Zetec S 1.6

Brilliant pocket rocket that will definitely become a classic soon

In the 4 years we had it, this little Ford was nippy, reliable, good looking, cheap to run, well enough equipped and an absolute joy to drive. The gearshift, steering and brakes were absolutely great, with a ride and handling finesse that echoed the road manners of hot hatches from the 1980s (5 GT, 205 GTI, Mk1 Golf GTI) without the fragility of those cars. In terms of practicality, the boot was only adequate and the back seat was rather cramped with the chunky sports seats up at the front, but in terms of living with it on a day to day basis overall, no problems whatsoever. I just loved the way it could make even the most mundane journey such a giggle with its utter chuckability and liveliness. Build quality? Never let us down, the zingy 1.6 loved to be revved from the day we got it to the day we sold it and, apart from the metal pins holding the back side windows in place going slightly rusty (common fiesta problem) and the steering wheel rim wearing quite quickly, the body and paint looked very good. Be in no doubt, this excellent wee fast ford will become an appreciating asset in years to come, and can even show some modern hot hatches a thing or two in terms of driver appeal. As much as I love the new Fiesta ST, this can be had for a tenth of the price and is just as much fun. A cracking little machine

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