Now, it's responding to steady sales of the Toyota Yaris, Honda Fit, and Nissan Versa by bringing us an adapted version of the well-received and very successful European 2011 Ford Fiesta.
The Fiesta just might woo you fickle Gen Z-ers with some exclusive stuff inside, like the SYNC media controller, premium audio systems, and nifty leather seats.
The Fiesta debuted in 2010, and this year, the Fiesta gets even more accolades: We named it the 2011 Best Subcompact Car for the Money.
With the 2011 Ford Fiesta, that's changed. With the Fiesta, many reviewers say Ford may radically alter what American buyers expect from small cars. The Fiesta has features rarely seen among Small/Subcompact Cars, from available heated seats to Ford's SYNC system to an airbag for the driver's knees.
Reviewers have been enjoying well-optioned higher trims. The Mini Cooper comes close to the Fiesta's fuel economy ratings, but costs about $5,000 more than the base Fiesta. However, if you're considering a well-optioned Fiesta (higher Fiesta trims start only about $1,000 below the Mini's base price), the Mini's BMW-sourced driving dynamics may make it worth looking at.
The 2011 Ford Fiesta is an all-new subcompact available in hatchback and sedan body styles.
Unlike much of its competition, the Ford Fiesta is available in both sedan and hatchback body styles. There are some distinctive Fiesta alternatives in this competitive segment. The Fiesta sedan, meanwhile, has a bit less rear seat room than the Chevy Aveo, Hyundai Accent and Nissan Versa.
The "2011 Ford Fiesta" comes with four doors in both sedan and hatchback form. There are three trim levels for the sedan (S, SE, and SEL) and two trims for the hatchback (SE and SES).
The SEL sedan adds LED parking lights, a rear spoiler, 16-inch "premium painted" wheels, a premium sound system (with satellite radio and six speakers), ambient lighting, an auto-dimming rearview mirror and the Sync multimedia voice-command system which now also offers turn-by-turn navigation.
The SE hatchback is equipped similarly to the SE sedan but adds a rear spoiler and wiper. All 2011 Ford Fiestas are powered by a 1.6-liter inline-4 that generates 120 horsepower and 112 pound-feet of torque. Disappointingly, there is no manual-shift feature.
Ford estimates the Fiesta's fuel economy at 30 mpg city/40 mpg highway for the automatic and 29/38 for the manual.
Standard safety features include stability and traction control, antilock disc brakes, front-seat side airbags and side curtain airbags. In Edmunds brake testing, a Fiesta stopped from 60 mph in a respectable 119 feet.
With its soft-touch dash top, metallic accents, edgy styling and tight build quality, the Fiesta's cabin has a premium vibe to it that's unexpected in an economy car. Ford's Sync system (standard in top trims) allows voice control over the audio system and your cell phone, and it also provides features such as voice-prompted turn-by-turn navigation (it works respectably well) and emergency assist. At 12.8 cubic feet, the sedan's trunk capacity is class-competitive. The Fiesta hatchback offers a bit less than that with its rear seat up. Unfortunately, the seats don't fold completely flat, and the Fiesta's 26 cubes of maximum cargo capacity pale in comparison to the Honda Fit's 57 cubes and the Kia Soul's 53 cubes.
We can say without hesitation that the 2011 Ford Fiesta provides the most rewarding drive in its class. The available six-speed automated dual-clutch automatic is another unusual perk in this class.
