Very quick, but always goes wrong
No front bumper when got it.
Seats are ripped.
Starter motor has gone.
Fan doesn't work.
It over fuels so black smoke goes everywhere.
Needs new headlights.
Needs new bonnet and tailgate.
And a new respray.
Other than the above the car is fine. Goes like hell and stops.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know
Review Date: 19th October, 2003
Gallic flair on a shoestring
Heater matrix stopped working.
Track rod ends needed replacing.
CV joints needed replacing.
Coolant hose split, made a nice mess.
Minor things like exterior bulbs etc.
This was my first car and I grew really attached to it! Yes it was old and tired, but it was a surprisingly reliable car. My parents owned it for 4 years before I got it, and all they had to replace 2 brake disks and the exhaust. It sailed through every MOT without fault.
The 5 was a nice car, good to drive, and had a great driving position with lots of room in the front. The seats were comfortable, but shapeless and could not support you if you were pushing on round a bend. The ride was very smooth and soft, but the downside to this was HUGE amounts of body roll!
It had very little rust for its age, and I think the shape stood the test of time quite well. I'd love a GT version, but insurance is impossible at the moment.
Perhaps the only real reason I got rid of this car after a year was the fact it had no heater, and to fix it would cost a lot as the dash had to be taken off. Someone told me he had fixed his by bending the bottom of the console and sliding the unit out, but I couldn't manage this. The car would always be cold inside, the windows would never de-mist properly, and on frosty mornings it was quite dangerous as the ice would simply not clear and even get worse!
Wearing a hat and gloves to work was not much fun after a few weeks!
The 1237cc 55bhp engine was a little noisy, but economical, I got about 49MPG average from mixed driving, a little more on a long run.
I now have a fiesta 1.1, and whilst it's more refined and warm (!), it's nowhere near as much fun to drive, not quite as economical, and is slower too.
Quite simply it doesn't have the character. I'd have another R5 tomorrow if the design was more modern.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 13th November, 2002
A nice runner
Seats have finally collapsed.
Started to rust.
Drive shafts gone.
Comfortable car, and fairly quick to say it's a 1.1 engine. When cold it has a nasty flat spot making pulling out of busy junctions a bit hairy.
Rolls badly though I think the suspension is on the way out.
It handles well considering the way I drive it.
Cheap insurance and low running/maintenance costs make it great for a first car.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 5th May, 2002
A bargain for me, But not without its small (But now fixed) problems
There was some bad rusting on the wheelarches which had begun to go to holes. Fixed using a lot of elbow grease, rust treatment and fibreglass.
Rear Light relay was faulty on left side - Meaning when brake was pressed, both filaments in the bulb would come on making it too bright - Fixed with scrapyard relay. £2.
There was no rubber boot seal on the car, meaning every time it was washed water came in and got onto the rear seats and parcel shelf. Replacement Boot seal from Scrappy - £1.
No spare wheel - Scrappy (With almost new tyre) - £8.
Air filter badly clogged - New Air filter and hose.
Usual maintenence - Change of oil, oil filter, air filter, hose, sanding of less serious rust and spraying, etc etc etc.
Glovebox door broken. Took one from a Campus at scrappy. £2.
Sometimes has problems getting into First gear. Have to put it into Second and then into first.
Interior Light doesn't work when you open doors. Has to be switched on manually.
On the whole, a great little car.
Clutch bites a little far out though, and it has problems with fuel starvation on occasion (I think a replacement fuel pump is in order.)
Added a GT Turbo Steering Wheel to it today - £10, Scrapyard.
Also sprayed wheels silver today and added some wheeltrims.
Hoping to see what alloys I can find. We'll see. Has to look nice!
Having bought the car at auction for £50, I was sceptical about how well it would run, but its fine.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 13th April, 2002