Parts Train Festiva Slam

[freshtiva]

I was at the Parts Train site yesterday and here is their write up about the festiva. They wont be getting any of my festiva parts business.

"There were only a few reasons why people during its time would buy a Ford Festiva. At its very affordable price, most first time car buyers were easily attracted to it. It also promises a comfortable ride and is practical for everyday use. The car, however, is unrefined in most aspects compared to its slightly higher priced competitors. Its engine won’t get you revving at high speeds and it the car is easily prone to roll-overs. "

I never knew about the roll-over tendency.

[neanderpaul]

Whatever on the rollovers. I have pulled dozens of wet pavement 55 mph e-brake 360's without rolling over. And dozens of 25 mph dirt and gravel e-brake 180's w/o rolling over. I even popped a tire off the rim doing e-braking in the gravel without rolling over. Parts train needs a few angry emails to straighten them out!

[FestivaWilliam08]

I was at the Parts Train site yesterday and here is their write up about the festiva. They wont be getting any of my festiva parts business.

"There were only a few reasons why people during its time would buy a Ford Festiva. At its very affordable price, most first time car buyers were easily attracted to it. It also promises a comfortable ride and is practical for everyday use. The car, however, is unrefined in most aspects compared to its slightly higher priced competitors. Its engine won’t get you revving at high speeds and it the car is easily prone to roll-overs. "

I never knew about the roll-over tendency.

Thats one thing that has always amazed me is everyone talking down on a car due to rollovers...yeah if your taking a curve way to fast ANYTHING will roll over lol. I personally think the rollover part is at fault of the driver...not neccesarily the car.

[SimonTuffGuy]

That's the same thing my dad told me before I bought my Jeep... "You'll roll it over!"...

[Festiva_tunner]

Whatever on the rollovers. I have pulled dozens of wet pavement 55 mph e-brake 360's without rolling over. And dozens of 25 mph dirt and gravel e-brake 180's w/o rolling over. I even popped a tire off the rim doing e-braking in the gravel without rolling over. Parts train needs a few angry emails to straighten them out!

I've had many 80 mph deer jerks - jerk it toward the opposite ditch - crank it back - recover before skid

[Axlander9289]

Compared to any solid axle SUV, the whatever rollover tendency the Festiva may have is nothing.

[hawkdoc60]

In the early '90s I hit a patch of black ice in the Silver Bullet and spun around on the interstate. I ended up going into the median sideways and none of the Silver Bullet's four wheels ever left the ground.

In 04, I hit ice on the interstate in my Isuzu Rodeo and after it was all said and done, it was on its side with me and my family in it.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that I believe that the Festiva's center of gravity is way too low to make it prone to rollovers.

[roycehof]

Hey - I think Parts Train is just copying other write-ups. I doubt if it is their own. I never felt any inkling what so ever of a roll-over even with a blow-out. By the way, the Ford Explorer roll-over episode was all blamed on tires. I'll share this thought with you - Car manufacturers (as cheap as they are), give you a spare tire with almost every car you buy. That is because tires will occasionally fail. If Ford can't design a vehicle that will stay right side up if a tire fails, SHAME on them. SUV roll-over are a big problem - I have never heard that Festiva roll-over are. Never had a Festiva roll over when a tire failed (which over the years has happened to me twice). I think since they have little tires, the people that write reviews jump on the roll-over thing - wrongly in my opinion. I have noticed that many of the car experts writing reviews on cars don't know much. They will complain about one model of car and praise another and the difference between the two is the emblems pasted on it. They think having a good sounding stereo and a bunch of cup holders makes a good car. I like the fun of driving it and durability. They don't know about durability because they are always driving new stuff. I stop putting faith in car reviews over twenty years ago. Most of those critics don't know an alternator from a hubcap - How are they going to tell you what's good?

[oxbrain]

Aside from the rollover comment, I'd say that review was pretty on target. They were cheap, reliable, comfortable enough, and very practical. The interior is unrefined(c'mon, no heat through the dash vents?), but functional.

With the stock suspension I could see how it would feel like it was going to roll over, but I don't see it rolling in a situation that most other cars wouldn't. With narrow tires like that I'd expect them to break a bead before tripping the car.

[FB71]

If Ford can't design a vehicle that will stay right side up if a tire fails, SHAME on them.

woah, easy, Sunshine. I was very close to this. I was involved in field investigation of tire failures and the resulting events. Like you said, all SUVs are prone to rollover. It had nothing to do with the vehicle design. There's a big difference between a blow out and a catastrophic failure. These tires were experiencing complete disintegration. Couple that with incompetent drivers, overloaded vehicles, underinflated tires, excessive speed and the defective tires, and you have a recipe for disaster. Let's stop this here, and if you (or anyone else) want to continue this dicussion, start a thread in the Off-Topic forum.

[batstiva]

Roll overs??? I've had mine sideways on black ice, and had the right rear wheel sheer off and drop the car on the bottom end of the strut, going 55mph (Well, at least that's what I told the cops, lol) and never had the slightest inkling the car was going to roll over. I'm not even sure, with the exception of gdawgs, that I've ever even seen a festiva that looked like it rolled over, tho I'm sure some have. Aside from that, the review is basically right, they are cheap little crap boxes that most of the driving public would not go near.

I'm just glad I'm not most of the driving public, 'cause it's killing me trying to find another one.

[Pocket_Rocket]

Yeah, but just look at the amount of traction Quaddawg had when he had that rollover...For a Festiva with stock tires, it would have to have a high center of gravity to roll over IMO...Regardless, I've seen a video of a 3-series BMW rollover, but never new what was the cause...

[ch33z3x]

Love the sig Pocket Rocket. Anything can roll. I had my old partstiva up on two wheels. There's a long story... But anyway. It takes a LOT of g-force to push a festy over. Specially if you put wider tires on. And if your going fast enough around corners to roll, YOu should be at a track. With a roll cage. Hitting a deer is one thing. I have no pity for stupid people. And expect none when i do stupid things