2011 Ford Fiesta test drive review. The compact goes from Europe, to San Francisco, to Kansas City

It has been said that trends in fashion and culture tend to be created in Europe, are adopted by the West coast, and eventually become popular in the Midwest.

To test this theory, I traveled to San Francisco, drove a new car that was designed and sold in Europe, and brought the story back to Kansas City.

The car is the new Ford Fiesta. Fiesta? Yes, Fiesta. I know what you're thinking: "That's that crap box Ford from the '70s. Why would they start making that pile again?" And technically, your question would be wrong. Because even though the Ford Fiesta was replaced in the U.S. market by the Escort in 1981, it continued to be sold and refined overseas. Right now, it is the best-selling car in Europe. Perhaps it isn't the homely rust bucket that it was when we last encountered it.

Our test consisted of a number of 2011 Fiestas in both the sedan and five-door hatchback configurations, as well as a Toyota Yaris, a Honda Fit, and a Chevrolet Aveo for comparison. We left the traffic and congestion of the downtown San Francisco area and headed south for an awe-inspiring drive through winding mountain roads, beautiful coastal regions, and majestic redwood forests to see how much the Fiesta has learned while studying abroad for thirty years.

READ THE FULL REVIEW AND SEE THE PHOTO GALLERY HERE