The College Driver recently had the chance to sit down with the first Ford Fiesta owner in the state of New York. Eric Schmid is a 22-year-old who has the soul of a giddy child when it comes to fun-to-drive cars. He just picked up his Ford Fiesta SE a few days ago after a great purchasing experience at Van Bortel Ford in Victor, NY.
I asked Eric several questions about why he bought the Fiesta, how it fits his lifestyle, and why he loves it. Based on the interview, you'll quickly understand his love for exciting automobiles and how the new Ford Fiesta now fits under that category.
How did you learn about the Fiesta?
I knew about the Fiesta beforehand, I drove it last summer in Rochester, NY when a few Fiesta Agents brought it to the local fair. Then I asked for the help of a friend of mine who was a salesman at Van Bortel Ford. He helped me get in line for one.
What was your previous car?
My previous car was a 2008 Honda Civic Si. I wasn't happy with it as the interior quality wasn't there. All of the surfaces were hard and several panels were misaligned. Coming from older European cars such as an early 90s BMW, I was disappointed.
I liked the Civic Si because of its available power, even if they were at higher RPMs. It handled like a video game though, with uncommunicative steering and I felt it get "pushed around" on the highway. It also felt HUGE, which is odd for a car classified as a compact. I found it often difficult to parallel park.
What other cars were you interested in?
I was definitely interested in the Mazda3 hatchback or a Volkswagen GTI. My brother has a GTI and I like the high quality interior and great handling. Those were the two choices I was stacking up against the Fiesta 5-door.
After driving the European version at the fair in Rochester though, I was impressed. I'm so glad that Ford decided to finally bring over such a great vehicle from Europe and hope they continue to do so. I knew I had to look further into the Fiesta.
Did you ever own a Ford before?
I've never owned a Ford, or a car made by an American manufacturer before. It was a big deal to me because I never liked their styling or driving dynamics, as compared to European cars.
I'm also really excited about the redesigned Ford Focus. I think it's going to be a larger version of the Fiesta with all of the same characteristics that make it a great car to drive, but with more room. The Focus will probably be my next car.
What do you like about the Fiesta so far?
I like that I chose to get mine with a manual. It costs less and to me, is even more fun-to-drive. The handling of the Fiesta is fantastic; On the highway, EPAS with Pull-Drift Compensation makes me feel like I'm driving a heavy, stable car since crosswinds don't push it around.
The Fiesta feels substantial, almost like a tank. Yet when you take a turn you can feel how lightweight it is. I'd put it on the same bar as a VW or other German automobiles. The ride is very quiet on the city and highway too.
The interior quality surprised me, it looks and feels like a car costing $10,000 more! There are soft touch surfaces in the areas that hands can reach, and nicely grained hard plastics in other places such as where the dash and windshield meet.
I like the side bolstering of the seats, the LED daytime running lights, the three-blink lane change feature, and the awesome SYNC system. I just speak the name of the song I want and a second later it starts playing from my iPod.
I also really enjoyed the "buzz" around the car. I loved the Fiesta Movement and all of the attention the car received around the country.
Overall, I'm simply surprised that the Fiesta is this good in every category.
What don't you like about the Fiesta?
There isn't much. The dashboard reflects onto the windshield, but I think that's probably because the dealer applied a protective coating. It could also use a bit more power, but honestly, what it has now is more than enough for local and distance driving.
What features/aspects of a car were important to you?
My next car had to be solid and be a blast to drive. Driver involvement was #1. Styling was important too, and I feel that the Fiesta has a European design. It stands out on the road, which was what I was aiming for as well.
I wanted media connectivity and I got it with the Ford SYNC system. Unfortunately, I cannot pair my three-year-old phone to it since it is not compatible, but I will be upgrading very soon. I wanted a premium-feeling compact car, like the VW GTI. I also wanted it to be fuel-efficient though, and of course easy to park.
In the end, I wanted to feel like I got more for my money than I should have.
We're glad Eric loves his Fiesta and we cannot wait to hear from more Fiesta drivers. We'll keep you posted on Eric and any surprises the Fiesta brings him.
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A Civic Si is a rocketship compared with the new Fiesta. Not even in the same class. The Si has the K20Z3 engine which has won it's class in the American Lemans series for the past 2 years. This guy may be more happy with his new econobox, but he wasn't a driving enthusiast in the first place.
Just want to respond to reb dch about his post about the Si. It is true the Si is faster than the Fiesta, but as an owner of both cars and many others, the Honda had horrible drive-ability, peak horsepower wasn't until the top of the rev range. The Fiesta handles better because it is lighter, has a shorter wheelbase, quicker steering, and smaller lighter wheels, and not to mention way more steering feel. I went from a BMW 3 series to the Honda so I went from great steering feel to a video game. The Honda was fun to drive, but only at full bore, the fiesta is entertaining at all speeds. Not to mention the Honda felt flimsy and was poorly assembled. What also needs to be mentioned is that I paid $22k for the flimsy Honda and under $16k for the more solid fun to drive and much more feature laden Fiesta. So yes, I am a driving enthusiast, because real driving enthusiasts recognize that driving enjoyment isn't about all out speed (yes I will buy the turbo fiesta when it comes out because extra oomph is always nice, but not always necessary). By the way, comparing my Fiesta to the Le-mans Si is like me comparing the Rally spec Fiesta to a civic si...not really a fair comparison...and if you didn't already realize, I'm the Eric in the article.
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