Test Drive: 2011 Ford Fiesta SES Hatchback

The state of the small car here in the US market has been, let's be honest, pretty pathetic for the last few years. It's probably because until recently, America was about as interested in tiny cars as they were in colonscopies.  Gas was cheap, insurance was cheap, financing was cheap - why not get a big sedan?

But with gas rising towards $4.00/gallon as we speak (I think I can hear it rising now!  Listen!) Americans are realizing they can schlep their two kids and groceries around just as well in a Honda Fit as they can in, say, an Explorer.  The market has been inundated with small cars from every corner, some of them great - and some of them awful.  But we're finally getting some choices, and perhaps the most well-publicized is the new Ford Fiesta.

Ford started marketing the Fiesta before the assembly plant in Mexico was even ready to start building them.  There were roving teams of Twitter fiends Tweeting about how awesome the Fiesta was, TV appearances, Facebook pages - viral advertising aiming directly for the target market - young, technologically connected people.

I finally got the chance to drive a Fiesta, and the question lingered - was it good enough to live up to the hype?  Is this the way forward for the automotive market in the United States?  Should anyone even give a hoot?

First, though, a little history.  While the Fiesta is new to most Americans (they did sell them here in the late 70's), it's nothing new to the rest of the world - it's been the size below the Escort (later Focus) since it debuted in 1976.  Our fiesta with the Fiesta was short lived, the Cologne-built model only being sold here from 1978-1980, later replaced by the rather dire Festiva and the ironically named Aspire.  (I Aspire to have a real car!)  Then Ford of America sort of forgot about the whole thing and focused on Explorers.

But the Fiesta has been gradually evolving in Europe, through six generations - the fifth one leaving production in 2008 as a rather well-sorted supermini.  The new Fiesta debuted to fantastic reviews in 2008, along with an announcement we'd be getting it here in the states.  As a lover of all things light and uncomplicated, my ears perked up - I've gotta drive one of these!

In the US, the Fiesta is marketed in two body styles (an extremely unattractive sedan, and an extremely attractive hatchback model) in various trim levels - S, SE, and SEL for the sedan, and SE and SES for the hatchback.  One engine is offered - a 1.6L I4 with Ti-VCT (twin independent variable cam timing) mated to either a 5-speed manual or a 6-speed twin-clutch automated gearbox.  My test car was a basically loaded SES Hatchback, painted in a lovely shade of Atomic Vomit Green (actually, Ford calls it Lime Squeeze, but I like my name better) with a 5-speed manual.

From the outside, it's hard to imagine why anyone would choose the less-useful 4-door sedan over the hatchback.  Not to beat a dead horse (who does that?), but sometimes it's OK to skip the sedan version.  The styling is clean, modern, and distinctly European - as you can tell from the high-nosed front end, which was designed to meet stringent European pedestrian crash safety standards.  Besides the swoopy high-mounted taillights out back, it's fairly standard Eurohatch styling, meaning it stands out on American roads like a pork chop in a Mosque.  Points for styling, then.  You can get a Fiesta in some boring colors, but I'd recommend the deep red or the bright green - it really suits the cars character.  The 16" split-spoke wheels help give the tiny Fiesta some presence, as do the random sprinklings of brightwork around the body.

Take a seat inside, and... whoa. This is not the depressing econobox we've grown to know and dislike.  The Fiesta's cabin is filled with high-quality materials, neat technology, and features you just don't expect in a small car.  This luxury treatment will certainly help those still on the edge about planting their behind in a car this small.  The center stack looks remarkably like the controls of a cell phone, and the gauges are housed in deep binacles with Audi-style red and white markings.  If there's a luxury feature you want, chances are you can get it in a Fiesta.  The quality and feel of the switchgear is above reproach, feeling more Mondeo than Taurus if you get my drift.

My SES test car was equipped with the Comfort/Upgrade package (which includes heated seats, chrome trim, keyless ignition, and a few other things) along with leather seats and a power sunroof.  Standard features are numerous on this model - A/C, cruise, a boomin' stereo, Ford's SYNC connectivity system with Bluetooth integration, an auxiliary and USB port, steering wheel controls, Satellite Radio, voice commands, power windows - all that goodness.  Which would be why the price tag on this particular Fiesta rang up at a pretty shocking $20,130.

For the money though, it's not really possible to get yourself in a new car that's nicer inside.  The leather seats are supremely comfortable, there's plenty of headroom for tall people up front (I'm 6'2" and had plenty to spare), and everything is just impressive.  The main controls are all centralized in the center stack, with a small 4-way controller for scrolling through menus on the small LCD screen atop.  The stereo is good enough to blast it just the way it is, the heated seats keep your kiester warm, and with SYNC of course your phone is connected to the car is connected to the internet is probably connected to Charlie Sheen's Twitter account.  Be careful.

Still, Ford is positioning the Fiesta as a premium product in a small wrapper, which is a prospect most Americans are unfamiliar with.  Does it drive like a premium product?  Well, in some ways it's a definite yes.  In others, it's a definite no.

Suspension is pretty standard - MacPherson struts up front, a torsion beam in the rear - so one of the big surprises is how well the light Fiesta rides on the highway.  I've driven Japanese sports sedans that aren't as true and stable on the highway.  This car is locked in, not requiring constant attention and corrections like, say, a Yaris.  Or a Mini.  The steering is pickup-truck light (thanks to Ford's EPAS electronic power steering), and it's not exactly the greatest thing ever.  Weight doesn't increase in sync with cornering load, or really at all ever - and very little feedback comes up through the column to your hands.

