For far too long, small cars were the homework US automakers didn't want to do. Think back to the grim, joyless Chevrolet Chevette, or the first Ford Escort--and even today, the breathtakingly mediocre 2009 Dodge Caliber and its misbegotten half-brother, the 2009 Jeep Compass.
OK, now stop thinking that way. The stars have realigned in such a way that US drivers will soon get to buy cars just as good as the ones our European counterparts enjoy. In fact, ours will be better. They'll have more equipment, and they'll cost less.
Today's example is the 2011 Ford Fiesta. Or, rather, a European version of the Fiesta that Ford will start selling as...