The Love Affair Is Over

[tone]

I was thinking this week that at the end of March, me and my little Fiesta will have been together for 12 months. It seems like yesterday when I took delivery of my new company aquisition from the dealers. And I was thinking as how I would put together a topic on the forum relating how as a married couple we've got on. By Thursday morning at 04.45am all that changed.

Just to digress, it came as requested in Frozen White and only had 15 miles on the clock. In the last 11.5 months we've covered 43100 miles together to date. Its only let me down once when it suffered the failure of a broken gear cable. Its been serviced on schedule, had replacement roll bar links fitted suffered only one puncture and has had 2 replacement tyres fitted. The original Hancooks are still going strong, well just, I was going to change them at the end of March. Pretty good going for such a little motor. From day one I fell in love with it, so much I even changed the oil at 6-6.5k mile intervals myself. I don't think I've ever lavished so much love and attention on a company car before, and spent so much of my own money to do the little things we all like doing to our cars to make them individual to ourselves.

Unfortunately on Thursday morning at 04.45am as I was travelling from home in Cornwall to my office in Oxford a trip that I cover on average twice a week, I approached the sleepy hamlet of Middlewood. The approach to this hamlet is down a 1 in 6 hill approx wide enough, just, for two Fiesta's. At the bottom of the hill is a sharp 90 deg right hand bend. On this particular morning as I turned into the bend at, I would think 20 mph, in the total darkness a shape appeared in the corner of my eye, no adaptive lighting here the headlights were shining into the hedge directly in front. There was sat a fox, instinctly I swerved to the left to avoid it. Unfortunately I hit the fox drivers side front corner. The result of this frenetic exercise was I hit the hedge at a 45 degs rode up the bank and rolled my little pride and joy coming to a halt on the drivers side straddled across the road.

The end result is front end completely disintegrated, although the chassis structure is sound. Both headlight units trashed, front off side wing, drivers door including door mirror badly dented and scratched. The rear quarter panel couldn't look any worse if it had been attacked with a chain saw. A pillar and roof, well a ton of filler won't help there I don't think.The wheels on the off side obviously buckled and scraped. I would think that because of the damage and the mileage that will be the end of my little motor. I hope not but......

Its an odd feeling lying there on your side in total darkness, a warm wet feeling on your leg and your wondering whether you've wet yourself and then realising it was the coffee in the centre console thats run out of the cup. Amazingly no glass broken and no air bags gone off, probably due to the low speed of the accident, only 15-20 mph I would guess. The driver he was perfectly OK apart from a battered ego.

Which brings me back to the title of the topic. "The Love Affair Is Over and Shouldn't Have Ended This Way"

This little car didn't deserve to go like this. It never disappointed, it was always a delight even after finshing work and then to jump in it and drive the 212 miles home was always an adventure. I never thought I would say that about such a great little car. People thought I was mad when I picked the Fiesta as my company car. I would normally drive a Mondeo 2.0ltr Titanium. But last year I was looking at downsizing the fleet of vans my engineers use. And so that it would be seen as constructive, I took delivery of the little car, albeit originally with the intention of after 3 months handing it on to an engineer. But I fell in love with it so much I kept it. Will I have another you bet your life I will.

[sparticus5]

It's all New Labour's fault, if they hadn't banned Fox Hunting...

But seriously, you're going to buy another Fiesta van! You got away with it this time but that amount of damage for a car travelling at a mere 15-20mph :o A wet paper bag would have suffered less.

If it were me, I defo wouldn't be going for the same type of car.

[lufc_lad]

That nearly brought a tear to my eye.

[tone]

Don't forget "sartacus5" that the front is all plastic you could hit with a wet paper bag and it would disintegrate. The main structure is fine and all the doors opened fine it was only low impact speed it virtually fell over it was only because I had to push it around on its side to get it upright etc that probably caused some additional scraping etc.

[AndrewL]

Generally, the worse the car looks after an accident, the better the job it's done to protect you by absorbing all the energy of the impact so your body doesn't have to.

Sorry to hear about the accident Tone, at least you've hopefully got a shiny new Fiesta to look forward to!

[stephenrhys1955]

Sorry Guys but the moral hear is never swerve to avoid any small animal. I had a fox come out of the hedge in front of me not so long ago. At 60mph the sound of it's bones liquidising under my floorpan was awful but no accident because I didn't swerve. If you had a cow or horse jump out in front of you I wouldn't say so much, but lets face it if you hadn't swerved you would still have your pride and joy in one piece.

[tone]

Thanks for the comments guys. I've arrived back from annual leave today and found an e-mail on the system from the accident management people saying the insurance company have given the go ahead for repairs to be carried out.

