Faults:

Very little in 14 years.

Wheel bearings.

Front CV joints at about 190k.

General Comments:

I had this car for 14 years, and recently sold it to a good home.

I was dubious when buying a cheap car for my business; got it OTR for 12.5k Au$ with A/C, power steering etc thrown in.

Purchased it in Cairns, so aircon was important.

I serviced it myself (very easy) and it ran faultlessly in all the time I owned it. It was comfortable, nippy to drive in the city, and also capable on the highway.

Moved to Melbourne, and drove it from Cairns in 3 days - a dream run.

It was a three door and had good space for tall people in the front. With the back seats down, it was like the Tardis; could load heaps of gear in there.

A/C worked brilliantly - only had to re-gas it once.

Never had any issues with rust, oil leaks, seals, radiator, brakes, and still has the original exhaust system.

Interior wore well, and little in the way of rattles and squeaks.

Better car than my Corolla, which was also fantastic.

I now have a Hyundai i30 diesel, which is shaping up to be the best car I have ever owned, but still miss the 'Festy'.

Faults:

At 150,000, the gearbox let go, and replaced it with a Mazda 121 manual box, running auto transmission fluid.

General Comments:

The Festiva has been very reliable and cheap motoring, but is a little bit uncomfortable on long trips.

The good thing about this car is they are easy to repair, but the parts are becoming hard to get.

Faults:

The Festiva is near on bullet proof.

However when I got the car, there were a few problems.

- The vinyl on the drivers side seat had split

- The seatbelt stalks had split (twice).

- The passenger side indicator was loose.

- There is a tiny amount of spot rust above the rear number plate.

When I got it, I swear that someone had worked it over with a crowbar. There was a lot of panel damage.

Also these cars are easy to break into. Make sure that you get a alarm fitted.

General Comments:

This car is an absolute rock. The power (the little it has) is supplied throughout the rev range up to about 5,000 revs. The clutch has a good feel to it without being too loose. It does have enough power to get you up to a decent speed while keeping you out of trouble.

With no power steering it can be a bit stiff at low speeds, but loosens up quick. Great in the car park.

If you are a big guy like me (6.4ft), then this is probably not a good car for you as it is a tight fit.

The economy is very good; it cost me $30 to fill up and I get 350km to a tank.

This car is best for the L or P-plater as it is a reliable car (Not a fast one). Perfect for city driving. You will be looking at anything from $500 to $3000 for one. About $1500 will ensure that you have a good car for a long time.

Faults:

Only problem is a too small windscreen wiper blade installed, but that's easy fixed.

General Comments:

This is my first car and boy is she a gem to drive!

No power steering, does have driver assist steering, but you hardly notice the heavy steering unless your parking.

Everything in the car is stock-standard but mine came with a JVC CD player which is a fantastic extra to have in this little car.

First time driving the car, it was raining cats and dogs, the car handled perfectly, not a glitch in this area.

Around 110 km/hr the car starts to get the shakes and tremors however its not annoying nor can it be classed as a 'fault', it's a small car for goodness sake!

I would recommend this car to ANYBODY getting a first car or even a cheap run around, very good on juice.