2012 & 2013 Ford Wagon Reviews & Ratings

For about a hundred years, American brand Ford has been mass-producing various types of vehicles in the U.S. and across the globe. The wagon has often been a successful model for the Ford brand, especially the Ford Taurus wagon, which had three seats and was offered for several years before it was replaced by the Ford Freestyle in 2006. For the 2012 year, Ford is offering two wagon models, the reliable, entry-level Ford Focus and the value-based Ford Fiesta, both of which carry on the Ford tr... (full review continues below)

For about a hundred years, American brand Ford has been mass-producing various types of vehicles in the U.S. and across the globe. The wagon has often been a successful model for the Ford brand, especially the Ford Taurus wagon, which had three seats and was offered for several years before it was replaced by the Ford Freestyle in 2006. For the 2012 year, Ford is offering two wagon models, the reliable, entry-level Ford Focus and the value-based Ford Fiesta, both of which carry on the Ford tradition in the best way possible.

The Ford Fiesta is an economy car that finds its way into a struggling economy, and is sure to succeed because of it. The subcompact Fiesta was last offered in America for three years in the 1970s, but it was, at that point, not highly regarded by drivers or auto critics. The new Ford Fiesta, however, is now available and ready to erase all negative associations with its name with impressive comfort and driving quality features. The 2012 Fiesta wagon has a starting MSRP of only $14,100 and also comes in a sedan model. (The sedan comes in at about a grand less).

The Fiesta wagon gets an impressive 29 mpg city and 38 mpg highway and comes in S, SE, and SES trims. This four-door wagon competes with such vehicles as the Kia Rio, the Chevy Sonic, and the Honda Fit, but its ride quality far outweighs that of its competitors. The Fiesta's welcoming, refined cabin is another fantastic feature, as are its sporty looks and fun personality. Standard features for the base trim wagon include a 1.4-liter 4-cylinder engine, a choice of manual or automatic transmission, and an MP3 player.

The Ford Focus has been the brand's entry-level small sedan since the 2000 model year, and it was designed to be sold around the world in much the same form as it is sold in the U.S. (Today this is about 80 percent accurate). . The European Focus features more powerful diesel and gasoline engines, as well as more features. For 2012, it comes in wagon, standard sedan and electric models, with the wagon starting at $18,200 and its electric version starting at $39,200. The Focus is known for its style, technology options, and refined engine and transmission. It was completely redesigned for 2012 and the wagon version comes in SE, SEL, and Titanium trims and competes with such vehicles as the Chevy Cruze and the Mazda 3.

The 2012 Focus really puts Ford back in the game as far as small sedans are concerned; its upgrades and innovations, especially the EV model, are quite impressive. Standard features for the base SE Focus wagon include a rear spoiler, a removable cargo cover, a rear spoiler, a 60/40 split-folding backseat, and Ford's MyKey parental controls. The Focus' features can be further enhanced by the optional SE Convenience and Sport packages. The wagon also comes with an optional winter package for all trim levels. The feature-packed SEL and Titanium trims come with an optional Parking Technology package.