96 per cent of Ford Fiesta owners ‘oblivious’ to existence of third gear

Here's TopGear.com's roving correspondent, Cory Spondent, with his mostly incorrect exclusives from the world of motoring

An overwhelming majority of Ford Fiesta owners are unaware their car had a third gear, a new survey has found.

The best-selling supermini – set to be axed in 2023 after nearly half a century on sale – features a minimum of five gear ratios but according to pollsters, owners were reported to be ‘completely oblivious’ to the existence of anything after the second.

“Third gear? What’s that for then, taking off to the moon? First and second get me everywhere I need to go,” the owner of a 1.0-litre EcoBoost Fiesta said. “Yeah, the fuel economy’s not great but that’s probably because I’ve got a massive stereo.”

The owner of a 1983 1.1-litre ‘L’ model noted how the engine’s harsher noise on a motorway in second gear “always seemed a bit of a nuisance” but that they were sure “Mr Ford was a nice chap and had probably thought of that and it was nothing to be worried about”.

“It’s a bit jerky but this is what I imagine it feels like to drive a Ferrari or Lamborghini,” the owner of a Mk4 Zetec added.

The survey did note however, that a small proportion of Ford Fiesta owners were fully aware their cars had more than two gears but wilfully ignored them. “Second gear’s where the magic happens, baby,” a Fiesta ST owner said, shortly before they lift-off oversteered into a hedge.