It's not too shabby seeing it in person since this is a full NA spec Model. It had Black Leather with the White Piping Trim on it. Unfortunately no test drives allowed, even the salesmen weren't allowed to play with it at all. There was a Ford Media Specialist taking pics along with me. I felt like an idiot being the only one there dressed in a white Ford Racing Tee and blue jeans snapping pics of the car and checking it out first hand. In a fast summary here's my take on it.
Pros: About time Ford truly gave us a car that didn't have cheap plastic on the Dash and Door Panels.
The steering wheel as I commented to a salesmen is very hand friendly. I can hold that wheel all day with one hand while driving long distance and not get tired, just like my Focus. The Wheel Controls themselves are easy to memorize and a good driver will know how to work them without taking eyes off the road.
The Seats were nice and feel just as good as the European Seats. I sat right down and liked the fact I wasn't sitting on a couch but actually sitting in a seat like on the Euro Version. The seat was firm yet comfortable, no sinking in like somebody who weighed a few bucks had sat in it for a long time, obviously the seat is designed for longevity.
Plenty of front Legroom! I can sit with the seat up if I have passengers in the back and not have to look like a NASCAR Driver.
The car is very user friendly, the layout is well done and the car is good refresher for Ford's line up. It's got what the youth want.
The Pricing, the Fiesta gives you quality and the price to match. Another bold step for Ford in putting the competition back in its place. The Fiesta is going to be a strong seller.
The Cons:
Options, options, and more options please. I know this car is just coming out but with what's available on the Euro model we can have those as well. This car is suppose to be about personality and not your run of the mill B-Segment Compact as FoE demonstrates. Come on Ford lets see a few more Rims come over from Europe in the 16' size. Also a couple more engine options and for the love of all that is intelligent this car gets 40mpgs with a gas engine give us the Diesel. That will hit Grand Slams at dealers. Right there will hold the Japanese by their baby makers. Interior personality, one shouldn't need to have a push button start to get Leather Seats. Ford do away with your rapid spec packages and let us really get good and personal with these cars.
Fog lamp option for the front, LED Driving lights look good for the person who has to figure out what hat goes with his outfit which has to match his car. But for the guy like me who is a certified safety nut and can't get enough front end lighting that is useful for seeing rather than be seen. (Seriously if you can't see a set headlights at night and have to look for LED lights, you don't deserve to have a license.) Give me front Fogs please especially where I live its foggy often in the early morning and headlamps don't always often cut it. It would be nice to see a choice between these and Fog Lamps to satisfy both sides of the line here. A compromise can be reached without problems.
The Pros outweigh the cons and I'll have a further review once I've had my test drive.
I'll toss a couple more pics in here for yall' to keep your mouths watered.
