Ford Fiesta (2002-2008) - Which.co.uk

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Which? Car review 

Ford Fiesta (2002-2008) 

On sale: Apr 2002 Class: Superminis 

New price: - Used price: From £2,275 

Performance: 

★★★★ 

Boot & Storage: 

Ride comfort: 

★★★★ 

Safety: 

Easy to drive and cheap to run. 

Good safety and reliability. 

Five-door is quite roomy. 

Dull cabin. 

Limited visibility. 

Three-door a bit awkward and impractical. 

handling: 

★★★★ 

Reliability: 

★★★ ★★★ ★★★ 

Total score: 

66% 

Recommended models 

in the range 

Which? Car Top Choice Model 

1.4 Zetec 5dr [Climate] 

New price: - 

Used price: £4,095 

Fastest Model 

2.0 ST500 3dr 

New price: - 


0-62mph: 7.9 secs 

Most Efficient Model 

1.4 TDCi Finesse 3dr 

New price: - 


Combined fuel economy: 65.7 mpg 

Cheapest Model to buy new 

- 

New price: - 

Overview 

The 2002-2008 Fiesta, with its mini-Focus outline, has aged gracefully and whilst it can’t match 

its successor for sporting dynamics or striking styling, it’s easy to drive, reliable, and cheap to 

buy and run. No wonder it remains popular. 

Since Ford launched an all-new Fiesta in autumn 2008, this plainer-looking 2002-2008 

model has become cheaper to buy secondhand. It’s not as exciting to drive or as sharplooking 

as the new model, but it’s good value for money, and crucially, it has proved to be fairly 

reliable, both older and newer models. It’s both easy to drive and easy to own. We drove 

the end-of-line 1.4 TDCi diesel. The gearbox is smooth and the ratios are well spaced for good 

acceleration and confident overtaking. Economy was reasonable at 53.3mpg, though that’s 

well short of the official 62.8 figure. The 1.6 TDCi is quicker and more economical – our test 

showed 57.6mpg (officially 64.2mpg). The 1.4 petrol needs to be worked hard, and economy 

isn’t as good. 

Climb inside and there’s a fair amount of space, although the interior looks a bit dated. 

There’s ample room for three kids or two adults in the back, although the 270-litre boot is only 

average for the class. 

The 2002-2008 Fiesta has scored respectably in the Which? Car Survey and its owners 

continue to sing its praises. It has achieved an average three-star score - good for an older 

vehicle. Its most frequent faults are related to the exhaust and fuel system (diesel models), 

air conditioning and cooling, springs and suspension; petrol versions appear to be less 

problematic. 

Cheapest Model to buy used 

1.3 Finesse 3dr 


Cheapest Model to Run (new) 

- 

New price: - 

Running costs: - 

(3 years/36,000 miles) 

Owner’s View 

It is a fun car to drive, 

reliable and economical to 

run. I have driven with four 

passengers from Exmouth 

to Huddersfield in relative 

comfort. It is a great large 

small car. It is deceptive 

for size. I can easily get the 

weekly shop in the spacious 

boot. The quick clear



Superminis 

On the road 

The Fiesta is easy and confidence-inspiring to drive, with its accurate and sensitive steering, 

and overall feeling of stability. It’s not terribly exciting, however. 

Performance 

★★★★ 

Gear changes are usually smooth and precise but for quick changes at higher speeds, 

fifth gear can sometimes engage inaccurately. The fact that reverse gear doesn’t click in 

satisfactorily is also irritating and means you can’t really tell whether or not it’s engaged 

properly. 

The 1.4 TDCi gives a decent amount of power under acceleration and is flexible, meaning 

you won’t need to change down a gear if you’re overtaking at higher speeds. It’s fairly smooth, 

but in winter the engine can run pretty rough when starting from cold. 

