Festiva vs Aspire

[rcottle]

I was thinking about upgrading to an Aspire - wondering everyones thoughts on that. Don't get me wrong I love the festivas - have loved them since my 1st one in 1988, wish I would have kept that one. Anyway they seem to have all the things I like about the festiva plus they seem more solid with a little more room.

[bhazard]

I dont think I could drive an aspire without at least swapping to a B6. Imagine having at least two grown men plus you in your festy driving around, thats an aspire. They are what, like 300 or 400 lbs more than a festiva?

[ejp2fast]

hey, if you want the aspire, i'd say by all means go for it... at least you're not going gm or honda on us..
may be a little heavier than the festiva, with the same B3, but acceleration won't be that bad. plus you'd have more wheel options.

[rcottle]

Does anyone have a spec sheet on the Aspire? - The best scenerio would be to find an aspire to drive and do a ground up restoration on the Festiva but I don't think the wife would go for that.

[Banana Bonanza]

Ah be really different, put a Festie drivetrain in a Yugo.....

[chrisofna]

The Aspire is only 100 pounds more than a Festiva according the autos.msn.com

[Ogrestiva]

I am 6'8 and I can't get into a aspire, but the festiva has much more room.

[Kraig]

I wouldn't consider an Aspire an upgrade.....I like the boxy look of the Festiva and it's
Rodney Dangerfield like lack of respect by those that have never owned one!!

[TominMO]

I think it's a "to each his/her own" situation. I just bought a 95 Aspire SE and really like it for the creature comforts my Festys don't have--like quietness, A/C, more trunk, generally better made. This gives me four choices in what to drive, depending on mood or need: Blue (stock Festy), Casper (hoohaa!), Aspire (ahh the comfort), Sube Outback (even nicer & holds lotsa stuff).

[Pu241]

The Aspire is only 100 pounds more than a Festiva according the autos.msn.com

That's why we don't always believe whats on the net.
I'm betting on the Aspire weighing 400-500 lbs more than the Festiva.

[chrisofna]

TominMO, what does your title say weight wise? on my festiva it says 1850. (Auto tranny, AC, PS) which matches the weight stated on autos.msn.com

Edit: If autos.msn.com is correct, your car should weight between 2000-2070 for a 2 door, 2060-2120 for a 4 door.

[JPT]

2 door: 2004 lbs
4 door: 2053 lbs

Source:

http://consumerguideauto.howstuffworks.com/1994-to-1997-ford-aspire-8.htm

I say real world 2100 - 2200 lbs

[aspireguy95]

my bp aspire with me and a full tank of gas weighed in at 2264

[Pu241]

If the aspire only weighed another 100 lbs over the festiva there'd be no need for larger front and back brakes.
But, even if its 400 lbs that's approaching a 25% increase in vehicle weight alone.
Definitely a need for better brakes.
Just saying all data on the net is not fact.

[TominMO]

TominMO, what does your title say weight wise?

I just got the vehicle titled; turned in the old title, haven't gotten the new one in the mail yet. But the diff is in the neighborhood of 300 lbs, give or take.

Besides weight, the Aspire exhaust manifold is supposedly not as free-flowing as the Festy one was. No idea why they would change this for the worse, but that's the story. Tmw I will drill holes in the bottom airbox piece, to see if I can feel an acceleration difference. As it is, the Aspire does rev to redline, but rather slowly. I also plan to install the FMS header so that it flows better than the Festy manifold, not to mention the Aspire one. Those two mods should get me to about 70 HP. Beyond that, it's either the FMS mild cam and/or the rear-turbo route.