1992 Ford Festiva L review from North America

I bought the car in January 2004 for $100. It needed a clutch, timing belt, valve cover gasket, fuel filter, tires, wheel bearings, and CV boots (all normal wear for a 153k mile car). As for other repairs, I've had to replace a speedometer cable and had to have a wheel alignment after I hit a large pothole. The A/C worked for about a week after I added refrigerant. The A/C belt idler was seized and broke off the block. All told, I have about $900 invested in an extremely reliable car that I could easily sell for $1000 to $1500.

The car is very fuel efficent. I routinely get 45 mpg on the highway. It only has 63 horses, but with the 5 speed transmission performance is well above simply adequate. It has a bit of body lean in the tighter curves, but is still a competent handler for a car with 12 inch rims. It has no power steering and has no need of it. It steers easier than some cars WITH power steering. The Festiva L seats (cloth and vinyl) that were in the car were torn up so I went to the junkyard and got Festiva GL seats (all cloth) that greatly improved the comfort and appearance, though the original seats were fine in the comfort department though the peeling vinyl was an eyesore. I find myself looking forward to driving this car, I put about 2000 miles a month on it. It is great fun to drive and a pleasure to own.