Road Test
hatchback SES 4-cyl MT
The Fiesta is an extremely pleasant subcompact, although it doesn't score as high as the Nissan Versa or Honda Fit in our tests. Nimble handling and a relatively quiet cabin and composed ride are high points. Front-seat passengers will find ample leg and head room and fuel economy is excellent. But acceleration is sluggish by modern standards, the cockpit is a bit narrow, and rear-seat room is very tight. Some controls are overcomplicated and the hatchback body style has restricted rear visibility. The price of our top-trim-line SES also climbs to the point where you can buy a bigger car instead.
The Driving Experience
Ride comfort and noise: Few will complain about the Fiesta's ride, which is free of the choppiness prevalent in the class. This car handles road bumps with ease, muting impacts well. The engine can be noisy when pressed but it's usually at a modest hum. Relatively little road and wind noise intrude.
Handling: The SES hatchback is nimble and fun to drive. The body leans little in corners and the steering is quick, responsive, and well weighted. Turn-in is immediate. At our track, the SES hatchback acquitted itself very well, clinging faithfully to the chosen line and remaining predictable and secure. The stability control system worked well, and this car posted a high speed through our avoidance maneuver, inspiring driver confidence in the process.
Powertrain: Equipped with the five-speed manual transmission, the 120-hp, 1.6-liter, four-cylinder engine delivers only adequate acceleration, lagging behind most competitors. However, it did rack up excellent fuel economy, averaging 32 mpg overall. The automatic-transmission model, which we also tested, returned 33 mpg. Although low effort, the five-speed manual feels a little rubbery, and it takes a good deal of rowing through the gears to keep the car moving smartly along in hilly terrain.
Braking: In SES trim, braking performance was very good. With its narrower tires, braking distances for the SE sedan were rather long.
Headlights: Low beams deliver good illumination and intensity, but the upper cut-off is sharp. High beams also deliver a good forward reach.
Inside The Cabin
Driving position: Drivers will find plenty of leg room and head room, and the tilt-and-telescope steering wheel helps both tall and short people get properly situated behind the controls. The cockpit feels a little narrow, though, with a wide center console crowding in from the right and a door-mounted bottle-holder bulge horning in from the left. Large windows and narrow roof pillars provide a good view forward and to the sides, but fat rear head restraints and a smallish rear window inhibit the view aft. Small spotter mirrors on the outside door mirrors reveal cars in the side blind spots, a neat low-tech feature.
Seat comfort and access: The front seats are fairly narrow but well-shaped, with good lateral support. Even average-sized drivers may find themselves sitting atop the seat bolsters instead of between them. The rear seat is very tight -- even by class standards -- and is nearly useless. The front seats must be scooted well forward to accommodate even a small rear passenger, head room is tight, and three adults in the rear is clearly one too many. Front access is easy, but climbing in or out of the rear is a bit of a chore.
Controls and gauges: The gauges are simple and easy to read, but the audio display washes out in bright sunlight. Audio controls, moreover, are far away and are needlessly complicated, forcing people to navigate onscreen menus and twiddle a multifunction control knob for something as simple as tuning a station manually. The up-level audio system that comes with Ford's SYNC communications hub is a tad easier to manage than the lower-trim system. The power door locks use a single button, mounted on the dash, and the doors don't give any visible indication if each is locked or not. We would far prefer individual lock switches as well. You can change the color of interior ambient lighting -- a neat touch.
Interior fit and finish: Fit and finish is a mixed bag with some nice touches but a few flaws. The dash is softly padded but nearly all other plastics are hard to the touch. The headliner looks cheap and the door trim flexes when you pull it shut. While most switchgear feels solid, we also noted a number of wide panel gaps and a couple of sharp edges.
Cabin storage and cargo room: Cabin storage is modest -- there isn't even a center console compartment. The cargo area can hold just one large suitcase with the rear seat upright and a couple of duffel bags but folding the 60/40-split rear seatbacks creates a reasonably large cargo hold.
Safety Notes
Safety belts: Front belts have adjustable upper anchors, pretensioners, and force-limiters.
Air bags: Front, side, curtain, and a driver's knee air bag are standard. Belt use and driver's-seat position influence front air bag deployment force. Sensors withhold passenger-side frontal air bag deployment if a child-sized occupant is detected.
Head restraints: All seats have adjustable, locking head restraints. The center rear restraint is too low to protect an adult even when raised.
Crash-avoidance systems: Antilock brakes, traction control, and stability control are standard.
Driving with kids: To secure rear-facing child seats, the front seat or seats may have to be moved well forward. The left and right lower-LATCH anchors are hard to access but work effectively. The seatbacks have three top-tether anchors.
Reliability
We do not have data to predict reliability, this model is new.
Tested model: 2011 SES 4-door hatchback, 1.6-liter Four, 5-speed manual
Major options: None.
This road test applies to the current model year of this vehicle.
