1988 Ford Festiva L review from North America
"Great little car for anybody!"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Muffler rusted out @ 176K miles.
Replaced steering wheel and shifter knob- the plastic started to decompose and was sticky.
Parking brake cable snapped when I bought it.
Stuffing's coming out of the driver's seat.
There's rust on the car - its only enemy!
General comments?
I consider the $200 I paid for the car a bargain.
It has never let me down (except when I got a flat and the tyre iron was missing!).
I get great gas mileage - about 38 mpg city driving.
The 63 hp engine is adequate for one or two people, but you can feel it strain when you pack 10 high school students into it.
Acceleration is not as fast as I'd like, but given the engine size I'm not surprised.
Still has the original transmission, clutch, and engine. However, the syncromeshes between 1st and 2nd are starting to fail since the gears grind if you shift too quickly.
I have never been let down by the car; the previous owners took very good care of it and it ran like a champ when I bought it. However I spent $1000 replacing the rear struts, all four tyres, the CV joints, the transmission oil seal and doing a few minor cosmetic things.
This little aluminium can on toothpicks has no blind spot, can park almost anywhere, and is practically indestructible.
The cabin is surprisingly roomy, and 4 people can fit in the car comfortably.
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| This is a much better car than a Metro for someone who wants a cheap used car! |
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| 1988 - Festiva L plus 1.3 gasoline Reliable, inexpensive transportation that will never let you down |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| Model year | 1988 |
| Year of manufacture | 1988 |
| First year of ownership | 2004 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2004 |
| Engine and transmission | 1.3L carburetted Manual |
| Performance marks | 8 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 10 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 5 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 10 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 174250 miles |
| Most recent distance | 176420 miles |
| Date of Entry | 12th September, 2004 |