Faults:

Usual consumables for age and mileage, plus servicing. No major faults or breakdowns.

General Comments:

A Fiesta is ideal if you just want basic transport.

Cheap enough to run, though no car can be called cheap nowadays. Repairs and servicing are as dear as any car, but insurance and tax are OK for me as an older guy.

1.25 Zetec petrol engine is not fast but will do 45 mpg + all day. Quite good to drive, sharp handling.

Road noise surprisingly well suppressed for a smaller car.

Looks nice in dark red though some call it pink. Nice alloy wheels.

Interior has a stylish feel and quality materials, seats are comfortable enough. Spacious, mine is the 5 door model.

Getting on a bit now at 13 years old with over 100K miles, but seems to be plodding on just fine; keep these cars serviced and they are reliable.

Faults:

Usual wear and tear plus servicing. Suspension has been the biggest expense, though the miles are getting higher now and it is 10 years old, so this is acceptable.

Air con never worked since I bought the car, probably just needs a "re-gas".

Rear windows very stiff, but they rarely get used.

General Comments:

A much more reliable car than my previous 2003 Fiesta that was always giving problems. I took a chance on a car without history though, so that is what I get.

Saw this much better looking more modern 2010 Fiesta and had to have it, at a nice price and looked after with history. Horrible green color, but beggars cannot be choosers when buying used. I like the overall look of the car though with the Zetec trim and alloy wheels.

Inside looks like a space ship, but it is surprisingly spacious for a small car. Ride is smooth and handling is nice. 1.4 petrol feels a little under-powered out of town, but it does do 45 - 50 MPG to make up for it.

Had it a good 6 years now and has been reliable, cannot complain. If you are looking for reliable basic transport, the Fiesta has plenty to offer. Still passing MOT's with no rust or major advisory's, so I plan to keep it a little while longer, looking for something bigger with more power next so a Ford Focus or Mondeo would be a safe bet for my next car.

Faults:

No faults yet, but obviously still running in.

General Comments:

Having been driving the previous model Fiesta for 2 years, a diesel model, I felt confident that the new car would live up to my expectations. After all, the New Fiesta was just a facelift of the previous model?

How wrong I was!

The car has by far exceeded my expectations, right from the minute I collected it.

The paintwork, in Hot Magenta, is striking. It appears a different colour in different light. It varies between magenta, purple, and burgundy. Also the finish of the paint is again impressive. It is the smoothest finish I have ever seen; not a hint of any "orange peel".

The interior is so welcoming, with everything so well placed. Most of the switchgear is standard Ford layout, so within seconds I knew where everything was. The central information panel is so useful, displaying everything from temperature, to fan speed, radio station, climate control settings, and, when the Bluetooth is activated, my whole mobile phone's contact list!

The voice activated controls are amazing. I still find it hard to believe that I can use my phone, control the radio, and the climate controls, using voice activated commands. (Of course you can do it manually - the old fashioned way!).

The 1.4 Duratec engine is quite surprising in its performance, and I would say it produces the same power of earlier 1.6 engines. Economy, at an average of 38mpg (it's still running in), is very good. More amazing is the smoothness of the engine. It's inaudible on the road, and it's quite easy to believe the car has stalled in traffic as it's so quiet. Not a hint of vibration.

Seating is extremely comfortable, although I would say that rear legroom is a little tight if the front seats were to be pushed back. O.K. for children, but possibly a little cramped for an adult. However, since this is a family car, I guess the rear seats would be occupied by children anyway. Rear seat is comfortable though.

For a standard spec car, I thought the specification was faultless - climate control, power fold mirrors, heated windscreen, heated mirrors and washer jets, cruise control, bluetooth, voice activated controls, auto headlights and auto wipers, ambient lighting, footwell lights, quality Sony stereo with 6 speakers with remote control, alarm... the list goes on.

I can honestly say that I just LOVE driving this car, and look forward to the drive to work each morning.

It's comfortable, quiet and refined.

Steering is light, and the suspension firm without being too hard. There is good feedback to the driver.

Space is far better than the previous model, and together with good storage locations, the car remains uncluttered inside. Boot is average size, taking 2 large suitcases without the need to fold the seats down.

As I say, I have only driven 900 miles in the car so far, so can't comment on longevity.

But if the first 2 months are anything to go by, this car will be with me for a long time.