By Bryan Redeker

Today Brandon took the Fiesta to show it to some people while I was at work, so I drove my Mustang. You would think that going from a 120hp Fiesta to a 380hp, 400+ft-lb torque, full race suspension from Maximum Motorsports, and massive brakes would cause me not want to go back. Honestly, that is not the case. You are right, the sound of a highly tuned V8 is addicting, and so is enough torque to make the earth spin backwards. But there is more to a car than just the numbers; it is the total package that really counts. The suspension on my Mustang is all race quality stuff, many tubular lightweight parts, spherical rod ends, CNC’d aluminum components, and has all been adjusted to provide the maximum amount of grip. That comes with sacrificing comfort. Replacing rubber with aluminum transmit a lot of NVH to the driver and passenger. The roll cage that stiffens the chassis impedes entry and egress, and doesn’t allow for anymore than one passenger. The big V8 only runs good when the weather is 80’F outside, and can’t adapt to anything else. Oh, it sucks a lot of gas as well.

So how does this lead to the Fiesta? Well, the Fiesta provides all of the cornering fun that my Mustang has in a more civil package. While the Fiesta has way less power, it makes better use of it. You really can go to WOT without having to worry about swapping ends! The turn in and steering response of the Fiesta is on par with the road racing suspension of my Mustang. I spent tens of thousands of dollars building my Mustang to go around corners. The Fiesta comes as a complete car, ready to go, and handles outstanding! The amount of confidence the Fiesta inspires is also a nice change compared to the Mustang. There is no doubt that a small mistake in my Mustang will end in disaster. The level of precision to drive the Mustang at the limit is something I lack. The Fiesta on the other hand encourages you to find the limit, it wants you to push, it gives you the feedback needed to be safe. There is a reason why my Focus ZX3 still holds the record for my fastest lap time. The car made me feel confident enough to push, and rewarded me with outstanding response and feedback. The Fiesta is the same way, the car communicates to you as a driver. It amazes me that Ford can build a small car that handles like a pure bred track car, right out of the box and it is comfortable to drive everyday. This car will make people better drivers because they will be confident from the feeling you get while sitting in the driver’s seat.