First Drive: 2011 Ford Fiesta (U.S. Spec)

There's an adage that Americans simply don't like small cars. Anecdotal evidence would seem to bear this out as midsize cars and full-size trucks are the best-selling vehicles on the market. There's a problem with this theory, though, and it's one Ford hopes to exploit.

A closer examination suggests the root of the problem isn't size, but content. Americans like a good deal as much as anyone, but we want value for our money as well. Traditionally, though, small car offerings in the U.S. have been penalty boxes: loud, unrefined, and decontented people-movers we drove because we had to, not because we wanted to. No one struggled more at building a decent compact than the domestic automakers.

The silver bullet, as Ford and several of its key competitors are hoping, is in balancing features and affordability. Cheap, decontented cars don't excite anyone, but premium small cars lose buyers to the midsize segment. Until now, automakers doing business in the U.S. have simply accepted this trend, but as a wave of downsizing fueled by volatile gas prices and concern for the environment washes over the U.S. auto market, Ford and several of its key competitors are looking to the compact and midsize segments to replace sagging SUV sales.

It should be noted that the Fiesta isn't Ford's first attempt at a well-appointed small car. The company has done stylish cars before, it's done inexpensive cars, it's done well-equipped cars, and it's done great driver's cars. What the Fiesta represents, then, is Ford's first serious attempt at combining all these elements into the same car, and two days of driving in the lush hills that separate the San Francisco Bay from the Pacific Ocean has made believers out of us.

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This isn't the first time we've driven the Fiesta, though. Last summer, we borrowed a European-spec car from Ford's Fiesta Movement social media program and drove it from Los Angeles to Colorado and back to see two racebred Fiestas tackle the famous Pikes Peak Hill Climb. Over five days, we grew to love the little car's eager engine, comfortable ride, and surprisingly sporty handling. We feared, though, that as so often happens, the car that would finally arrive in U.S. showrooms would be stripped of much of the charm that endeared us to it, another missed opportunity.

We're happy to report, then, that this is not the case. In fact, Ford made it their top priority to change as little of the Fiesta as possible as it migrated across the pond. Differing crash standards necessitated some work to the frame, which led to minor styling changes in the front and rear fascias. The extra weight required slightly stiffer springs, and some fine-tuning was needed to adapt the car to American driver-friendly all-season tires, but that's about it.

Which means that, out on the road, the Fiesta remains a superbly handling car. Turn-in is sharp and the car is incredibly easy to place precisely where you want it. The steering is quick and exhibits no dead spot on center, though we could use a bit more feel through the meaty steering wheel. The disconnect is actually intentional, though, as Ford has programmed two special features into the electric power steering. The first, Drift-Pull Compensation, eliminates the need to counter-steer against steeply crowned roads and wind, while the second, Active Nibble Cancelation, uses the electric motor on the steering to cancel out vibrations coming up through the steering column.

The effect is generally a good compromise, offering a nicer ride on rough pavement without sacrificing too much feel in corners. The ride quality is likewise well sorted, giving enough to make it comfortable as a daily driver but sufficiently tight to keep you more than entertained on winding roads. On an autocross course, we found the Hankook rubber offered a surprising amount of grip, yielding only to driving we wouldn't recommend on the street. The chassis was nearly impossible to faze, allowing a bit of understeer here and a dab of oversteer there if pushed to the limit; but gentle adjustment from the nondefeatable stability control brings things back in line without ruining all the fun.

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Entertainment is provided by a 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine with variable timing on both cams that helps pump out 120 horsepower and 112 pound-feet of torque. On paper, it doesn't sound like all that much until you see the feathery 2600-pound curb weight. Careful gearing selections on the five-speed manual and six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmissions keeps the engine in its sweet spot and makes for reasonably peppy straight-line acceleration, especially if you wring it out to redline where the engine really shines. It's the only engine available at launch and the only one Ford will talk about, but we've already seen spy shots of what appears to be an EcoBoost model testing outside of Dearborn, so we're hopeful a more powerful model is on the way.

The five-speed manual is a good box with precise throws, though they're rather long; but we hear Ford Racing is already working on an aftermarket remedy. The big news is in the automatic, which Ford claims is the world's first fully electro-mechanical gearbox, eliminating the need for hydraulic pumps and oil coolers. On the road, it's an impressive piece of technology, offering smooth shifts regardless of engine speed and recognizes sporty driving, during which it holds gears longer automatically.

If you want to have some real fun, though, slot it into L. Traditionally standing for Low, on Ford's latest automatic transmissions it actually represents "Lowest possible gear at the current speed." On the road, it means the transmission will hold a gear all the way to redline and even leave it if you let off the gas. Conversely, it will also drop to a lower gear as soon as is safe for the engine in order to give you as much power as possible. Out on the autocross, this feature proved absolutely brilliant, always dialing up the gear needed right on cue.

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We found plenty to like inside the Fiesta as well. The seats are supremely comfortable and well bolstered for spirited driving. The stylish, soft-touch dash is a welcome upgrade from the cheap plastic typically found in compact cars, as is Ford's Sync infotainment system with its new App Link software that allows it to run select applications from your smart phone. The Fiesta also offers a surprising amount of space in front and back, and there's no space penalty for choosing one body style (hatchback or sedan) over the other.

The Fiesta isn't without flaw, though. The rear seats don't fold flat, cutting into some potential cargo space, and it isn't as roomy as some other hatches in the segment. The center stack, while slick looking, is ergonomically challenged especially with the skewed number pad. The European-spec car's automatic climate control is gone in favor of a simpler manual system, but Ford says it could return if customers demand it. And though it would be possible to add an in-dash navigation and infotainment system, Ford isn't planning one for cost reasons, relying on Sync's turn-by-turn feature instead.

From day one, Ford's U.S. team has had the Honda Fit Sport square in its sights as they prepared the Fiesta for the American market. A quick back-to-back test drive at the launch suggests the Fiesta is a match for the Fit in driving dynamics, if not in versatility. The only way to be certain, though, will be to round up the competitive set and find out. Stay tuned.