The trusty old Focus went in for a routine service and the courtesy car I was given was the Fiesta 1.3 LX so I thought I would write an opinion for you all.
Price new would be £8995, for your £9K you get an Intelligent Protection System (IPS) with dual stage twin air-bags. Remote central locking and immobiliser,heated front windscreen, electric side mirrors, CD-Radio. 3 years manufacturers warranty, 12 monthsRAC cover and 1 years free insurance when financed through Ford credit.
The 1300 engine and light overall weight makes the car very nippy and the handling is very responsive. The Fiesta LX is only a small car but is similarly shaped to the Focus and consequently quite roomy inside - I am 6' tall and there was plenty of head room. All round visibility is excellent making parking the car a doddle. One slight niggle is the side view mirrors are small compared to other cars and do slightly hamper the view.
The car accelerates quite well and is very nippy especially about town, however out on the open road and picking up speed the road noise increases significantly. The Fiesta being a baby Ford doesn't have the same level of noise dampening as the Focus and Mondeo hence the road noise.
The interior is OK but with the shape of the car giving it a roomy feel it seems Ford could have put more into it and filled it out a bit better. Saying that one of the accessories came into its own this morning, the heated front windscreen lifted a heavy frost in less than three minutes.
The Fiesta LX is in one of the lowest insurance groups and the average mpg is in excess of 45 mpg so the car is very economical to run. However the price of £8995 when bought new is expensive especially considering up to £2K depreciation in the first year alone. I would suggest, if the Fiesta is for you, buying a six month old, low mileage car and saving over £1200.
The Fiesta LX is a great little car for driving about town but is not really a car for the motorways - dare I say that it is really a womans car (maybe not). The Fiesta is stylish and well put together with a reasonable spec but it lacks the extra touches of the bigger Fords.
The Fiesta LX is good fun to drive but I have been spoiled by the fact that I have a Focus and can see the differences between the two cars. So I shall be sticking with my Focus 1.6 Zetec but might get the wife to buy the Fiesta and hope I can borrow it now and again.
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
Really good review. I bought this for my 1st car and I feel really comfortable driving it. Doesn't cost too much in fuel either.
frizzball 03.05.2003 21:18
I have an old fiesta and was thinking of upgrading to one of these, thanks for the advice. Great op. x
mikeos 04.02.2003 13:38
I have had a Fiesta 1.3LX on loan now for 2 weeks and I agree with Woolyback's opinion. The main problem for me in the Fiesta is the bottom of the central consol is to big, there's the usual can holder and another storage space. I find my leg is always up against this and it feels very uncomfortable. Very nippy but sluggish in 4th or 5th. I have just placed an order for my new Clio which I think is a far better care.
Advantages: Cheap to buy, cheap on fuel, cheap parts, cheap everything really. Disadvantages: Engine from circa 1959, chassis from 1989, really should have been a whole new car.
rockandrollstar 17.03.2003 (22.05.2003)
·
Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Ford Fiesta 1.3
Jan 8th, 2003
very helpful by (90%):
helpful by (10%):
