Opinions on the Ford Fiesta

Original post by AyyEss

Hi, I'm looking to get my very first car. I have been researching for an affordable reliable first car and I have decided to consider a Ford Fiesta 1.25 - 2003 onwards.

Is this a good choice?

The other cars I was looking at were:
Volkswagen Polo 1.2 2002 onwards
Peugeot 207
Fiat Punto
Vauxhall Corsa
Renault Clio

My budget for the car is between £800-£1200
My budget for the insurance (sad face :frown:

) is up to £1700 (Ive been getting quotes for around £1600 for the Ford Fiesta)

I just need some opinions because I don't know a lot about this lol

Thank you!

Fiesta's are considered pretty good, really good to drive and good reliability....the only other one I would consider is the Polo 9n(02 onwards).
Also check the Skoda Fabia out, polo underneath, different badge and cheaper. Also Yaris though it is smaller.

Reply 2

Alfissti

Original post by AyyEss

Hi, I'm looking to get my very first car. I have been researching for an affordable reliable first car and I have decided to consider a Ford Fiesta 1.25 - 2003 onwards.

Is this a good choice?

The other cars I was looking at were:
Volkswagen Polo 1.2 2002 onwards
Peugeot 207
Fiat Punto
Vauxhall Corsa
Renault Clio

My budget for the car is between £800-£1200
My budget for the insurance (sad face :frown:

) is up to £1700 (Ive been getting quotes for around £1600 for the Ford Fiesta)

I just need some opinions because I don't know a lot about this lol

Thank you!

Fords don't age that well, after 10+ years many of them aren't worth putting money into as many things will be wrong with them and it also will look very dated. Personally won't recommend that model and generation of Fiestas.

The Polo is okay but make sure you get the one that is 12v rather than 6v, as the 6v version is very underpowered. Worth looking into is the Skoda Fabia.

I'd probably look into a Yaris or Micra or a Mitsubishi Colt instead if it is some small car from this era am after.

Reply 3

OP

Original post by Iqbal007

Fiesta's are considered pretty good, really good to drive and good reliability....the only other one I would consider is the Polo 9n(02 onwards).
Also check the Skoda Fabia out, polo underneath, different badge and cheaper. Also Yaris though it is smaller.

Yeah I've been told to stay away from French cars because they're not reliable :confused:

I'll also add the Skoda Fabia and Yaris to the list of the cars I will research.

Thank you for the reply!

Reply 4

OP

Original post by Alfissti

Fords don't age that well, after 10+ years many of them aren't worth putting money into as many things will be wrong with them and it also will look very dated. Personally won't recommend that model and generation of Fiestas.

The Polo is okay but make sure you get the one that is 12v rather than 6v, as the 6v version is very underpowered. Worth looking into is the Skoda Fabia.

I'd probably look into a Yaris or Micra or a Mitsubishi Colt instead if it is some small car from this era am after.

Oh dear

! Car searching is certainly difficult with a tight budget.

I have added the Skoda Fabia on to the list of cars I will do some research about. Seems like I will have to do some extra research on the Polo as well.

The Yaris is a cute car, I have heard it is very reliable but is underpowered and small?? :confused:

I'll look into the other cars you mentioned as well. Thanks a lot !

Reply 5

username239687

18

Corsa C
Ibiza
Fabia
Clio
Polo

Reply 6

Original post by AyyEss

Yeah I've been told to stay away from French cars because they're not reliable :confused:

I'll also add the Skoda Fabia and Yaris to the list of the cars I will research.

Thank you for the reply!

Its the general viewpoint on French cars, its perceived quality based on the past, so the car you get may end up getting maybe reliable, also believe the earlier 206 had electrical issues, not sure. Even the Japanese makers which are considered reliable had major issues a few years back and made numerous recalls.

Don't worry about the VW Polo being a 6v 1.2, as I got the 12v one and when I was looking to get a polo, the 6v version rarely came up during searches. The 6v is 54bhp and the 12v is 64bhp, the major compliant was that the 6v engine was simply too weak to be pushing the polo around, hence why its harder to find as that engine wasn't popular. The 1.4l is 74bhp, which is more suitable if you drive on the motorway more, better mpg and acceleration.

