2011 Ford Fiesta EPA Fuel Economy

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2011 Ford Fiesta EPA Fuel Economy Rating Announced

Posted: May. 17, 2010

The 2011 Ford Fiesta debuted at the top of our affordable small car rankings list. But now Ford has another reason to celebrate: the official fuel economy estimates are in.

Left Lane News reports, "The class-leading Fiesta will offer 29 city, 40 highway MPG when equipped with the six-speed automatic PowerShift transmission -- besting the next closest competitor -- Toyota Yaris -- by 4 MPG highway." If you opt for the manual, you'll get 28/37 city highway, according to the EPA.

So, what's sipping all that gas? Autoblog says, "All North American Fiestas for now are equipped with a 120 horsepower, 1.6-liter inline four regardless of which gearbox is selected."

Still, the Detroit Free Press reports that the Fiesta's place at the top of the class when it comes to fuel economy may be short lived. "However, the bigger Chevrolet Cruze -- which has the interior space of a midsize sedan, although Chevy will market it as a compact -- will match the Fiesta's 40-m.p.g. highway rating when it goes on sale this fall, General Motors executives say." The Free Press adds, "The Chevrolet Aveo, Honda Fit, Kia Rio, Mini Cooper, Nissan Versa, Scion xD and Toyota Yaris have EPA ratings of 27-29 m.p.g. in the city and 34-37 on the highway." While the Fiesta does beat all gas-only four-seat cars in its class, the Honda Civic Hybrid and the Smart Fortwo each have better overall fuel economy ratings.

One important point is that to save at the pump, you'll have to pay at the dealership. Automobile Magazine points out that the dual-clutch PowerShift transmission that nets best fuel economy adds about $1,000 to the Fiesta's base price: "Buyers will be able to attain that vaulted 40-mpg EPA rating on any Fiesta model, but the least expensive route is to add the PowerShift gearbox to the Fiesta S sedan. Vehicles so equipped will start at $15,065 (including $750 in destination fees) when they roll into U.S. showrooms later this summer."

Production on the Fiesta has begun and the first cars are expected to hit dealerships in June.

LINK:
2011 Ford Fiesta EPA Fuel Economy Rating Announced - U.S. News Rankings and Reviews