ALT-1 2011 Ford Fiesta
Question: What's nippy, nifty, holds the road, has tremendous poke and is very very sexy? Answer: the new Ford Fiesta.
I got given this car , not by choice, but as a courtesy car by a Ford Dealer while our beloved Focus was in for a rare mend and at first I thought it would be small, less powerful and pokey inside but boy was I wrong. In the 8 years since Ford made our Focus, they have improved on the Fiesta and then some. Gone is the boring rear view, replaced with some sexy lines and lights on the wing mirrors, which makes it feel more classy than before. Deeply upholstered seats make the ride comfortable and there is a noticeable improvement in the suspension compared to a few years back. .
From being the most basic car inside, now the Fiesta has LED dials which light up at night like a jet engine, giving you the mental , if not the phyisical sense that you are in a mini-cockpit - which is quite nice! A far cry from the carefully driven , slow accelerating car it once was, this new Fiesta owns the road! Bye Bye BMW, so long Audi, on the short straight, this Fiesta has them beat and as for taking off at lights - well, eat this little lady's dust.
A few years back, 3 adults in the back of a Fiesta would have been a joke or done for a prank but now there is room for three decent sized rear-mates and a bag or two. The front seats adjust in all kinds of ways and the gear stick is now centrally located and raised, making it feel more like a power car.
Indeed, considering it is in the smaller category of road car - which means les tax incidentally, this Fiesta is a revelation. WIth 1600 horse power under the bonnet, the engine is no pussycat either and , while fuel consumption is another surprise, this time in the not-so pleasant way- it is still relatively economical and if you are willing to forego a bit of torque you can opt for the diesel engined model.
So,any ideas I had of the Fiesta being the Focus's poorer and smaller sister are gone and I am starting to really enjoy this car. On the road, it feels fast and holds the bends really well for a smaller car. It takes off at break neck speeds (feeling much faster than it ought becuase it has new lower lines) and it does not lose power with gear changes any more.
The Focus will be reueturning to our garage in the next few days and I shall have to relinquish my new love but , while I shall be glad to have my familiar and trust worthy work horse of a Focus back, I will miss the nifty, shifty Fiesta and when it comes to buying a new car, well, Focus, you have competition!
