1992 Ford Fiesta XR2i from UK and Ireland - Comments

Catalytic converter needed replacing and is still very noisy. Brake pads and discs. Headlight bulbs, nothing very major.

The 1.8 16v XR2i is a vast improvement on the 8v. It's quicker, handles better (much better!!!), has got rid of that horrible blue stripe. The engine is so much more torquey and responsive - that said, you do have to wait until 4000rpm for the power to kick, but it really does kick. I can overtake and lose other cars with ease. I've kept up with an Escort RS Turbo in it (and that is no lie) and when I had a passenger test 0-60, it came out as 8.3 secs.

The 8v XR2i has a better top end speed than the 16v. The 8v can do 118mph while the 16v can only manage 113. The 8v is more of a true old school hot hatch and it demands more skill to drive as it has shorter gear ratios.

I have an xr2i 16v un-modified and it can do 124 top speed, tested on track with timing gear. So has anybody tested and 8v on the track?

The 16v feels like it has more torque up to 3000 rpm than the 8v, but both engines pull strong above that.

The 16v has a flat spot in acceleration just over 3000 rpm, but then it quickly fires up.

A 16v I previously owned which was standard apart from a performance paper air filter could reach 0-60 with a passenger in 7.8s, but my current 16v has lower mileage and is not as quick.

So, like with any engine there are some that come of the production like a bit better made than others.

If you like modifying then the 16v is much more responsive to this than the 8v with a improved air manifold and reprogramming the engines can reach 180bhp @ wheels.

One more point about the 16v I thrashed mine daily and clocked up about 180k miles between them. never did the engines fail on me.

The xr2i 8v standard has the same 0-60 as the 16v (fast ford). I know 3 people with 16v all standard and I used to be side by side with them I now have performance plugs, leads, k&n57i and a full stainless and they get left! I am curious to know how you would get 180bhp at the flywheel with a bit of re-programming never mind at the wheels so if you would like to let me know in a reply that would make for some interesting reading. Cheers 2iGUY.

I'm sorry, but who exactly measured your standard fiesta as doing 0-60 in 7.8 seconds? I own a Citroen AX GT (if you're laughing then you've obviously never come up against one) and that does the 0-60 run in about 8 flat and I can say quite honestly that I've never even felt worried when taking on an XR2i. They may be fairly quick for a standard hatch, but there's no way that one will do 60 in under 8 seconds.

I'm pretty surprised that you think the 16v is better lower in the rev range than the 8v because in my experience 8v cars (like my AX) pull very hard from surprisingly low revs, but then run out of steam higher up (it's not worth revving the AX beyond about 5,750 rpm, even thought the limiter's at 7,500) whereas a 16v lump, such as a zetec, will make almost no effort to move itself below about 5,000 revs, but will then happily bounce itself into the limiter at 6,500, pulling harder by the second. Don't know if that's true with the XR2i, never driven one, but I am looking at buying one, anyone got any ideas on good prices?

Yeah, and I've got to agree; 180 bhp from a remapped engine? Remapped by who? Jesus?

I'm sorry, but all of you are all fast car wannabes...

Your figures your coming out with LOL... there bloated pub figures. its great reading though.

You REALLY think a fiesta can be 180 bhp with those mods!! LOL.

My NISSAN 200sx turbo s13 as standard is only 170 bhp and that's a 1.8 Dohc 16v t25 turbo ed car.

Please... think about what your saying next time.

The guy above me is obviously jealous of the good old fez!

On the original review:

The 8v has more power than the zetec, 5 more bhp if I remember correctly. the 8v top speed is greater as well. the CVH reaches its peak torque at far lower revs than the 16v, around 2800 rpm.

Zetec E engines are known for their reliability, but not for their power, fit 130 spec cams and ecu then you will have a winner, but other than that they are pretty much the same.

I do agree with the ride comment, the 16v handles far better and the styling is lush (pacifica blue especially)

i do however own an 8v and I'm over the moon with it, that includes the neon stripes.

The above points in defence of the CVH are valid, but they miss one very important point.

Last time I took a CVH powered car beyond 4,000 RPM, the vibration, din and general protest from under the bonnet set my teeth on edge.

This is one of the least rewarding engines to work hard that ever graced a car. The Zetec might not be perfect, but at least it's properly balanced and doesn't make you cringe in mechanical sympathy every time you explore the upper half of the rev range.

Does anyone know if a 16v xr2i can be de-cated? recenly my cat has just gone, and the power loss is immense. it feels like a 1.0 maybe worse. if anyone has any idea what this could be other than a blocked cat please tell me. cheers.

I have a xr2i and I want to put a escort rs turbo engine into it does anyone know if it will fit?

Colin, OK consider this 1.8 vvc in a metro which is what I drive (158bhp standard), now running close to 170bhp, 1.8 16 valve engines (any make) can be tuned above 200bhp with out a turbo Lol, depending on how much you want to spend.

I would beast all of you I'm my Renault 5 GT turbo which has had £13,000.00 go in to the engine and a further £5,000.00 to the body and all the work has been done by the best company of all, and that is GT Tuning. My Turbo is running at 1.9 bar and is currently 285BHP so I would love to race and beat all of you in your little XR2i's.

What a joke of a comment from the Renault 5 lover!!! If its true then you have no common sense to spend 18,000 pounds on an old french coke can!!

I know its probably BS that comment, but just to let you know with 285bhp in a RS GTT, you will probably see it catch fire or explode in 2 months!!!

Made me laugh tho! :-)

£13,000 into a car worth a couple of hundred quid that's dog unreliable as standard! You need to see someone mate.

Why not just buy a decent car in the first place? £13k would have bought you a nice Skyline GT-R, Impreza Turbo, early Evo, or Escort Cosworth - basically something that was designed to produce 280 bhp without crapping itself.

First of all my Turbo has been running at 285BHP for about 5 years, second of all I actually have had it built for sprints and hill climbs and my record sprint was 1/4 of a mile in 11.9 seconds, and third of all if my turbo was a french can then I wouldn't be sponsered, any way you can laugh, but you are all driving XR2i's my car maybe old, but is in show room condition, sponsered and has appeared in films like Ali G, you don't exactly see any XR2's now do you apart from at the local junk yard, still I do admit I do like the RS1800 and the RSTurbo as I actually do own a RS1800 as my run about and it goes quite well for a Fiesta.

Hi! Can anyone tell me what I can do to get my xr2i 1.6 8v from 110 bhp to a bit more? ('Inexpensively', if that is a word.)

Not too much higher, as it is my first car.

Cheers guys.