I picked up a brand new 2011 Fiesta 5-door hatchback SE from Ford today for an 8-day test drive. I recently drove their new Taurus for a couple of weeks, but the Taurus is both out of my price range and too big for my tiny driveway. The Fiesta is a car I'd actually consider purchasing.
There's a little bit of a shock going from the mighty Taurus to the fuel-efficient Fiesta. All the Fiesta marketing materials scream aloud about their "class-leading" 4.9L/100 km highway and 6.8L/100 km city fuel consumption rating. It doesn't have the raw power and pep of the Taurus, but it's fun to drive. A lot of fun.
I'm just glad I didn't take the Fiesta camping. I don't think it would have held my cooler, tent, sleeping bags and other gear. I mean, it was bigger than the Smart Fortwo I test drove last summer, but take a look at the trunk with just a little of my baseball gear inside.
But when you go with a small, fuel-efficient car, you sacrifice space. The car I'm driving has a sticker price of $16799 with $2730 of extras. It's going to be a fun week.