Ford spent a lot of time bragging about how advanced it's new 1.6 Ti-VCT I4 is - and they probably should've spent that time bragging about the interior.  It's hard to explain exactly how slow this car feels.  Merging into 45mph traffic with anything resemble a reasonable pace requires multiple shifts at redline, some cussing, and some praying.  This right here is going to be what holds back US sales of the Fiesta - it's an absolute dog.  Although the Ti-VCT system spreads the power output as smoothly as it can, the fact is that the Fiesta only has 120 horsepower under the hood - and even worse, 112lb-ft of torque, at a pretty lofty 5,000rpm.  Thankfully the little I4 sounds good as it winds out to redline, a very mechanical twin-cam howl that would probably sound great with a good induction box.

The other problem is the transmission.  Linkage is precise, but throws are quite long, and the gearing is just spread out too far for this little torque.  The optional transmission - a twin-clutch 6 speed automatic - would probably help this just by having a closer gear spread, but it's questionable whether it would be better or worse overall with only two pedals.  Despite being a high tech twin clutch 'box, the Powershift (!) automatic doesn't have any shift gates or paddle shifters to pick your own gears, so probably worse.

There's a certain "no, duh" obviousness to saying that a small car with a 1.6L engine is slow.  Still, even when compared to it's direct rivals, it's slow.  The Fit manages to be about a second faster to sixty with 3 less horsepower, as is the Hyundai Accent.  Even the weak-kneed 1.6L Nissan Versa manages to show taillights to the Fiesta, probably thanks to it's lighter curb weight.  Why is Ford's product the slowest in class, despite being the newest and having the most advanced engine?  Well, it's the heaviest - all the electronic and luxury goodies have a downside, and the Fiesta outweighs the Fit by almost 200lbs when equipped with the PowerShift gearbox.  The gearing is also to blame here, as I mentioned earlier being a little too tall and spread out for this particular engine.  The upside to that is it allows relaxed freeway cruising - and the Fiesta delivers the best EPA estimated highway mileage for manual-transmission subcompacts in the US at 37mpg.  For comparison, the Fit and Accent only deliver 33, the 1.6L Versa 34, and the even-slower Yaris 35mpg.

The other issue is the brakes.  I won't say I threw the Fiesta into an on-ramp at twice the posted speed limit and felt the pedal sink to the floor, because I didn't.  I'm not Jack Baruth.  But braking force is pretty high to get the Fiesta to stop, which does not breed courage in the driver - nor do the miniscule drum brakes peeking out from behind the rear wheels.

So the Fiesta is underpowered, has sloppy steering, and the brakes are a bit iffy.  But really, that's ok - it's not a track car or really even a car with sporting pretensions.  It's designed to bring some premium content to the supermini market here in the states, and it's got that in spades.  In fact, nothing else in this class comes close to delivering the grown-up car feel the Fiesta does.  The big-car ride, luxury accoutrement, and impressive fuel economy numbers (with a 5-speed, the hatch is EPA rated at 37mpg highway) mean the Fiesta will likely end up being a big seller here in the states.  As someone who enjoys driving, I hope that Ford sees the light and offers a 1.6L EcoBoost engine in the Fiesta, like they have for sale in some cars in Europe.  Considering the 1.6L turbo currently makes 180 horsepower and 180lb-ft of torque, that would be more than enough.

Still, if you want a car under 20k that's funky, efficient, and actually feels like a real car inside, this is the only game in town now.  Until Audi decided to sell the A1 here, the Fiesta is the king of the luxury-supermini range here in the states.  The question will be whether America cares in the first place.

2011 Ford Fiesta SES Hatchback

Base price: $16,795 (SES Hatchback)Price as tested: $20,130Options: comfort/upgrade package (heated 1st row seats, keyless entry, chrome trim), leather seats, power sunroof

Body: unit-construction 5 door hatchbackDrivetrain: front-transverse engine, front wheel driveAccomodations:5 passengers

Engine: I4, aluminum block and head Displacement: 1.6LAspiration: naturally aspiratedFuel delivery: port injectionValvetrain: Dual overhead cams, 4 valves per cylinder, twin independent variable cam timingCompression ratio: 11.0:1Horsepower: 120@6,350rpmTorque: 112@5,000rpmRev limit:6,500rpm

0-60mph: 9.5 secondsTop speed: 118 mph 1/4 Mile@ET: 17.0@81.2mph

EPA fuel mileage estimate: 28 city/ 37 highwayRecommended fuel: 87 octane unleaded Fuel Tank Capacity: 11.9 gallons Theoretical Range: 444 miles

Wheelbase: 98"Length: 160.1"Track (F/R): 57.7"/57.7"Width: 77.8"Height: 58"Curb weight: 2552lbs

Main Competitors: Honda Fit, Mazda2, Toyota Yaris, Mini Cooper, Nissan Versa, Hyundai Accent/Kia Rio, Smart ForTwo (If you're insane) Pros: Extremely well equipped, comfortable interior, great looks, 37mpg highway, Euro-chic, not a Prius Cons: Slower than frozen dirt rolling uphill in February, numb power steering, squishy brakes, can get pricey with optionsConclusion: In desperate need of a turbo and some steering weight.  Fiesta EcoBoost, please?