There was the choice of a petrol option for this but I’m trying to watch my wallet and I figured that a diesel would probably have a better economy and encourage me to drive fast a little bit less hopefully saving me money in the long run. And I have to say that my wallet very much approves of my purchase, the insurance is surprisingly low, and fuel economy usually comes out just shy of 60mpg which is fantastic as far as I’m concerned. It is also quite cheap to insure and you can pick a decent one up these days for a good price.
The reason I wanted the Fiesta Zetec is because it looks remarkably similar to the ST (of my car’s generation). There are many ST bits and bobs around the cabin and it’s generally a nice place to be. The front of the cabin has an airy feel to it and is very comfortable to be in. The back is a little bit of a squash at the best of times but it’s still possible to just about get two adults in there in comfort. I don’t think a third would be very comfortable!
I knew the drive wouldn’t be a patch on the petrol but I must confess, it does actually come quite close, there is plenty of low-range pull which is great for round town. If you find yourself on an empty road, you can really push on if you have your gear changes under control.
Overall, it’s an engaging car and you can drive it quick if you really want to. At the same time it’s friendly to your wallet and a genuinely pleasant car to spend time in.
I bought a Ford Fiesta Ghia second hand and never regretted the decision. Even after many years of driving it, I never had a single breakdown. It's very easy to maintain, uses very little fuel and is generally a joy to drive.
I had one of these lovely little vehicles for 3 years. For its size, it's a zippy car, with good road handling and plenty of space for passengers and, with judicious packing, a fair bit of luggage. The car is well constructed: sturdy body work and a well-designed, simple interior. I found it a comfortable ride, very reliable and extremely economical on petrol! If you can still find one with reasonable mileage (very low mileage means it's been standing around too much of it's life though) which has been well maintained - it could be a good buy.
This is a great little runaround car. Perfect for the city as its compact but also really spacious inside-huge boot. Handles well on the motorway too and doesn't feel like its struggling, even at 70mph. Can easily fit three people in the back-so perfect for friends and family.Cheap to run and low tax and insurance. Good first car as its built well and reliable. Never had any problems with it.
Love the air conditioning on my Ford Fiesta, though that might be only in the Zetec S. I'm sure it's in some others, probably not all though cos the FIesta is a cheapy car really.
This is my first car and it's been great so far. I got it second hand privately from some guy off gumtree. I was a bit wary about that but all the paperwork and HPI checked out so I wasn't that worried. My dad says you can't really be sure about a used car for a year, and I've had it just over a year now and it's been pretty much fine. The only major problem, and it can be a bit major, is that there's quite a bit of rattling from somewhere under the dashboard, and the diesel engine is a bit LOUD sometimes.
Road tax and insurance make up for a lot though! Lovely and cheap on account of the good fuel economy. I like the Ford Fiesta's trip computer for that, always shows me what miles per gallon it's getting, which is usually hovering between around 45 and 60, apart from when I slow right down or speed right up, then it flies about, but it's the average you wanna look for.
For a small car it's good that it has three proper seats in the back, with full seat belts and head rests. I've got a really safety conscious friend who always makes a big deal out of that when we're out in a group. The trouble there is that I often have to push the head rests down when there's nobody in the back since they tend to get in the way of your view out the back.
I said I hadn't had any repairs. There was one thing I remember we had done, that was some electrical thing in the engine, cost about £100 if I remember rightly? Might have been more, but not a bank breaker.
For a 1.4 it's pretty bad that it gets about 33 mpg average. I'd expect better from a modern car, so my Ford Fiesta Flame has disappointed me on that score. It's supposed to be quite a bit higher. I suppose the only consolation is that the tax stays low cos the taxman thinks I'm getting better mileage than I am, hope he doesn't read this lol.
It's an ok motor most days though, gets me from A to B. I don't tend to carry passengers or loads, so the petrol use isn't as high as it might be. Speaking of which, take my advice, if you get a Ford Fiesta get a 5 door. The doors on the 3 door are pretty big and it's a struggle to get them open even when you're parked a reasonable distance from the next car.
Still, it handles the road pretty well. It doesn't slip about, even when it's wet. I'm always careful with tyres anyway, but it's confident on the roads, I don't feel in danger too much.
I've had some problems with the paintwork on my Fiesta. It damages more easily than I would expect, I've actually come to having the front bumper resprayed. It wasn't essential but it was looking pretty shabby.
Driving wise, I said it handles well. The gearbox is reasonably fluid. Reverse can be a bit of a pig, and also because it's a bit underpowered it has a tendency to stall when you're at low revs. I don't think this is just me, I consider myself a pretty good driver and don't stall normally. 4th gear is the place to be basically, which is handy cos that's about where you need to be for motorway overtaking, which it's pretty good at.
