Hi all,

In a few months I will be looking to trade in my 56 reg Focus 61k for something newer, smaller and more luxurious. Is a Fiesta (08 onwards) 1.6 petrol a good switch?

My total budget including trade in will be about £5-6k. That rules out the newer 1.0 100BHP options. I wanted something with reasonable MPG, insurance and initial outlay costs but also with cruise control and climate control etc...

I no longer do long commutes so feel a diesel is no longer appropriate for me. In addition I just had to spend £1.5k getting my engine flushed out due to the issue with the injectors leaking causing heat, and there for build up in the oil. The turbo went pop :(

Turns out the garage my dad had recomended changed all their staff (used to have friends there) but he never bothered to inform me of this. They were doing a poor job of my services, but I have a new mechanic who I trust now.

As I'm approaching 70k miles now, I know id have to get a new DPF filter or at least get mine cleaned, I also need new shocks as other bits and bobs. The car is too big for me and I've had enough of having a lower level trim so think its time to upgrade.

Any issues I should know about the 1.6 Fiesta mk7?

I was considering a Fiat Grande Punto Eleganza 1.4 16v as it is 5 insurance groups lower but with similar performance and parkers price guide had it at about £2k cheaper. In reality though they are about the same price as the Eleganza is quite rare. I also read issues about the 6 speed gear box in that model as well. For the sake of an extra £100 a year insurance or what ever it will be, id rather have the slight extra performance and quality of a fiesta if they are the same price.

I had the exact car you are thinking of until 4 months ago when I got the ST. I would highly recommend it, unless you want the sportier ride and looks of the Zetec S, the 1.6 Titanium is a good choice. It's a lovely smooth engine and pulls well too, and economy was good, about 40 mpg if you drive it carefully.

I don't know of any issues to look out for, I'm sure others will tell you if there are, but I had no problems at all with mine.

I had the exact car you are thinking of until 4 months ago when I got the ST. I would highly recommend it, unless you want the sportier ride and looks of the Zetec S, the 1.6 Titanium is a good choice. It's a lovely smooth engine and pulls well too, and economy was good, about 40 mpg if you drive it carefully.

I've hit my 30s now. I'm more a comfort kind of guy, so no firmer suspension for me...

I'm almost sold on the 1.6 Titanium now. I like the spec of the ecoboost engines especially the low end torque on the 125, but the real world MPG seems disapointing and the upfront cost for a similar mileage and spec car is almost double. It would only be worth it if I was going to do a remap, but at the prices I'm seeing the car is out of my range anyway.

So, 1.6 Titanium...

As I said before I've always gone for standard trim but I'd like this next car to be a bit special. Any recomendations on ways I could personalise it a little more with in a sensible budget? Dont want new wheels or to lower it, but open to options such as wheel / caliper respays or new spoiler / diffusers etc. I'm seeing Fiesta's everywhere now that I have decided I want one so I'd like mine to be a little more personalised but nothing that would break the bank.

You could add the Zetec S bodykit. It can be quite expensive but you sometimes see Titaniums that already have it. I think it was a factory option called "dress up kit".

We shall see. Was having a look at used cars on my lunch break. Should be able to get a 20k Titanium for about £5.5 I think so pretty happy.

Shame the lumbar support, traction control and spare wheel were optional extras. May struggle to find one with those.

We shall see. Was having a look at used cars on my lunch break. Should be able to get a 20k Titanium for about £5.5 I think so pretty happy.

Shame the lumbar support, traction control and spare wheel were optional extras. May struggle to find one with those.

I believe traction control was standard on all Fiestas from 2010, you can check it on Etis if you have the reg.