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Suzanne Mitchell and her tiny 1992 Ford Festiva L have had quite the love affair. "We bought it when we left (New York City) and moved to the suburbs," says Mitchell, who lives in Rockland County, N.Y. She started using the Festiva to commute to her job as a TV producer. The years, and the miles, rolled by.
Today the Festiva has about 250,000 miles -- not bad for a car that cost her $5,600 new.
So much does Mitchell love this car that when the odometer approached 200,000 miles she threw a "Fiesta for the Festiva," complete with margaritas, Mexican food and a piņata filled with toy cars. About 10 people jammed into the Festiva -- including a cameraman -- to watch the odometer turn over.
Why does Mitchell adore it so? It isn't because it's beautiful. In fact, it's runty, stripped-down and tinny. But others love the Festiva, too: "I could be driving in a Bentley Continental GT, and nobody would care where I got it," Mitchell says. Yet several times each year people leave notes on the Festiva asking if she wants to sell it. "Not only notes -- but people will signal me or give me the thumbs up," she says.
"It's just incredibly, highly efficient," Mitchell says, explaining that a fill-up costs only about $15 and that the car still gets in the "high 30s" for gas mileage. "It's perfect for the city" -- shorter than her family's Mini Cooper by 4 inches, she says, yet there's more interior room than the Mini.
What has she done to keep it going? "Nothing. We repair a little rust. And I swear I've only done oil changes. And we recently put a strut in. But anybody would have to do that for a car that old." The car has never been garaged, either. It helps that the car gets mostly highway miles, Mitchell adds.
Her advice:
Today the Festiva has about 250,000 miles -- not bad for a car that cost her $5,600 new.
So much does Mitchell love this car that when the odometer approached 200,000 miles she threw a "Fiesta for the Festiva," complete with margaritas, Mexican food and a piņata filled with toy cars. About 10 people jammed into the Festiva -- including a cameraman -- to watch the odometer turn over.
Why does Mitchell adore it so? It isn't because it's beautiful. In fact, it's runty, stripped-down and tinny. But others love the Festiva, too: "I could be driving in a Bentley Continental GT, and nobody would care where I got it," Mitchell says. Yet several times each year people leave notes on the Festiva asking if she wants to sell it. "Not only notes -- but people will signal me or give me the thumbs up," she says.
"It's just incredibly, highly efficient," Mitchell says, explaining that a fill-up costs only about $15 and that the car still gets in the "high 30s" for gas mileage. "It's perfect for the city" -- shorter than her family's Mini Cooper by 4 inches, she says, yet there's more interior room than the Mini.
What has she done to keep it going? "Nothing. We repair a little rust. And I swear I've only done oil changes. And we recently put a strut in. But anybody would have to do that for a car that old." The car has never been garaged, either. It helps that the car gets mostly highway miles, Mitchell adds.
Her advice:
- Change that oil. "My husband completely disagrees with me, but I change the oil religiously every 3,000 miles; hey, it works for me." (Other experts say to stick to the oil-change regimen prescribed by the owner's manual, whatever that is.)
- Think simple. An inexpensive car like the Festiva has almost no electronics -- and therefore less that can send it to the mechanic, says Mitchell. Unfortunately, they don't make them much like that anymore.
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