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To Sunroof or not to Sunroof?

39K views 33 replies 25 participants last post by  Pelotonracer2 
#1 ·
Hello all,

My Fiesta is due in at the dealership this week or next. Early this year I went online and "built & priced" a Fiesta ST. After that I clicked the "search local inventory" button. It turns out my local dealer had already ordered one with everything I had speced out, except for the sunroof.

I went and test drove one, with a sunroof, and loved the car, but the front of the sunroof opening was behind my head.

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My last three cars have had sunroofs, and I've really loved them. I open the one in my Audi almost every drive. I like to open the sunshade and look up at the sky/stars. Unfortunately, unless I'm in the back seat that won't be possible. That's why I'm OK with the car coming in not having one. I still have time to change my mind, however.

I just wondered how the community feels about the Fiesta sunroof, whether your car has one or not.

Thanks
 
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#7 · (Edited)
Maybe I'll test drive another Fiesta with a sunroof. (On a recent business trip I rented a Fiesta SE w/o sunroof, and I didn't mind. Of course, that was only for a day and a half...)

...and it also makes racing in a helmet hard for me (i am 6'1'').
I'm 6'0", so I hear 'ya. (And, I've been known to get on a track, too.)
 
#5 ·
Any light is better than no light, especially in the winter, I don't mind its positioning. What I love about the sunroof in this car is that it's far quieter than other cars I've had with them (VW GTIs mostly), whether in vent or slide mode. No buffeting, easy to carry on a conversation. I also like the dedicated switches for tilt or slide. Glad I have it.
 
#9 · (Edited)
I didn't get one - never had one - but the placement was awkward as I'd never get to appreciate it unless I was a passenger.

If it was a Focus or a Fusion, it'd be a no-brainer.

I do, however, regret not getting the Nav option. I have my phone, but for that 1% the time I'm in a deadzone, I'll be kicking myself.

The only other option - the painted wheels - are nice, and definitely add some sportiness to the car, but for $400 I'd rather paint the wheels and get a BBK.

The options I really want - lighted door sills, projector housings, autodimming mirror, backup camera, etc. - aren't even available in the US market.
 
#16 ·
I could take it or leave it. I have one simply because I bought my car off the lot. I would not have ordered it.
+ 1 for me. I would not have ordered the car with it. But it was on the car that i wanted, so now i have a sunroof. That said, i have owned the car almost two months and have not opened the roof yet.
Ron
 
#13 ·
I know in my 2012 focus I got it with the sunroof, and the headliner rattled like crazy around where the sun roof was. Ive had the roofliner replaced 3 times and still rattles and buzzes. I can't say this is the same with the FiST, but for that reason i opted out of one for my fiesta
 
#14 ·
I didn't order mine, but if I had I would have gotten the sunroof having had one in all of my cars. However, I don't even notice not having one anymore. Knowing now where the location is it would annoy me having it behind my head, plus I like having the added head room with space for a helmet. Plus you get 30lbs lower center of gravity.
 
#17 ·
Same boat as everyone else - I've also got a Miata in the garage, so if it's nice enough to have the roof open, I'm probably out in that - but the dealer had one on the lot with a sunroof and was willing to deal, so I've got a sunroof. I'm 6'2" and I still have headroom, so I'm OK with it. My daughter loves to be able to see the stars at night.
 
#18 ·
I don't like the idea of having a heavy sunroof on a tall narrow car. Some Fiat Abarth owners go as far as to say it ruins them.
I would consider it if it were a cool larger variant like on the veloster or even on the Mini but the one on the fiesta is about the size of 3 A4 pieces of paper and as OP said it's mounted oddly behind the driver due to the slope of the A-pillar
It's a $1200 option in Canada and I have better ways to spend my money.
 
#19 ·
I initially ordered my car with no sunroof as I particularly didnt Want a sunroof. Buying my second s2000 so thats where I'll be having my top down fun, dont need a sunroof. And at 1200 here in Canada, now way. But the dealership threw it in for free as they were eager to sell the one they had just built and hadn't Sold yet. They three it in for free as they had delayed my build 3 times and I was getting fed up.
If it wasn't for that I would never have bought it. Just hate the rattling and possible leaks in the future.
 
#20 ·
Well, my decision has been made. I'm taking the car without the sunroof. I stopped by the dealer today...

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...and they happened to have two Fiestas sitting next to each other; an SE with a sunroof and an ST without.

I took the SE for a test drive. I took my time to adjust the seat as I would likely have it if it was my DD. I drove half the loop with the roof open, half closed. (None in the tilt position, but I opened the sunshade with the glass closed.)
I enjoyed the airflow, but didn't feel "closed in" with it shut. As we've discussed, due to the design of the car, and my preferred seating position, I couldn't "gaze at the stars", as I like to do,

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Above is the SE.

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My head doesn't have much clearance (and it doesn't even have HAIR!)

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When I returned to the dealership I asked for the keys to the ST. I didn't drive it; I just sat in it. The first thing I noticed was the extra headroom. I didn't think it would make that big of a difference, but in a car this small, fractions matter. I also sat in the rear seat of each car, and noticed the extra headroom there, too. Interestingly, even though the headliner of the SE was light tan, and the ST black, I felt less "closed in" in the ST.

The salesman told me the car is in port at Baltimore, so I can hardly wait!

Coincidentally, I drove the Flex today...

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...and it has a sunroof more to my liking!
 
#22 ·
Hi ordered my ST with no sunroof. Too much headroom loss and weight. I need to be able to wear a helmet in the car. My F150 has a sunroof and it has never been opened in the 3 years I have owned it. I won't open it because once you break that seal, it will leak after time (my opinion). Even if I was not worried about leaks, I wouldn't have the sunroof just because it would let the cool air out of the car when driving (I don't want a hole in the roof when it is 98 degrees. (I got a good deal on the F150, that is why it has the sunroof-my first vehicle to ever have one)
 
#23 ·
I've had good luck with sunroofs in the past; my 1990 Corrado had one. I sold it to my nephew in 2002 and it had never leaked. The 2001 Audi I still have has a sunroof, and it never leaked, either.

YMMV.
 
#28 ·
I wouldn't want to pay for some thing I'd never use, either. I'll really miss not having a sunroof, but it's just not in a good location in this car.
 
#31 ·
I'm not a sunroof fan. I think with it open it's too noisy in the cabin.

But I didn't get one on my Fiesta specifically for track use. It adds weight in a bad place (which for 99.95% of owners doesn't really matter even for the track) but the worst is it eats into head room and a helmet adds a fair bit of height to your head.
 
#32 ·
The sunroof was a must for me as I'd just sold a convertible and miss it. So far as position goes it depends on where you adjust the seat...I have long legs (34" inseam FWIW) so the seat is all the way back and my position relative to the sunroof is great...at 6'1" have plenty of headroom too though have not checked it out with a helmet on yet (need to do that as I plan to AutoX my ST this spring) but hats fit fine so it will probably be OK.
 
#33 ·
I also have a 34" inseam. I like to sit close to the wheel. I've had the car for just over a week, and I don't think I'll miss the sunroof. In addition to sitting close, I also have the seat just about as high as it will go, From driving the SE I know I would find the headroom to be insufficient.

I'm pretty sure I'm not going to miss it.
 
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