Apparantley there was only £6235.00 worth of damage. Obviously not enough for a total loss. Which surprised me as I didn't think the car was worth that much especially with the mileage.

Anyway I'm looking forward to getting the little motor back. Should be ready W/C 11th April.

In the meantime I've had a 60 plate Corsa 1.4 petrol. It averages about 39-40 mpg not a patch on the 49-51 of the Fiesta but for a petrol not bad.

Tell you what very impressed... the finish and the build quality knocks socks off the Fiesta. There's more room inside it, the engine is OK sort of miss the diesel tho'. It rides bumps and pot holes with none of the crash banging you get in the Ford, the doors shut with a quality sound...quite impressive. The switchgear, wipers and indicators have a quality feel to them that the Ford doesn't. Even in my last Mondeo didn't match this. Doesn't go round corners well tho', how it'll cope with wild animals I don't know. Will I miss it when it goes back.....do you know I think I will.

And you're right "stephenrees1955" the best option is don't swerve, but at 4.50am yoiur first reaction is too swerve, and if Cornwall had wide enough roads it would mean avoiding hitting hedges and banks.

Keep you posted.

[kevin lancelott]

I been using a 10 reg Astra 1.6 petrol hire car for the last two weeks and I will miss that when it goes back.

[cyb]

Sorry to read about your car,and I understand what you say about the Corsa as my wife has a 1.4 Sri and whilst I prefer to drive my Fiesta I have to admit there are many things that I do like about her car. But I still think the goodies that come with the titanium are much better and I also prefer the ride of my Fiesta, the Sri suspension is a bit hard at times.

[tone]

This almost heracy what am I saying, but I'm begining to warm to the Corsa, and dare I say it quite a lot. I average 1000 miles + a week so after the initial run down you start to live with the car and start to look beyond the surface and notice other things.

And I can see where you are coming from "cyb" regarding the goodies. To be honest I've got the Corsa SE, and talking of goodies how does;

Heated Steering Wheel and Seats, garb you amongst the usual things. I like things / goodies that help and are of a benefit in a car. Heated seats I like, air-con not neccessarily climate control, nice if it comes with it but air-con will do. Heated steering wheels not really for me, trip computer oh yes and the one in the Corsa is as good as the Fiesta's. Lights come on when you open the door both cars have that the Corsa switches the headlights on as against the Fords side lights. Both have "see you home" lights nice. No Keyless Entry or Pushbutton start in the Corsa but it does have Stop & Start, nice touch which you can switch off if you want. Glad I don't have to pay for the starter/alternator that could be costly. alloys as you would expect but with 55 ratio tyres, obviously helps with the smooth ride. Auto Headlights and Wipers I can live without. Talking of switchgear the two stalks on the Corsa have a nice feel to them, solid and the indicator I do like. The usual three flashes with one touch, but they are also have a BMW operation with them in that they can also stay on and cancel a lot easier. Seats are half leather and very comfortable , but then I find the Fiesta's comfortable which is no mean feat for two so called small cars. When you sit behind the wheel of a car for 4 hrs at a time you need comfortable seats. Both cars have excellent driving positions. The boot is a bit bigger in the Corsa I think, but then the car is bigger. In fact I reckon you could stick a Mk 5 Fiesta inside the Corsa, cars have grown so much today. There is certainly more room inside the Corsa shoulder wise. The biggest concern for me is build quality and noise. There have been a few members on here who have complained about the rattles and creaks they are experiencing with the Ford I am one of them The way the thing crashes and bangs over rough roads with plastics creaking is frustrating but you accept it because of the market the car was designed for. Its not a luxury car after all its a small cheap run around and you accept that. That is until you drive the Corsa.

The difference is amazing, and I mean amazing its unbelievable, my Mondeo didn't ride like this. The quality of the trim leaves the Fiesta standing. In fact we used to laugh at the Lada's and Skoda's of old, compared to the Corsa, the Fiesta is on a par with them.....honestly go and look.

But then we come to the thing I admire most in a car, Soul and Character. I would define it as....well when you've had a hard day at work and its time to go home, especially if you face the prospect of a long trip do you take the quickest easiest option just to get home or do you go the slightly longer route to take in some twisty bits, in the Fiesta I do. Sometimes I'll add as much as 50 mins to my journey and avoid some of the motorways just for the sheer delight in driving it. In the Corsa perhaps not, straight on the motorways cruise on, take me home James. And thats the difference, the Ford is for driving the Vauxhall for getting there.

Now if Ford could build the Fiesat like Vauxhall have built the Corsa now we would have a car.

[lufc_lad]

The only thing i dont like about the corsa is the interior