Faults:

A few trim pieces came loose.

The thermo fan stopped working.

Rear spoiler changed changed colour slightly.

None of these were major issues.

General Comments:

Fantastic fun for a compact car. Zippy performance without being fast.

Entertaining handling, comfortable seats. Not much room in the back for passengers and fairly narrow, luggage space also tight.

Slick enough gear shift with good ratios.

Low profile tyres leave the rims vulnerable to damage, though even after a couple of heavy hits, our were fine.

Quite difficult to work on simply due to space restrictions, and I hated the location of the oil filter.

Voice control hit-and-miss.

The design dated well - even though our car was used, numerous people assumed we had purchased a brand new car because it aged well.

It preferred 95 octane or above, but ran OK on 91 in a pinch.

Faults:

The only thing that has gone wrong with my car is a radiator fan relay, which was sticking when I switched the car off, causing the radiator fan to remain on when the car was turned off. Fixed myself for $25. Only other things are standard such as replaced a battery, and a few globes have blown which I replaced myself, and tyres.

General Comments:

Comfortable, great handling. Takes corners very well. Traction control. Short first gear, but that's good for hill starts, but means taking off at lights is not going to be startling. It has surprising power for what it is. Overtaking, even at 100km/h is more than adequate, even in 5th gear thanks to the diesel engine.

Great stock speakers, cruise control. Everything works well. I even routinely tow a small trailer (300kg).

Fuel economy great, it is extremely cheap to drive around in.

Only criticism I have is that on my model I cannot connect my phone through Bluetooth audio. But hey, there's a headphone jack.

Faults:

Rattle noises at certain speeds in the left front door.

Ongoing and endless issues with the automatic transmission.

Original factory Continental tyres are only good for 20000 to 25000 kilometers.

General Comments:

For the price and as a city car, it is spot on.

The good…

• Modern design and good looks.

• Great interior (when compared to others cars in its class and price).

• Amazing road holding; almost feels like a go cart around corners.

• Surprisingly roomy for such a small exterior.

• Good ergonomics, I am 6 foot and am able to find a comfortable driving position.

• Better than average stereo, with Bluetooth for your phone.

• Fuel economy at 6.5L/100km is on the good end of the scale.

• Air con is adequate.

• Usable boot size (again when compared to others in the class such as the Suzuki Swift).

• Under the bonnet, the car still looks like new; no leaks or issues of any kind.

The bad…

• The ride is a little harsh. I guess that is the trade-off for the brilliant handling.

• Engine sounds a little harsh

Here comes the big one, the Powershift 6 speed dry dual clutch auto is a shocker. I could write volumes about the issues with the auto, but here is a small summary:

• When you slow down or stop, it sounds like a mechanic just dropped a handful of spanners under the bonnet.

• First gear is useless; only engages for the first few seconds.

• Second gear slips; had it back to Ford several times, and they then reset and calibrate the auto. It works fine for a couple of weeks, and then plays up again.

• Driving up the hill into the garage, it will suddenly leap forward when accelerating.

• Auto smarts (computer) is pretty stupid. It doesn’t know if you're accelerating or slowing down. Many times it selects the wrong gear, or worse, doesn’t disengage when you stop in time.

• The auto is supposed to learn your driving style, but instead, if you want to live with this car, you will have to adopt your driving to accommodate the dimwitted auto.

In summary, I love the car, but whatever you do, get the manual, or if you must have an auto, look somewhere else.

Faults:

Nil.

General Comments:

This car is amazing; small, but lots of room inside.

Leather wrapped steering wheel feels great to drive with, corners like nothing I've ever driven before, and the engine just keeps pulling on the highway.

The seating is perfect, the gearbox feels amazing, and the brakes are strong.

The gear ratios are perfect, the exhaust sings like a choir, and the interior is well fitted and high quality.

Driving this car brings the road alive, you will just be so eager to drive it down a road full of corners and obstacles, because the car entices you to.

Best small car ever!

Faults:

The only 'problem' was the aluminium plate on the gear lever was poorly glued on and would come off in the sun.

General Comments:

Awesome handling. AWESOME handling. Needs more power to match it, but the suspension/steering/brakes don't need to be touched. Very well made, comfortable too. Drinks a bit for a 1.6 though.