Ford Fiesta


The Ford Fiesta has consistently been one of the most popular cars in Britain. There is a good chance you have ridden in one, driven one, or even owned one at one point in your life. Ford has sold this supermini car since 1976. It comes as a three-door or five-door hatchback.

The Price

For less than £2000, you could be the proud owner of a used Ford Fiesta in reasonable condition. However, this will only get you a high mileage one. If you want a better car, you should be willing to spend a bit more. For just £3000, you may get a low mileage option with a full-service history such as a Zetec version that comes with a 1.25-litre petrol engine. For a diesel version of the car, you will be spending about £500 more. If you want an even less used car with the latest upgrades, you could spend as much as £6,000. For a new 2019 Ford Fiesta, you could spend £15000 to £20,000.

The Economics of Owning a Ford Fiesta

The Fiesta is small, which means the running costs are low. Besides that, a company renowned for its reliability builds it. For those that drive less than 12,000 miles a year, they should get the petrol engine. It will cost less than the diesel model and you will not see a huge difference in fuel costs. The 59 bhp 1.25-litre engines come with a consumption rating of about 52.3 mpg. For the 89 bhp version, that falls to about 49.6 mpg. If you go for the 1.4, you will get 49.6 mpg and 47.9mpg in the 1.6. In the diesel engine, you will get more fuel economy, which is great for those that drive long distances. You get about 67mpg for both the 1.4 and 1.6 diesel engines.

If you want to save on your taxes, you can opt for the 1-litre petrol turbo model that comes with the lowest emission figures. In fact, the 100 and 125 versions have such low emission that they do not incur an emissions tax. If you opt for the 140, you should only pay a tax of £20 annually. Most diesel versions have no, or a very low, tax.

Reliability

The Ford Fiesta has a long history of reliability. In fact, in all its history, there has never been a recall. That is impressive considering that the first models came out in 1976. In the 2018 model, a crash test showed that it is designed to divert energy away from the passenger cabin. Ease of driving is also quite impressive. Whilst it might be small, a lot of good engineering has gone into it.

Why You Should Get One

Firstly, it will not break the bank. Even in used models, there are no major issues to report. However, if you go for an old model, such as those made from 2004 and earlier, problems with steering and the airbags have been reported. In general, though, you are unlikely to regret this purchase.