2011 Ford Fiesta the New Geo Metro?

[Arminius]

Sorry to invoke the name of the legendary Geo Metro for this thread, but it was the first thing that came to mind when reading about next year's Ford Fiesta. It will get about 40 hwy epa mpg on the sfe model, which is near the top (at the top?) in its class. 10 years from now it may be the unappreciated hatchback that everyone wants to mod, although the upgrade includes lower grill blockers and underbody mods already.

Super Fuel Economy Package - $795
Rear tire deflectors; Underbody shields; Blockers on lower grille; Front and rear alloy wheels with 15 inch rim diam; Front and rear tires with 195 mm tire width, 60% tire profile and T tire rating; Alloy rim spare wheel; Cruise control; Requires: [44A] 6-Speed Powershift Automatic Transmission; Excludes: [202A] Rapid Spec - Sport Appearance Package And [60A] 17" Alloy Wheels and Tires (Dealer)

Source: 2011 Ford Fiesta SE Sedan Options - 2011 Ford Fiesta SE Packages - Motor Trend Magazine

[cfg83]

Arminius -

Wow, that's amazing. An actual bonafide eco-pack as an option. I just wish it came with a manual tranny, . Anyway, I wish them luck.

CarloSW2

[Arminius]

It comes in a manual, but the manual only gets 38 mpg on the hwy. I bet the hypermilers will all prefer the manual, anyhow.

[jamesqf]

Besides, I don't want the new Geo Metro, I want the new Honda CRX :-)

[oldertech]

I saw the Fiesta at the KC Auto show and did more research. Apparently, that 6 speed transmission is interesting in that it has no torque converter. It's supposed to be like two manual transmissions bolted together, so that one hands off to the other with mechanical clutches. Brings to mind some transmission of the past that were too complex for their own good. Ford says they are maintenance free, but on wonders about those clutches. And is the 2mpg difference worth the trouble? Can a eco-minded driver make up the difference in driving habits with a manual? And what about those underbody shields and grille blockers? Can they be ordered separately? The cool thing is that someone has been paying attention to mods that work, if they are adding them to new cars.

Fiesta would be my choice after looking over all the cars at the show. But I'm anxious to see the new Chevy Spark. I've read terrrrible things about the new CRX, trying to be a "hybred" and the extra weight making the car slow and horrible. It gets 37 with all that complexity, and isn't really fast. Heck, my old Cobalt could do that. I think Ford has it right with the Fiesta.

[Old Tele man]

...economy co$ts exta? but gas-guzzling comes as a "no-co$t" option?

[RobertSmalls]

Originally Posted by Old Tele man

...economy co$ts exta? but gas-guzzling comes as a "no-co$t" option?

The grille block and undercar aero devices may not cost much, but the 6-speed auto and alloy wheels aren't cheap for Ford.

Think of the SFE as the baseline, and the regular model as one stripped of $700 worth of FE gear.

[Old Tele man]

...my back-handed slap at Ford's FE marketing.

[Frank Lee]

IIRC I read about that car a while back and Ford marketing went on at length about the affluent urban gadget geek they hoped to snag, so it was loaded up with tons of electronic gook. I'd be interested in a stripper version, like the old Escort Pony, with a plain ol' 4 or 5 speed stick.

[Old Tele man]

...yep, we had a yellow '76 Pinto Pony wagon.