2000 Ford Fiesta Zetec S review from UK and Ireland

Heater control valve and thermostat housing went about 3 months into owning the car. The HCV is a common fault, however £20 later and a little handy work, and this was fixed, giving me both hot air and cold air, instead of just hot. Apart from that, she has been a little dream.

Please note there a number of quality control problems with this model:

Steering wheel fades

HCV

Suspension bushes wear quickly (better to replace with non ford parts)

Coil pack

Ummm there are others, but I cannot remember off the top of my head what they are.

Built quality is reasonable for a mass production car. Get the odd rattle and squeak, but at the end of the day the car is 8 years old, so I think this is expected.

Car handles well, both in the wet and the rain, and the performance isn't too bad for the size of the engine, and it returns decent mpg as long as you drive it well.

Interior is spacious considering the size of the car, and boot space is pretty good too.

The styling is nice, although a little boy racer like with the wheels and headlights.

Decent to insure (group 8). I'm 23 with 4 years no claims, and it's less than £400 a year fully comp.

I have done a lot of long journeys in this car, and the seat hold you well and give you decent support.