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Hello looking for my first quick/ish car. will be 21 when get it so insurance still a issue. Looking a a fiesta zetec s(99 - 02)  but noticed a saxo vtr is cheaper quicker and more economical. however I don't like the image and have some concerns about reliability. Also looked at 106 1.3 rallye but feel might be a bit annoying to live with as would be commuting in it and doing lomg trips a couple of times a year. any comments/advice welcome. Thanks

To be honest, I wish I'd looked at the Fiesta when I got my Focus - it's not a bad little engine but a bit overwhelmed with the weight of the Focus. I've heard plenty of good stuff about the Fiesta, I also expect it's a lot safer than the Saxo should something go wrong. Saxo is basically a 106, which is an old, old car made of tinfoil.

Based on my own experience, with that engine, watch for oil consumption - anywhere between about 80-100k they can start drinking oil (my focus got through 4.5 litres in 2000 miles), and the solution is to replace the bottom end of the engine with a new 'short block', or swap the whole thing for a lower-mileage second-hand unit. The second option is cheaper, but you run the risk of having the same problem all over again. Ford specialist I spoke to didn't recommend it...

Other than that - I'd steer well clear of any that have been modified, fitted with 'performance air filters' etc etc, as they will have been ragged. If I was buying one, I'd really look for a mint, low-mileage and completely standard example. Something like this: http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/424768.htm if it was cosmetically standard I guess.

www.honestjohn.co.uk has a good list of what to look out for on pretty much every model of car in the last 20 years if you get to the point of looking at them.
 

A mate of mines got a Saxo VTR its a 51 reg with 37k so its a decent example. But its still been riddled with problems. Steering went wrong. He was fiddling about with the engine and he got every warning light on. Fiesta Zetec S is probably the better car. Not quite as quick as the Saxo but by the smallest of margins. Citroen really scrimped on the interior, everything feels very cheap and nasty. Plus the low speed ride is rattly which can get annoying driving around town. Fiesta's interior is as nice as can be expected for a car like this plus with the Zetec S you get a colour coded interior which looks particularly exquisite in imperial blue. If you do take away the VTR/Zetec S parts and just look at Fiestas or Saxos the Fiesta beats it pretty much every where. You also get a more sportier ride with the Fiesta as it shares its suspension components with the Ford Puma. So if you want my Advice i'd go for the Fiesta Zetec S. Hope this has helped.

Hi,

I bought a Saxo VTR on an 02 plate with 19,000 miles in January 2005, making it just under 3 years old. I ran it until June 2007 when it had done 47,000 miles and in that time it managed to get through a clutch (£200), flywheel (£50), gearbox (£450), stereo (£200), heater matrix (£150), seatbelt (£100!?) and exhaust went in the middle after I'd had the car 3 months - in the middle too so needed a full system (£300)...really really expensive car to keep because it's french...they just don't build them to last! It's been cheaper to run my replacement (e36 328i) and therefore I strongly advise you not to buy the Saxo. The Zetec S should prove far more reliable and thus less expensive, however if you are looking for something quick (ish), reliable etc that will be far more suitable as a daily commuter, why not look at used VW group cars? An early Mk4 golf or even a Mk3, although not paricularly exciting will be better purchases with the right history etc.

Hope you find what you're looking for!

Ben.

Having had a quick look, I am guessing that you are looking to spend in the region of £2500?!?!? 

The Fiesta is a fine car and if you find a good example you can't go far wrong.  However, you do have to keep your eyes peeled for a good one, don't go for a modified one.

The 106 is brilliant, but as you quite rightly say it is "buzzy", and is difficult unless you are completely committed for a long journey.

There are other alternatives though.....

Peugeot 306 1.8 16v XS  -  Not many of these around as they were a bit of a parts bin run out model.  Terrific car though.  Quick, handles, has a half decent sporty interior, and looks like a GTi-6.  The best thing though is the insurance group.  6.  I ran one for a three years and loved every second.  One of the motoring worlds best kept secrets!

MG ZR 104  -  Not to everyones taste, but still a great car.  Peppy engine and half decent styling both inside and out give it a reasonable image.  Cheap to run and insure at group 9.  Some tidy ones around at the money too.

Nissan Almera 1.8 Sport  -  Okay, leap of faith with this one!  A car with little to no image, and all your mates will probably take the p**s out of you for this one, but underneath it all not a bad car.  Not as capable all rounder as the Peugeot or MG, but quick, solid and reliable.  Group 7 insurance and plenty of good ones around for the money.

