24th May 2005, 10:08

I have owned three Ford Fiestas in the past, but this time I bought a Citroen Saxo. No it's not down to performance, or looks, it's down to that four letter word, "RUST". Every Fiesta I have owned has had a serious rust problem by the time it got past five years old, and by the time it gets to nine year old it's fit only for the scrapyard. Citroen however galvanize their vehicles, and offer a twelve year anti-corrosion warranty. No wonder more and more people are turning away from Ford, to cars with better build quality, like Citroen, Peugeot, Fiat, and Renault.

23rd Feb 2006, 03:26

To be honest, the Saxo is not really that impressive. Try a XR2i or RS Turbo in good condition. These cars are much better. They look better, and are classic cars that set the standards way ahead of their time. The handling is superb, and they get much more looks.

3rd Mar 2006, 19:11

Both the XR2 and RS Turbo have terrible handling.

14th Mar 2006, 11:22

Wow, these hot hatch wars sound fun. I'm 18 years old and am looking for a nippy little motor for uni, budget is about 3.5k and insurance is an issue, so a VTS is a no-no for me. Wanted a Yaris T sport, but too much money second hand, so none of that. I'm left with the Zetec-S and VTR, both of which I really like. I've driven both and I reckon the Ford might have the edge in handling, though the Saxo is a little ripper, too. Both are a different drive. Saxo possibly quicker (very close), though the Ford is alright in a straight, Top Gear (or another mag, can't remember which one) actually squeezed 9.9 seconds out of it if I remember correctly, but the VTR is still nippier, if only just. Ford better quality, Saxo much prettier shape.

Oh I don't know... may just look out for the best deal on them, can't really choose! Two great cars IMO. Cheers.

7th Jun 2006, 10:09

I've owned the VTR for over a year now. For what it is and the price you pay, it's a nice quick and nibble little car. Servicing is cheap, fuel consumption is lovely, and maintenance is excellent.

My only bash with the car is the driver side window. The clips to hold it in snapped twice while under warranty, and again last week, now it's out of warranty. I've booked it in next week to get fixed by Citroen, but have no idea if they will charge me for it.

But I'm getting bored of the car now, as it's not quick enough, so I've entered into the Fiesta ST market.

But for those who are looking to buy a VTR because you're young and insurance won't touch you on anything faster, then go for it.

28th Jul 2006, 04:40

I think the Fiesta Zetec S and the VTR are both good cars. The performance of the VTR is slightly better in terms of speed, but the handling on the Fiesta is far better in my opinion. I own a Zetec S and love it, there is no need to slate them.

1st Oct 2006, 19:04

My mate has a Zetec S and a have a VTR. We haven't raced from the lights or anything, but on the main roads there is literally no difference in performance that I can see. I know the figures say the VTR is faster, but I think they are pretty much exactly the same. The Zetec handles better as it has those nice low profile tyres, whereas the Saxo has those... bigger ones... which really don't do it justice.

As for the looks, it's a matter of personal preference. I like the VTR's looks, he likes the Fiesta's. I suppose the Fiesta wins on build quality though... heh.

21st Nov 2006, 17:30

I agree there is no need to slate both cars over and over. The bottom line is.

DO you like the car???

It's a simple answer of YES OR NO, it's just the same as saying.

Do you like BMW or Mercedes, see my point...

I will have to state though my brother is in a Toyota Supra 3.0 non turbo and he won't race me in my VTR on the back roads for he knows I can get way faster speeds on corners.. on a motorway I'm left standing sucking my dummy in my mouth hahaha.

Plus points.

VTR replacement parts are cheap...

I have so many mates who are jealous of the fact they have a Saxo 1.1, 1.4 and I'm in a VTR, so my street cred is way higher.

Bad points.

Seats look awful. I have put blue seat covers over mine to make them look somewhat nicer to the eyes.

Steering wheel is too low. I'm 5ft 7 inches, and even I would prefer the wheel to be a little higher.

Suspension, hmm, what can I say not all that great, but I thought the point of having a car is to feel the car, as in road surface bumps etc etc. This way you feel more alive than having a car which you can't feel bumps etc etc. Hence why the Saxo is so much fun and is compared to a go-kart.

All this rubbish about foot pedals. I had the car for a week, and had already forgot about the position of the pedals. It's simple, don't knock it unless you have tried it for more than a week or so. You can't say a car is great from taking it on a 1 hour test drive; that is not enough time IMO. You have to go out on different roads and really give it a run for its money...

Zetec-S, I love the car, but I ignore it TBH. My mate has a Focus-ST and I keep up with him pretty easily, so if I can keep up with him, then a Zetec-S ain't gonna be a problem...

And since no one stated it, IT'S ALL ABOUT THE DRIVER HIMSELF. You may have a great car VTR or Zetec-S, but you may drive like a nutter and don't know how to drive if your life depended on it. You may only be driving good enough to stay on the road for all you know, PLUS these are road cars, not racing track cars, so why not keep it that way, then you know we are all safe on the road and not putting anyone or ourselves at risk... though I have done some racing in my time, I make sure the weather is OK to do so, and its at a time of day when you know there won't be loads of cars about, but even then, you can't tell how the roads will be, so you are taking a risk in just that alone...

Overall.

The Saxo VTR/VTS 9.5 out a 10 (not because I have one, it's the fact it's cheap, good insurance, and is nippy for in cities and good on back winding roads), great street cred even as a bog standard car. It turns heads to this day, and pulls in the ladies left, right and centre. Same car as a 106, so parts are easy to buy, and are cheap.

Zetec-S 8.5 out a 10, lacks the looks of a Saxo, interior is way better, gear box is not as good as a VTR's not as much fun as a Saxo. Street cred is lower than a VTR, but a good point is it's not one a car thief would go for. They would go for a Saxo any day to steal, and the Zetec-S does not have the brand name of a CHAVS car on it, which the Saxo does.