Full 2012 Ford Fiesta Review
What's New for 2012
For 2012 the Ford Fiesta is unchanged.
Introduction
Until fairly recently, American economy cars had been about as enticing as a trip to the dentist. All the important factors buyers considered -- overall build quality, upkeep costs, reliability and longevity -- were points of embarrassment for Cavaliers, Escorts and Neons. But the times they are a-changing, and with the 2012 Ford Fiesta the U.S. has something to be proud of.
Offering perhaps the ultimate in practicality in this segment, the Honda Fit is hard to fault with its impressively versatile interior, pleasing driving dynamics and high overall quality. But those who want more spice in their daily driving diet will likely find the Fiesta even more fun. With its smooth, eager engine, precise, well-weighted steering and agile chassis, the Fiesta soundly disproves the theory that a small, practical and inexpensive car must be about as exciting to pilot as a shopping cart.
Unlike much of its competition, the Ford Fiesta is available in both sedan and hatchback body styles. Of course, the hatchback provides greater cargo capacity, but some folks prefer the more formal look of a sedan so Ford provides the choice. Either way, the Fiesta provides sprightly handling, a compliant ride and a quiet cabin at freeway speed. It also offers features that are uncommon in this class, such as keyless ignition and Ford's superb Sync system, which, among other things, allows you to control audio and cell phone functions via voice commands.
Body Styles, Trim Levels, and Options
The 2012 Ford Fiesta comes with four doors in both sedan and hatchback form. There are three trim levels for the sedan (S, SE and SEL) and two trims for the hatchback (SE and SES).
The S sedan is the bare-bones, entry-level Fiesta and comes with 15-inch steel wheels, a capless fuel filler, power mirrors, a tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, a four-speaker AM/FM stereo (with an auxiliary input jack and USB port) and a 60/40 split-folding rear seat. The SE sedan adds metallic cabin accents, power windows and door locks and a CD player. The SEL sedan adds LED parking lights, a rear spoiler, 16-inch "premium painted" wheels, a premium sound system (with satellite radio and six speakers), ambient lighting, an auto-dimming rearview mirror and the Sync multimedia voice-command system which now also offers turn-by-turn navigation.
The SE hatchback is equipped similarly to the SE sedan but adds a rear spoiler and wiper. The SES hatchback is equipped similarly to the SEL sedan but adds a rear wiper.
Some options are grouped into packages that allow lower trims to have the features of upper trims, and the upper trims have access to optional features such as keyless entry/ignition, heated front seats and leather seating. There's even a Super Fuel Economy (SFE) package that optimizes fuel mileage via aerodynamic tweaks (blocked-out lower grille, smooth underbody panels), lightweight wheels and special tires. Individual options, depending on trim, include 17-inch alloy wheels, a sunroof and special paint colors.
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