Faults:

The driver's side window (electric) got stuck once. Fixed it under warranty.

Outside of that, there hasn't been a single issue in 40K miles, and I give her the beans.

General Comments:

I'm not kidding when I say, for me, the Ford Fiesta may be the greatest car ever made, for its rare combination of attributes.

Firstly, it is very fun to drive.

Secondly, you can fit a dresser drawer in it.

Thirdly, I average better than 40 MPG in the summer on straight gas. Best tank ever was 45.3 (hypermiled).

With this last one comes the only trade off in this car. The engine is what you might call "rubber band". The fun is to be had in braking and cornering (very light and poised, great steering feel); not so much in exiting the corner. But I'm very happy breaking late and pulling some g's without using any extra fuel at all. The manual transmission obviously helps with this as well (but sticks are just inherently more fun to drive -- do people still know this?).

That said, looking forward to my next car, the 3-cylinder turbo Fiesta. Said to provide quite a bit more thump, AND improve the economy (I guess then technically that makes that car the best ever).

Assorted notes: the car is a bit stiffer than most of the boats on American roads, though not terrible; the seats are super comfy except for the headrests, which jut like a half-inch too far forward; finally, not a deal-breaker, but it would be super fantastic if the seats folded flat (it's a lot to ask for such a cheap car I suppose). Das ist alles!

I hope I've talked you into it; if you value the characteristics I listed above, you will love this car. There just aren't too many autos, in this country at least, that tick off as many boxes as this one does.

Faults:

Nothing.

General Comments:

I'm at 20k miles on my Fiesta, and still love it more and more every day!

I have an SES (hatchback) with the 6-speed PowerShift automatic transmission; I did not opt for the Intelligent Access, leather trim, or heated seats. I bought the Fiesta for its low MPG, low price for the features available, and styling.

Some people have had trouble with the PowerShift, since it's a new technology for Ford, but mine has worked flawlessly. It isn't a "slushbox" automatic, you do feel/notice the shifting, but it functions very smoothly. The car learns your driving style the first 3k miles, and the transmission and MPG improve noticeably after that.

I'm a member of a Fiesta enthusiast web forum: www.fiestafaction.com/forums and have found the community to be help before and since I bought my Fiesta. I recommend it as a resource to any prospective buyers!

Faults:

The only issue I have had with my Fiesta is the Sync system freezing up. After I updated my software to get rid of the 'bug', I didn't have any other issues.

General Comments:

This is seriously a great car. It's very fun to drive. It does exactly what I want out of a car, and I really don't mind it being so small. I have fit four average sized adults in there with no problem. It's not something I would do everyday, but it wasn't terribly uncomfortable.

I have heard a lot of talk about how the Fiesta is not a good car, and it does not handle or switch gears well. I have not had any issues with the way the car drives. I can only assume that it is the people that are driving the vehicle, and not the vehicle itself that has problems.

My car is not loud, in fact I can barely hear it once the radio is on and I'm on the highway.

I have also never had any problems with visibility. I am just an average sized female, so I'm not struggling to get in and out of the car.

Obviously I wouldn't buy this car if I was 6 foot 5.

I am not a fan of the sedan, I like the hatch much better. It is also the bright magenta, and it looks great in all lights.

I got a great deal on my car, and it is not overpriced in any way.