Hyundai Tucson Vs. Nissan Rogue: Compare Cars
In a few short years, what difference. Now, the set of compact crossovers is superior, and some of... Read More
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The front fascia is still an attractive amalgamation of creases, strakes and chrome, with headlamps that sweep back over blistered fenders...
There's enough sheet metal sculpting to give the Fiesta a sporty persona without it looking overwrought or discordant.
The stylish, soft-touch dash is a welcome upgrade from the cheap plastic typically found in compact cars...
Soft-touch materials where your hands fall, cost-cutting harsher stuff where they don't.
A four-door sedan version of the Fiesta is being launched simultaneously, but its styling is nowhere near as successful as the hatchback's.
STYLING | 9 out of 10
Expert Quotes:
The front fascia is still an attractive amalgamation of creases, strakes and chrome, with headlamps that sweep back over blistered fenders...
Autoblog
There's enough sheet metal sculpting to give the Fiesta a sporty persona without it looking overwrought or discordant.
Edmunds
The stylish, soft-touch dash is a welcome upgrade from the cheap plastic typically found in compact cars...
Motor Trend
Soft-touch materials where your hands fall, cost-cutting harsher stuff where they don't.
Jalopnik
A four-door sedan version of the Fiesta is being launched simultaneously, but its styling is nowhere near as successful as the hatchback's.
Automobile
Ford calls the styling of its new 2011 Fiesta "expressive" and "vibrant." Are we with them? We're with them. There's just no other subcompact that looks this daring or handsome, not even close.
Yes, you could pick nits with some of the details, like that big opening under that small grille, but we're fans of the crisp side view and the big wheel arches on both versions. The headlights sweep well back into the fenders, and the five-door's rear, with its high-mounted taillights, is blunt but not blocky. Given the choice, we're a little less enamored of the four-door; it's like a last episode where all the storylines get tied up, but you're a little less satisfied with the result than you thought you'd be.
Paint either of them in some of the more shocking colors in the palette, and you'll distance yourself even further from the Yarises of the world. There's Lime Squeeze and Bright Magenta for the bold, but you can also choose the inevitable silver or black or white, which always seem to look fine on used-car lots.
Step inside, and there's more of the flash and verve to go around. The center of the Fiesta's dash is deliberately modeled on mobile-phone keypads, with angled keys in the sculptured center stack, as well as controls for the sound system, heating, cooling, and ventilation, and other switches. Drivers can choose among seven "mood lighting" colors to illuminate areas like the cup holders and foot wells. Interior colors on higher trim levels aren't limited to standard black, but include hues like plum and cashmere, definitely distinctive for the class. Our chief concern is that it all looks great--but it doesn't feel all that wonderful. The plastics are really plastic; the Nissan Versa's tight, soft-touch dash seems a world ahead in refinement, even if it's dull.
Conclusion
The 2011 Ford Fiesta is distinctive, racy, and modern, and it makes most of its competitors look downright dowdy.
