Likes: Upscale interior and roomy interior, on road dynamics feel excellent, engine makes car feel eager and fun to drive, available high-end luxury features.
Dislikes: Jerky Automatic transmission, no center armrest, the desire for more horsepower kicks in on fast paced roads, limited rear visibility, may induce sticker shock.
Overall: With good on road dynamics and great gas milage. Ford has proven it can produce small cars. But why couldn't Ford do this years ago?
The Ford Fiesta has been built in Europe for years. The fact that it has won many awards, comparrisons and much attention from Europe means that this is one special vehicle. To bring such a small vehicle to the United States. One would have to create a reason to buy small again. Thus Ford brought all the right tricks with the new Fiesta. The available upscale luxury features that no other Ford offers. Such as "MySync" which allows you to sync your iPod onto your car's stereo system. Then you can play all the songs from your ipod without having to carry it with you. You can also add phone contacts and call people from your car without having to use your phone. Everything is voice activated. Not to mention the capless fuel tank, that won't open unless you place the gas nozzel inside. These small little innovations make the Fiesta one upscale vehicle.
(Interior)
Sitting inside the Fiesta you'll automatically forget how small the car really is. The front seats provide plenty of space for two. While the rear seats offer plenty for two, adding an additional person is just pushing it. The headroom is great in the front. Taller passengers in the rear may not feel comfortable with the slopping roof design. Cargo space is pretty decent for a small car. The biggest suprise however is the interior quality. The feel of the dashboard is very good. The controls and dials are straight foward. But the feel of the buttons have a rather upscale feel.
(On the road)
The engine is peppy and the car feels bigger than it actually is. Driving in faster paced traffic, you'll automatically see why more power is needed. It's not that the Fiesta doesn't keep up with faster moving traffic. It's just the transmission often feels jerky. Acceleration from standstill isn't smooth at all. The transmission feels like it over revs, giving you the impression the car is going to lurge forward. Almost like the Smart Fortwo, the transmission is jerky in all the wrong moments. Fuel economy is impressive. But there was no real time to see how factual the figures actually are.
(Overall impression)
Ford has done a great job with the Fiesta. The Focus will also follow in this same new design language. Following more closley to the European designed Fords. Quality should also be good like all Fords of recent. If Ford fixes the jerky transmission, and offer more power. The Fiesta will be even better than it already is.
Price: The Fiesta starts at $15,000, only if you keep the options light. Stack on the options and the Fiesta will go as high as $21,000. For that kind of money, you can buy much larger more powerful vehicles. But none of those vehicles however will offer the style and features the Fiesta offers. Making it one attractive package.
Would Devon buy one?
The answer is yes and no. The reason I say yes and no is simple. The transmission and lack of center console really loses points for me. Even if the fuel economy is excellent. Steering feels overly light at higher speeds, and the transmission is jerky off the line. The Honda Fit has a smoother transmission and better interior packaging. The Mazda 2 only has a four speed automatic, but feels much more refined than the Fiesta.
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