Ford Aspire Diesel Long Term Review – First Report

It is only around tight corners do the tyres protest and talking about the rubber, the right front got a bulge and had to be replaced. This brings me to the other issues I have faced with the car. To say the start of this speed thrill with the Ford Aspire was a dream come true would be a lie (although with my previous Ford long termer, the Figo diesel, I can pretty much say that). When the car arrived, it looked fine sans a few scratches here and there which weren’t of much a bother to me. But the interior had a foul smell and the car had some rattles.

The Aspire is an easy car to drive and does well both in the city as well as highway

On face value, everything seemed fine but as I got to driving it for longer durations, I realised the AC would stop cooling. After sending the car back to the Ford dealer to rectify it, it wasn’t resolved so I had to personally go and get it checked. A few days later, they were able to replicate the problem which had something to do with a fuse. Meanwhile, the call pick up button on the steering wheel wasn’t working, I had asked the dealer to replace it (the same thing happened with our long term Figo too) but he seemed to have forgotten, the issue is still there.

So while Ford has done a great job of reducing the cost of ownership, bringing it under Maruti Suzuki levels, the service experience has been just about average which is quite the opposite from what I experienced with the family-owned EcoSport which is also serviced at the same location. Maybe, the service advisor took it easy as the AC always worked initially and stopped working after certain kms and time. But if a customer is insisting on an issue, the service centre should go to great lengths to resolve it. Afterall, no one likes to park their car at a service centre.

As you can see, all I have to talk about is performance, steering feedback and service experience because that’s pretty much what has been the case with our long term Ford Aspire since the time it has come. This compact sedan looks very good to me, I can look at it for hours, especially the rear (love the way the third box has been integrated) while the interior is comfy and there is decent space at the rear too. I love the audio system, the ease of use, the controls in direct reach and pretty much everything about the Aspire. But it’s now time to subject this tarmac scorching beast to the highway which I shall talk about in my next report.

Further Reading –

Ford Aspire Review
Ford Aspire vs Maruti Dzire
Ford Aspire vs Hyundai Elite i20
Ford Aspire vs Honda Amaze vs Hyundai Xcent vs Tata Zest