By Bryan Redeker

            This past weekend I attended the 60^th anniversary party for the Grand Haven Airpark. I took the Ford Fiesta and placed it on display along a number of classic cars ranging from Bug-eye Sprite to a 1969 Mustang Boss 302. The Fiesta gathers a surprising amount of attention where ever it goes, and I always get a few questions about the car. The most common question from this event was if it was a hybrid. I tell people that it is not, and that the Fiesta is powered by a 1.6L DOHC gasoline engine. Honestly, I am glad it is not a hybrid. Batteries are heavy, there is no delightful intake roar or engine noise, handling is less precise with all of the extra weight from all of the hybrid components, and you don’t get a tachometer with a hybrid. The Fiesta really is a driver’s car, and you smile like a little kid each time you drive it. I have driven hybrids, and they are ok. They dazzle you with fancy electronics, but in the end, they are not fun to drive. I would rather take a fuel efficient small car that is fun to drive over a hybrid any day. For me, hybrids are the clubs in my golf bag and not what is under the hood.

            I also got numerous comments on the Hot Magenta color, which seems to be well received everywhere I take the car. The list of features such as the knee airbag, voice activated controls, Bluetooth connectivity, key-free starting, automatic headlights and wipers, and the leather appointed interior really surprise people. Nobody expects those types of things in a small car, and that is what makes the Fiesta that much better than the rest of the B-segment cars. I handed out a good number of Fiesta Movement cards and hope to get a few test drives scheduled. It always shocks me how many people are interested in the Fiesta and how much attention it grabs. I am sure nobody would have bothered to look at my car if it was a Yaris or an Aveo.