Faults:

There has been a electronic acceleration fault on the car that does not allow the car to drive over 18 miles per hour.

The car intermittently stalls during normal driving conditions.

General Comments:

The car is extremely comfortable and stylish.

Lovely to drive until problems occurred.

The manufacturer has been extremely difficult in dealing with my problems.

The problem occurred in November and is still being dealt with now in January.

There is no fix known for this problem.

Faults:

The rubber that protects the car interior from the water and dust is loosing.

General Comments:

The car is incredible fast if you consider its small engine.

The new Fiesta is extremely beautiful and stylish.

However the interior has lack of quality. The dash is made with a low-quality plastic that doesn't correspond with the outside beauty.

The air-conditioner buttons aren't lighted, so at night you have trouble adjusting the temperature.

The seats aren't comfortable for long distance travels. They doesn't have enough support for the legs and for the back.

The Fiesta has a outstanding handling. It feels like its on a rail.

Faults:

Nothing so far.

General Comments:

The Zetec S is my third Fiesta and without a doubt the best so far!

It's a great looking car and surprisingly rare compared to the 'rivals': 206 GTi/XSi/106 GTi, Saxo, Clio etc.

Ford could have gone a bit wilder (bigger spoiler, sportier interior - it's very similar in many ways to lesser models such as the Freestyle), but credit to them for making a relatively cheap and insurable supermini without sacrificing the best bits.

For example, I was shocked to learn that the Saxo VTS is an Insurance Group 15 compared to the Fiesta's Group 8 (a big factor when choosing).

The rival superminis such as the Saxo VTS and Peugeot 206 XSi may have a slightly larger bhp and top speed, but for the times that these are actually used, its not such a big deal. And anyway, the Zetec S is still surprisingly quick when you do choose to push it: The Audi TT that eventually overtook me at 100mph was probably a little surprised at the Fiestas oomph - not that I encourage this kind of thing...

To comment on the cost, my 2002 model was £13,000 so credit was the only option. Over 5 years the interest applied is frightening, but I think it is well worth it. Perhaps I should have shopped around different dealers before I jumped in, but I was in love with the Zetec S.

The dealership (Benfield Ford, Kirkstall Road in Leeds) was very good, but could have taken a little more time explaining the details of the finance agreement. This lack of attention ended up with me realising a month down the line that I only had the lowest form of credit protection when I specifically asked for the top whack. Partly their fault, maybe partly mine for not checking it properly. Anyhow it is now sorted after numerous phone calls to the lenders.

It also took near a month just to get some carpets! Carpets! Why!!

Apart from these small niggles, the car arrived absolutely immaculate and gave me a smile that didn't fade until long after. In fact I think I'm still beaming after 3 months - yes I am!

Really, to summarise, this is a supermini that has rightly had heaps of praise from the critics, performs brilliantly, looks superb and most importantly, is affordable (to buy and insure).

Although I haven't driven any other superminis I would strongly suggest that you at least take a test drive in the Zetec S before choosing a too-common rival.

Faults:

Passenger window would not close correctly. Main dealer repaired this with silicon gel.

General Comments:

The car looks fantastic.

Bought brand new from main Ford dealer and got 20 % reduction as the new model Fiesta is available.

Old car was an Escort 1800 Si and the Fiesta seems much quicker, handles far better and sounds great.

Without a doubt, this car is the best I have ever owned. A friend who owns a Lexus IS200 mentioned he had difficulty getting past a Fiesta Zetec S at the traffic lights.

Faults:

I had a small problem with the rear window defrosting circuit blowing fuses (discovered after 4 months of pleasant summer/fall driving). The cause was an exposed wire shorting out and blowing the fuse. The Ford dealer in Hilversum was able to diagnose the problem and fix it in 30 minutes, while I waited (This was a pleasant surprise).

General Comments:

The car is wonderful to drive for a mini car (this is now the smallest car I've driven since my 1973 Beetle).

The previous car was a Jetta, and while the back-seat space isn't a generous as the Jetta, the driving and comfort is comparable for a small car.

The plastics are a substantial, but a bit hard - comparable to the Mercedes A-class or Audi A2. They can scratch easily, but rub down with a soft cloth.

It sucks up speed-bunps well, as well as cobblestone streets, but the car could benefit from a more subtle suspension. Still, it's excellent in the curves as it is...

The rear of the car is beginning to get that "Ford-clunk" - where the exhaust system bonks the bottom of the car in corners.