REVIEW: Does Ford's Fiesta Have What It Takes To Be A Game Changer?

If you haven't been hiding under a rock for the past several months, you would know that a certain automaker has been turning the corner. Things are shaping up, sales are on an upward trajectory and their pipeline is hot.

No, I am not talking about Audi or Hyundai.

We are talking about Ford. Yes, Ford. If I could compare Ford to a Hollywood actor, I would say it is like Bruce Willis in one of the Die Hard flicks. Although he is hungover and broken, John McClane gets stitched up, pissed off and takes care of business.

Now that Ford is no longer complacent, it wears a scowl and has a new strategy for their products. And, the car that will be kicking it off is named after a party from south of the border. I mean, if you are going to do something right it better begin with a Fiesta, no? Anything concerning a pinata and Tequila shots is fine by me.

Although I know that several publications have been clamoring over the Euro-spec versions they have driven in the past, and they are not entirely pleased the U.S.-spec has been tweaked, I am fine with it. That's because the car needs to be adjusted for the U.S. Department of Transportation amongst other safety regulations. All in all, it only sums up to approximately 100 pounds.

Probably the best part about the Fiesta is that it has something over the competition has; cool looks. When you see a lime green Fiesta barreling down the road, especially when other journos are putting down the hammer, it looks great. The car has a presence on the road.


2011 Ford Fiesta Photo Gallery





Can you say the same for a Toyota Yaris and a Honda Fit, whom Ford believes are its direct competitors?

Of course you can't, they are forgettable.

On the other hand, the Fiesta wears a very Euro-chic look that is certainly going to catch an eye or two. This is assuming you did not option the car in yellow or lime green, those don't count because the bright color will attract stares.



Speaking of paint, I think one area that Ford executed quite well is in the quality of their paint. For example, the Tuxedo Black metallic really shines in the light and has a ton of flake in the paint. It looks Lexus good. Ask Agent001 about his Pearl White Ford pick-up, he will agree. Well done, Ford.

Sliding into the driver's seat, you will be confronted with a nicely appointed steering wheel and if you optioned the manual, a reasonably tall five-speed shifter. Its location is close to the driver, as it should be.

It is key to note that, as The Smoking Tire's Matt Farah would say, the car maintains well executed "touch points." These are the areas you come in contact with. The steering wheel, shifter, door grips, etc. For instance, the steering wheel is relatively thick and has nice grip points so it remains comfortable during aggressive driving.

It does not feel like a Ford steering wheel. This wheel is better than what the Taurus SHO is currently equipped with.





But in the other areas that you don't touch, the interior materials seem a bit more low brow. Granted, this vehicle's base price is about $14,000, what do you expect? As a whole the car's interior does not reflect that lowly figure and will give the competition a helluva fight.

More importantly, I am sure you want to know more details about how it drives.

With a 1.6 liter inline four-cylinder powerplant producing 120-horsepower and 112 lb-ft of torque, it does not sound like it is going to light up the quarter mile. And it isn't.

Even though the Fiesta weighs in just over 2,500 pounds -- for the 5-door hatchback and a five-speed manual that we spent most of our time in -- it feels like breathing without a second lung. Not precisely ideal for what Ford initially had planned for us, a meandering drive.





On windy, rural roads that populate redwood country just outside of San Francisco, my co-pilot and I needed to keep the RPMs up around 3,000 to battle the elevation changes and tight cornering situations.

Going into and exiting corners, the Fiesta feels staggeringly confident. Although you feel the weight of the car in the rear end, body roll is kept in check for the most part. Steering feel is nicely weighted and does not have that artificial feeling that plagues many front-wheel drive autos.

Additionally, there are two systems that help maintain a refined feel and ensure this car does not feel like a FWD mess: Active Nibble Cancellation and Pull-Drift Compensation. ANC senses irregular wheel balance and steering wheel vibration and effectively rids of it. Pull-Drift takes care of crowned road surfaces or a strong crosswind, although when we got on the Pacific Coast Highway I felt several wind gusts unnerve the Ford.

Continuing on this path of goodness is the Fiesta's suspension, which would not lead you to believe it is from a vehicle priced in the teens. Tuned to be on the somewhat stiffer side, it does not suffer from the Taurus SHO's overly jittery nature, thank goodness. The suspension is stiff enough to provide sporting characteristics without making you say "ouch" over rough terrain.



But, this is where some of the high fives have to end because we experienced a bigger concern.

The five-speed manual has some noteworthy issues with its gearing that makes driving the car in the country a bit difficult. For instance, if you are in third gear going into a corner, or coming upon a hill, and are looking for that second gear downshift, your eyes may explode out of your head when you see the RPMs ratchet up very close to the redline. This leads to a debate of "should I or shouldn't I," while approaching every corner or hill.

My co-pilot, Lauren Fix, believes that the Fiesta needs different gearing while I am sure it could benefit from a six-speed transmission.

Here's where things get interesting though. While driving around downtown San Francisco, the gearing and motor feels right at home. As a matter in fact, it is damn good. So, I think the lesson is clear: this car is not exactly a rural dream, it is built for dealing with traffic around town and urban environments.

What also helps this out is the clutch and shifting combination. The clutch is remarkably vague and produces what feels like no feedback. You kind of let the clutch out gradually while giving it a little gas and wonder "did it hook up?" This becomes a challenge on rural roads; however, in town you get the hang of its delicate quality quite fast. And because it has relatively no weight to it, the clutch is a cinch to use in traffic jams.

With that said, the Fiesta feels best when used in city environments.
After some of flogging and keeping those RPMs up, I was surprised to see that the Fiesta still came out with approximately 25 MPG. I can only imagine how high it would have been if we had been driving we care. One pair of drivers said that they had obtained 41 MPG after a day’s worth of driving.

The last issue with this Ford is price. You can get the base four-door sedan for a little under $14,000, obviously a bargain. But if you are not careful and pile on the options, you will quickly be exceeding $20 large. That’s Volkswagen Golf territory and when you throw that 170-horsepower 2.5 liter motor into the mix, the Fiesta does not stand a chance.



So, let it be heard: the Fiesta is an intriguing and game changing vehicle that is going to make the small imports life a living hell. The Toyota Yaris, Nissan Versa and Honda Fit are as good as dead in my eyes.

But there is one hurdle the Blue Oval must overcome; get consumers to understand its European immigrant is the best.