Full-Review: 2011 Ford Fiesta SE Hatchback
#16
Well but some of us have kids. My daughter for instance just got her permit last week, and the time will soon come when I'll have to get her a car, and it would have to be an inexpensive one.
Cars like the Fiesta, Focus, Civic, Golf and so on are great inexpensive choices. Although in my case, I'd rather get her a base Accord/Camry, just out of the safety concerns.
Cars like the Fiesta, Focus, Civic, Golf and so on are great inexpensive choices. Although in my case, I'd rather get her a base Accord/Camry, just out of the safety concerns.
Well some of us have kids, family members and friends shopping in this range of cars and I'm frequently asked to assist in the decision process. For instance my wife's daughter needed a car while in college because her Acura was getting very old. I bought and paid for a new Xb for her at that time.
My personal preferences too are geared to safer cars.
Last edited by IS-SV; 07-29-10 at 05:34 PM. Reason: sp
#17
Once again, an awesome review Mike!!!
But I have to admit, Clarkson sells this car very well.
After watching this video, I ****ing want a Fiesta!!!
But I have to admit, Clarkson sells this car very well.
After watching this video, I ****ing want a Fiesta!!!
#18
Originally Posted by IS-SV
My personal preferences too are geared to safer cars.
Among small, inexpensive cars not un the upmarket M-B/Volvo class, the VW Beetle is arguably the best-performer in the safety-area.
Last edited by mmarshall; 07-29-10 at 06:34 PM.
#19
Thanks, Phil.
Clarkson, of course, like some other auto-enthusiast publications, drives his test cars under more grueling circumstances than I do. He can give a better description of their track performance, and of their behavior at the limits, than I can. My reviews, in contrast, try and describe the car as completely, from stem to stern, as possible, and to tell you, in general, what you get for your money.
But I have to admit, Clarkson sells this car very well.
After watching this video, I ****ing want a Fiesta!!!
After watching this video, I ****ing want a Fiesta!!!
Last edited by mmarshall; 07-29-10 at 06:45 PM.
#21
Thanks.
So they have the bright blue, yellow, red, and magenta (pink-purple) ones there in Atlanta now? The only ones I've seen here in the D.C. area in dealer-stock have been black or white, though I did see one lime-green hatchback on the road. The lime-green seems to be the feature color for many Fiesta ads.
Either way, I'm glad, as I stated in the review, that the paint-marketers have finally started to wake up and give us (on a non-sports car) real colors......and more than just funeral shades.
That "tall" hood, BTW, is not as tall as it seems. One of the Fiesta's outward-vision weaknesses is that, because of the way the dash is designed and the way the front hood slopes down, you can't see the front edge of the car when parking...so some care is required when pulling into a parking space with an obstacle or wall in front.
I've seen a couple on the road in nice bright colors. Its cute and looks cool. The giant tall hood is pretty well giant and tall
Either way, I'm glad, as I stated in the review, that the paint-marketers have finally started to wake up and give us (on a non-sports car) real colors......and more than just funeral shades.
That "tall" hood, BTW, is not as tall as it seems. One of the Fiesta's outward-vision weaknesses is that, because of the way the dash is designed and the way the front hood slopes down, you can't see the front edge of the car when parking...so some care is required when pulling into a parking space with an obstacle or wall in front.
Last edited by mmarshall; 07-29-10 at 07:38 PM.
#22
Good Lord, that car of Clarkson's is green - and not in a good way. That's the same sickening green that came on early Pintos. We had a couple of Pinto wagons in this nauseating shade, and they were always the last cars checked out. Both were '74 models with 4-speeds, and it was amazing how no one remembered how to drive a stick on Friday afternoons. I think it wasn't the stick, but the color no one wanted in their driveway.
#23
Good Lord, that car of Clarkson's is green - and not in a good way. That's the same sickening green that came on early Pintos. We had a couple of Pinto wagons in this nauseating shade, and they were always the last cars checked out. Both were '74 models with 4-speeds, and it was amazing how no one remembered how to drive a stick on Friday afternoons. I think it wasn't the stick, but the color no one wanted in their driveway.
#24
I do agree, Mercedes has accomodated the consumers desire for safety very consistently over the years.
Refer to IIHS for more specifics on vehicles available in the US.
But in terms of general safety of the better small/light cars versus the better larger/heavier cars, we know that answer which is what I was referring to originally.
Last edited by IS-SV; 07-30-10 at 10:36 AM. Reason: sp
#26
And several inexpensive cars have safety ratings as high than the VW Beetle combined with higher side impact safety and higher quality too.
Refer to IIHS for more specifics on vehicles available in the US.
But in terms of general safety of the better small cars versus the better larger cars, we know that answer which is what I was referring to originally.
Refer to IIHS for more specifics on vehicles available in the US.
But in terms of general safety of the better small cars versus the better larger cars, we know that answer which is what I was referring to originally.
Last edited by mmarshall; 07-30-10 at 10:40 AM.
#28
#29
That's why I said the Beetle was arguably the safest small-car....others have begun to catch up. The Beetle's reliability has indeed been poor, according to Consumer Reports.....interesting, considering that its sister Golf, done on the same platform, has been better-then-average.
Others have both caught up and exceeded the safety of the VW new Beetle, especially in the area of side impact safety.
Good luck when it comes to selecting a VW and expecting reliability, the history in the US is consistently mediocre at best.
#30