2018 Carbuyer Car of the Year - Ford Fiesta

• 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.”

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.

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.

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:

Click to see our 2020 Carbuyer Car Of The Year