Faults:

Where to start...

When I bought the car it had a leaking sump gasket that the previous owner told me about... got that fixed no problem. In cold weather there is a 2-3 second delay between turning the key and the engine firing. Driver side window motor seized. Starter motor exciter switch kept coming loose (car was lowered 60mm all round so didn't like speed bumps), no fixed with electrical tape!! Fairly recently the speedometer has stopped working, as has the mileage counter... so 104000 isn't strictly true, it's stuck on that for 2 months! Also the alternator had to be reconditioned due to the oil that had seeped in due to the faulty sump gasket. Over winter it kept blowing fuse relays (one in particular, the reverse light, heater, and radiator fan fuse). Typical rust around the petrol cap etc etc. Oh yes one last thing, 6 months after replacing the sump gasket, it's leaking oil again, so engine wear is looking a very likely cause.

General Comments:

Reading the "what's wrong" section it sounds like the car is a wreck... it's actually not that bad, and thankfully because it's a Ford spare parts only cost a few quid. Besides I only paid £290 for the car, and I work in a garage so did a lot of the work myself.

There aren't many XR2i's out there that aren't in a similar sort of state (especially with sump gasket problems), they've all been abused by boy racers at some point in their lives.

As I said the car was lowered a lot, and testing it's limits on corners is a laugh. I stuck a K&N 57i and a power-valve on it... not sure how much of a difference it made though.

Overall it's been fun to drive, and I paid next to nothing for it so it doesn't owe me anything. I'm getting rid of it in the next week or two, it's being replaced by a Honda CRX.

Faults:

Where do I begin all troubles last few days,

Clutch went all funny with nasty noises, Slips in 1st and second gear and when in 5th if foot pressed down the revs will hit roof.

Gearbox is on it's way out, Hard to get into any gear and annoying me.

Rear suspension is dead now and not good at all.

But considering mileage on car all to be expected.

General Comments:

The car itself was a dream when I first aquired it, Acceleration was good and top speeds excellent, Comfort wasnt an issue as I found the seats were good and driving position stable.

If this car had 100,000 less miles it would be a scary fast ride and would out preform any car in it's class with ease.

Faults:

Rear wipers stopped working after few months.

The tape/radio broke after 3 years.

The engine doesn't start in the cold, has to be push started.

Arches rusting.

Car shakes heavily at high speeds including the steering wheel (after 80MPH).

Inside door panels falling apart.

Takes around 15-17 seconds for the car to hit 60MPH.

Drivers seat belt jams often.

General Comments:

Very economical (very high MPG).

Is quite comfortable.

Cabin isn't eye catching, but good enough for a fiesta.

The 1.8L diesel has a lot of torque.

Nice looking car overall. Looks even better with body kits.

Faults:

My family must have bought this car from a dodgy dealer, so many things have gone wrong since we got it when it was 2 years old:

A front light bulb broke.

A back light bulb broke.

Exhaust pipe fell off the bottom of the car!

All tyres had to be replaced.

Brake pads replaced.

Clutch cable broke (twice)

Back windscreen wiper doesn't work until about 10 minutes after the engine is started.

Starter motor broke (stranding me 8 miles from home)

New battery needed.

Oil leak.

Severe rust around all 4 wheel arches.

Radio can no longer read longwave transmissions.

Has needed at least £200 of work done on it at every MOT since we got it.

General Comments:

I thought that this car would at least be able to reach 0-60 in under 15 seconds, as it's 1.8 liters, even if it is a diesel. But no, I myself times it, and it takes about 15 and a half second (on a straight, level road with a near empty fuel tank). We must have spent thousands of pounds on repairs, and so it would have been better to just buy a different model after a few years. It seems to use oil faster than diesel! Although you're supposed to get more value for money with diesel, for the amount of power this car has, it is definitely not worth it. Has a lot of trouble starting on cold days. Don't try to overtake anything on a single lane road unless you can see for at least a mile ahead. It also sounds like a tractor (and is about as fast!)

Worst of all, it's embarrassing at traffic lights when they turn green and having people behind you waiting for you to accelerate, especially with "FIESTA 1.8" on the back, as people just think you're a slow driver.