Do also recommend googling the car up and its common faults so when you look at one you can look out for that.

Reply 7

thisistheend

2

Original post by AyyEss

Hi, I'm looking to get my very first car. I have been researching for an affordable reliable first car and I have decided to consider a Ford Fiesta 1.25 - 2003 onwards.

Is this a good choice?

The other cars I was looking at were:
Volkswagen Polo 1.2 2002 onwards
Peugeot 207
Fiat Punto
Vauxhall Corsa
Renault Clio

My budget for the car is between £800-£1200
My budget for the insurance (sad face :frown:

) is up to £1700 (Ive been getting quotes for around £1600 for the Ford Fiesta)

I just need some opinions because I don't know a lot about this lol

Thank you!

Do you really have to drive a small hatchback?

Why not a sleek long saloon with a bigger engine looking less short and stumpy while you're at it？

Because first time drivers tend to crash in small cars, insurance quotes on some biggers cars can be surprisingly cheaper. I have a 210bhp Saab that gives cheaper insurance quote than a Renault Clio 182.

Reply 8

live_a_life

10

Original post by AyyEss

Hi, I'm looking to get my very first car. I have been researching for an affordable reliable first car and I have decided to consider a Ford Fiesta 1.25 - 2003 onwards.

Is this a good choice?

The other cars I was looking at were:
Volkswagen Polo 1.2 2002 onwards
Peugeot 207
Fiat Punto
Vauxhall Corsa
Renault Clio

My budget for the car is between £800-£1200
My budget for the insurance (sad face :frown:

) is up to £1700 (Ive been getting quotes for around £1600 for the Ford Fiesta)

I just need some opinions because I don't know a lot about this lol

Thank you!

Had a 1.25L 2002 Fiesta as my first car. It was great. Very economical and had no problem on motorways - which is what I primarily used it for. I paid about £2000 for it in 2010 and it had super low mileage. I recommend it!

Posted from TSR Mobile

Reply 9

OP

Original post by thisistheend

Do you really have to drive a small hatchback?

Why not a sleek long saloon with a bigger engine looking less short and stumpy while you're at it？

Because first time drivers tend to crash in small cars, insurance quotes on some biggers cars can be surprisingly cheaper. I have a 210bhp Saab that gives cheaper insurance quote than a Renault Clio 182.

The reason why I'm looking at small hatchbacks is because I was learning in a small Nissan Micra (the old shape) so I thought it would be easier to stick to a small car for my first car.

But then again I guess I'm going to have to get used to driving a fairly bigger car.

Thank you for your post :smile:

Reply 10

OP

Original post by live_a_life

Had a 1.25L 2002 Fiesta as my first car. It was great. Very economical and had no problem on motorways - which is what I primarily used it for. I paid about £2000 for it in 2010 and it had super low mileage. I recommend it!

Posted from TSR Mobile

Ah it's good to hear that it has no problem on the motorway because I always hear that engine sizes below 1.4 aren't recommended :confused:

£2000? My budget is much less than that :frown:

Hopefully I'll find a decent deal somewhere if I decide to get one

Thank you for your answer :biggrin:

!

Reply 11

OP

Original post by Iqbal007

Its the general viewpoint on French cars, its perceived quality based on the past, so the car you get may end up getting maybe reliable, also believe the earlier 206 had electrical issues, not sure. Even the Japanese makers which are considered reliable had major issues a few years back and made numerous recalls.

Don't worry about the VW Polo being a 6v 1.2, as I got the 12v one and when I was looking to get a polo, the 6v version rarely came up during searches. The 6v is 54bhp and the 12v is 64bhp, the major compliant was that the 6v engine was simply too weak to be pushing the polo around, hence why its harder to find as that engine wasn't popular. The 1.4l is 74bhp, which is more suitable if you drive on the motorway more, better mpg and acceleration.

Do also recommend googling the car up and its common faults so when you look at one you can look out for that.

