My goodness, it is already a year since I left uni, and now I am well and truly stuck in the world o...
My goodness, it is already a year since I left uni, and now I am well and truly stuck in the world of the 9-5! Bring back my student days - I would give anything for a daily 'power nap' now!! :-)
Member since:15.03.2001
Reviews:17
Members who trust:5
On your average trip to the supermarket, how many times do you see a Ford Fiesta? A dozen, maybe more. If you buy a Fiesta, you do not buy one to stand out in a crowd, there are millions on the road, and unless you paint yours some obscure shade of neon pink, it really isn't going to turn heads. Then again, that's not the reason why people buy Ford Fiestas. The sheer number of them on our roads means cheaper parts and plenty of specialist garages should things ever go wrong. (Which in my experience doesn't happen often).
I bought my own Fiesta in September 1999. It was my first car, and I paid £900 for it. My little pride and joy was an F reg, 1.1 Ghiain silver and I loved it. I even loved it when the first time I drove it home, it started hissing and spitting before distributing its radiator contents all over the road. Luckily, it was still under the garage's warranty, so the radiator was replaced and the car delivered back the same day.
Apart from that, the car has been fantastic. I lived in Oxford, but all my family were in South Wales. Therefore, me and the car made frequent trips across the Severn Bridge to visit my family. It was a 120 mile trip each way, and I always felt safe and secure at motorway speed. The car was very nippy around town and great in the summer with the sunroof open and the stereo blaring. Happy Days!
The Fiesta is ideal for a first car. It is relatively cheap to insure and run, and now the 1.1 comes under the cheaper tax charge. Although it is a 1.1, the official engine size is 1117cc, so before the recent budget, the tax for this particular model was still at the higher price. The Fiesta still retains some street cred, so young people are not going to be ashamed to be seen in it. It is fast enough to keep up with the pace of today's traffic, but not so fast that an inexperienced driver will have any problems with it.
There are some bad points about the Fiesta which come with all older cars. It does like its petrol, and you will find that if you are driving it round town conditions, you will notice that needle dropping a lot faster. Mine does about 225 miles on a good run to a tank of unleaded petrol with mixed driving conditions. The tank costs about £25+ (varying with the fuel prices) to fill at a time, so it is fairly thirsty for its engine size. There are little patches of rust on the bonnet that are just starting to appear, but as the car is over 10 years old, I think that is quite acceptable for the bodywork to show a little wear and tear. The gearbox has got a gait the size of the Mersey tunnel and the brakes are not as sharp as a new car's, but its a damn good little car.
The Fiesta also has some excellent features. The seats are the comfiest that I have ever found in a car, which is perfect for frequent long journeys. The speakers are also fantastic and the sound quality is exceptional. It never fails to start first time every morning, even in the coldest and wettest conditions. It had plenty of room for back seat passengers and the boot space is more than adequate. It is cheap to service, purrs along quietly and apart from the odd oil and fluid check, requires little maintenance.
Now, here's where I sound like a complete hypocrite. I have just spent all this time telling you how great the Ford Fiesta is only to tell you know that I am selling mine, and that it goes to its new owner in Peterborough within the next week or so. I can also tell you that I am absolutely heartbroken to see it go, and believe me, if I could I would never part with it. I now live with my boyfriend who has a newer, more economic diesel Skoda Felicia. We had no need for two cars, but unfortunately mine drew the short straw purely for its fuel consumption. It was never going to get more MPG than a diesel which does £320 miles to a tank, so it had to go. We simply couldn't afford to run two cars. However, for anyone looking for a cheap, long lasting and reliable car, I would recommend the Fiesta every single time. My car has bought me many miles of happy driving, and I'm confident it will bring its new owner many more. The car has been money well spent and I have loved every minute of owning a Ford Fiesta. They are thoroughly great cars.
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Great review, yours sounds much like mine. i bought it last year as a 9 year old bargain and it did me proud though like you I found its petrol consumption a bit heavy. Sadly it has been stolen so I'm looking at replacements, I would be happy to get another one if there is one around. I'm missing it!
Thanks, L.
barbie69 16.04.2004 13:59
I bought a Fiesta 3months ago and have absolutely no complaints. It's 10years old and the paintwork is immaculate, I agree with you-it's an ideal first car!Brilliant review, Erica :)
Andy.mack 25.10.2003 23:06
My mates been driving one of these for four years, his mum had it for 7 years before that, so its certainly been reliable. Andy
Advantages: BUY THE CAR AND FIND OUT FOR YOURSELY YOU WONT REGRET IT! Disadvantages: POOR EQUIPTMENT LEVELS LET THIS CAR DOWN BUT THERES ALWAYS THE POPULAR PLUS ALSO THEY ARE EASY TO STEEL!
wilsam00 05.07.2001 ·
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Review of Ford Fiesta 1.1
Mar 24th, 2001
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