Hi All,

First post on here so go easy... but i thank you in advance for your comments and advice..

I currently have a 2003 Ford KA (first car) - got in 2012 after I passed my test and I'm now looking for my next car. I've got a budget of around £10,000 - can be a smidge more but ideally not. I am 26, I drive about 35 miles (round trip) to work every day (mixture of town and dual carriageway) and often go out for drives at weekends. I've had a look around and I'm confident that I'd like to get a fiesta - but which model I'm not sure. I'd like something sporty/sporty looking, quite pokey but also doesnt pull that high revs at higher speeds on the motorway (i know that's probably asking ALOT..) . so I have seen the Zetec S / Red/Black Edition / ST-2 models and I was just wondering if anyone had any comments / pieces of advice about these models or anything else like servicing/running costs/features etc etc. my overall car knowledge isnt great so i thought why not come on here and ask! 

also some other search criteria, looking for osmething fairly new (say 2014 onwards) and have less than 25,000 miles. 3 doors too. 

any other info you think might be useful just let me know. and thank  you all in advance!

Kingsley

Judging by the miles you do i'd say go for the same as what i've got. Fiesta Zetec S 1.6TDCi. Pokey little engine and is amazing on diesel. No road tax to pay either. Looks sporty (same spoiler and skirts as ST). Love my car, it handles really well and is nippy. Can easily be mapped up to 120bhp as well without any other mods. good luck!

35 miles a day round trip is not enough for a diesel, you're asking for DPF problems imo.

I'd stick with the 1.0 Ecoboost.

same as alex, for a sporty nippy but car, zetec s 1.0 eco is probably best good on fuel and got mine for bit less than 10k with 27,000 miles 2013 plate, doable to find a 14 plate with 25,000 miles on i bought mine last year.

http://www2.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201705315963862?price-to=10000&year-from=2014&make=FORD&aggregatedTrim=Zetec S&model=FIESTA&radius=1500&postcode=st161dn&year-to=2014&sort=sponsored&maximum-mileage=25000&advertising-location=at_cars&onesearchad=Used&onesearchad=Nearly New&onesearchad=New&page=1

edit link not my postcode now lol, thanks @GaryPL

two seconds on auto trader had it on national and this popped up £8500 with 17,000 miles 2014 

I do 40 miles per day in mine (plus a bit of running about) and i've never had any issues with DPF. Just make sure to give it a good rev every now and then. 40 miles a day is definitely enough for a diesel if as long as the revs aren't constantly below 2000rpm

OP is only doing 17 odd miles each journey, not enough for a diesel to properly warm up imo.

The 1.0 ecoboost can do 40-50 MPG depending on your journey, I just don't see the point in going for a diesel unless you are doing journeys of 30 miles+ each way.

Fair enough, I do 22 each way and have no issues. Trip computer reads engine at optimum temperature after about 5 miles tops. I'd prefer to take the risk and get 70mpg on the motorway haha. Totally your decision but I'd go for the diesel! (don't base your opinion on me though I'm only one example out of thousands!)

It does depend on how long your journey is time wise too. Obviously if you are crawling though traffic you will have warmed up over less miles.

Yeah i'm mainly on the A1. Can take anywhere between 25 mins and an hour each trip, so I suppose that's pretty sufficient. The previous owner of my car had obviously done loads of short journeys judging by the state of the rust on my back box 

Unless your mileage is properly big, I'd not consider a diesel at the moment.  The London toxicity tax begins soon, 30 other towns are considering similar proposals, and we may yet start to see punitive taxes on the fuel, such as double taxation increases over petrol, so unless you're guzzling vast quantities of fuel and thus making a huge saving I'd steer clear until the situation is clarified.  Mrs Tull wouldn't listen and has acquired a nice 17 plate Sportage  disease, but that's her problem!

 

In your shoes I'd try had for a 138 red/black, or else the highest spec/lowest mileage 125 Ecoboost you can find.  Driven sympathetically they're reasonable with the fuel, driven with enthusiasm they're fun beyond all proportion with their diminutive dimensions.

If you don't mind an older model there are some mint low miles pre-facelift Fezzas about some very nice prices.  

Good luck.

Thanks everyone for your responses - definitely glad I asked. I've taken a look at the 125 EcoBoost and found a few:

http://bit.ly/2sxyXCl (bit over budget but love the colour, 14k miles, 2015)
http://bit.ly/2sktq1E (again slightly over budget but nice colour, 4.3k miles, 2016)
http://bit.ly/2soZZfI (cruise control? - in budget, 7k miles, 2014) 
http://bit.ly/2rrGTke (not exactly sure what the fitted extras after over the other models, upgraded alloys, 14k miles, 2014)
http://bit.ly/2rnH05e (get 1500 back from original budget, 17k miles, 2014 and like the black! - found kindly by Alex a few posts up)

 

Appreciate all the advice and replies.. looking forward to getting one now! 

edit: found this one from a recommended garage local to me: http://bit.ly/2rs5lSD (11k miles, 2015, nice colour, in budget). 

 

I recently purchased a 1.0 ecoboost 100 and i love it. If it wasn't for the fact i prefer auto's i would of gone for the 125 without a doubt!

 

I love the white Zetec S.  Very pretty little car, low mileages, well within budget.

1 minute ago, Jethro_Tull said:

I love the white Zetec S.  Very pretty little car, low mileages, well within budget.

that's what I was thinking, i'd probably spend more time cleaning it though...

Time spent in the company of a little beauty like that would hardly be a choren though.

5 months back I bought a 2016, 6000mile 140ps ZS  Navigation. 5 months old for just under £11000.

Check out Motorpoint.

thanks karl, i'll take a look. it looks like that white car i liked is not available.. but i do like that colour! 

6 hours ago, m_fairfax said:

Trip computer reads engine at optimum temperature after about 5 miles tops.

There's no way your engine will be fully up to temperature after that. You're reading your coolant temps there pal, oil will take a good 10-15 miles of motorway speeds to get up to temperature.

About a month ago I got a great deal from trust ford so try them! Got a 2016 Zetec S navigation 140ps with 14k miles for 9.5k, the colour is deep impact blue which I really like. If they don't sell a car for a while head office drops the price so it's worth getting to know the dealer and hopefully they call you about a discounted vehicle! Good luck with your search 

I would go for the 1.0 ecoboost (125 or140) and the zetec s,i be honest i aint a diesel person and never had one and no need to but you cant go wrong with the

ecoboost range..........spot on,i aint got one but been in a few and love them.

You will be very surprised the power the little 125 eco has.

8 hours ago, Luke4efc said:

There's no way your engine will be fully up to temperature after that. You're reading your coolant temps there pal, oil will take a good 10-15 miles of motorway speeds to get up to temperature.

^^^ apologies, the quote function won't let me type in my post.  Luke is correct.  Diesels need to be properly hot, not just the coolant but the block and oil.  Most particularly, the anti pollution systems need to be hot to function properly, and need to be hot for a period of time in order to function.

 

As a minimum one shouldn't do journeys of under 7 miles in a diesel, and once a week should do an A road/motorway speed run of at least 70 miles in a single hit, to be guaranteed to avoid antipollution system issues.

If you'd prefer a bit more comfort than sporty don't ignore the Titanium spec - better (Sony) stereo, auto lights/wipers/folding door mirrors etc, less likely to have been thrashed, and probably a less chance of it being stolen.

Well that's me told  shows how much I know about diesel engines