2011 Ford Fiesta: Driving Impressions From the Orange County Auto Show

By Jim Hamel

Jim Hamel

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I am now the editor for one of High Gear Media's newest and most exciting sites called "InsiderCarReviews.com." I road test brand new vehicles each... More

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screenshot from FiestaMovement.com website

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The 2009 Orange County Auto Show is one of the best shows for real people to get a look at cars, as 99% of them are actually unlocked. Outside the front entrance, there was a huge stand introducing the 2010 Ford Fiesta.

Scheduled tentatively for a June launch, this European subcompact was striking in the metal, all the more so when optioned with the slightly absurd neon-green exterior color. Without missing a beat my friend Michael said, It looks like someone drank too many Mojitos and threw up all over it.

Thankfully there were also blue, black and red ones there all in the very European 5 door hatchback style (North America will be getting a sedan version as well).

Reviews from drivers I talked to were generally very positive with one major qualifier. The only automatic version available for test had a weedy 1.4-liter, 96-horsepower engine that was overwhelmed by the cut and thrust of Anaheim traffic. The manuals had a far punchier 1.6-liter, 119-horsepower engine.

For a car that is apparently going to sticker for about $15,000, the Fiesta is surprisingly well appointed and roomy inside. Two six footers could probably squeeze one behind the other and headroom is ample. It is pretty much a four-American-sized-adult car.

I was pleasantly surprised by the interior door handles which looked so cheap and tacky in the photos. They actually pull with a nice heft and are made out of a medium grade plastic. Important for a touch point you use so often.

The standard stereo is a definite standout. Ford has finally been doing its homework and there are two things young people will not live without and that is a thumping stereo and air conditioning. In that order. (Note: there were also no crank windows to be found in any of the vehicles. Hooray!)

The sound from the speakers was crisp and the slightly over-styled center dash is actually ergonomically very simple sort of like a cell phone. (The face of a cell phone was the design inspiration.)

Ford representatives claimed that the 1.4-liter engine wasn't going to make it to the United States. I hope not, because it was loud, the automatic transmission linked to it was slow to shift, and it didnt have the more-fun exhaust bellow of the still admittedly tiny 1.6.

Besides, not buying the manual transmission version of this car would be a shame anyway. The shift action is smooth and it turns this sharp handling machine into a true challenger for the Fit.

It may not be as clever as the Fit in the interior cubby department but if you favor driving enjoyment over pack rat-ism then maybe next June you should check out the new 2010 Fiesta.