2003 Ford Fiesta Finesse review from UK and Ireland

Slight blow on exhaust.

That's it!

Seems to be a seriously reliable little car. Only had it for 4 months, but in that time no problems whatsoever with the exception of wear and tear.

It's only a 1300 8-valve petrol so it doesn't exactly set the road on fire when you floor the accelerator, but it's adequate enough for me. The car is reasonably nippy around town, but struggles to accelerate at speeds over 60mph, especially with more than one passenger. This isn't really a detrimental comment however - it will still be perfectly acceptable to most and the remuneration can be seen in the excellent fuel economy. It's reluctance to rev can frustrate a little, however.

The car's handling is excellent considering it is so diminutive. The car is glued to the road around corners and has magnificent front-end grip. The steering is light yet perfectly weighted with the right amount of feedback. Ride quality is also good, thought a bit firm around town.

It's quite a comfortable car even on long journeys, though there is a lot of wind and road noise at higher speeds. The Duratec engine can get coarse at about 4000 revs and never really sounds or feels smooth enough to be classed as refined.

Space-wise I can't really fault it that much. I am 6 feet and 1 inch tall and I can still fit in the back without any problems. Not the most spacious in the class, but certainly roomy for it's size. The boot is a little small, but the ergonomics are superb. Build quality is similarly impressive, especially if you've been driving a Fiat! One qualm - nowhere to rest your left foot whilst driving!

Insurance is very cheap for a 22-year old like me and this would make an excellent first car. More expensive to buy than equivalent Corsa, but who wants one of those?