Ford Fiesta- height of tabs(Blue Ox)

[Jayco-noslide]

With the Chevy Sonic I tow, the height of the Blue Ox tabs are around 12-13 in. Really too low because I need a 4 in. drop hitch and makes me drag easily. On Blue Ox's website it looks like the tab height on the Ford Fiesta is much higher; 22 in. Can anyone verify that this is correct or can you show or tell me where the tabs come out of the grill.

[irishtom29]

Like Carringb said. The car is a gas to drive--precise handling, spirited engine with excellent low rpm power, very good ride considering it's size and pretty quiet. Mileage averages in the low 40s. And it's very cool, being rather odd and quirky. You don't see them every day. I bought mine at a dealer in Palm Coast Florida, he had 2 in stock.

[carringb]

I loved mine! So much we bought 2. But the 2nd one got totaled (rear ended at a stop by a car going 45 and didn't even touch their brakes), so my daily driver got upgraded to the Focus ST.

It's by far the best driving small car in its segment. Turn-in is crisp, and you can make the tail kick out like a go-cart when you snap the wheel. But still has a smooth ride. There's no chop like many other small cars have.

The 1.0 has much more torque than the non-turbo 1.6L, and comes it quick. When towing a trailer (up to 1500 pounds) it actually pulls like a diesel, and rarely has to even downshift on rolling hills.


The downside.... You won't find one used. I've only ever seen one come up used. People tend to hang on to them. Also, I'm not even sure dealer in most parts of the country even knew about them. There's 2 dealers in Portland that stocked them (Landmark and Damerow) and one in Seattle (Harris). I have seen a bunch in the Bay Area too to maybe those dealers have them as well.

But even new they can be hard to find. Both of ours we basically had to watch inventories, and the 2nd one, we were on the dealer's call list to notify us when it got delivered, and we went in the same day they received it.

Bottom line.... you might have order one....

[Jayco-noslide]

For those who have a 1 litre 3 cyl. turbo; how do you like it and where in the heck did you find one? I've looked at dozens of Fiestas on the internet for sale and not one of the 3 cylinders.

[Campinghoss]

My tabs come thru the bottom grill at exactly 13.50 inches on my 2016 Fiesta. I put a 4 inch drop on my hitch and it is nearly level at about 1 inch higher on the MH end. I have plenty of ground clearance with four inch drop. Since it is a five speed hooking up and towing is a pleasure.

[irishtom29]

carringb wrote:
The regular Fiesta uses below-the-bumper brackets. The turbo fiestas use through-the-grill brackets.

There you go. My 1 liter turbo fiesta has the hookup nice and high, through the grill, no bending and reaching. It's also a straight horizontal shot to the coach receiver, not that that would be true for all coaches.

[carringb]

The regular Fiesta uses below-the-bumper brackets. The turbo fiestas use through-the-grill brackets.

[Campinghoss]

I am having the base plate installed today as a matter of fact on a Fiesta. When I ordered the base plate from Blue Ox it stated the tabs were 13.75 inches. I called Blue Ox to verify which they did. That being said I will know for sure in about 10 hours when I pick up the Fiesta. My hitch height on my mh is 20 inches. I have a 6 inch drop which is what Blue Ox recommended.

[Dutch_12078]

The Blue Ox installation manual for the Fiesta should have photos that will give you a pretty good idea of the height and location. When we switched from a 2002 RAV4 to 2011 RAV4 toad, I had to flip our 4" drop adapter over to a 4" riser. 🙂

[j-d]

BlueOx, Roadmaster too, and probably others, included an "as installed" photo of the specific vehicle a specific base plate is installed on. You should be able to get a close estimate with that photo, a Fiesta, and a yardstick.

I recommend that baseplate shoppers study the install instructions for the plates they are considering. Even if they aren't doing the job themselves. They can tell how invasive the installation is, what it'll look like, and the hitching height. There can be major differences between brands.