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The Big Picture

I am always down for chocolate. Maybe that’s why the first thing that popped in my mind when I saw the lineup of the new 2014 Ford Fiestas parked side by side was that I could use a bag of M&M’s. Consider the similarities–both are small. Both are round. Both are popular. And I’m not sure if this was intentional on Ford’s part, but the color offerings are a perfect match for those colorful candy shells. (Van Halen style, of course–no brown ones allowed!) The shiny 2014 Fiestas of Blue Candy, Green Envy*, Ruby Red, and Molten Orange* looked as if they were ready to melt in your mouth, not in your hand. So without even starting the engine, the namesake and the colors alone get the Fiesta’s message across: we’re here for a good time.

Steering in the 2014 Ford Fiesta is firm and sporty–none of that loose, wobbly feeling, and it’s a solid, sturdy wheel. This makes turning and cornering responsive–I got braver each time I took a serious curve in the road and stayed in full control of the car. That’s what makes this car fun to drive. Having said that, it’s not the speed that makes it fun–don’t go challenging someone to a peel-out at the red light. The acceleration was okay, but it will not embolden you. Speeding up on a slight incline I did get a bit of that hiccup-y sensation (the car, not me!) that reminded me that I was in a small car with a 1.6 liter engine with 120 HP. But city driving is what this car was make for. Its origins are European (although this car is assembled in Mexico), so it makes sense that short jaunts and parallel parking are painless.

One interesting note about the Fiesta is that according to Ford, about 20% of its U.S. drivers choose the manual transmission. That’s way above the average for stick shifts sold in America. All of the models available, from the base model to highest, are available in both manual and automatic, except the top ST sport model–which is manual only.

An Inside Job

For a car this small, the 2014 Ford Fiesta interior is surprisingly nice. The top of the dash is covered with a soft touch material and a cool pebbly texture. The center controls are well laid out and easy to find and operate. The interactive screen (more on this in Gizmo section) is placed high in the dash, which isn’t particularly attractive aesthetically. However, this keeps your eyes focused higher up while looking at the screen–since it’s closer to the windshield–which is admittedly safer.

The cubbyhole spaces–cup holders, center console, glovebox, and trunk– are plentiful but small. Nothing could fit my iPad except the trunk, so be prepared to downsize your purse if you want to store it out of sight. The trunk opening on the coupe is pretty tight as well, which could be a hassle if you’re hauling around a baby stroller or make regular pilgrimages to Ikea. The 60/40 back seats do fold down, but not by much–a far cry from Honda Fit’s fully flat back seats. The hatchback fares a bit better, and looks better doing it.

One very pleasant surprise was the headroom for the driver. At 5’6”, I’m no supermodel, but many sub-compact size cars leave me bumping my head on the top of the roof. The 2014 Ford Fiesta, however, gave me several inches of head-to-roof clearance–helpful if you’re considering buying this car for a taller teen or if big 80’s hair comes back into vogue next year. You don’t get near as much room on your sides–elbow room is pretty tight. Make sure you like the person in the passenger seat, because you’ll almost be holding hands from the get-go.

Safety

As we often stress here at VroomGirls, driving a small car doesn’t mean you’re sacrificing safety. In fact, a new small car can be safer than a big vehicle. Every year, more safety features become mandatory for cars sold in the US–such as Electronic Stability Control and assisted braking systems. These help prevent accidents, and are especially good for younger drivers. The Fiesta adds a driver side knee airbag to the regular six (two front, two side, and two curtain). Another interesting safety feature, called MyKey, will be popular with parents, but not so much with kids. It’s basically like getting “admin” rights to the car. Limitations can be decided in the digital control panel. One, for example, mutes the music in the car unless the safety belts are engaged. Maximum levels for speed and music volume level can also be set. Teens may not like that Big Brother is watching, but if Big Brother is making the payments, they’ll just have to deal.

Family Friendliness

Ugh, the backseat! The 2014 Ford Fiesta has plenty of room for a carseat and/or a small child, but not much headroom or legroom for even an average size adult. In a smaller car, bodies inside are going to move as the car turns–that’s just physics. But the design of the seat can have big effect on how much you feel the motion–and how much your butt goes sliding around in the seat.

The front seats were okay, but the back seats didn’t seem to offer much bolstering on the sides. If you rarely have a backseat passenger, this isn’t a dealbreaker. Likewise, if your toddler is strapped securely in a carseat in the back, he’s fine–the Fiesta does come with LATCH car seat anchors. But this might be a concern if you have kids who need to ride in the back until they’re 13–especially if they are prone to carsickness. If you have kids, take them on the test drive with you to avoid any unpleasant backseat surprises for them or you. Likewise, adults who get motion sickness will want to ride shotgun in this car for sure, not in the back seat.

Gizmos And Tech

The 2014 Ford Fiesta has its sight set on the millenial generation (and their parents) so it is rife with the techy stuff. That includes Ford SYNC, voice-activated communications and entertainment system, even on the base entry S model, along with USB inputs and an input jack. The SE adds a message center and the aforementioned MyKey, and the top Titanium level adds MyFord Touch, a 6.5-inch touch screen with SYNC services (GPS, traffic reports, and info services). Both an Android phone and an iPhone synced up quickly and easily with the info system. All mirrors on the 2014 Ford Fiesta have an imbedded blind spot mirror, which could be helpful after you get used to it–but it does cut your rear-view real estate by about 1/4, which is a big loss. The interior ambient lighting feature allows the driver to choose red, blue, purple, orange, aqua, white or yellow-green to light up her nighttime drives. Will this change your life? No. But is it cool? Yes. A capless fuel filter aids the absent-minded while fueling. For creature comforts, partial leather-trimmed seats and seat heaters are both available as an option.

Pricing and Trim Levels

Lots of choice here--seven different models.

Ford Fiesta S model comes in sedan or hatchback, $14,000 sedan/$14,600 hatchback

Includes power mirrors and locks, manual windows, CD player w/input jack and USB, Ford SYNC voice-activated communication and entertainment system, AC, seven airbags. Black, white, and grey only.

Ford Fiesta SE model $15,450 sedan/$15,450 hatchback

All S content, plus adds cruise control, leather steering wheel, upgraded seats, seven color ambient lighting, MyKey control options, remote keyless entry, power windows w/one touch up/down, plus more color options

Ford Fiesta Titanium model $18,200 sedan/$18,800 hatchback

All SE content, plus auto-dimming mirror, fog lamps, auto temp control, HD Radio, pushbutton start, rearview camera, heated leather seats, SIRIUS Satellite Radio, 3-year MyFord Touch (GPS), Sony Branded Audio System, Aluminum Wheels.

Ford Fiesta ST $21,400

The sporty one, available only in a manual transmission. Adds 1.6L EcoBoost® I-4 engine, sport-tuned suspension, advanced stability control, optional leather-trimmed seats. Exclusive Molten Orange exterior.