Renault Clio 1.6 16v Dynamique  -  The hottest thing under the 172 at that age.  Light car with decently powerful engine and agile chassis.  The traditional Renault issues of crap interior quality still apply but a good all rounder. Group 8.

Best of luck.

 

Insurance groups aren't always entirely useful - the best thing I've found is to get quotes for pretty much anything you think you might be interested in. In some cases bigger (and more powerful) cars can be cheaper to insure, or at least offer much better value for money, since the sort of 'junior hot hatch' category cars you're looking at tend to be crashed by young drivers on a regular basis! Some more often than others I would guess.

A friend of mine has had a couple of the 1.8 306s - said his first one was cheaper to insure for him than the smaller-engined variants, since it was a relatively rare model and young drivers tended to be buying and crashing the 1.4 and 1.6 models.

What about a VW Lupo GTI? Expensive residuals, but 125bhp in a very light by modern standards car. Very rare, look great (xenons were standard) and 0-60 in around 8 seconds. Good NCAP results too.

The Lupo 1.4 16V Sport (100bhp) has less expensive residuals and is still a good car (0-60 is still pretty sprightly).

The Zetec S is good but I always feel its a tad common and boring.  I wouldn't touch the saxo or the 106. Safety wise they're pretty poor despite been tidy handlers.

A more left-field option might be something like the mitsubishi colt czt 1.5 turbo. There are some warm clios I think if I remember with 138ps and a 2.0. Shop around and best of all get what you like, but i'd make sure its got the kit you want and its safe.

 

 

Hi,

Having owned two Fiesta Zetec-Ses I would say you're probably on the right lines - they handle superbly, sound okay and go an awful lot better than the published figures suggest - the first I had was a Y plate with the facelift interior (look for a darker grey colour and alloys with no centre caps) which was great - I replaced it with a Focus ST170 and ended up wishing I hadn't, so chopped the 170 in for - another Zetec-S, a 52 plate this time, which always went well for what it was.  Both were pretty solid cars, aside from front suspension bushes (although the newer car didn't needed these in the time I had it).  Also look out for rear wheel bearings, a common Ford failing...  The thing with these is that you can explore the handling of the car without travelling at stupid speed, i.e. have fun without putting your licence at serious risk - a little provoked lift-off oversteer is possible, and easy to catch.  Strangely after having tried cars such as the Golf GTI, Subaru Imprezza, Toyota Celica VVTLi and owned a couple of very quick cars, including a current Focus ST, I have recently reverted to type and bought a Fiesta Coupe, sorry, a Puma, simply because of the ability to have fun on the road at sane speeds, which kind of brings us back to the Zetec-S...

 Sounds like it would suit you well.

 

PS  I spent over two years commuting 50 miles to work and back in my Z-Ses, and it was very rare that I didn't arrive home with a smile on my face.

I have owned both a Fiesta Zetec and a 106 GTI and can honestly say that the 106 was the better car by a country mile. In fact I have owned 8 cars in the past 5 years including a Mini Cooper, the current Golf GTI, 318 m-tech and Is200 Sport and the 106 GTI was definately the most fun of the lot all things considered! I used it for 30,000 miles including business use and loved everyone of them. It genuinely started first time, everytime and apart from servicing every 9k (essential) and a new exhaust, it never gave a minutes trouble. Admitted I was possibly lucky but by no means the exception. Whilst these cars are near identical to the Saxo VTS, the difference in reliability is huge, not sure why though. I bought mine from an owner who had it since new and like me, was a car enthusiast but not a boy racer or 0-60 fan. The Fiesta was a good car too with admittedly a more pleasant interior but just didn't look as special outside or give you that same smile everytime you drove it. The 106 was the only car i've owned that sat there on the drive with that 'come drive me please' look that made it irrisitable not to jump into and go for a 30 mile drive in it. After two years of owning it i sold it for a more practical 'company car', the Lexus and it genuinely broke my heart. I even asked the guy to give me first refusal if he sells it on (sad I know) but that's how good an experience it was.

My advice would be to seek out a cared for, unmodified GTI, service it on time and prepare to have a blast while owning it. Good luck.

Citroen C2 VTR - good fun and cheap to insure. Or an old-shape Clio. They're light, so are good fun and reasonably quick. Also safer than a Fiesta or Saxo, so insurance is probably a bit lower.