I'm pretty sure I'm not getting the supposed 45 miles a gallon or whatever it is on my Ford Fiesta, might be the low powered 1.25 engine (it does generally complain at the sight of a hill, or when it's got passengers, let alone passengers with luggage). Not that much lower, maybe averaging high 30s MPG. Anyway It's ok for my needs, little town runaround, but it is a budget car and doesn't have much in the way of nice surprises. Mind you, one nice surprise was the insurance, it's group 8 so nice and cheap. Tax is low too.
There aren't too many bad surprises either though on the Ford Fiesta, it's just a normal sort of car. I've had a few reasons to send it back to the dealer. It went back for a fix on the cat converter and the gearbox, both within warranty, and both haven't come back. Apart from that it's been fine really.
Good and spacious inside the Ford Fiesta too. It might grumble when it's got people in it, but it fits four large adults in without much of a problem. Obviously the 3 door thing is a bit of an issue, and my mum always has to go in the front, but for a cheaper up front price I don't mind what my passengers have to go through haha. The boot is pretty big too, compared to some other cars that size I looked at. Usually fits all our shopping in, and our luggage for holidays. We don't have big demands but it suits them.
Biggest thing I want improved on our Ford Fiesta would be aircon, which is probably available if I paid. It's only about a month or so every year, but it would be really appreciated.
Love it, love it. I've had my little Ford Fiesta for about three years, got it second hand from a friend. I think it's a 2004 and it's doing well for itself. I know my friend had a couple of things need doing on it, something to do with the spark plugs (?) but it's fine for me now. The only thing I would say is that the interior is a little bit, er, fragile in places, some things can wobble a bit, like the side window controller nobbles. It's fine, just some wear and tear.
When I first got it I was really quite surprised with how well it handled, I mean how it handled corners and things. I think I must have been encouraged to drive a bit faster, because after less than a year I went through a pair of front tyres, so I've calmed down a bit now.
What that means though is that the Ford Fiesta is really nice and nippy, easy to get round corners and dodge in and out of traffic. Parking is a doddle as well, altho the windows at the back are tricky, quite thick metal bits in between the windows. Still, much better than my old Corsa. The mirrors can also give the impression that there's less space than there is. You get used to it.
I don't do many longer trips in my Fiesta Finesse but when I have done, I mean over two hours on the motorway, the noise from outside can get a bit much. It's a cheap car after all, so fair enough, but it's a bit loud. I tend to just turn up the stereo, but if I've got a headache or a sleeping child that isn't really an option.
I had an old Fiesta back in the 90s for about five years, which was really good to me until it eventually died of cancer (rust). I didn't get another one straight away cos I thought I might as well try a different make, so I went through Vauxhalls and Fiats, but found them to be less reliable and generally worse to drive. So last year I went for a new Ford Fiesta. On reflection I'd suggest against buying a brand new car. Mine had a loose seal, which turned out to be a manufacturing error, and also some sort of shakiness during the cold. Both were sorted out quite swiftly by Ford, but I just though, if I'd bought it second hand after maybe a year, then these sorts of teething problems would have been sorted out and I wouldn't have had the bother of dealing with them, plus I would have saved a lot of money on the Ford Fiesta ticket price. Anyway it's been fine since those little things were sorted, so it does seem like a reliable car overall, just with some initial setup problems.
The car itself performs extremely competently, surprisingly powerful for what is really quite a small engine. The diesel also gives amazing fuel economy, around 60MPG depending on what sort of driving I'm doing. That's a big plus these days. Also, as a result the tax is cheap, and apart from that the insurance is also very low.
One down side is that my Ford Fiesta 1.4 TDCi Edge is a little tricky to see out the back of, as the rear window is quite high up. The parking sensors help with parking, but this rear window thing can be a problem for changing lanes and that sort of thing.
I find the stereo layout a little confusing. It's not as bad as it was, but I do sometimes wish I still had a regular shaped stereo unit in there. It's kind of annoying that all modern cars seem obsessed with totally integrating the stereo into the dash.
As for comfort and that sort of thing, the Ford Fiesta is very good indeed. The suspension can be a little stiff at times, but the seats are really cosy. The boot is ok, although it's a little tiresome that the wheel arches protrude so far into it. That's just a little thing though, it's very practical all round.
I've owned the same Ford Fiesta for about 15 years now and it's still going. it's still just as drivable as it was 15 years ago and it's still as reliable. Sure, there's loads of rust, lots of paintwork issues and a bit of ware and tear, but after 15 years, what do you expect?
For anyone looking for a good learner car or something to just get them out and about, the Fiesta is bob on. You can pick my model up for few hundred quid and you can be safe in the knowledge that it probably won't let you down.
The boot is decent, the interior quality is ok and the suspension takes all the bumps. And while the performance may not be mind-blowing, the fact that petrol costs hardly anything, more than makes up for it.
Pick one with less than 70,000 miles and you'll be laughing. Trust me.