2011 Ford Fiesta Overview Change Vehicle

This 2011 Ford Fiesta review explains changes for the model year, provides a summary of the 2011 Fiesta, and includes Ford Fiesta safety, reliability, and fuel economy ratings.

It’s been 30 years since Ford has sold a Fiesta in America. The German econo-hatch was on sale for the 1978, 1979, and 1980 model years before the Escort replaced it. Later, a Ford-ified Mazda design built in South Korea arrived with the name Festiva, but it most certainly was not the same thing. Now, the Fiesta returns, slotting into the lineup under the Focus and offered in five-door hatchback and four-door sedan body styles. This is Ford’s first truly global small car, sold all around the planet with little variation.

The 2011 Ford Fiesta is available as a sedan in S, SE, and SEL trim levels, or as a five-door hatchback in SE and SES trim.

All Fiesta S Sedans are equipped with air conditioning, a tilt/telescopic steering wheel, power blind-spot mirrors, front floor mats, intermittent windshield wipers, a 60/40-split rear seatback, and a four-speaker stereo with an auxiliary audio input jack. Ford’s Easy Fuel capless fuel filler system is standard, and the Fiesta rides on 15-inch steel wheels with plastic wheel covers. A Convenience Package adds power door locks with remote keyless entry, a CD/MP3 player and two extra speakers. Hill Start Assist is also optional, along with Ford’s PowerShift automated manual transmission.

By choosing the Fiesta SE, you’ll get power windows, power door locks with remote keyless entry, a message center with a trip computer, visor vanity mirrors, and a CD/MP3 player. The SE models also have a chrome grille, upgraded cloth upholstery, and metallic appearance interior trim. Options include a Sync and Sound Package (Sync hands-free smartphone pairing and telematics system and premium sound), a Sport Appearance Package (alloy wheels, cruise control, LED parking lights), a Winter Package (heated front seats and side mirrors), and a Super Fuel Economy Package (aerodynamic aids, alloy wheels, PowerShift transmission). The SE models can also be equipped with a power sunroof, satellite radio, ambient interior lighting, rear floor mats, Hill Start Assist, and the PowerShift transmission.

The top trim level is called SEL for the sedan model and SES for the hatchback model. In both cases, the Fiesta gets 16-inch alloy wheels, LED parking lights, and heated side mirrors with turn signal indicators. A leather-wrapped steering wheel and ambient cabin lighting are added along with rear floor mats, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, and cruise control. The Fiesta SEL and Fiesta SES also come with a premium sound system equipped with a USB port and Sirius satellite radio, and Ford’s hands-free Sync technology. An Upgrade Package adds Intelligent Access with push-button start, heated front seats, and extra chrome trim on the outside. Additional options include leather seats, a power sunroof, Hill Start Assist, and the PowerShift transmission.

A 1.6-liter, four-cylinder engine with 120 horsepower powers the Fiesta’s front wheels. A five-speed manual gearbox is standard, with Ford’s new PowerShift automated six-speed manual transmission serving as an option. The Fiesta also comes with electric power steering, which is equipped with Pull Drift Compensation and Active Nibble Control technology to ensure better straight-line tracking and on-center feel.

Fuel economy is a main reason for considering a Fiesta, and with the manual gearbox it should get 28 mpg in the city and 37 mpg on the highway according to the EPA. Get the PowerShift transmission, and each of those figures rises by one. Add the Super Fuel Economy Package to the Fiesta SE, and the highway mileage number hits 40.

Ford supplies Fiesta buyers with seven airbags including a driver’s knee airbag, a traction and stability control system, antilock brakes with electronic brake-force distribution, blind-spot side mirrors, and an SOS Post Crash Alert System that unlocks the doors, sounds the horn, and activates the flashers in the event of an airbag deployment.

If you buy a Fiesta equipped with Sync, it comes with 911 Assist service that can get you in touch with a live operator after a crash in which the airbags have deployed. In the event you cannot respond, the operator can send rescue personnel to the Fiesta’s location.

In the event of a crash, the Fiesta gets an overall 4-Star rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, with 5-Star performance for the driver in a frontal crash and the rear passengers in a side impact, and 4-Star ratings in all other assessments. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), any Fiesta built after July of 2010 is a Top Safety Pick.

The jury is still out with regard to reliability ratings. Consumer Reports is not making any predictions for the Fiesta as this review is written, and J.D. Power and Associates thinks the car will provide slightly better than average dependability over time, even if the Fiesta received a below average rating for initial quality from the market research firm.

The Ford Fiesta isn’t the most comfortable car in its class (Nissan Versa), or the most functional (Honda Fit), or the most fun to drive (Mazda 2), or the least expensive (Nissan Versa again). However, it’s got tons of personality, and that goes quite a long way toward endearing the car to its owners.

We spent a week driving a Yellow Blaze Metallic Fiesta SES Hatchback around town, and thoroughly enjoyed the car. The Fiesta isn’t fast, but it certainly is lively and benefits from the kind of dynamic tuning for which European engineers are renowned. The electric steering occasionally feels disconnected from proceedings, mainly when accelerating, but otherwise delivers fairly natural feel. The rear brakes are drums, but based on pedal feel and response, you’d never guess it. In terms of the driving experience, all we want is a little more power in the form of a light-pressure turbo.

Styling is terrific, for the hatchback model. The Fiesta Sedan looks too tall, narrow, and tapered. Inside, the dashboard is designed to emulate the keypad of a cell phone, which is fine except for the fact that everyone is now migrating to smartphones. We assume the next evolution to be the installation of MyFord Touch technology – just like a smartphone – but based on recent experience, we’d hold off until additional user-interface enhancements are made. The Fiesta does have Sync, and we successfully paired an iPhone without a problem. However, switching from streaming Pandora to playing Pandora via the USB port proved problematic, as the menus and functions were not intuitive.

Comfort is adequate. The Fiesta, obviously, is a small car. But it feels tight inside compared to other models in the subcompact segment. The rear seat, in particular, is torturous. In fact, to carry young children in forward- and reverse-facing car seats, both parents needed to sit closer to the dashboard and steering wheel than proved comfortable. Also, three teenaged girls riding in the car for two hours all complained about soreness from the seats. Cargo toting capability is acceptable. In addition to maximum volume, what the Fiesta lacks is a slick reconfigurable rear seat arrangement like the Honda Fit.

Despite its flaws, the Fiesta remains compelling, like that guy your mom and dad told you was trouble but you just couldn’t stop dating him. It’s good looking. It’s athletic. It’s got tons of personality. But it’s also going to face a slew of new competitors next year, and Ford is going to need to step up its game in a number of areas if it wants the Fiesta to be invited back to dinner with the parents.

More stylish and technologically advanced but not quite as roomy or functional as some of its competitors, the new Ford Fiesta brings great looks, European driving dynamics, and the kinds of technology younger buyers want to a segment sorely needing these attributes. The Fiesta is also fuel efficient, and appears to be safe as long as it impacts something roughly the same size and weight. As long as dependability proves decent, Vehix recommends the Fiesta.

By Christian Wardlaw