<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/economy/" rel="tag">Budget</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/sedans/" rel="tag">Sedan</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/hatchbacks/" rel="tag">Hatchback</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/ford/" rel="tag">Ford</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/driving/" rel="tag">First Drive</a></p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/first-drive-2011-ford-fiesta/"><img vspace="4" hspace="0" border="1" alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/04/01fordfiestafd2011opt.jpg" /></a>
<div style="text-align: center;"><em><strong><small>2011 Ford Fiesta - Click above for high-res image gallery</small></strong></em></div>
<br />
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 <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/model/fiesta">2011 Ford Fiesta</a> is nothing if not overexposed. And <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2009/06/26/review-2010-ford-fiesta-euro-spec-almost-ready-for-u-s-arrival/">we've</a> <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2008/09/08/first-drive-2009-ford-fiesta/">driven it</a>. <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2009/04/03/first-drive-an-hour-with-the-ford-fiesta-in-the-big-apple/">Thrice</a>. So is there really anything left to learn?<br />
<br />
As a matter of fact, yes.<br />
<br />
The Fiestas we've sampled over the last year have all been European-spec models, which had us constantly questioning whether <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/make/ford/">Ford</a> 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.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="postgallery"><p><strong>Gallery: <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/first-drive-2011-ford-fiesta/">First Drive: 2011 Ford Fiesta</a></strong></p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/first-drive-2011-ford-fiesta/#2914311"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/04/01fordfiestafd2011_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/first-drive-2011-ford-fiesta/#2914314"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/04/02fordfiestafd2011_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/first-drive-2011-ford-fiesta/#2914315"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/04/03fordfiestafd2011_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/first-drive-2011-ford-fiesta/#2914317"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/04/04fordfiestafd2011_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/first-drive-2011-ford-fiesta/#2914319"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/04/05fordfiestafd2011_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a></div><br />
<em><strong><small>Photos by Damon Lavrinc / </small></strong></em><em><strong><small>Copyright (C)2010</small></strong></em><em><strong><small> Weblogs, Inc.</small></strong></em><p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/04/26/2011-ford-fiesta-first-drive/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>First Drive: 2011 Ford Fiesta aims to be the new subcompact king [w/video]</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ddd;border:1px solid #ccc;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/04/26/2011-ford-fiesta-first-drive/">First Drive: 2011 Ford Fiesta aims to be the new subcompact king [w/video]</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.autoblog.com">Autoblog</a> on Mon, 26 Apr 2010 00:01:00 EST. Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.</p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/04/26/2011-ford-fiesta-first-drive/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/forward/19452978/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a> | <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/04/26/2011-ford-fiesta-first-drive/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>
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<div style="text-align: center;"><em><strong><small>2011 Ford Fiesta - Click above for high-res image gallery</small></strong></em></div>
<br />
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 <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/model/fiesta">2011 Ford Fiesta</a> is nothing if not overexposed. And <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2009/06/26/review-2010-ford-fiesta-euro-spec-almost-ready-for-u-s-arrival/">we've</a> <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2008/09/08/first-drive-2009-ford-fiesta/">driven it</a>. <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2009/04/03/first-drive-an-hour-with-the-ford-fiesta-in-the-big-apple/">Thrice</a>. So is there really anything left to learn?<br />
<br />
As a matter of fact, yes.<br />
<br />
The Fiestas we've sampled over the last year have all been European-spec models, which had us constantly questioning whether <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/make/ford/">Ford</a> 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.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="postgallery"><p><strong>Gallery: <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/first-drive-2011-ford-fiesta/">First Drive: 2011 Ford Fiesta</a></strong></p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/first-drive-2011-ford-fiesta/#2914311"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/04/01fordfiestafd2011_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/first-drive-2011-ford-fiesta/#2914314"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/04/02fordfiestafd2011_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/first-drive-2011-ford-fiesta/#2914315"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/04/03fordfiestafd2011_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/first-drive-2011-ford-fiesta/#2914317"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/04/04fordfiestafd2011_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/first-drive-2011-ford-fiesta/#2914319"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/04/05fordfiestafd2011_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a></div><br />
<em><strong><small>Photos by Damon Lavrinc / </small></strong></em><em><strong><small>Copyright (C)2010</small></strong></em><em><strong><small> Weblogs, Inc.</small></strong></em><p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/04/26/2011-ford-fiesta-first-drive/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>First Drive: 2011 Ford Fiesta aims to be the new subcompact king [w/video]</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ddd;border:1px solid #ccc;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/04/26/2011-ford-fiesta-first-drive/">First Drive: 2011 Ford Fiesta aims to be the new subcompact king [w/video]</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.autoblog.com">Autoblog</a> on Mon, 26 Apr 2010 00:01:00 EST. Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.</p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/04/26/2011-ford-fiesta-first-drive/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/forward/19452978/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a> | <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/04/26/2011-ford-fiesta-first-drive/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>
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