Hi,

I'm currently driving a 2003 Fiesta Zetec 1.6 petrol, which I've owned from 14,000 miles and have put another 79,000 miles on it in the 6.5 years of ownership. So I average 12,000 miles a year. I use it for my daily commute to work (40 miles each way), which is mostly motorway miles. I am looking to replace the car with something nearly new as I feel that the car will soon start costing me a lot of (dead) money to keep on the road with repairs, servicing etc, as it approaches 100k.

I want to stay with Fiestas because I've been so fond of my current Fiesta; I like the way they handle, its size is good for me, relatively economical to run (although this model does seem to go through a lot of petrol!). Being the non- Zetec S variant this car is super comfortable for motorway driving and the power (100bhp) means that it can pull well even at 90mph (although I tend to keep at 70 now to save on fuel costs).

I'd now like to replace it with a nearly new Zetec S as I'd prefer a more sporty feel to the ride and I love the look of these especially with the 17" Street Pack alloys. I have been looking at year old (>10,000 miles) Fiesta Zetec S petrol and diesel and I have test driven both. The performance of both seems compatible in everyday driving.

I really like the look of the new Metal with the leather seats, black interior, chrome twin exhausts and Sony stereo. But I'm worried that this isn't going to be a sensible choice long-term in consideration of my current mileage (400 miles a week). It will mostly be used for the motorway and I'm concerned about running costs, noise levels and not to mention depreciation.

Can anyone advise me on this please.

By the way I'm a 28 year old male and have held a licence for 10 years or so, so insurance cost isn't a major issue.

Cheers,

Scott

If you've considered a Zetec S then the Metal is not much different. Running costs would be similar, but in my opinion it is a better buy. More on it as standard and slightly quicker. I've owned a Metal and an S, and i'd go for the Metal every time.

Hope this helps.