Ford Fiesta review

If you're hoping the Ford Fiesta is a budget option, you’ll be mildly disappointed; compared with rivals such as the Skoda Fabia, it’s actually quite pricey. Discounts are reasonable, though (visit our deals section to see how much you could save), and the Fiesta is predicted to hold onto its value better than many of its cheaper rivals.

If you’re buying on PCP finance, as many small car buyers choose to do, the Fiesta will usually cost you more a month than many rivals – namely the Volkswagen Polo and Fabia – on the same terms. On the plus side, the Fiesta is cheaper than lots of alternatives to run as a company car, thanks to its relatively low CO2 emissions (especially the Ecoboost Hybrid engines), while monthly leasing rates are also temptingly cheap.

However, given the Fiesta's fun-driving nature, we'd be tempted to go for sporty ST-Line Edition trim. This is kitted out similarly to the Titanium trim but adds stiffer suspension, for even greater agility, as well as a body kit and larger 17in alloy wheels, for a more aggressive look.

The posher trims levels – particularly the Vignale – are too expensive to recommend, even though you get loads of creature comforts as standard. 

The Fiesta was rated 'poor' for reliability in the 2020 What Car? Reliability Survey. It proved less dependable than all its rivals, including the Ibiza, Fabia and Polo. And Ford's overall manufacturer rating corroborated that, which was also lower than many of its rivals.