I'll have to agree with you and disagree with you. Driving and living with the car for a while tells more about it. My comment was made about Edmund's review..... They "don't" live with the car for a while. It's all based on minimal testing. Only a person who drives both cars for months can make such reviews with vageness, and then they "still" have to explain what they mean.

 

I agree with your comment completely. Liking a car doesn't make it reliable.... only real world extensive use can show it's worth. Even the junkiest of cars makes it 100k miles, now. How many can make it over 200k?

 

Motortrend puts down some #'s.
2011 Ford Fiesta First Test - Motor Trend

2011 Ford Fiesta SES 2011 Ford Fiesta SES 2009 Honda Fit Sport
6sp auto clutch 5 mt 5mt

Base price $17,795 $17,795 $16,730
Price as tested $20,675 $19,305 $18,580
Curb weight 2602 lb 2552 lb 2421 lb

0-60 mph 9.5 sec 9.5 sec 8.3sec

Quarter mile 17.4 sec @ 79.2 17.0 sec @ 81.2 16.3 sec @ 84.9 mph

EPA city/hwy 30/40 mpg 29/38 mpg 27/33mpg (which we all know is off)

 

Thanks for the link to the MT review, which included comparison tables for all the other small hatchbacks in this class. They are all amazingly close in specs., and choice is going to come down to price vs. feel. On paper, there isn't much to differentiate the Fit and the Fiesta. Too bad the Fit doesn't offer the option of heated seats, and the Fiesta doesn't offer the option of paddle shifters for the double-clutch version. I was disappointed that the reviewer said nothing about road noise and engine speed on the highway.

 

Yea its nice to see a comparison table. Truly amazing how close in specs all these cars really are on paper and how much different they are in the real world day in and day out.
I too would have liked to see an comparable between passenger/cargo volumes.

 

For the fiesta:
Capacities: Passengers and Fuel
4-Door Sedan 5-Door Hatchback
Seating Capacity 5 5
Passenger Volume [cu. ft.] 85.1 85.1
Luggage Capacity [cu. ft.] 12.8 NA
Cargo Volume Behind First Row [cu. ft.] NA 26
Cargo Volume Behind Second Row [cu. ft.] NA 15.4

For the fit:
Interior Measurements
Fit Fit Sport
Headroom (in, front/rear) 40.4 / 39.0 40.4 / 39.0
Legroom (in, front/rear) 41.3 / 34.5 41.3 / 34.5
Shoulder Room (in, front/rear) 52.7 / 51.3 52.7 / 51.3
Hiproom (in, front/rear) 51.5 / 51.3 51.5 / 51.3
Cargo Volume (cu ft, seat up/down) 20.6 / 57.3 20.6 / 57.3
Passenger Volume (cu ft) 90.8 90.8
Seating Capacity 5 5

The fit's trunk is about the size of the fiesta's folded down space.

 

Ha thanks...I meant for all of the cars in its class. Thanks for the info though. I was too lazy to look it all up.

 

the ford looks a tad girly

 

I was just in the market and didn't wait on the Fiesta for a lot of reasons. Firstly, as noted, it has little to no usable cargo space for my purposes.

Secondly - it looks pretty bad. Yeah, it's modern and everything, but I just see "rental car." They will probably be everywhere, and it's a Ford, which while a really great company right now, will not hold it's resale value and will be dime a dozen. With a few tweaks, the Fit's driving dynamics and abilities are plenty. Those LEDs they added for our market are ghastly. Just like the chrome side detail on the last focus. WTF are they thinking? It's not an Audi.

We haven't even begun to see the end of LED running lights, I'm afraid. Get on the bandwagon while it's still hot folks! haha I'm sure there are quite a few owners looking for any excuse to add more shit to their ride. Bust out the drill homies!

And the Mexico thing. It's a big factor. If we can't even make really high quality automobiles in this country, why is Mexico going to? Sorry if I offend anyone, but I don't really see it as the ultimate reflection on a country - by how well they make automobiles. I've already been down that road with VW though, and I know that some of those factories have received accolades, but still. It left a bad taste in mouth. Consumers are weird like that - I'm one of them.

 

IMO its my fit until the 2012 the end of the world.

 

It does not look girly to me. I think it looks better than the Fit. But of course I love my Fit more.

 

No problem. Girls will want to ride with me

 

I was lucky enough to check out a Fiesta last fall and IMO its a great looking car with quality materials for the money, but I guess when you start adding a couple options on the car it breaks $20k, with tax its almost impossible to get the Fit above that. One thing that Fiesta has going for it over the Fit is a perf model in the pipeline. I know the Fiesta and Fit aren't aimed at the perf market, but its nice to know Ford is atleast making an effort. I for one wouldn't mind giving up a couple miles per gallon to have a bit more power.

