Mountune Boosts Ford Fiesta Power

The Ford Fiesta is now available with a power increase courtesy of approved tuning house Mountune.

The Mountune Performance Stage 1 package at £1,435 offers a high-flow air induction system, a high performance exhaust system including high flow catalyst and tubular manifold, and re-calibration the 2.0-litre Duratec ST engine to produce 163bhp.

The more powerful Mountune Performance Stage 2 package will cost £1,838 and adds new camshafts and valve springs to the basic package to deliver 185PS.

While not a massive power increase, the tuned Fiesta will now accelerate from 0-60mph in 7.9 seconds – a two second improvement, making it as quick as the previous generation Ford Fiesta ST.

Find more about new and Used Ford Fiesta at Ford Cars information hub

Ford raise prices – Auto Trader UK

Ford is increasing the price of all its new cars by an average of four per cent from July 1.

The company blamed the weakness of the pound against the euro for the rise, which will add around £600 to the list price of a Ford Fiesta.

It’s the second price hike by the company this year, following the 3.5 per cent rise which took effect on April 1.

Ford of Britain’s managing director Nigel Sharp said: “Raising prices in difficult times and when a scrappage scheme has been introduced may seem counter-intuitive.

“But with so many of our costs priced in Euros, there is no choice if we are to maintain a viable business.

Read Used Ford Car Reviews

Ford Fiesta Ghia – the sporty styling and the attention to detail

Ford Fiesta Covers Two things – the sporty styling and the attention to detail. The handling and acceleration make you feel like you’re driving a proper sporty supermini, and the extras – like the side mirrors that turn inwards when you lock the car – justify the price.

With the Ford Fiesta Ghia the emphasis is on luxury – and the Blue Oval’s baby is more refined than ever before.

The well equipped Fiesta Ghia is stylish, and feels sportier than the Focus, although not a fully fledged hot hatch like the ST

Not a million miles away from the Focus, the dark grey interior of the Ghia has a sportier feel than its more sedate counterpart, and features a stylish leather trim.

The new Fords have increased reliability, and this model is no exception. The Ghia has a solid feel, and performs well in customer satisfaction surveys.

Ford Cars Hub

Honda is most reliable carmaker

Honda has beaten a host of Japanese rivals to be named the most reliable car manufacturer in Britain.

The number one spot went to the 2000-2002 Toyota Corolla, with the Honda HR-V, two Honda Civics, Honda Accord, Honda HR-V and Honda S2000 sportscar making the top ten in a reliability table,

Honda also topped the manufacturers’ league for reliability.

The top ten cars for reliability were:

1. Toyota Corolla 2000-2002 (3 faults per 100 cars)
2. Honda CR-V 1997-2002 (5 faults per 100 cars)
3. Honda HR-V 1999-2005 (6 faults per 100 cars)
4. Toyota Celica 2000-2006 (6 faults per 100 cars)
5. Honda S2000 1999-2007 (7 faults per 100 cars)
6. BMW 3-Series Compact 1994-2001 (9 faults per 100 cars)
7. Honda Civic 1996-2001 (9 faults per 100 cars)
8. Honda Accord 1999-2003 (9 faults per 100 cars)
9. Honda Civic 2001-2005 (10 faults per 100 cars)
10. Nissan Micra 1998-2002 (11 faults per 100 cars)

The bottom 10 cars were:

1. Alfa Romeo GTV 1996-2003 (97 faults per 100 cars)
2. Renault Espace 1997-2002 (77 faults per 100 cars)
3. Jaguar XK8 1996-2006 (62 faults per 100 cars)
4. Renault Laguna 2000-2007 (55 faults per 100 cars)
5. Fiat Multipla 1999-2007 (52 faults per 100 cars)
6. Volvo S80 1998-2006 (51 faults per 100 cars)
7. Land Rover Freelander 2000-2006 (48 faults per 100 cars)
8. Land Rover Range Rover 1995-2002 (48 faults per 100 cars)
9. Audi Allroad 2000-2005 (48 faults per 100 cars)

10. Seat Alhambra 2000-2007 (47 faults per 100 cars)

Manufacturers’ reliability league table:

1. Honda
2. Toyota
3. Subaru
4. Lexus
5. Mini
6. Nissan
7. Ford
8. Citroen
9. Rover
10. BMW
11. Peugeot
12. Mercedes
13. Fiat
14. Vauxhall
15. Volkswagen
16. MG
17. Jaguar
18. Volvo
19. Skoda
20. Audi
21. Saab
22. Chrysler
23. Seat
24. Alfa Romeo
25. Renault
26. Land Rover

Basic Car Checks |

Many general checks can be carried out by the driver/owner but there may be safety and driving implications. For guidance, a skilled technician should be referred to for help in accordance to the manufacturer’s service schedule and the Owner’s manual or whenever you are unsure about what to do.

Maintenance you may need help with:

• Engine Oil
• Engine coolant level
• Radiator
• Brakes
• Air filter
• Battery – if this becomes flat you will need jump leads. To start your car off somebody else’s by attaching the positive terminals of each car together and the negative terminals of each car together then starting the engine.
• Exhaust
• Belts
• Shock absorbers
• Steering fluid -Transmission, brakes, clutch and power

Maintenance to consider in winter:

• Engine anti-freeze
• Special battery care
• Ignition and starting

Maintenance to consider in summer:

• Cooling system
• Suspension

Simple maintenance you can do:

Windscreen washers and wiper blades – As it is now a legal requirement to have washers filled up, fill the reservoir up to the brim with windscreen washer fluid when it is only ¼ full. Look out for wear, cracks and damage. Wiper blades should usually be replaced once a year and earlier if smearing occurs.

Lights: Check all lights are operating correctly. It is advisable to use the help of a friend to inspect the exterior of the vehicle whilst you are operating the controls. See lights diagram