General Comments:

I have just purchased a car that was owned by an elderly fanatic; oil change every 5000, and full service history from birth...

Tranny is OK for now, although a little rough.

The valve noise is present, but when I start up and listen, I then shut it off and start again, and it is gone...

Apart from that, FANtastic little car.

Buying a manual would obviously be a better bet than to deal with FORD's CD4E Stressbox.

Faults:

Spark Plug leads had to be replaced.

General Comments:

The car is reliable and runs very well. Its very smooth to drive. Recently the car seems a little sluggish to start up especially if not driven for a few days, but once it starts up, its fine. There is enough leg room for the front pasengers, but lacks leg room in rear. Its great for cargo space especially when seats are folded down. Fuel consumption would be considered good for a 2 litre vehicle. I can get about 620km per tank when using for long haul driving.