Model tested Acceleration (37-62mph) Rating 

diesel 1.4TDCi (68bhp) manual 3-door (2003) 9.9 secs ★★★★ 

diesel 1.6TDCi (90bhp) manual 5-door (2006) 7.2 secs ★★★★★ 

petrol 1.4 (80bhp) manual 5-door (2002) 9.4 secs ★★★ 

petrol 1.4 (80bhp) manual 5-door (2006) 9.4 secs ★★★ 

Ride comfort 

★★★★ 

The Fiesta delivers a confident and smooth driving experience, with good responsive steering. 

It tends to understeer on sharp corners but this is predictable for less experienced drivers. 

Overall, you get a sense of stability and assurance in the handling of this car. All Fiestas have 

power steering, although electronic stability control was only optional - try to find a Fiesta 

which had this fitted. 

How we test 

Performance 

We use the sophisticated electronic timing 

equipment to record standing-start and 

in-gear acceleration, and repeat each test 

several times. 

Ride comfort 

Ride comfort is assessed by our laboratory 

experts who have driven hundreds of 

thousands of miles in a myriad of different 

models. 

Model tested 

diesel 1.4TDCi (68bhp) manual 3-door (2003) 


petrol 1.4 (80bhp) manual 5-door (2002) 

petrol 1.4 (80bhp) manual 5-door (2006) 

Rating 

★★★ 

★★★★ 

★★★★ 

★★★★



Superminis 

On the road continued... 

Handling 

★★★★ 

How we test 

Handling 

Model tested 





Brakes 

All Fiestas have ABS anti-lock brakes fitted as standard. This, along with the balanced 

distribution of braking power, helps maintain control and delivers a quick response when 

needed. 

Rating 

★★★★ 

★★★★ 

★★★★ 

★★★ 

★★★★ 

Model tested Braking distance (62-0mph) Rating 

diesel 1.4TDCi (68bhp) manual 3-door (2003) 42.2m ★★★★ 

diesel 1.6TDCi (90bhp) manual 5-door (2006) 38.5m ★★★★★ 

petrol 1.4 (80bhp) manual 5-door (2002) 41.0m ★★★★ 

petrol 1.4 (80bhp) manual 5-door (2006) 41.0m ★★★ 

Refinement and noise 

★★★ 

The Fiesta is fairly quiet for a supermini. Even at high speeds, you won’t have to crank up the 

volume of your CDs to drown out clatter. 

Model tested Cruising noise Rating 

diesel 1.4TDCi (68bhp) manual 3-door (2003) 70dB ★★★★ 

diesel 1.6TDCi (90bhp) manual 5-door (2006) 73dB ★★ 

petrol 1.4 (80bhp) manual 5-door (2002) 72dB ★★★ 

petrol 1.4 (80bhp) manual 5-door (2006) 72dB ★★★★ 

On-the-limit handling is explored well 

away from public roads to ensure a fair 

test. Our obstacle avoidance test is one of 

the harshest tests in the industry.. 

Brakes 

The Which? Car braking test measures 

stopping distance from 62-0mph and is 

repeated ten times in quick succession to 

highlight any brake fade issues. 

Refinement and noise 

The Which? Car experts use a decibel 

meter to record interior sound levels 

at common UK motorway speeds, and 

combine this with subjective assessments 

to arrive at an overall score.



Superminis 

On the road continued... 

Cabin and controls 

★★★ 

The Fiesta feels fairly roomy, but the look of the interior is rather bland and conservative. Our 

readers also criticised the instrument layout in our Which? Car survey. This is not intuitive 

- for example, when you pull the windscreen wiper lever toward you expecting the front 

screenwash to spray, it actually starts the rear wipers. The front seat belts in the three-door 

version are also difficult to reach. 

Model tested 





Visibility and parking 

Rating 

★★★ 

★★★ 

★★★★ 

★★★ 

★★★ 

The rear headrests retract into the seatback, giving a nice clear view when you’re parallel- or 

reverse-parking. If you opt for Ford’s Quickclear front windscreen defroster, bear in mind that 

the headlights of oncoming cars can reflect off the heater filaments when you’re driving at 

night. 

