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Ford Fiesta wins with looks, value
Dual-clutch 6-speed is worth the expense

Ford Fiesta Performance - A 40-m.p.g. EPA highway rating on the SFE version, sharp handling, contemporary looks and advanced features like a dual-clutch transmission and voice control of audio, phone and other systems make the Fiesta a winner.

However, the car's price comes in at the high end of its class, and the Fiesta could use more low-end torque and interior storage cubbies.

Fantastic Ford Fiesta

This has been a good year for mythical creatures.

After years of unconfirmed sightings that were widely dismissed as fictitious, the Department of Natural Resources just took a photo of an honest-to-goodness cougar prowling northern Michigan's woods.

If cougars walk among us, who knows what else is possible? Sasquatch might saunter into downtown Seattle for a cappuccino. Perhaps Nessie will playfully splash a fisherman on the banks of Loch Ness.

An American automaker might even build a subcompact car that looks great and whips the competition's fuel economy.

Check that last one off the list, and watch out for unicorns.

With the 2011 Fiesta subcompact sedan and hatchback, Ford offers the most fuel-efficient and sophisticated subcompact car on the market.

Prices for the 2011 Fiesta start at $13,320 for a base S sedan with a 120-horsepower 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine and five-speed transmission. The 1.6-liter engine is standard in all models. The best-equipped sedan, an SEL, starts at $16,320. The stylish and practical Fiesta hatchback -- my favorite Fiesta by far -- stickers at $15,120 for an SE and $17,120 for an SES.

Swapping the manual transmission for a very good six-speed dual clutch adds $1,070 to any Fiesta model.