Hi QX30 and welcome to the site. What an interesting post you've made... If I've read it right, you think that the EcoSport should have been based upon the Fiesta. It is. It has Fiesta underpinnings, engine and dashboard.
We looked very carefully at the Renault Captur (actually test driving it a few times) before deciding on the EcoSport. We bought the 1.0 Ecoboost version as it was so much nicer (and more fun) than the Captur.
All cars are a compromise. Yes, the EcoSport has cheap plastics (have you ever looked at a Ka?) and could have been implemented better (why is there no heated screen fitted for the European markets and what a missed opportunity not to use the LED 'signature' light as DRLs) but it is by no means a bad car.
The Nissan Joke has a great reputation, but the styling is a matter of taste. Personally, I don't like it and the boot opening is too high IMO, but it is distinctive. How can you criticise the EcoSport for being distinctive? You may not like it, but it doesn't make it a bad car!
The Renault is not distinctive. Unless you get the top models with satnav and two-tome paint (which costs more than the a EcoSport!) it offers nothing new (ok. I do like the zip off seat covers!) and is not distinctive. The car in single colour just doesn't stand out. The Captur is a tall Clio. One of the factors that helped sway us from the Captur and buy a car that we had never seen / driven at that time, was the appalling Renault dealers! If they were so apathetic about selling the car, I dread to think what the after sales service would be like...
Vauxhall Mokka? A very nice looking car but again more expensive than the EcoSport (even in Chevrolet Trax guise) and with lethargic engines and poor economy figures. We looked closely at the Mokka, but previous experience of Vauxhall depreciation really put us off. The car just did not seem good enough to justify the cost.
Due to circumstances, both my wife and I bought new cars within a couple of months of each other. I bought a Kuga Titanium X diesel and my wife the EcoSport. For the first few weeks that she had it I would find any excuse to drive it. She used to complain that I kept hogging it whenever we went out.
I think the EcoSport is a fantastic car that's fun to drive. I love the engine! The boot (even with the back seats up) is big enough for my two Labradors and the tailgate opens low enough for them to jump in and out without risk of injury (try that in a Joke or Mokka!). There is enough room in back seat for my 6 foot son to fit. Handling is similar to modern Fiestas that I've drive though, being a taller and heavier car, performance is not quite as good. If we'd wanted Fiesta performance and handling, we wouldn't have bought a mini SUV!
Some of the trim plastics are flimsy and (on our car) the paint quality isn't the best, but this is not a BMW or Mercedes. It is a distinctive and fun car which is practical to own. The styling divides opinion, but this is a market where different is good.
If you don't like the styling, buy a bland hatchback...
[rant over!]
Dave