Model tested Turning circle Rating 

diesel 1.4TDCi (68bhp) manual 3-door (2003) 10.5m ★★★★ 

diesel 1.6TDCi (90bhp) manual 5-door (2006) 10.5m ★★★ 

petrol 1.4 (80bhp) manual 5-door (2002) 10.5m ★★★ 

petrol 1.4 (80bhp) manual 5-door (2006) 10.4m ★★★ 

How we test 

Cabin and controls 

We penalise cars with difficult controls, 

and we look for things like backlit light 

switches and easy-to-use heating and 

ventilation adjustments. 

Visibility and parking 

Visibility is a major issue for motorists 

today, so each car gets a 360-degree 

swivel view test to reproduce the driver’s 

eye view and any obscured areas.



Superminis 

Comfort and practicality 

The interior of the Fiesta is spacious and family-friendly, with ample room for three kids or two 

adults in the back. The boot is about average for a supermini. Five-door models make most 

sense for families. 

Getting in and out 

★★★ 

The Fiesta is spacious enough to carry two adults in the back, but getting in and out of threedoor 

models with dignity is a tall order - the front seat backs don’t stay in position when they’re 

folded forward, so don’t offer any grip or support when you’re trying to get out. Opt for the 

five-door version if you ferry around rear-seat passengers. 

Model tested 





Seat space and comfort 

Rating 

★★★ 

★★★ 

★★ 

★★★ 

★★★ 

The Fiesta is roomy enough to make a decent option for families. The front seats are well 

padded and comfy but the driver’s seat tilt can’t be adjusted sufficiently to make sure you’ll be 

comfortable. We’ve got a similar complaint about the back seats - adults travelling in the rear 

are going to have to sit in an uncomfortable crouching position because the seat base isn’t 

angled far enough backwards. 

Model tested 





Rating 

★★★ 

★★★ 

★★★ 

★★★ 

How we test 

Getting in and out 

We take measurements all around the 

driver and passenger’s door apertures 

and note the height of the seat, door sills 

and step down onto the car floor. The 

best cars don’t require too much bending 

or stretching to get in and out. 

Seat space and comfort 

We assess seat comfort subjectively, 

using our road testers’ expert knowledge 

and experience from thousands of different 

cars. And we measure the head-, legand 

elbowroom on offer in every seat, to 

see how well the car caters for people of 

all shapes and sizes.



Superminis 

Comfort and practicality continued... 

Boot and storage 

★★★ 

The boot is average for its class, but might turn out to be a bit small if you’re carrying your 

family and associated luggage. Loading is easy, thanks to the boot’s large opening, but it’s 

annoying in that it can only be unlocked with the ignition key or from inside the cabin. The split/ 

fold back seat offers a bit of extra capacity, but the seat backs don’t fold flat enough for it to be 

truly useful. 

Model tested Boot space (seats up/down) Rating 

diesel 1.4TDCi (68bhp) manual 3-door (2003) 270 litres / 580 litres ★★★ 

diesel 1.6TDCi (90bhp) manual 5-door (2006) 280 litres / 580 litres ★★★ 

petrol 1.4 (80bhp) manual 5-door (2002) 275 litres / 560 litres ★★ 

petrol 1.4 (80bhp) manual 5-door (2006) 280 litres / 580 litres ★★★ 

Heating and ventilation 

★★★★ 

We were impressed at how quickly the cabin reaches a comfortable warmth from sub-freezing 

temperatures, particularly in the diesel model (12 minutes in the front and 17 minutes in the rear) 

- most diesel engines take longer than petrol engines to reach running temperature because 

of their heavier engine block. 

How we test 

Boot and storage 

Carmakers give official stats for boot 

space, but our tests are more realistic. We 

load the boot up with measuring blocks 

only as far as the rear window line, so 

that luggage is well secured and won’t 

obscure rear visibility. We repeat the test 

with the rear seats up, and folded down 

(where possible). 

