Faults:

Back box had a hole in it when I got the car - had this replaced.

The bit of the exhaust between the catalytic converter and the back box developed a hole - replaced after the back box fell of off it on an A road.

General Comments:

As a whole, other than the things mentioned above (namely because that much exhaust is expensive), this little car is great! I couldn't fault it in any way.

It always starts first time - even when cold - and hasn't given me any starting problems in the short time that I've had it. An automatic choke is a welcome addition here - unlike my previous car where cold starts were interesting to say the least.

The performance of this car is second to none. Even when cold the engine on this car responds well to even the lightest of acceleration. I put this down to the fact the the previous owner had it serviced regularly. For a 1.1 (even with a fuel injection) acceleration is quick and high speeds are achievable when needed without the car thinking about it first.

Handling wise this car is OK. It might not have power steering (makes turning around fun!) but it's a simple case of I point and it goes. Something that is great - especially when I'm accelerating out of a corner and don't have to put much on the steering to get it to go round. Pretty good at both high and low speeds in terms of handling. Holds the road well too.

After having a Metro the Fiesta was a welcome buy. Having driven one before I was keen to get driving one again and was quick to snap this one up. The overall reliability of this car combined with the cheapness and availability of parts means that for an 18 year old owning a car is affordable. Even to fill it up from nearly empty averages around £27.

A great car that I shall be keeping for while!

Faults:

Clutch cable has snapped on three occasions, now have to pay out to have a new clutch which was only replaced in March 2003.

Both wishbones replaced at 89000 miles.

Front fog lights not working.

Rust under arches.

General Comments:

I think the the Fiesta Si looks like a great car.

However it lacks performance. For a 1.6 the car is quite sluggish and eats petrol. I am only 18 and when I first bought the car it felt fast, but now having got used to it, the car just doesn't seem the same. It can keep up with a lot of the new sporty modern cars, but still for a 1.6 it is sluggish.

The handling I think is quite good, it handles corners pretty well and the bucket seats work a treat when doing so, however going over bumpy terrain the car seems to have a mind of its own, throwing the steering wheel from side to side.

I think for a first car it is good and with me only being 18 it is good for insurance. I tried ringin around for insurance for a 1.2 Clio and they were quoting me more.

I think if you throw a air filter in or even a induction kit, the performance would be a lot better.

Overall a great car.