1989 Ford Festiva consumer reviews

I loved this car. Much bigger on the inside than on the outside, people could sit in the back seat comfortably. Excellent visibility. Fun to drive. Back seat folded flat for more storage. Front seats leaned back flat or nearly flat and had just enough contour for driving comfort, but not so much that you couldn't sleep comfortably when stopping to rest on a long trip. Excellent gas mileage - I think I got around 40mpg when I first bought it, and continued to get over 35mpg by the time I wrecked it 8 years later. The car was pretty reliable. Around 90-95K miles I had to have a rear wheel bearing replaced. I had manual transmission, manual doors and windows, and I think either manual brakes or manual steering - the car was so light you really didn't need power brakes or power steering, but I think one of the two did have an assist. I didn't have air conditioning, which 30 years later now would be a nonstarter, but at the time I was OK with that. Also, no cup holders - back then, I didn't eat and drink in my car as much as I do now, but even then that was an annoyance. No pockets in the doors, either. I think this model had those automatic seatbelts, which were a novelty. After having to leave this car behind when I moved to the west coast, I sought out a used model a couple of years later, and got a 1991 model that did have air conditioning. It also needed a rear wheel bearing replaced slightly before 100,000 miles. I could park that car anywhere - used to take the teeniest little spots in San Francisco. I had roof racks on the top to supplement the hatch area and used to cart 4x7.5 foot paintings back and forth between Oakland and Santa Ana. It started getting hard to find parts for that car by 2004, so when the clutch started making noises a second time (my husband wore out the clutch once), I sold it. I should have fixed it and kept it, I really liked that car.

Selling my 1988 For 2,000. Only has 174,000 bought it off a co worker that flys for UPS. His wife bought it brand new in 1988. I am the 2nd owner

Overall 5 star! I was shopping for cheap transportation when I stumbled upon my Festiva. Recently purchased in 2011. 1988 with 85k miles. I have put 15k miles on this guy so far but can already tell its life with me has only just begun. Extremely reliable. If simple, standard, maintenance is kept up it will out last your desire to drive it. It is plenty comfortable in the front for daily commutes. It lacks in preformance but does get the job done. I have gone through the mountains toting 3 larger friends. We made it up every hill if a tad slow up some :) AWESOME gas mileage! Biggest complaint: No cup holders. Installed my own for $5. This will probably be your only issue too!

I bought my 1988 Festiva new as the most bare-bones model on the lot: 4-speed manual, no a/c, only an AM/FM radio for entertainment. I was about to start grad school and it was all I could afford. Long story short, I kept the car for 13 years and 220,000 miles and loved every day of it. I regularly got more than 40 mpg on highways and drove it from New Hampshire to Chicago to New Orleans and everywhere inbetween. Never a day of mechanical trouble (I got more than 150,000 miles from the original clutch!). Visibility the best of any car I ever owned. Surprisingly roomy for passengers and cargo, and with the rear seat down, I moved myself and friends to new apartments more times than I can remember. The tiny tires and high roof line made travel on freeways adventuresome at times, but what a car! I still miss it.

I bought my Festiva used from a dealership in Memphis. I put 60,000 miles on it in just a few short years. I blew up the motor after years of neglect and abuse, but got a new one--installed--for just $400! The thing handled like a go-kart and fit my 6'-2" body with room to spare. It jumped like a rental and would do e-brake slides like a drift car. The power-to-weight ratio was unbelievable and it could even beat some "sports" cars off the line at a stoplight. I drove it over 1000 miles on several occasions with minimal fatigue and maximum comfort, and approached a 39 MPG average, (I had the automatic version). The AC worked well enough for Memphis and the heat worked well enough for the UP of Michigan. It actually had decent ground clearance and because of it's lightweight and front-drive layout, it had decent off-road prowess. I actually drove it across a beaver dam once! My Festiva was my second-favorite car of all time, after my Jeep Wrangler.

I bought this great car in Jan 1990, it lasted for ten great years and over 200K miles including a two day trip to GA from CA some 2200 miles. I delivered pizza for those ten years in her. Sometimes I wonder why I gave her up, maybe because she only holds four people and my family is now seven!!

This car is so designed for your convenience and driving ease that it begins to feel like it is your partner. It loves to 'be there for you' on long trips and short ones.