Fanfare of Frugality

by Barclay Nelson

Throw away whatever it is you thought you knew about the Ford Fiesta and any perceptions of the Ford Festiva that you accidentally associate with the new Fiesta.  Think of the Fiesta as a frugal fun-mobile for the masses that gets 40 MPG highway and is wrapped in a perky progressive packaging. The Fiesta is Ford’s top selling car in Europe and was first sold in 2008.  Now Ford is bringing a very similar version back to the US for 2011.  There’s a fanfare of buzz around this mighty mouse.  Little cars are big now and the Fiesta comes in even smaller than Ford’s other mini-mobile, the Focus.  It’s a world car sold in Europe and South America and its volume allows Ford to deliver some potent features that aren’t supposed to be in a $14,000 car.

Unlikely Options

When I first heard the options available on the Fiesta I was more confused than Bubba in Calculus class.  I thought I stepped into the wrong room or they switched cars on me.  Full on navigation system with mobile phone synchronization, push button start, ambient interior lighting, keyless entry, tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, all made me scratch my head.  Really?  A swell new 6 speed automatic suspension gets better gas mileage than the normally more fuel efficient manual transmission.  Electric Power Assist Steering adjusts the steering assistance based on speed, cornering forces and acceleration or deceleration.  The more steering assistance you need the more you get.  Standard stability control keeps slippage to a minimum and helps keep you on the road.  These can’t be the Fiesta options…..”Excuse me sir, I’m lost can you tell me where the Fiesta presentation is?”,  “You’re in the right place sir, please be seated.”  , “Oh, well thank you young man, my name’s Bubba.”

The Sweet Sound of Silence

If you had a hard time having a conversation in your Yugo, you’ll be happy to “hear” that the Fiesta takes great care in reducing noise, vibration and harshness.  It starts by using a specially laminated windshield that helps absorb and contain noise. Engine noise is abated by a hood blanket, and enhanced door seals minimize wind noise.  Plus, special padding behind the instrument panel and foam baffles installed inside the pillars squelch the less than melodious sound of the road. Even the headliner material was chosen and designed to deaden sound.  In addition to supporting fuel efficiency the exterior aerodynamics help minimize noise, vibration and harshness as well.  Sounds good doesn’t it?

Lightweight + Lively Suspension = Track Titillation

So, I actually had a chance to drive the Fiesta on the inner track of the Texas Motor Speedway during the Texas Automobile Writer’s Association Spring Challenge.  I was more surprised than a cat with its tail under my rocking chair to find such resilience, durability and agility in this econo-class gas sipper.  I’m not a race car driver (ok sometimes I tell people that I am) but I logged one of my fastest times of any car on the lower hairpin turn in the Fiesta.  The Fiesta Brand Manager, Sam, rode in the car with me.  I thought my driving might scare him but he didn’t flinch.  He casually looked over at the speedometer mid-hairpin turn and said, “51 MPH, not bad”.  Sam really wasn’t impressed by my Ricky Bobby wanna-be poser display of driving.  Sam had done this a hundred times before and was fully aware of the Fiesta’s track prowess. The car was easy to master and took everything I could dish out.  It had feline reflexes and was surprisingly manageable.  Weighing in at only 2,600 lbs or so helps abundantly.  It’s lightness combined with specially tuned front struts, bushings, dampers, stabilizer bars and a rear twist-beam axle, translates into much better handling than a $14K car should deliver.

No Safety Sacrifice for Its Smallness

Over 50% of Fiesta’s welded body structure is made from high-strength steel, with boron steel (that’s really strong light steel) used in several critical areas. This composition adds rigidity that contributes to safety and better handling.  Besides the construction, the Fiesta has enough airbags to raise the Titanic (really, NOT).  More specifically, it has dual-stage first-row airbags, side airbags, side curtain airbags and even a driver’s knee airbag. 

Bringing all this to an entry level car is a game changer and raises the stakes for this rapidly growing entry level segment.  It will be exciting to see how the others respond but Ford is coming out of the box strong with guns ablazing.  To learn more about the Fiesta go to http://www.fordvehicles.com/cars/fiesta/ .

Barclay Nelson is an urban and outdoor experiences journalist. Read his stories on www.carladynews.com, www.cocktailatlas.com, www.travellady.com and www.birch-media.com .