Ford Fiesta First Drive
At the 2009 New York International Auto Show, Ford provided a couple of European-spec Fiesta subcompacts for the media to drive, and I took one out for a spin on the streets of Manhattan. Of all the foreign-spec cars I've driven as teasers of upcoming American products, this one was probably the closest to what we'll actually get here in the States, which makes it all the more maddening that the 2011 Ford Fiesta is still about a year away.
I drove a five-speed manual with a 1.6-liter four-cylinder, which is basically what we'll get in the U.S., along with a four-speed automatic. Even with the four adults we had in the car, there was enough low-rpm power to take off repeatedly in a patch of stop-and-go gridlock. It's certainly powerful enough for driving on the flatlands, but I'd have to drive a loaded Fiesta on hills to know what it's really made of.
Fortuitously, we just tested three leading models from the entry-level class back-to-back a couple weeks ago: the Honda Fit, Nissan Versa and Toyota Yaris. The Fiesta avails itself very, very well. The ride quality was among the best, even though it has a sportier handling feel than the Versa and Yaris. The steering is a clear improvement over those.
As for the interior, Ford says the Fiesta I drove is the highest trim level and very close to what we'll get in the U.S. — practically the same. The quality is quite good, and it's more than just the materials. (Cars.com photographer Ian Merritt was especially captivated by the texture of the dashboard.) The car is reasonably quiet inside and it feels solid, substantial on the road. Though my drive was brief, I'd say the Fiesta is closer to the Fit than the others in many ways. The four-door hatchback isn't as roomy, but the overall feel, quality and driving experience is in that ballpark. It looks good, too.
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What a great looking car! I always knew Ford would survive as it never turned out the garbage that Chrysler and GM did. I'm glad they are finally coming full circle and will be able to compete with the Honda's and Toyota's of the world. Things will only get better after GM and Chrysler go under forever.
Just goes to show you that the only real car player among the Detroit 3 is Ford. Good for them as I would definitely buy a Ford Fiesta.
4AT?!
Are we still in 1980?
--"...it[Ford] never turned out the garbage that Chrysler and GM did..."
(little caugh) so people, who say that FORD stands for "Fix Or Repair Daily" are wrong? Yes, to turn out Chrysler-quality car you reallyu need to try hard but to say that Ford never did it is to spit into face of every Pinto or early Taurus owner.
"4AT?!
Are we still in 1980?"
Ask Toyota who uses 4 speeds on Scions and the Corolla and RAV4.
Hopin' for that 180hp 1.6L Ecoboost + new 6-speed auto...
Good for Ford. Glad to see them bring some of their cooler European cars over to US. Now is the time. Now lets get the European spec Focus.
I felt cramped when I sat in one a few months back but it looks like Joe, who is about 6 ft tall, has lots of headroom in the second shot.
as with most cars, two 2-door looks better, and i hate the little triangle window behind the rear doors. they just beg to be smashed so someone can nick my stereo. i'm very excited about this car, it will be hard to wait another year for this (maybe another couple years, to give ford time to work the kinks out).
Ford = "Fix Or Repair Daily"?
I leased a manual '94 Escort for 2 years; it never gave me a lick of trouble, and got up to 44-46 mpg on the highway -- fully loaded! The car made me happy enough that I then did a 2 year lease on a '96 Ford Ranger, another vehicle that I never had any mechanical issues with and which also made me happy.
Because of those two cars, when I decided to buy a car in 1999, I bought a '98 Ford Escort sedan. I passed the 10-year mark with the car a little over a month ago. Any mechanical issues I've had with the car have been related to age, not random failure; in fact, I'd say that 85% of the repairs I've had done to my car have been directly related to accident damage (whether traffic or "city traffic" damage - ie. somebody backing into my car in a parking lot, getting my car broken into).
I *love* my Fords; they've been very, very reliable. I just wish I could afford a higher end Ford, for more plush seating!
OS,
Or ask Chevy for their Malibu LS, Cobalt, and Impala also the Silverado LS, Ford's Focus and F-150 base model.
Geez, GM has difficulties putting their specs on their sites.
