Festivas

"D" (danjee) 04/20/2014 at 01:54 • Filed to: festiva

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I've been browsing the web for every last shred of info there is about the Ford Festiva. I ran across a TTAC spot about it ( !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! ) and there's a bunch of former owners reminiscing in the comments. You can read all the tech and trivia in the world about a car but nothing beats peoples' own tales of woe and triumph.

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Here's one of my favorites from the comments:

This was my favorite car because it exceeded every expectation I ever had. There was really nothing this little car couldn't do. Yeah, it looked too small and when I saw one speeding down the expressway, it looked a little out of it's league, but when you were driving it and you got the best, widest 12 inchers you could order on each wheel – plus – a five speed manual, well, you got a great little car to speed around in.

It held four adults comfortably. With the back seat folded away, it could hold more stuff than you could have imagined. I got 50 mpg during it's first year on the highway, then after twelve years and 275,000 miles, it was getting 40 mpg on the highway.

I thought the car would last two years, just like my other small cars. I ended up having it 12 years, and it is still on the road after I traded it in back in 2000.

What went wrong during those years? I had a ball bearing start to squeal in the clutch fan. I replaced the exhaust system. I did the other basic 100,000 and 200,000 maintenance items such as replace the serpentine belt, spark plugs, and clean out the last-of-it's-kind carberator. That was it.

$6999 for everything. No exposed metal on the doors on my LX model. Electric mirrors, decent stereo, fog lights, rear wiper, split 50/50 rear seat, it had options on it that no stripped VW, Escort, Tercel or Civic offered at a similar price. Styling-wise the LX had blacked out door and window frames, wider tires, splash guards, blister stripes and better paint, so it did not appear as stripped down and cheap as your run-of-the-mill Festiva.

The car handled remarkably, and it rode extremely well for such a small car. Each little wheel was pushed as far towards each corner as possible, and had independant suspension that resulted in a ride and handling unlike similar cars.

My Festiva taught me the benefits of a well engineered car. Mazda gets kudos for such a fantastic job. Everything worked harmoniously. There was no waste anywhere.

Finally, throughout the decade I had this car, uninitiated onlookers rolled their eyes. That is, until they got a chance to actually ride and drive a Festiva. I did cross-country in it, once for an entire month with two friends from Germany and all our gear. It repeatedly crossed the Contintental Divide without a problem – loaded. The AC always worked, as we crossed 115 degree deserts. On a solo trip I discovered that with an air mattress, I could fold down all four seats, chock the wheels, pop open the back windows and freaking turn the little car into a cozy full size enclosed bed. From San Francisco's Chinatown to Bangor Maine. From Olympic Penninsula to St. Pete Beach Florida. From the below sea levels of Death Valley in 120 degree heat to 12,500 foot altitude Independance Pass in Colorado. From night clubbing in the Loop, my home town to night clubbing at Pleasure Island at Disneyworld. Remarkable little car. Great memories.

NotUnlessRoundIsFunny > D 04/20/2014 at 02:16

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I have a real soft spot for those little cars. I sadly never owned one, but there was just a great straightforward honesty to them...and they were their own kind of fun. They don't get enough love.

offroadkarter > D 04/20/2014 at 02:41

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I want one with a turbo mazda 1.8 DOHC from an escort GT just to terrorize cars on the street

AlfaAlfa > D 04/20/2014 at 06:11

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man, you americans had some sh*tty small cars.