Ford Fiesta (1995 - 1999) 1.25 LX 16V 5d (1997/P) Owner Review

What does this car say about you?

Despite being a car guy I don't like spending more money than necessary on motoring.

What do your friends / family / neighbours think of the car?

Family: Useful to have a nippy little car in the household. Friends: It's too slow. (They haven't driven it).

Would you buy this car again and why?

Definitely. Most of the issues I've had were general wear and tear things and I knew about the rust before I got the car. Despite this it's been really reliable and fun to drive. I probably won't replace it until I need to.

What are you likely to buy next?

No idea. I like all kinds of cars. Probably something a little bigger, such as a Focus, just so that rear seat passengers would be more comfortable. It'll likely be a Ford as they are cheap to buy and cheap to run but reliable and good to drive.

Type of dealer you bought from?

Didn't buy from a dealer

Did you buy this car new?

No

What price did you pay?

£0

When did you buy the car?

February 2011

Did you get a good deal and why?

Yes and no. The car was free but had failed its last MOT and needed sills and rear arches welding.

Is there any special reason why you bought this car?

It is my first car and was given to me for free as it had failed its last MOT and road tax had expired.

What was the dealer like?

Didn't buy from a dealer.

What's it like to drive?

Most of my driving is suburb/town commuting and the Fiesta is great for this: Adequate torque in 1st, 2nd and 3rd gears make traffic lights, junctions and hills (lots where I live) easy to tackle though fuel economy can suffer in traffic (32-36 mpg). Gear shifting itself is pretty good although selecting 2nd can sometimes be notchy (maybe just my car). The ride can be iffy at times but I put this down to the local potholed roads and once out of town the handling is neat despite a bit of body roll. On the motorway the engine revs fairly high, but is nearer peak torque so overtaking is easier than at lower speeds, and I've topped 52 mpg on a good motorway run. Only downside is small door mirrors make seeing sliproads hard to see.

What's it like to park?

Visibility is pretty good and when you get used to parking the car you'll find yourself going for smaller and smaller gaps. It's that easy to park! Only downside is no syncromesh on reverse means changing to 1st and back can be clunky.

Have you had any problems with the car?

After the welding I've had the following issues: The clutch slave cylinder started leaking and the whole clutch was replaced but I doubt this happens to many cars. The exhaust back box had a substantial hole in it and was replaced. The tracking was sorted after some uneven tyre wear was noticed. The only other issues have been the small niggling ones like the rear wiper intermittently not working and battery corrosion. The major thing to affect these Fiestas is rust but I'm sure there are relatively rust free examples out there. The car has otherwise been very reliable.

What's most practical about your car?

The trade off for rear seat space - which is not actually that bad if the front seats can be moved forward a bit - is a generous amount of boot capacity. My Fiesta has occasionally been used to do the weekly shopping for 5 people and coped well.

Favourite gadget, option or accessory?

Not many on mine, being an LX spec, but the best are these: Power steering makes parking easy, sunroof provides some ventilation in summer (no air con), heater is great in winter and despite purchasing a set of genuine Fiesta alloys, the standard steel wheels give a better ride and don't require cleaning.