on rural country roads.

Hope this helps anyone who might be curious,
Kirk

[spacer]

I came within a couple hairs' buying one myself, but needed a bit more room in back for the dogs. I was also being picky about cockpit space, being on the big'n'tall side, but the Fiesta was surprisingly comfy for such a small car.

[roosterk0031]

Kirk, what do you mean by constant hypermilling, I'm considering a Fiesta, next year, similar commute to yours, 60 miles 2 lane, 55 psl. I pretty much just set the cruise at 55-57 and go, minimimal hypermiling, just coasting into stops, watching ahead. It that similar to what your doing or are you EOC or P&G?

[FXSTi]

Roster,
I dwl, P&G, EOC, and whatever else comes to mind, but like I said, I'm have plenty of room for improvement.

My tank in my log on 10/29/2011 was a trip non-hypermiling tank, 77mph on the freeway, and parking lot conditions at a UofM football game.

Kirk