I was quite keen on getting either a Renault Clio or a Peugeot 207, but I've read mixed reviews on them, I guess its down to personal preference and experience

Oh dear now you've lost me on the Polo's loool :confused:

I am looking to keep the car for about two years so I defo want a car that is suitable for motorway drive

I'll definitely keep researching possible faults and stuff before I purchase

Thank you for your help :smile:

Reply 12

Original post by AyyEss

I was quite keen on getting either a Renault Clio or a Peugeot 207, but I've read mixed reviews on them, I guess its down to personal preference and experience

Oh dear now you've lost me on the Polo's loool :confused:

I am looking to keep the car for about two years so I defo want a car that is suitable for motorway drive

I'll definitely keep researching possible faults and stuff before I purchase

Thank you for your help :smile:

I would personally avoid them, but thats me, each to their own.

Basically there are different engines on the Polo's.....the 1.2l comes in mainly two variations in the UK, one is the 6v type which is a 54hp engine, the 12v being 63/64hp engine. The 12v 1.2l is the more common variation in the UK, as the 54hp version didn't sell as well because it felt weak compared to the more powerful 1.2l 12v.

If you are doing more motorway miles then city driving, the 1.4l is better due to miles per gallon but also because it pulls better on the motorway.

Reply 13

Alfissti

Original post by AyyEss

Oh dear

! Car searching is certainly difficult with a tight budget.

I have added the Skoda Fabia on to the list of cars I will do some research about. Seems like I will have to do some extra research on the Polo as well.

The Yaris is a cute car, I have heard it is very reliable but is underpowered and small?? :confused:

I'll look into the other cars you mentioned as well. Thanks a lot !

Make sure when you are buying a car that is more than 5 years old that you factor in maintenance cost. As a guide expect to spend between 8-15% of the car's brand new price each year on general maintenance.

Another one you could look into is the Suzuki Swift.

The Yaris isn't the most powerful car in its class especially in 1.0l form but it is a cheap way to get onto the motoring ladder with lower insurance cost and Toyota durability.

Original post by Iqbal007

Don't worry about the VW Polo being a 6v 1.2, as I got the 12v one and when I was looking to get a polo, the 6v version rarely came up during searches. The 6v is 54bhp and the 12v is 64bhp, the major compliant was that the 6v engine was simply too weak to be pushing the polo around, hence why its harder to find as that engine wasn't popular. The 1.4l is 74bhp, which is more suitable if you drive on the motorway more, better mpg and acceleration.

Do also recommend googling the car up and its common faults so when you look at one you can look out for that.

Most Polos in 1.2l forms in UK are bought as a 6v rather than 12v, most who would have otherwise bought a 12v model went for a 1.4FSI model as when it was new the price differences between it were minimal.

Reply 14

Original post by Alfissti

Make sure when you are buying a car that is more than 5 years old that you factor in maintenance cost. As a guide expect to spend between 8-15% of the car's brand new price each year on general maintenance.

Another one you could look into is the Suzuki Swift.

The Yaris isn't the most powerful car in its class especially in 1.0l form but it is a cheap way to get onto the motoring ladder with lower insurance cost and Toyota durability.

Most Polos in 1.2l forms in UK are bought as a 6v rather than 12v, most who would have otherwise bought a 12v model went for a 1.4FSI model as when it was new the price differences between it were minimal.

When I was looking for my Polo, all the 1.2l I came by were 12v ones, its only afterwards did i rarely come by the 6v. Wasn't as popular.

Reply 15

drewBusby

12

Original post by AyyEss

Ah it's good to hear that it has no problem on the motorway because I always hear that engine sizes below 1.4 aren't recommended :confused:

£2000? My budget is much less than that :frown:

Hopefully I'll find a decent deal somewhere if I decide to get one

Thank you for your answer :biggrin:

!

I could hold 90-100mph on the motorway in a 1,25 fiesta. Reliable car, with loads of spare parts floating about.

Reply 16

It's****ingWOODY

I have a new Fiesta Titanium 1.6, drives like a dream :redface:

Doubt one that's 10 years older will drive as well though.

Reply 17

Y333EEE

The Ford Fiesta is a well made and reliable car, and pigs can fly!

Seriously get a Fabia, Polo, Ibiza or Yaris. Or anything German and Japanese, they're not terribly cheap but if you at least won't have to nail them back together every 5 minutes like you would my old Fiesta

Reply 18

Sgt.Incontro