Thinking about buying a 92 Festiva

[WissNX01]

heres a link

http://www.automotivehelper.com/topic15766.htm

[WissNX01]

heres another

http://www.fueleconomy.gov/FEG/noframes/7599.shtml

[WissNX01]

hope that was helpful

[Infinitrium]

fueleconomy.gov lists the 92 Festiva with auto as only getting 33 highway? Sounds kinda low I think.

[WissNX01]

Well, its a US Government study. I never said it was accurate. With good maintenance and whatnot, you can probably get pretty close to 40 mpg

[Infinitrium]

40 would be nice

[WissNX01]

Totally doable. My Corolla gets 35 mpg if I dont use the AC. And for the most part, I stay under 65 mph. If I reduced it to 55, I would get closer to 40 MPG. I take it back, a Festiva is a great gas saver.

[WissNX01]

Yeah, Im 24, and I drive like Im 90. I have the Highway Patrol speeding around me to get away! If I ever see a dollar a gallon again, I might go back to driving faster, but I just dont see the point.

[TRD2000]

ummm get a corolla!
naa festiva milage is pretty damn good my mum has a '96 and it runs on nothing if you go easy on it. problem is three speed gearbox means the car has to rev to do speed or hills or overtake or... and that uses fuel. she also got t-boned a year or so ago and i thought the car would be a write off or they'd be dead but the side intrusion bars held and all was good.. though her b/f got a busted rib. I also know they do alright on gravel but don't really have the grunt to straighten out on a power slide so you're better using the hand brake... and they start to float round 150ish (95mph) and they can fly if you hit a bump right! for little boring cars i rate them! not as solid as my hilux (tacoma) and not as quick as my mr2 turbo, but hey if it floats your boat i reckon they're cool! but i'd still get a corolla. not sure if the states got the same as the '96 ones over here.

[Infinitrium]

Well, I don't plan on driving it hard (much), I'd be worried about tipping over with those little wheelbarrow tires!

[vive_ut_vivas]

I've owned a 1990 Ford Festiva since '92, my second car as a young college student. 5-speed. The only problem it ever had was needing the front end replaced when it hit 120k miles about 5 years ago - no grease fittings, just wore out.

It's incredibly low maintenance, and a lot fun to zip around in - quite peppy in fact. It gets fantastic mileage, parts are cheap (often Mazda) and costs little to insure, so it's inexpensive to own. It's great in a city, very tight turning radius, so it's easy to maneuver (I can turn around in the width of my driveway). Although I'm a grown professional now and have other vehicles, I will continue to use this as a commuter car indefinitely due to both practicality, and fun. If your ego is sturdy enough to take some occasional ribbing, along with the questions and compliments you'll get on this unique little car, I would definitely advise getting one.

Regarding snow: I've driven it through many Central New York winters, and snow tires are highly recommended, if they're still available.

[jessb]

I bought a 1990 5 speed new almost 15 years ago.
I have averaged about 42 mpg overall since then...as high as 48 (country driving) and as low as 34 when it needed a tune up.
After 240,000 mile with no problems, I just had to replace the clutch. Then at 244,000, because of problem with the crankshaft nose key way I had to replace the block (from a 1991 salvage with 150,000 on..it used my old head with a valve job) . Other than the crankshaft keyway problem the engine was still running great.
From my experience..this is the best little care I have ever owner.
Really easy to work on too. Too bad Ford stopped selling the in the US.

[the doctor]

Wanted: ford festiva

Anybody selling? ...to a guy in San Diego?

I would love to find a 90s festiva to fix up, but there's nothing to be had. If anyone has a lead, e-mail me?
Anyone in SoCal or within driving distance who wants to sell a festiva.


-Paul
[email protected]
[the doctor]

[MRTeeShot]

I used to own 1 and it was reliable
35 mpg tires are about 85 (us) for good tires the 2 draw backs that I had were exhaust systems only last 2-3 years and the brakes wear out about every year

it is not a mazda or even close to it in reliabilty
it is 100% korean if I remem correctly it was a deawoo

[92Festiva]

I have a 1992 ford festiva and i got it at 215k km it now has 250k km i have had to replace the tranny alternator and starter and the thing eats mufflers, other then that it now runs perfect starts up really easy great on gas 20 dollars canadian a week love that car