2004 Ford Fiesta Zetec review from UK and Ireland

Apart from the rubber handle knobs falling off both wing mirrors, I haven't had any problems.

I've never really liked the Fiesta in the past and the main reason I chose the new model was because of finance and that it seemed to have all the features that I needed at a competitive price.

Firstly, the drawbacks. Don't buy this car if you are very tall or require good leg room. As stated elsewhere, the leg room, particularly on the left side is unnecessarily tight. You can't help, but wonder if the middle control unit couldn't have been made a shade smaller in width as this would make a real difference to driving - particularly long distance.

Secondly, I find it quite difficult to find the right seat adjustment as I am over 6ft tall. When the sun is shining I feel myself looking under the sun screen! I also find that I sometimes kick the door tray as I get out of the car.

On the plus side, the air conditioning and new multi-CD system are both great toys, although you can't help believing the CD could have a few more controls (such as a pause button!). It's also very comfortable for passengers - at least from the feedback I have received.

Fuel consumption is good and the engine feels it could do much more than the 80mph that I sometimes reach. The car looks great, although it can be pain to wash!

This is my first new car so I wasn't disappointed by the features available for the Zetec model, although you do seem to have pay a bit for extras (eg: alloys, air conditioning, multi-CD, remote keys).