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2018 Carbuyer Car of the Year - Ford Fiesta

See why the Ford Fiesta was awarded the Carbuyer Car Of The Year in both 2018 and 2019

  • Price when new: £13,965 - £22,245 (2018); £16,640 - £26,825 (2020)
  • Price now: £7,500 - £25,000

What we said at the time: “It’s Britain’s favourite car year-in, year-out, and the latest Ford Fiesta is the best yet. It looks great inside and out and packs plenty of big-car features into its compact dimensions. Buyers can choose from tremendous stereo upgrades, autonomous driving features and, in top-spec Vignale trim, levels of luxury that were unthinkable in a supermini until a few years ago. The new Fiesta boasts more interior space and safety kit than ever before, plus it’s a fantastically fun car to drive. With attributes like this, it’s no wonder we’ve named the new Ford Fiesta as Best Small Car and Carbuyer Car of the Year 2018.”

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The latest Ford Fiesta doesn’t represent a night-and-day difference to its predecessor but, as it’s regularly the UK’s best-selling car, it didn’t need to change much. Ford’s updates did just enough to keep it among the best superminis on sale, and the latest model has impressed us so much that we awarded it our Car of the Year award two years on the trot. We wanted to see a more modern interior and Ford delivered with an eight-inch SYNC 3 touchscreen that’s now standard across the whole range. There’s enough space inside for adults and even a small family, and the Fiesta remains the best supermini on sale to drive. You can buy a rapid ST version for even greater driving thrills, while the range has grown for this generation with the crossover-styled Active and luxurious Vignale versions. As a result, there’s a Fiesta to suit many different buyers, while its success is also helped by the sheer prevalence of Ford dealerships.

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Ford has continuously tweaked the Fiesta range since its introduction. Style and Zetec opened the range when the car was introduced but the former was too basic for most buyers and it was discontinued. Trend is now the cheapest Fiesta but even this comes with air con, phone mirroring, auto headlights and a heated windscreen. ST-Line adds sportiness, Titanium has a good spread of equipment, and X versions of both are available should you want further luxuries. Topping the range is the Vignale and its list of kit might make you double-check that you are looking at the Fiesta. It gets heated and quilted leather seats, adaptive cruise control and a rear-view camera, and you get special treatment as a Vignale customer too.

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In terms of engines, you can’t go wrong with the 1.0-litre EcoBoost petrol engine, available in several different power outputs, while a 1.1-litre non-turbo petrol and a 1.5-litre diesel have also been available. As of mid-2020, the 1.0-litre engine now comes with mild-hybrid technology but prices have risen accordingly. The Fiesta ST, meanwhile, packs a fantastic 197bhp 1.5-litre petrol engine.

Check out great deals on used Ford Fiesta models on Buyacar.

Our other winners in 2018 and 2019:

 2018 2019
Best City CarSkoda CitigoBest City CarSkoda Citigo
Best First CarSkoda CitigoBest Small CarFord Fiesta
Best Hot HatchbackHyundai i30 NBest Hot HatchbackFord Fiesta ST
Best Family CarSkoda OctaviaBest Family CarSkoda Octavia
Best Large Family CarVauxhall InsigniaBest Large Family CarVauxhall Insignia
Best Estate CarSkoda Superb EstateBest Estate CarSkoda Superb Estate
Best Small SUVCitroen C3 AircrossBest Small SUVCitroen C3 Aircross
Best Family SUVPeugeot 3008Best Medium SUVPeugeot 3008
Best Large SUVLand Rover DiscoveryBest Large SUVLand Rover Discovery
Best Seven-SeaterCitroen Grand C4 PicassoBest MPVCitroen Grand C4 SpaceTourer
Best Sports CarMazda MX-5 RFBest Sports CarMazda MX-5
Best ConvertibleMINI ConvertibleBest ConvertibleMINI Convertible
Best PickupMitsubishi L200Best PickupMitsubishi L200
Best Small Luxury CarAudi A3Best Small Luxury CarMercedes A-Class
Best Luxury CarMercedes S-ClassBest Luxury CarMercedes S-Class
Best Hybrid CarHyundai Ioniq PHEVBest Company CarHyundai Ioniq
Best Electric CarVolkswagen e-GolfBest Compact Executive CarVolvo V60
Best Economical CarToyota PriusBest Large Executive CarBMW 5 Series
Best Car For Under £150 Per MonthKia Picanto  
Most Reliable CarLexus CT  
Best Used CarVauxhall Astra  

Click to see our 2020 Carbuyer Car Of The Year

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