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| Road Test: Ford Fiesta Zetec S (1999-2002) |
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| Hot Hatchbacks |
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Ford Fiesta 1.25 LX 16V
by Matthew Thursfield
Cost of ownership: - At the moment it does 48.02 mpg, driving most days at 50-plus mph on dual carriageway and quiet urban roads.
- It's insurance group 5 which, with five-plus years fully protected no claims, is £400. (Is that expensive? I'm 25.)
Good points: - Excellent fun to drive compared with other superminis and larger company cars. I know these larger cars are quicker off the mark etc, but the Fiesta's small size gives the impression of speed.
- Loads of legroom for driver (I'm 6 ft-plus) and passenger. None in the back. Ha ha ha.
- Boot big enough for loads of stuff.
- Heater superb in morning. Great in winter for early morns (hence quiet urban roads).
- Reliable servicing by Ford dealer. They call if extra cost required so can't fudge me (apart from the cost - £78 usually).
- It can tow a dinghy with no problems whatsoever.
Problems: - Rear wash/wipe and electric boot release have been temperamental since I've owned the car. Two different dealers have tried to fix them with no success.
- Gearbox has just gone at 64,000 miles - a leak messed up fifth gear. I was fortunate enough to get away with new synchro and fifth only. Cost of repair: £260.
- No legroom in back when I'm driving.
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Introduction Hot hatchbacks fell out of favour a few years ago thanks to spiralling... |
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