Test Drive & Review: 2011 Ford Fiesta

I don’t typically track the sub compact segment too much because, well it bores me. There’s nothing wrong with a Yaris, Fit, or that new Suzuki but they are more “economical” than “performance.” Still, as a self-proclaimed Top Gear fanboy, I remember that episode a few months back where they pit a Fiesta against a Vette inside a shopping mall. Indeed, it’s just as ridiculous as it sounds. They went on to fill up the Fiesta with Royal Marines and Assaulted a beach in the car. Needless to say the episode was a bit over the top, but it was still effective. When I heard that Ford was hosting a Ride and Drive for the 2011 Fiesta in Menlo Park I didn’t have to think twice before grabbing my keys and heading out the door.

Performance & Safety
Ok, don’t expect to be running with EVO’s or STI’s in this car as it’s weighing in at 120hp and 112lbs of torque. However, while that sounds low (and it is), the car supposedly only weighs 2,200 lbs. When I asked the rep how this was possible, he popped the hood and showed me parts that were made of plastic. This to me immediately raised a few concerns about quality and durability, but apparently the car has just been killing it overseas, so perhaps the proof is in fact in the pudding.

I also wondered how safe this car could be. Apparently, very safe based on the 5 star safety ratings it has achieved in Europe. The rep also gave me a laundry list of airbag deployment compartments in the car which, if I remember correctly, added up to seven. In such a small car, that’s more than adequate. I drove the 5 speed manual transmission (it also comes with an auto option). The acceleration felt a lot like my old Focus ZX3, although there were 3 people in the car bringing the weight up by a good 400+ lbs which is nearly a 20% weight increase for such a light ride. Under those conditions the power was adequate, but by no means exciting. The steering wheel was responsive and the car handled quite well. The suspension provides for a comfortable ride while still giving good driver feedback.

Exterior
The two girls I spoke to about the car’s experience called it “cute.” Ford may have been going for that effect since it does list Magenta as an option. While cute is not in my lexicon of adjectives for describing vehicle exteriors, I could sort of see where these two ladies are coming from. Still, when I looked at it, the first thing I saw was the front grille of the VW Scirocco Concept Car turned upside down. That’s not a bad thing since the Scirocco design is very clean.

Interior
We rode in a car with cloth seats, so that was less than great. However, we did get to peak into one of the Fiesta’s sporting the leather interior and it was much nicer. One of my issues with the Ford Focus ZX3 I had was the lack of a leather option, so this was a nice surprise. The surprises didn’t stop there, there was also a voice activated system that lets you control temperature, voice dialing and music selection. Starting the car is a cinch with the Push to Start button easily accessed next to the steering wheel. There were quite a few features typically expected to only be found in more expensive cars. The car comfortably sat Erin, a 6 foot fall brunette with headroom to spare. We were both quite impressed. Still, make no mistake, the overall feel of the interior was not “premium quality,” but again, it was better than expected for a car in the $15K price range.

Would I buy the car? No, but Erin probably would (the pink one). It’s cute appearance, good mileage (~40MPG), safe, and reasonably large trunk space. Still, she admitted that more power would make the decision a lot easier, and the interior didn’t get her very excited. She’s waiting to see if the 2011 release will include a turbocharged option as eluded to on the website.

Pros