Topic: Test Drive: 2011 Ford Fiesta SES hatchback

[Autos_Editor]

Five-speed manual transmission: "Balanced and eager handling" and a suspension that "rarely felt unsettled," are the highlights of the new Fiesta, says Chris Chase. The manual transmission is "pleasant to use" though the third-to-fourth shift "can be tricky."  Criticisms include a "quirky interior design."

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[bikenut]

hey chris ! yes james, what is it ?  , i want to do a piece on the fiesta in april and august , do you want to do a piece on it in september ? sure thing james

you guys run out of cars to test ?

[John MacDonald]

I find the look of the Mazda 2 outside to look better and the Fiesta inside looks better.  The engine in the Fiesta is way better also, not to mention the automatic.  It's a very cute car with a lot of options but like he pointed out in the article I think the Honda Fit might still be the best choice for a small hatch back.  This is a great step in the right direction for ford but I think Hyundai's new Accent coming out late this year or early next year will be a real gem.  It might set the new standard for compact cars but unfortunetly they will not offer a hatch back version of that vehicle.

[John Meyer]

Take a look at those headrests.  If you want to improve the sightlines in a car these days, take out the headrests you don't use often and stick them on the floor.

This makes a big difference in most cars but in the Fiesta, with what must be record sized headrests, the improvement would be huge.

Looks like a really nifty package and I look forward to driving one.  Too bad about the unflat floor with the rear seats down but this seems to be the approach all manufacturers are taking except Honda with the Fit.  If they can't go the full "Fit route" why can't they do what VW did with the Gold and have the seat cushion fold up so the seat back ended up folding flat?

I'd like to see how the eco option on the Fiesta does in real world driving.  So yes, despite the post above, I am calling for another Fiesta test!

Cheers,
John M.

[Shnak]

hey chris ! yes james, what is it ?  , i want to do a piece on the fiesta in april and august , do you want to do a piece on it in september ? sure thing james

you guys run out of cars to test ?

 

[SomeGuy]

So the radio controls are weird because it comes from Europe? Are you saying that its only European cars that use primarily buttons, and not knobs for radio controls? My Accord doesn't have a rotary knob for anything but volume, its all buttons. My wife's Odyssey is pretty much all buttons. Except for the volume, the radio in my US-built SuperDuty is also buttons (actually "soft buttons", because its done through the touch screen on the nav system). Maybe you haven't noticed, but the past few years the trend was for buttons on radios and climate controls, not knobs and sliders. That trend is slowly disappearing, but this isn't a "European thing", its an industry-wide phenomenon.

At least most of the content of the article actually discusses things like driving, storage, usability, etc, not like so many on this site that are 3 paragraphs of "review" and a page and half describing the different trim levels and available options (info I can get from the manufacturer's web site). Perhaps someone should now introduce you guys to a couple of test tracks and you can do some instrumented reviews as well.

[wing]

^ I would be happy as a pig in $hit if I could do that!  Unfortunately that is a rare occurrence

[D70]

Good review

Little details and some interesting observations

"Social Media Editor James Bergeron has driven Fiestas with both transmissions, and says the automatic’s six ratios are far better suited to the engine’s power band."

I have driven the manual version of the Fiesta and the Mazda 2, the "2" being the clear winner with a much better feel and response factor. It also has more back seat room.

Keep up the good reviews

Manual for me;
http://www.flickr.com/photos/d70w7/4973498871/in/photostream/

[wing]

about 2300rpm from recollection.

[chrischasescars]

Perhaps someone should now introduce you guys to a couple of test tracks and you can do some instrumented reviews as well.

If you can convince AutoTrader to buy us decent test equipment, then we'll do it.

[bennymoore]

I was going to buy a fiesta and decided not to because I don't like the complicated dash board dials and the need to put on glasses to see which electronics to push even to know how much gas I have.  This is not for people over 50. 

[wing]

Perhaps someone should now introduce you guys to a couple of test tracks and you can do some instrumented reviews as well.

If you can convince AutoTrader to buy us decent test equipment, then we'll do it.

I have the equipment just not the venue

[chrischasescars]

Perhaps someone should now introduce you guys to a couple of test tracks and you can do some instrumented reviews as well.

If you can convince AutoTrader to buy us decent test equipment, then we'll do it.