Heating and ventilation 

Model tested 





Rating 

★★★★ 

★★★★ 

★★★★ 

★★★★★ 

Feel sorry for the tester who has to warm 

each car up from a frosty -10 degrees in 

our climate chamber. Starting with a cold 

engine, we measure how long it takes to 

warm up the front and rear of the cabin. 

Diesel cars usually take longer. We also 

check the effectiveness of air conditioning, 

where fitted.



Superminis 

Running costs and depreciation 

Running costs are quite low, but choose the right engine, as the high-power variants can be 

costlier. Servicing costs are reasonable, helped by relatively cheap parts prices and labour 

rates at Ford garages, and the Fiesta can be easily serviced and maintained by independent 

mechanics and garages. 

Insurance costs are reasonable for the smaller-engined models, starting from group 3. The 

1.4 and 1.6-litre TDCi Ghias are a reasonable choice and both in band 4, though some models 

are in 5, 6 and 7; the sporty 2.0-litre is in band 13. 

Fuel consumption 

Ford claims the most frugal Fiesta (the 1.6 TDCi) will achieve 64.2mpg. For the version we 

tested (the 1.4 TDCi) Ford claims 62.8mpg, though the best we could manage was 44.4mpg. 

Petrol (combined mpg, claimed) 

37.6 mpg - 47.1 mpg 

How we test 

Fuel consumption 

We test fuel economy under strict lab 

conditions – using realistic test cycles – to 

reveal the facts behind the figures. Our 

figures rarely match manufacturer claims 

as, unlike the official mpg test, we measure 

economy with both a hot and cold 

engine, and on the motorway. 

Diesel (combined mpg, claimed) 

61.4 mpg - 65.7 mpg 

Model tested 





Model tested 





Model tested 





Model tested 





Urban (claimed/tested) 

52.3 mpg/52.3 mpg 

54.3 mpg/53.3 mpg 

32.1 mpg/32.1 mpg 

34.0 mpg/33.6 mpg 

Extra urban (claimed/tested) 

74.3 mpg/72.4 mpg 

72.4 mpg/68.9 mpg 

52.3 mpg/55.4 mpg 

56.5 mpg/53.3 mpg 

Motorway (measured) 

40.4 mpg 

47.9 mpg 

32.5 mpg 

32.1 mpg 

Combined (claimed/tested) 

64.2 mpg/53.3 mpg 

64.2 mpg/57.6 mpg 

42.2 mpg/38.7 mpg 

45.6 mpg/38.7 mpg



Superminis 

Running costs and depreciation continued... 

Emissions 

Carbon dioxide emissions, and hence tax bandings, are low for the lower-powered and diesel 

models: 116g/km from the 1.6 TDCi, though the larger-engined petrol models put out up to 

179g/km (1.6 automatic and 2.0-litre manual). 

How we test 

Emissions 

Petrol (CO2, claimed) 

Diesel (CO2, claimed) 

Model tested 





142g per km - 179g per km 

114g per km - 120g per km 

Emissions (claimed/tested) 

117g per km/143g per km 




While testing fuel economy, we also 

collect exhaust gases to enable us to 

measure the amount of carbon dioxide 

(CO2) emitted. We also check whether 

particulate filters are effective at removing 

sooty emissions from diesel engines. 

Safety 

Safety and security 

Euro NCAP score 

Here is the video of the 2002-2008 Ford Fiesta hatchback Euro NCAP frontal crash test. 

Please enable JavaScript to access this content. 

★★★★ 

Adult occupant 

★★★★ 

Child protection - 

Pedestrian protection 

★★ 

Which? safety rating 

★★★ 

Active (crash avoidance) - 

Passive (crash safety) - 

Child - 

Pedestrian - 

We rate cars for safety using Euro NCAP 

crash test scores (where available), 

alongside our own comprehensive safety 

checklist. Uniquely, we also feed in results 

from our accident avoidance test – after 

all, it’s far better to steer around a crash 

than rely on the airbags... 

