First Drive: 2011 Ford Fiesta aims to be the new subcompact king [w/video]

Filed under: Budget, Sedan, Hatchback, Ford, First Drive

2011 Ford Fiesta – Click above for high-res image gallery

With over 750,000 Fiestas floating around Europe and a highly-successful social media campaign (if one can quantify such a thing) under its belt, the 2011 Ford Fiesta is nothing if not overexposed. And we’ve driven it. Thrice. So is there really anything left to learn?

As a matter of fact, yes.

The Fiestas we’ve sampled over the last year have all been European-spec models, which had us constantly questioning whether Ford would neuter its soon-to-be least expensive offering on its way to U.S. shores. After two days of fruitful flogging on the roads surrounding San Francisco, those concerns have largely been laid to rest. However, like any inexpensive conveyance, it’s all about compromise. But Ford has managed to restore some balance to the B-segment while putting the rest of the subcompact class on notice.

Gallery: First Drive: 2011 Ford Fiesta