I have the equipment just not the venue

Don't you have a GTech or something like it? How accurate are those? I like the VBox things Car and Driver uses, but I bet they cost $$$$$$$$$$$$.

[dirtyjeffer]

about 2300rpm from recollection.

i drove one a few weeks ago, and i think it was even lower than that...perhaps around 2000...i remember it being fairly close to the new Sonata, which is around 1800...the Sonata has a very tall 6th gear, which is partly why it gets excellent fuel economy.

[Ex-airbalancer]

Any ideas of the auto's RPMs at 100km/h?

What difference does that make?
If you are in the proper gear there not much you can do so dont worry about

[wing]

Perhaps someone should now introduce you guys to a couple of test tracks and you can do some instrumented reviews as well.

If you can convince AutoTrader to buy us decent test equipment, then we'll do it.

I have the equipment just not the venue

Don't you have a GTech or something like it? How accurate are those? I like the VBox things Car and Driver uses, but I bet they cost $$$$$$$$$$$$.

I have another box cost me $1500 I used it for the Muscle Car Challenge.

[Jake The Snake]

What is the point of having a hatchback with coupe-like utility?  I hope the rest of the car is designed better than that rear seat.
The Honda fit or even Toyota Matrix is miles ahead in the cargo area.

As far as the price goes, I would have a good look at the more substantial Mazda3 & Mazda3 Sport, some of which fall in the same price range as the entry level Fiesta. (And Mazda2 even).

[MKII]

What is the point of having a hatchback with coupe-like utility?  I hope the rest of the car is designed better than that rear seat.
The Honda fit or even Toyota Matrix is miles ahead in the cargo area.

As far as the price goes, I would have a good look at the more substantial Mazda3 & Mazda3 Sport, some of which fall in the same price range as the entry level Fiesta. (And Mazda2 even).

Honda Fit being a mini MPV (multi purpose vehicle) at least thats how we see on it on this side of the pond, and Matrix being next higher segment (C-segment) better have miles ahead cargo area.
Fiesta is not or does not pretend to be a multi purpose vehicle or C segment size vehicle.

Mazda3 Sport (5 door) MSRP = $20,895
Fiesta entry level hatch MSRP = $16,799

Mazda sedan MSRP = $19,395
Fiesta entry level sedan MSRP = $12,999

Point of the hatch is it looks IMO much better then the sedan and it is quite useful (for some people)

For sure the Mazda2 in price competitive with the Fiesta being in the same segment and all.

Read some interesting 3rd party stats tracking the cross shopping by auto consumers (USA based) and a very high percentage of C segment consumers are cross shopping the B segment Fiesta. (nice compliment I'd say)
source http://blog.compete.com/2010/09/09/start-the-celebration-at-ford/

[Jaeger]

Honda Fit being a mini MPV (multi purpose vehicle) at least thats how we see on it on this side of the pond, and Matrix being next higher segment (C-segment) better have miles ahead cargo area.
Fiesta is not or does not pretend to be a multi purpose vehicle or C segment size vehicle.

So the Fit and Fiesta aren't segment competitors on your side of the pond?  They certainly are on this side.  The car mags keep putting them together in comparison tests, and much of the pre-realease hype on this forum (you remember that, don't you?) centered on how the Fiesta was going to blow the Fit - and other segment competitors - so very far into the weeds.

I think it's pretty clear they are playing to the same crowd.  The fact that the Fit offers greater cargo utility does not make it a shrunken minivan.  Such a description is nothing more than a transparent means painting a strength as a weakness.  The Fiesta has its strengths too - and its weaknesses.

Jaeger

[johngenx]

I think a $20K Fiesta sedan competes with ALL sedans that are priced $20K or lower, regardless of size.  I'd sure as hell shop a Fiesta against a Corolla.  The Fiesta hatch could easily be shopped with a Matrix.  True the Matrix can't be had as cheap, which is an advantage for the Fiesta.  True the Matrix is larger and the price can reach quite a bit higher, but there is some significant overlap in there.

Personally, I think the market for $13-22K cars get better every minute.  We have a crazy-good selection of sedans, hatches, outstanding economy and sporty prowess.  Almost all the products in the range are better equipped in terms of safety gear than even the luxury cars of 10-12 years ago, many of them can be had with luxury convenience features at a super reasonable price, and most of them aren't horrible looking either.