PowerShift

We're eagerly looking forward to the arrival of the 2011 Ford Fiesta, the first truly modern subcompact from Ford in many years. The greenest Fiesta is rated at 40 miles per gallon on the highway, and the car has been widely praised for its dynamic styling, the high-quality interior, and an array of options normally found only on larger vehicles. But we hear continuing skepticism from colleagues at other outlets about the Fiesta's prospects. U.S. buyers think subcompacts are unsafe, they say. And everyone wants the largest car they can afford. And besides, who would pay upwards of $20,000 for...