mmarshall

Ford has released some more information on the 2011 Festiva, though they still have not given us a hard-release date here in America. Their own web site now has unofficial dates from "May" to just "Summer 2010". Still, it's a good bet that we'll see it long before the 2012 Focus, which, by law, as an official 2012 model, can't be released in most areas until after Jan.1.

I saw a couple of Fiestas at the D.C. auto show in January...a lime-green hatchback and a sedan whose color I forgot. Both were locked up, but at least out on the floor, with no barriers or ropes, where they could be examined at close range. The 2 2012 Focuses at the show were up, locked, on turntables...so it was no dice looking closely at them. Ford wouldn't even open the doors on them because they were prototype 2012's.

Anyhow, Ford is not not only taking Fiesta orders but also had an on-line reserve plan for them as well.

I have several CL review requests for the Fiesta, and will look at it as soon as I can.

http://www.fordvehicles.com/cars/fiesta/

This looks like a VERY interesting small car, which will come in both 4-door sedan and 5-door hatch versions (why not the 3-door hatch also, like in Europe?) Gas mileage looks great for a conventional, non-hybrid engine...up to 40 MPG on the highway. And, while white/silver/gray/black paint colors are offered for those who prefer duller shades, just look at the rest of the paint-color line-up. All I can say is Wow ..it's excellent (best I've seen in a long time). There's lime green, yellow, magenta (purple), bright blue, and bright red. The same colors available on both sedan and hatchback, too...as it should be.

I've complained about overly-dull paint color choices for a long time in my auto reviews. I'm glad someone in the marketing department is finally listening. I've posted several examples here.

Prices on the base model will start at only 13K, so this car should be super-affordable as well. (Watch out, Accent and Rio...and maybe Yaris and Fit as well).

-J-P-L-

There's no reason it shouldn't be out soon. This car has already been out since 2008 in Europe (which always pisses me off when American automakers sell cars first in foreign markets - and better cars no less).

I do love the Fiesta and upcoming Focus. Toyota and Honda are going to have to make a serious leap to stay ahead.

These two cars seem to do everything well (for their price). Very stylish, leading FE, interior quality at the top of the class, superior driving dynamics, and so on.

Look forward to seeing them on the road.

mmarshall

You certainly didn't waste your money by getting a Yaris, though. It is an excellent small car, quality wise, and inexpensive to own and operate, though I personally am not a fan of the vertical-stack center-gauges and controls. But its sheet metal and general body solidness, IMO, is better than on a number of much larger and more expensive Toyota products. Toyota didn't cut many corners, quality-wise, when they did the Yaris....it may be plain, but it's well-built.

C. McHale

Sat in one of these at the Chicago Auto Show. It's hard to pass any judgment on a car without being able to drive it, obviously, but the exterior looks pretty nice, and should stand out fairly well in its class.

The interior, however, was not very good IMO. Hard, cheapo plastic all over the place. But I guess you get what you pay for in this class.

mmarshall

You see lot of hard interior plastic now even in cars twice the Fiesta's price.....30K and up. You'll find it, for example, in cars like the Camry, Accord, and Legacy.

Hard plastic, though, is not necessarily cheap or flimsy......some if it is good quality, Newer Kias and Subarus, for instance, both use hard plastic inside, but it's not flimsy by any means. The worst interior plastic I've seen is (probably) on the older Dodge Calibers and Nitros.

JessePS

I am happy that its almost finally here.

Ford finally got their head out of their *** for the North American market.

I can't wait to see the new Ford Focus. I just wish we had the Mondeo.

I just love how an American car company has better cars in Europe and Australia lol

ecr527

I drove one (it was a 5 speed manual model if I remember correctly) at the Miami auto show and I thought it was a pretty good car for the money. It was a European model though, so I'm not so sure how much different a US model would be.

IS-SV

The sedan looks sharp for a small car, very promising.

mmarshall

The Miami Auto Show had a place for test-drives? That would be highly unusual.....most major-city shows are held totally inside large Covention Centers.

IS-SV

The San Jose car show had a place for Toyota test drives. The convention center is in downtown, with good access to public streets. They set up a staging area (outdoors/tented/secured) between buildings for getting drivers into selected cars for test driving purposes.

whoster

i have so much love for this car it's unhealthy.

ecr527

Well they actually had a couple of Fiestas outside the convention center, then they had a bunch of 20 somethings signing people up. They would take people out for drives around the convention center. The total drive was only about 2-3 miles in stop and go South Beach traffic.

Allen K

iTrader: (4)

Sat in this car at the LA Auto Show. Loved the interior

jadu

iTrader: (42)

ooo reminds me of the mazda3

joe80

it looks great. i really love what ford is doing.