By Chris Thorp

October 2003

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If you'd rather keep your money in your wallet than in your fuel tank, you should take a look at Ford's most frugal Fiesta. Over our one-year test, we've found the TDCi LX to be one of the most economical long-termers we have ever had.
Even though it's never been the most exciting set of wheels on the Auto Express fleet, that has not stopped it being extremely popular. If ever anyone has a few miles to cover, the little Ford is their first choice. With the clock now topping 15,000, the Fiesta is nicely run in, and while the economy has dipped over the past few months, it's still impressive. Many miles have been done within the confines of the M25, which means a gruelling routine of stop-start motoring, so the final average consumption of 44mpg is a credit to Ford's oil-burning powerplant.
The first service was due at 12,000 miles, but we had the car looked over at 11,500 as it had spent so much of its time on London's hectic streets. I booked the check-up on the Internet at www.fordserviceonline.com, which told me where my local dealer was and did all the legwork.
The system functioned faultlessly, and the first contact I had with Dagenham Motors of Hounslow was when I dropped the car off. The work was carried out perfectly, but our only complaint came with the price - ΂£140 seems a bit steep to us.
Don't think that the Fiesta hasn't earned its keep, though. The past few months have seen a couple of busy 1,000-mile weeks, while it also provided transport for my annual jaunt to Cornwall's sun, sea and sand. Loaded to the roof with passengers, plus their luggage and camping gear, the Fiesta covered the 545-mile round trip with ease. And, given the chance to sit at motorway speeds, the thrifty Ford even returned 50.4mpg.
So, do we have any gripes after 12 months of motoring? Our main concern has always been with the performance of the 1.4-litre diesel engine, which makes do with only 67bhp. Thankfully, it's loosened up well, but it still feels sluggish in the mid-range and leaves us wanting more.
However, once cruising, the Fiesta is totally at home, and it easily maintains a 70mph pace. In fact, the sole complaints about the driving experience have come from those who cover only urban miles. The increasingly sensitive and high-biting clutch feels as if it's on its last legs, and there have also been reports of the engine cutting out when the car is stationary, especially with the air-con set to its coldest temperature. Nothing was highlighted during the service, but these faults might need some attention in the near future.
Other moans include the constant irritation of having nowhere to rest your clutch foot, while the lack of lower back support on the front seats has left some colleagues feeling sore. Ford's omission of an external boot release has also come in for criticism. So what's the verdict on the Fiesta? Well, apart from a few niggles and a rather expensive service, we've been thoroughly impressed with the supermini. It might not be the most exciting car to look at, but it would be hard to find anything more practical and frugal in this class.

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