Well equipped car at a low price
New front tyres after 21,500 miles.
New brake pads and discs again at 21,500 miles.
This car handles well throughout the corners.
It has excellent speed in 2nd and 3rd gears to beat other cars.
Inside the seats are very comfortable and the cabin is acceptable.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 28th June, 2001
Has good performance and is predictable in its handling, although will need careful servicing
Driver's seat rake adjustment knob replaced @ 10,000 miles (but very cheap).
'30,000' mile service (done @ 25,000) revealed a leaking rear brake cylinder (completely unexpected - braking still excellent); service expensive, at £240.
Window regulator assembly failed @ 28,000 miles - very expensive, at £190.
Total electrical failure at 32,000, due to a sudden battery failure (no warning, no prior loss of charge, etc).
Generally I feel the car is built to a lower standard than is a Vauxhall.
The trim feels flimsier, panels more light-weight, switch gear flimsier.
Handling and driveability are both superb, and the engine purrs very quietly.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know
Review Date: 22nd May, 2001
Quality small supermini that is a joy to live with
Stiff driver seat adjustment that eventually snapped. Replaced.
A squeaky driver's side door handle.
A fine car that still looks nice.
The 1.25 Zetec is silent and performs very well despite a small capacity. Could rival a 1.4 Corsa any day.
Comfortable, firm seats that you could sit in all day and still feel fresh at the end of a five hour journey. Cream coloured cloth doesn't hide the dirt particularly well though! Rear leg room is not the best!
Sticks to the road with it's nimble handling.
Still the class best in my opinion. Much nicer than a VW Polo, Saxo or Corsa.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 7th April, 2001
Rubbish
I had the car for 2 months then it started going wrong, kept stalling, would not start when could, noisy engine, electrical faults, in the end it ended up costing me about £2000 in 2 years and Ford dealers £3500.
I would never buy another Ford Fiesta ever again.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No
Review Date: 27th March, 2001
Totally agree with the rubbish tag on the 1998 Zetec Fiesta LX. The 1.25, 16v/v Zetec S engine has not lasted 45,000 miles.
Really? Mine's on 120,000 and still going strong.
This sounds unlucky to me. I have done 220,000 miles in my 1.25 1997 lx and its still going well and uses little oil. I change th oil every 5,000 though.
Looks dreadful, no space, but a brilliant car anyway
Car has had only the most minor faults: foam started bursting out of the front passenger seat when the car was just under a year old (fixed under warranty) and the engine started making a humming noise after being switched off. Fixed by replacing the oil filter.
And the rear wiper decides to take a day off every few months - can't fix it because the problem goes away before you can get it into the shop.
Other than minor work, the car has been very reliable.
Best thing about the car: the handling. You can chuck it into a corner and the precise (non-assisted) steering is communicative, fun and fast.
In my opinion the 60 hp engine is a little under-powered for overtaking, but there are more powerful engines available. It's really just a mismatch with my driving style.
Biggest faults are a lack of space, especially in the rear, and the styling; the body style has been around for so long now that it's boring, bland and old-fashioned. But it's so much fun to drive I'd still seriously consider buying another if I didn't need more space.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 11th February, 2001
14th Aug 2001, 10:54
Nice car - I had a look on my driver's seat and can see why they break. If you lean on the seat while adjusting it, it binds on the frame and snaps. Point is, lean forward when adjusting it!
I own a 1.4Si and after hiring a 1.25, I found that the build quality is better on the 1.4, especially if you've got the EW, CL, and tailgate release pack - strange. The performance is so much better and the fuel economy the same, so I would recommend getting a 1.4 if you are buying second hand.