Security 

Security scores come from the security 

experts at Thatcham, who break into 

hundreds of cars each year. Most modern 

cars are very difficult to drive away, but 

are still too easy to steal from. 

Security 

Theft of car: 

★★★★ 

Theft from car: 

★



Superminis 

Which? Car Survey results 

The Which? Car Survey is the UK’s biggest and best reliability and owner satisfaction survey. 

In 2013, drivers told us about 57,182 cars, covering more than 450 million miles in the previous 

12 months (that’s equivalent to driving 18,398 times around the world). This unique feedback 

allows us to rate satisfaction and reliability for hundreds of new and used cars. 

Note Star ratings below are from 1-5 (1 is very poor and 5 is very good). Percentages shown 

under ‘Most common faults’ indicate the proportion of owners reporting each problem in the 

past 12 months. 

Brand 

Ford ratings 

Sample size: 5,409 people 

Overall owner satisfaction for this brand 77% 

Brand reliability - 

Dealer Sales Service 

★★★ 

Dealer Servicing & repair 

★★★ 

Model: Ford Fiesta (2002-2008) 

Ownership ratings 

sample size: 404 people 

Overall owner satisfaction for this range 74% 

Driving enjoyment ★★★ 

Ease of driving 

★★★★ 

Comfort 

★★★ 

Dash layout and controls ★★★ 

In-car technology 

★★★ 

Styling 

★★ 

Build quality 

★★★ 

Practicality 

★★★ 

Value for money 

★★★ 

About our survey 

Brand ratings 

Everyone who takes part in the Which? 

Car survey tells us about their car and 

the dealers who sell and service it. We 

analyse this feedback across all cars to 

give top-level satisfaction ratings for each 

brand, including the brand’s reliability 

record over the last eight years. All star 

ratings are out of five. 

Model ownership ratings 

These show how owners score this car 

in 12 different areas, from performance to 

heating. Owners’ ratings are subjective – 

so may differ from Which? Car test scores 

– but they give a good idea of what the 

car is like to live with. Where relevant, cars 

are scored against other cars in the same 

class (e.g. for space). 


Excellent handling with 

very secure cornering and 

braking. Suspension is 

fairly refined over bumps, 

and not too noisy at 

motorway speeds. 


This has been a very 

reliable car for me for nearly 

8 years, and the steering 

accuracy and response is 

a delight. Car goes exactly 

where you put it.



Superminis 

Which? Car Survey results continued... 

Reliability ratings 

Overall Reliability ★★★ 

Up to 3 years old 3-8 years old 

Petrol cars Reliability - - 

breakdowns - - 

average annual repair cost - - 

Diesel cars Reliability - - 



All cars Reliability - - 



Breakdowns: Percentage of cars suffering a breakdown in last 12 months 

Average annual repair cost: Average annual cost of repairs (not servicing), in past 12 

months 

About our survey 

Reliability ratings 

We split reliability into breakdowns (including 

failure to start), faults (where parts 

need replacing) and problems (minor issues 

e.g. squeaks and loose trim). Where 

the car has been on sale for some time, 

and we have numerous survey responses 

from owners, we also split scores by the 

age of car and fuel type. Star ratings are 

out of five – the more stars, the more reliable 

the car. 

Most common faults 

Most common faults 

 

Up to 3 years old 

- - 

- - 

- - 

- - 

- - 

 

3-8 years old 

- - 

- - 

- - 

- - 

- - 

Want to know what’s most likely to go 

wrong as the car gets older? These are 

the five most common faults reported by 

owners, grouped by age into new, recent 

and older cars. A score of 40% means 

four out of 10 owners reported problems 

with that part of the car over the previous 

12 months. Engine electrics and non-engine 

electrics (e.g. windows, stereo) cause 

more headaches than mechanical parts in 

most modern cars. 

Failure rate: The proportion of owners reporting this problem in the last year

Ford Fiesta (2002-2008) - Which.co.uk

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