I say competition is good

 

I saw The Ford Fiesta from a distance, hands off, at the local auto show. Everything I've read about the Fiesta suggests to me that it is poised, marketed and designed to be a direct competitor to The Honda Fit.

Fit Killer? I don't think so. BUT definently a real competitor that is likely to take a significant amount of future buyers away from The Fit.

On paper The Fiesta offers more amenities, and a similar or exceeding level of refinement. It probably will get better gas mileage.

From what I've read and heard about The Fiesta, I like it. Timing was a reality for me, I couldn't really wait, my old car was about to expire or demand significant repair. So waiting for the release of The Fiesta wasn't really an option.

However, for me personally one area I think The Fit will still be unchallenged is utillity. The configurability of the hatch area and The Magic Seats was what made me feel comfortable with going ahead and buying The Fit. I have occasional hauling demands (folding wheelchair and oxygen tanks) that make the magic seats and the upright configuration of The Fit a must, and very convienent.

The Fiesta isn't going to have the upright configurability of magic seats so I figured ultimately The Fit would be the better choice for me anyway. But I can see where I think a lot of people are going to be swayed, influenced and within the small hatchback market, moved to look at and potentially choose a Fiesta.

Killer no, strong competitor...Yes...

PS.
I'm actually old enough to remember the Ford Festiva and original Ford Fiesta. Even the Aspire...Fords history with small hatchbacks IMO hasn't been good. I thought the Focus ZX hatchbacks were nice, but for some reason Ford stopped producing them. I guess when someone says Ford Fiesta I still get flashbacks to a really ugly boxy looking hatchback of the 70's that was a weak imitation of The Volkswagen Rabbit.

 

The Mk I Fiesta was, and still is, direct competition for the VW Polo, not the Golf/Rabbit, which are larger C class cars. Boxy was "in" back then.

Please dont compare the Fiesta with Korean-made cars Ford imported after that. You can blame Ford for an uneven history of imports, like GM with Opel, Isuzu and Daewoo. At least Chrysler stayed married to Mistubishi until Daimler came to town.

 

I was looking a the 2010 Fit Sport and the 2011 Fiesta. After driving both of them I honestly cannot see why all the hype is on the Fiesta. I felt claustrophobic the whole time driving it. The Ford salesman at Krieger Ford in Columbus, OH was a complete a$$. He could not find a M/T for me to test-drive. Then the first car he gave me the keys for only had 12 miles of gas left according to the gauge! The second car he gave me was still on E but said there was 32 miles left in the tank. First off my head kept hitting the headliner and the engine sounded like there was a hole in the exhaust with how loud it was. Then the A/T just shifted weird all through-out the drive; always shifting late and kind of sluggish. My last complaint was the Ford SYNC premium sound sounded horrible, lacked warmth and bass (not a bass freak and generally don't complain when their is a lack of it).

The Fit looked better, was much quieter the interior while hard plastic just looked better especially the dash gauges, radio & air conditioning console. Not to mention the visibility and headroom was very spacious. Plus, I wouldn't change a thing with oem 6 speaker sound system by Honda.

So today I took delivery on my 2010 Fit Sport and tried out the storage by going to COSTCO and wow! Now I'm coming from driving a maxima fully loaded and I enjoy the Honda Fit so much more and will love the savings at the pump! This is my first honda car and my only regret is not buying one sooner.

 

You have to understand, before the Fiesta was actually available here, most of the reviews referenced the Euro-spec version of the Fiesta.

And if Ford and imported THAT directly instead of changing so many things (unrelated to safety)... THEN, the Fiesta would've been something interesting.

But, they didn't, and so, all the changes lead to oddities here and there (like the transmission's reported "hunting" for the appropriate gear).

C'est la vie.

 

Drove the Fiesta...didn't find it anywhere near as fun as the FIT!

 

It was a choice between the Fit and the Fiesta for me. The Fiesta lost out because of the Made-In-Mexico vs. Made-In-Japan thing. Also, many reviews I read said the Fiesta's engine was LOUD and the construction very cheap.

I have no idea how that stacks up to the Fit, but I love my Fit and had coveted it for some time.

 

I liked the Fiesta because of the rally version. Otherwise, I love my fit way more. Especially with my MT. The Fiesta just looked small and wimpy to me. And I've seen tons of them on the road here in Louisiana already. Where I may see 3 or 4 fit's a day. I see at least 6 fiesta's.