While the Fiesta SEL 2012 model has a lot of aesthetic benefits to it, overall the transmission problems with this line of car makes it a terrible buy. The SEL features a moon roof, a spoiler, Ford Sync, and other fun amenities. The transmission makes each of these amenities moot, because the Fiesta's Ford began using a new transmission model. Unfortunately, they did not get all of the kinks out of it. Fiesta's tend to have a problem called "transmission shudder," where the car has a hard time going into gear and produces a shuddering effect, instead. Many Fiesta's are under warranty for this and their parts have been recalled, but even after multiple fixes, the problem persists. For this reason, a Fiesta, while sporty and fun appearing, does not measure up. It does get good gas mileage, however. I do average about 30 miles per gallon. I do a lot of in-town driving and occasional highway driving. It does better in the upper gears than it does shifting into first and second. It has all of the expected amenities of a car from 2012, however. A/C, heat, radio, Sirius radio, hands-free calling, USB port, auxiliary port, etc.

I do particularly enjoy driving my vehicle over all with a few minor caveats. The interior I went with was the standard gray cloth, the exterior is ruby red and I believe the color compensates for the fact that it's a sub-compact. That size was a concern to me because I live in Texas where everyone drives huge F-250s that might make driving a smaller car feel cramped or unsafe. It's economically efficient, maneuverable, inexpensive without being cheap, modern looking, and fun to drive. The Fiesta saves considerably on fuel costs and rarely do I spend more than $20.00 a tank for gas refill. Keep up on oil changes and advised maintenance in the owners manual and there are minimal problems. Parts like tires are very inexpensive to replace. I used this vehicle for ride-sharing as well as delivery jobs and the wear and tear is kept at a minimum. Being in the car for extended periods about around 8-10 hours is a favorable experience. I like the layout of the dashboard as well, there is even room for me to mount my iPhone on the dash using an after market magnet which is highly useful. The exterior of the car is very good-looking and has nice lines rather than just being a round shape as many newer generation vehicle design's are. Its not overtly boxy and has a unique style so that I don't confuse it with the variety of other sub-compact hatchback's on the market. Also I play the double-bass and I can fit one inside the car if I fold the seats down, at that point there's only room for me and the instrument. I regularly used this vehicle and never had a problem where the car wouldn't start up, or I felt unsafe while driving it. There's plenty of airbags and it has one of the best crash ratings in its class. It is rather low to ground while driving, but I don't scrape the underbelly on anything. And from what I read about crash testing it comes with crumple zones to really protect the occupants, though I haven't had the misfortune to test this theory out in real life. The interface does feel slightly dated compared to simply using my smart phone, as its just a black and white screen with audio controls and clock settings but I believe there is a higher navigation system on other models. Its uncomplicated which makes usability simple for everyone. There is plenty of places to put drinks in the car. And I would also say that there is not a whole lot of leg room in the backseat unless the front-seat occupants decide they want to scoot forward a bit. A friend of mine has the exact same car except its the sedan and that version has more leg room in the back seat. For two people though, which is the vast majority of my occupant ratio, it's quite roomy.