Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Original poster

Anyone drive a Ford Fiesta

43 replies

NotesApp · 16/10/2023 14:39

Thinking of buying one and would welcome any views. Just want something safe and reliable.

DH is quite tall- are they good for a taller driver?

OP posts:
RoseDog · 16/10/2023 14:44

Both my teens have fiestas, Ds has an older one, he's over 6 ft and fits in it fine. Dd has a practically brand new one and it's very fancy and modern. Also my mums had one for 13 years and it's still going strong!

I don't drive myself so couldn't tell you more than that.

sleepymama3 · 16/10/2023 14:46

I did a few years ago. Great car. Reliable, easy to find replacement parts, zippy and easy to park in narrow spaces. I miss it, we traded it in for an EV.
My husband is average height but some of my male friends are very tall and they had no issues in the passenger seat as long as they could roll the seat back fully (ie no other tall people behind them). My brother drove it a few times and he's tall, said it was a bit cramped but no worse than any other car he was used to at that point.

koalaknickers · 16/10/2023 14:52

My DH is 6ft 3" and as the driver fits in fine. We were amazed. Honestly didn't expect that. His height is more in his back than his legs. I think where you "carry" your height can make a difference too. Could be a problem for taller people in the back, but it's just us so no worries.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

Cars & vehicles
QuizzlyBears · 16/10/2023 15:04

I am 6ft with a 38 inch inside leg measurement and I loved my old fiesta - definitely comfortable.

Shade17 · 16/10/2023 16:21

Avoid the 1.0 Ecoboom!

MAY324 · 16/10/2023 16:23

I have one and have had it for 10 years! I love it and will be gutted when it breaks. Only thing is they’ve stopped making them so now they’re quite hard to find spare parts for!

wellthatwentwelldinnit · 16/10/2023 16:52

My son had mine when I changed my car. He is 6'5"

Loved them, have owned 5 altogether.

needanotherhol · 16/10/2023 16:57

Yes I've had a fiesta as my last three cars- they are reliable and easy/cheaper for parts.
DH is 6ft and is ok driving mine.

Kiitos · 16/10/2023 16:59

I adore my old Fiesta. But read about the newer ones with the 1.0 Ecoboost engines and that will probably put you off. I wouldn’t buy one with that engine.

GingeNinga · 16/10/2023 17:08

We’ve had fiesta with the ecoboost for over 7 years - never had a problem although I know there were issues with some of them when they first came out. We’ve kept it serviced regularly etc, only repairs we’ve had have been to do with wear and tear - e.g this year needed new brake pads.

DP is the main driver, he’s 6ft 4 and doesn’t have any issues - just has the seat far back and adjusts the steering wheel height for comfort.

our neighbour has had theirs for around 13 years, never hear any complaints from them either.

menopausalmare · 16/10/2023 17:17

I've had my fiesta for 10 years and love it. Small, nippy, could get a double buggy in the boot, always starts first time. It's a 61 plate.

yarnwitch · 16/10/2023 17:42

I seem to always be in the minority but I didn't like mine. I'm quite tall and whilst space wasn't a problem, I found the driving position too low. I also had a lot of problems with mine but I think that was just bad luck.

GrimGrinningGhosts · 16/10/2023 17:43

Yes, it's fabulous. It is 35 years old though 😂
Recently had to have the head gasket done, but in fairness XR2's were ragged to death back in the day and i think most that survived the scrappage scheme have had the head go at some point.
My Mother In Law has an 04 plate fiesta with about 19k on the clock. Its like it just drove out of the factory and has never yet even had an MOT advisory. Early 2000's Fiesta's were utterly bombproof.

ReviewingTheSituation · 16/10/2023 17:47

We have a 10 year old Fiesta. DH is just under 6' and it was his main car for years (but I had a Golf we used for long journeys). It's been v reliable and economical (it's the 1L eco thingy). It needed money spending on it at the last service/MOT, but I'd expect that for a 10 year old car.

PieonaBarm · 16/10/2023 17:59

We have them at work and literally can't kill them. And we've tried. Numerous times! Although we do t have the new eco engine ones. I also had a 56 plate diesel zetec and I loved it!

NotTerfNorCis · 16/10/2023 18:02

I have a petrol one and am learning to drive in a diesel one. Seems good to me. Not very powerful, but reliable so far.

TicTacNicNak · 16/10/2023 18:05

I wish they hadn't discontinued them. I have a Vignale model and I love it.

Blanketpolicy · 16/10/2023 18:08

Ds(19), 6ft 3in has a 2014, 1L Ecoboost and it is a nice nippy drive it is lowmileage for its age (around 50k). It is a smallish car so when tall ds is driving there isnt much leg room behind him but he says it is nice to drive, he prefers it to his instructors mini, but prefers our EV if it is available. He has had no problems with the fiesta in the 2 years he has has it.

BrownTableMat · 16/10/2023 18:13

I’ve got a 16 plate one, had it 5 years. Love it, by far the best car I’ve ever had. Reliable, great steering and road handling, never had any serious/expensive problems. It’s not an ecoboost. And I’m not tall but it does seem plenty roomy enough inside.

PinkBuffalo · 16/10/2023 22:32

Love my fiesta it is 12 plate and has got me through numerous sets of flood water, snow, ice, flat tyres, broken spring over the years

it just keeps going it is a proper hardy little thing I love it

LunaNorth · 16/10/2023 23:02

I bloody love mine. It’s the first car I ever bought all by myself after I got divorced from my XH. Did the research, found her in a dealership just up the road. Went in, had a test drive, sorted out the finance and drove her home the next day.

She’s nippy as anything, I can park her anywhere and I just love her. She’s a symbol of my independence, and I’ll be gutted when she goes to the great scrapyard in the sky. She’s a 14 plate, so she’s in double figures next year, but that’s okay, I’m not as young as I was either.

TeeBee · 16/10/2023 23:04

My MIL bought a new one about 5 years ago. She absolutely hates it.

EveryoneButSam · 16/10/2023 23:26

I have a 16 plate and really like it (not ecoboost, can't comment on those). Teaching ds to drive in it now, he is 6'2 and fits in fine. Just had its MOT with no advisories. This is my second fiesta, last one was a 1997 P plate that lasted 16 years and didn't exactly die, it was still going strong but the advisory list on the MOT was as long as my arm and it was costing more money every year to get it through. I drove it to the scrap yard in tears!

CoodleMoodle · 16/10/2023 23:34

I had an older Fiesta (51 plate). It was the best car I've ever had, or even been in, and I cried when we eventually had to scrap it...

It was quite small, though - DH is 5"11 and he always looked slightly uncomfortable! I loved it anyway!

Shade17 · 17/10/2023 12:25

We have a 10 year old Fiesta. DH is just under 6' and it was his main car for years (but I had a Golf we used for long journeys). It's been v reliable and economical (it's the 1L eco thingy). It needed money spending on it at the last service/MOT, but I'd expect that for a 10 year old car.

Did you have the cambelt changed?