Used 1993 Ford Festiva Consumer Reviews
Used Festiva for sale
1...
See Edmunds pricing data
Has Your Car's Value Changed?
Used car values are constantly changing. Edmunds lets you track your vehicle's value over time so you can decide when to sell or trade in.
Proven reliability
MtnRoad, 03/10/2016
updated 09/18/2017
1993 Ford Festiva L 2dr Hatchback
9 of 9 people found this review helpful
I have a 1993 Ford Festiva L Model, 1.3L engine, 5 spd....all with less than 60,000 original miles on it. My Festiva is all original except for the tires and some new parts here and there for routine maintenance. I keep the air pressure in my original size tires at max level and the car rides really smooth. Handling is pretty good, and surprisingly it performs well in higher gears despite the small engine size. I love the simplicity of the car. Considering what transportation costs nowadays I strongly believe the reason they stopped selling this little gem in the US was because it would have seriously injured the auto industry for sales of new cars. Everyone would have eventually bought one for cheap (I think new they were only around $5,000-6,000 USD) and since they are reliable and built well there would be millions of survivor cars on the road today. As everyone knows, it's a Mazda 121 which was sold all over the World, mostly in emerging markets. The Festiva for the US market was assembled by Kia with all the Mazda parts coming from Japan, and has a Ford badge on it. I love Fords. I love Mazda, and I love Kia, so this can't get any better in my opinion. My Festiva is 23 years old as of my review and the paint is still like new. The interior cloth seats have started to disintegrate from the sun, but all the plastics have held up well. I put a couple seat covers on the front seats and it's like new again. Since I've owned the car I have replaced a few inexpensive parts, and the front windshield. The factory air conditioner works great in the Arizona summer but can cause power loss and my engine temperature to rise a bit. The engine is bulletproof and if you look online for videos there are people who video document their Festiva's turning over some serious mileage (one video I saw showed a Festiva with 500,000 miles). It is really fun to drive and I love taking mine on occasional long scenic drives into the mountains to stretch it's legs. The car gets a lot of attention wherever I take it, and someone always asks where they can get one. Parts are easy to find online (eBay, etc). UPDATE: I sold my Festiva for $3,000. The car was 24 years old. I listed it online and it sold in less than 24-hours. The lady that bought said she owned one back in the 1990s and always wished she still had it. Yes, the Festiva is popular, especially among people who previously owned one and are familiar with the utility and reliability.
- Performance
- Interior
- Comfort
- Reliability
- Value
Almost too well built
Bones, 09/17/2008
1993 Ford Festiva GL 2dr Hatchback
4 of 4 people found this review helpful
I've owned two of these cars, the last one I still own. It's almost as if this car was built way before its time. Now with gas what it is, I hear less and less laughing. It's pretty obvious in cars of this size bueracracy is the only thing standing between fuel economy and cars that boast of 23 MPG. This car gets 40 MPG all day long. My buddy and I collected 7 of these cars way before cas went up. We made topless parade vehicles, drove them and parted them. Now, we always have parts and drive like-new 93's. It was dumb luck, but oh-so-sweet. I drive mine around town, he bounces back and forth to Key west in his. They are a dream at 70, but commute like motorcycles.
Just get one
Mr.Ouchies, 06/20/2010
1993 Ford Festiva L 2dr Hatchback
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
You're not gonna spend that much on one and will be surprised. You can buy one as a spoof then soon realize it's your baby. I wanted one just for novelty but got caught up in festiva fever. This car has never left me stranded and only required a new alternator and battery. Farthest I have traveled in it in one day was about 300 miles when i first got it and true to what others have said "I no longer trust this car on long trips." I don't know why I don't, but i just don't. These cars do die sort of. I have seen one not work with 256,000 due to bad ignition switch. I have seen one with 125,000 that was in an accident, but engine was pulled to put in one with over 300,000 that barely began to smoke
Reliable to a Fault- Just keeps running!
FestivaFan, 12/10/2009
1993 Ford Festiva L 2dr Hatchback
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
Bought this car as a temporary replacement for my beloved wrecked 89 1/2 Mustang. Seven years later, I still have it. Getting fantastic gas mileage is addictive. It is also a great city car, no self respecting car thief or jacker will mess with a lowly Festiva. Not a great car to be in during an accident, but it is nimble enough to avoid situations bigger cars couldn't. After all, are we all going to be forced to drive SUV Panzers to be safe from the SUV bullies. I hope not. The Edmonds pricing for the Festiva is a joke, I can sell this car for what I paid for it tomorrow. They are revered for their reliability, storage, and mileage. All the same reasons I will keep driving it until it dies.
93 ford festiva
doug allen, 12/16/2009
1993 Ford Festiva GL 2dr Hatchback
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
just purchased a 93 festiva this car i very dependable and gets a consistent 40 mpg fun to drive and handles well they should be making these cars again tires are getting hard to find easy to work on.
1...