My Faithful Ford Fiesta: A Reliability Champion for Long Road Trips

I've had the pleasure of owning my trusty Ford Fiesta 2008 for over a year now, and it's been my reliable ride for countless road trips, including a 1700 km journey from Tver to Anapa and back. This car has been a rock-solid companion, and I'm excited to share my experience with you.

I bought this car for 280,000 rubles with 114,000 km on the clock. It was a great find within the 300,000 ruble price range. We initially wanted a manual transmission, but there wasn't anything worth it in that price range. When I say 'normal', I mean not brand new. The bodywork won't be new, but for me, the most important thing was the technical condition. And in all respects, this car fit the bill. I've got an automatic, 1.6 liters, 100 horsepower. During my 1.5 years of ownership, I've had no serious problems with breakdowns. The automatic transmission works well, doesn't slip, and on the highway, the Fiesta handles itself perfectly - I even drove it at 170 km/h! The air conditioning works okay, and the car is pretty lively! The fuel consumption isn't bad, around 7 liters per 100 km on the highway.

The exterior of this car is a matter of personal taste. However, the first time you take it out for a spin, you can't help but fall in love! It's very easy to park, and the interior is surprisingly spacious. The boot is a bit small, but if you don't have kids, it's fine.

Living in Tver, I've noticed that the Ford Fiesta is a rare sight on the roads - I've only seen 8 of them, and 2 of them were automatics. But despite its age, the car is still in demand.

After 1.5 years of owning the car, we've replaced: the headlights (both front and rear), the battery (we opted for a Ford original), the timing belt (we replaced it immediately to avoid any issues), the rear air fresheners, the shock absorbers, and refilled the condenser, oil, and filters. As you can see, we've only replaced consumable parts, and not a single major component has failed. Oh, and I almost forgot to mention that we added 3 cm spacers with anti-corrosion coating to level out the car. This has made a huge difference - the car no longer scrapes on the road, and we didn't get stuck during the winter.

Now, let's talk about our trip to Anapa. With 2 years of driving experience under my belt, I decided to take the car on a 1700 km road trip from Tver to Anapa and back. I drove solo for 23 hours, with only a 1-hour nap at a gas station. The car performed flawlessly, and we were able to cross the Crimean Bridge, visit Kerch, Novorossiysk, and Gelendzhik. The trip was a huge success, and we were both thrilled with the experience. And the best part? The car handled the long journey like a champ - no issues whatsoever.

It's hard to believe, but this car has been my faithful companion for many adventures. The body's in great shape, considering it's 10 years old. I know it sounds crazy, but there's no rust in sight. Sure, there are some dents, but they're not rusting because the coating is top-notch. The metal's incredibly thick and solid - it feels like a tank.

But time's moved on, and our family's expanding. My husband's been pushing me to sell the car, saying we need something bigger. I'm really going to miss it, to be honest - it's a great machine, and the build quality's top-notch. It's a German-made car, and you can tell the difference. Nowadays, it seems like everything's built to a lower standard in Russia. Tonight, the buyer's coming to finalize the sale. They found it pretty quickly, actually - it's been just over a week since I listed it. It's going to a couple, and I hope they love it as much as I do.

I'm grateful for the experiences we've shared in this car, and I'm confident that it will continue to serve its new owners well.