2012 Ford Fiesta Review – Loved it!

04/29/2012

I have to admit, I wasn’t sure about the 2012 Ford Fiesta before agreeing to test drive it.  I was thinking it would be a VERY entry level car, perhaps for a young, first time driver/car owner.  But, after driving the Focus for a week in Edmonton as well as on a Ford scavenger hunt through Vancouver, I thought I should give the Fiesta a chance.  I was so incredibly impressed this is adorable little car!  I think even more so that the Focus, simply because my expectations were foolishly quite low before I drove it. In case you are wondering – yes – that is graffiti reading “Fiesta” on the side of the car – it was the one thing I disliked (a little too Fast too Furious for my liking!) This is an option that can certainly be omitted!

Maybe it was all the large vehicles I was reviewing leading up to the Fiesta, but I have to say, this stylish little car was a breath of fresh air.  For such a compact vehicle, it definitely felt roomier (even with a car seat in the back!) than many other larger vehicles.  The seats were very comfortable when driving and at first glance, I loved the look of the interior.  I drove a red Fiesta, and the interior was “Race Red” red and black – and I mean EVERYTHING in the interior was two tone, including the console, steering wheel, doors and so on.  The loaded SES interior also comes in a two tone “Oxford White” black and white option. These two tone color options and the one new exterior option are new on the 2012 models.  There are unique styling features throughout including stitched “Fiesta” into the headrests and contrasting stitched leather steering wheels.

Other appealing exterior features include 16” polished alloy wheels and several Euro-Spec Focus RS inspired parts painted in Tuxedo Black including the grill, spoiler, license plate cover, headlights and side mirrors. Ford’s Global Car Marketing Manager said that “Fiesta customers love accessories and personalization… the customer has to make the car more tailored to his or her own personal tastes.” Ford says that 40% of Fiesta buyers choose at least one customization to personalize their car and more than 26,000 Ford custom accessories have been sold to date.  I think Ford has entered a new marketing with the Fiesta and will certainly come out ahead amongst significantly more expensive competitors.

For those buyers that love the look of a Japanese import and don’t love the old fashioned idea of Ford, this is definitely a car to reconsider.  The hatchback Fiesta is sporty looking and has the look of a cool and hip urban car.  It was surprisingly responsive when driving and a fun economical car to drive.  It isn’t overly quick (120 hp, 1.6L) but still a pleasure to drive, especially those people who are driving downtown, parking in tight spots or have very little parking space at home.

In Canada, the base Fiesta starts at around $14,000.  For the top of the line SES hatchback that I test drove it is around $25,000+.  So, at that pricing, other compacts (including Ford’s Focus) start to come into play.  The Fiesta is certainly different, however, and the number of customizable options does make it a more unique option for younger generations.  Even the basic Fiesta includes a decent sound system, split folding back seat, A/C, power locks, tilt/telescoping steering wheel and top of the line safety options.  The loaded option that I test drove includes the cool two tone leather seat options, premium audio and the Sync voice activation/handsfree option.

All in all, I would highly recommend this economical, well priced and option savvy compact hatch.  It was fun to drive, safe and amazing for those annoyingly tight parking stalls that seem to becoming more common in Edmonton.  Add a pair of winter tires and this car is the whole package for our climate!