Nice to hear it has a manual trans. Looks about the same size as a Focus hatchback. I bet Ford doesn't bring over the diesel option that the Euro Focus has though. It they do, I'll be trading in my Focus in 2011.
Ford says on their website that the fiesta will have a dual clutch transmission not a 4 speed auto
Melime,
Thats normal. Your 94 Escort was based on Mazda Protege. Protege was a good car. I don't know what problems your second Escort had but my 98 Protege ES had only 2 - exhaust pipe and A/C clutch. And this is after 100K miles and now 154K and runs like new. This is important, because what Fords don't do it is they don't feel as tight as they did new. Hondas do, Protege happen too.
See, I've owned many cars with much more then 100K miles and I can tell you which models do good or bad. Also, I always said that it is wrong to talk about entire lineup like they have same characteristics. Got to go model by model. See, if lets say, that same time you would own a Ford Probe instead of Ranger, you probably would never say that you love Fords
K:
I know what trannies GM offers. Someone said Ford was stuck in the 1980 because it offered a 4 speed and I pointed out Toyota uses them as well. So does Hyundai. If Ford is stuck in 1980 so is Toyota- period. No debate necessary.
Hey Original Sheth,
At least Toyota offers 5AT on the top line Corolla, while the Focus is stuck with the DATED 4 speed!
The Fiesta will have a 6 speed dual clutch powershift automatic transmission, similar to the audi TT. This combines the convenience and shift quality of an automatic transmission with the efficiency of a manual transmission.
Expect the same on the Euro Focus that arrives in 2011 - build in America by Americans !!!!!
Go Ford.
"Hey Original Sheth,
At least Toyota offers 5AT on the top line Corolla, while the Focus is stuck with the DATED 4 speed!"
Wow J! Thanks for pointing that out!!! My point is still the same! Toyota uses four speeds! The cruze will have only one automatic available- 6 speed auto. Same with Equinox even though RAV4 has 4 speed standard.
The Focus is one of the few Ford products that has a 4 speed anymore. Most fords have standard 6 speed autos now. Scions, Corolla, Fj cruiser, RAV4, 4Runner, etc. do not have standard 6 speeds.
Standard 6 speed? You mean auto or manual?
Clearly, the Fusion 2010 has it optional.
The 09 one still has 5AT only. Not to mention that the F-150 still uses a 4AT.
Furthermore, the 4Runner does not use 4AT, it is a 5AT with no manual optional. (BTW, if Ford cannot beat this vehicle, someone has to resign. This model is been on market since 2003!)
The FJ on the other hand has standard 6 speed.
But I have to agree that the Corolla had been a pathetic player.
However, like I said before, you did not even bother to look up facts before shouting from your guts.
J:
I am talking about automatics. Many cars dont even offer manuals such as the V6 versions of the Fusion, 6, Accord sedan, etc.
The FJ has a 6 manual, but 5 speed auto. I said the 4Runner lacks a 6 speed, I know it doesn't have a 4AT. Its been a while since Toyota has coupled V6s to 4 speed autos. I think that stopped after the 2002-2006 Camry.
I am a believer in not knocking what is working fine but many people want to make a big deal out of 4 speed automatics when criticzing American brands. If that is the case then we should talk about ALL the products with four speeds. Only American and Asian brands are using them at this point. Suburu and Kia also use four speed autos.
I have a Ford Fiesta 2005 hatchback (Latin America model) and I’m very comfortable with it, so far no failures. I would highly recommend it.
If I may opine... Ask some automatic transmission techs and they will tell you more speeds = more complexity = more internal parts to break. I'm not saying that having a 5 or 6 speed transmission that keeps the engine in its power band longer is altogether a bad thing, you just have to look at the pros and cons of using a more complex transmission in what should be an econo-box grocery getter. It's not a luxury car, it's not even the family sedan, these cars (escort/focus, fiesta, fit, corolla, yaris) all had their beginnings as nothing more than a cheap ride to get you from point a to point b. Market pressures over the last few years and rising fuel costs have put more demand on the "low end" rides to have more accommodating and at times outlandish features. It's sad in some ways that it becomes more difficult every year to find a car that is just a car and isn't packed with bells and whistles.