Overview & Reviews
With small Japanese cars dominating the economy car segment by the late '70s, Ford decided to bring something to the table that was more competitive than the antiquated, outgoing Pinto. The result was the subcompact Ford Escort. The vehicle debuted in 1981 as a two-door hatchback or four-door wagon and featured front-wheel drive, an overhead cam four-cylinder engine, a fully independent suspension and rack and pinion steering. On paper, it looked like Ford had a winner. But in reality there were early problems that made a rash of recalls necessary, and the vehicle's longevity was questionable.
But despite the teething problems, the Ford Escort went on to become the top-selling car in America for many consecutive years. Broader appeal for Ford's small import fighter appeared in the mid-'80s via the introduction of a four-door hatchback and the sporty GT.
By the late '80s, the Ford Escort had become a solid little economy car, with build quality and reliability approaching respectable, if not Japanese manufacturer's, levels. By 1991, Ford's partnership with Mazda started to bear fruit in the form of the Escort GT, which was powered by a spirited dual-overhead-cam, four-cylinder engine borrowed from Mazda. A formal sedan debuted around this time, as did a four-speed automatic (which replaced the old three-speed unit). By the time the year 2000 came around, the Escort was being phased out by Ford's new Focus. With a decidedly edgy, European-flavored personality, the Focus offered much more in terms of personality and driving fun.
Most shoppers interested in a used Ford Escort will find themselves looking at the fourth and last generation. This one debuted in 1997 with a more rounded body style and a more refined 110-horsepower 2.0-liter, four-cylinder engine. Transmission choices were once again a five-speed manual and a four-speed automatic. The next year brought the sporty ZX2 two-door coupe, which was essentially the Escort GT's overdue replacement. With 130 hp, the ZX2 was relatively quick, running zero to 60 mph in around 8 seconds.
When Ford phased in the Escort's replacement, the Focus, for 2000, the Escort family was thinned out by dropping the wagon, leaving just the sedan and ZX2 sport coupe. By 2002, only the ZX2 remained, and would soldier on for one more year.
Consumer commentary posted on Edmunds.com about the Ford Escort is generally upbeat, with strong points being listed as ride comfort, fuel economy and outward visibility. Proper maintenance is key, as most owners report trouble-free driving well into the 100,000-mile range, while some others have indicated troubles with the automatic transmission. Though a well-maintained Escort with lower mileage will sell for quite a bit less than an equivalent Civic or Corolla, the latter pair still has the edge in predicted reliability.
Although it debuted 10 years earlier, the Ford Escort really came into its own with the introduction of the revamped 1991 model. A lower beltline and increased glass area afforded a more airy cabin and the 1.9-liter inline four was refined for smoother operation. Higher overall build quality was evident in the car's quieter, more refined demeanor and more substantial feel throughout. The all-new Escort GT was one of the better affordable sport hatchbacks of its day thanks to its free-revving, Mazda-sourced, DOHC 127-hp engine, four-wheel disc brakes and firm sport suspension. With the exception of the adoption of safety items such as dual airbags and (on some trim levels) antilock brakes, the Escort stood pat until its 1997 redesign.
User Reviews:
Showing 631 through 640 of 835.00-
a highly UNDERATED hatchback - 1995 Ford Escort
By chavez82 - May 8 - 2:00 amWhat more can i say other than WOW!!! ford did a really good job with this one.....hats off!!!! i bought my car as a senior in hs back in 99 and love it. it started with 65000 and now has 120000 and the only major repair i had was the tranny.....but that was because this summer i went back and forth to cali from ND 4 times(that is 2000 one way to LB from Jmst). other than that no problems even with a 2000watt system tapped into the electrical system. also the hatchback design works perfectly with a system. sounds great!!!!!!
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Very practical car for cost - 1999 Ford Escort
By Chris Hadley - May 7 - 2:00 amI bought this car over 2 years ago now. The only problem is the engine developed a shimmy around the 45,000 mile mark. I took it to the dealership and they gave me some crap about tubing or something. It cost me $95 but it fixed the only problem. I got into an accident where I was struck sideways in the back and I walked away and the car was able to be fixed. I was hit by a VERY large truck so I was impressed by the build quality. The car is a smooth ride and peppy for a 4 cyl. engine. I have put well over 7,500 interstate miles on this car in the last year. GREAT CAR!
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SUCKS!!!!!!! - 1999 Ford Escort
By Cara - May 5 - 2:00 amMy experience with the Ford Escort ZX2 has been horrible from the start. First, 3 months after I purchased it the entire transmission was shot. (Under warranty they replaced it). 1 year later the power steering went out. The break are horrible and even though I change them often the dealership says that these types of cars have that "Squicky" problem.
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my Harvick - 2000 Ford Escort
By JoJoz1986 - May 2 - 2:00 amMy car has been very good to me in the past 11 months. It gets a lot of miles put on it but I still love to drive it.
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Long live to my Escort!!!!!! - 1995 Ford Escort
By Cesar SUV Lover - April 28 - 2:00 amThis car is a mini-SUV to me :). It does not have the horsepower needed to make it more fast in acceleration, but is the faster that i know, I made 110 miles in the highway at full throttle!!!, and i felt secure, no tend to roll, exelent handling. But when is time to reapir it, is very Xpensive, and it ate lots of bucks. My mother had a roll-over in it recently, we are repairing it, but is to costly saddly, we are thinking in buying extra car, I hope a MS 2K at least
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Great Purchase! - 1999 Ford Escort
By Vette man - April 28 - 2:00 amI bought the car for less than $10K brand new in 1999. Really quick, have had it over 100 mph often. Its almost as quick as my 84 Corvette. Have 80K miles on it and no problems what so ever. Bought my daughter one. She got into a head on collision at 50 mph and walked away from it. The crush zones and air bags worked as well as a BMW. The best value Ford every sold.
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jo 2000 - 2000 Ford Escort
By joe_1 - April 27 - 2:00 amI bought my 2000 Ford Escort SE sedan on 02/15/02 and havnt had a major problem yet. This is a very good car to drive since it is one of the best Escort modles that rolled of the production line.Great acceleration on city streets,but going up hills can be a bit of a challeng since there is only 110 hores under its hood.
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better paint job - 1995 Ford Escort
By lenln59 - April 24 - 2:00 ampoor paint job! i bought the car in 1996 brand new,but by the third year the paint on the bumpers started to faid and rigt now the sunvisors are falling apart. i had no major problems . recently i changed timing belt and i have another problem with it, its shaking when idle and on the freeway.
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Beware the 1.9 Engine!!!! - 1996 Ford Escort
By ofcgddss - April 23 - 2:00 amThe 1.9 engine is the WORST piece of junk EVER! I bought the car with 30,000 miles on it...at 70,000 miles the heads had to be rebuilt at 80,000 the entire engine blew. This was the most unbelievably unreliable car ever owned. According to websites, MANY people have reported this problem with the heads as early as 50,000 -- yet Ford refused to do anything about it. Common symptoms -- shaking, rough idling, dying suddenly ... dump this lemon as quickly as possible and do what Im doing -- buying a HONDA
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Good Get Around Car - 1995 Ford Escort
By escortdude - April 22 - 2:00 amI bought a 1995 Escort in 98 when I was in college, and it took me from Missouri to the East Coast, Maryland to Maine, to the West Coast, back and forth several times, all with no major repairs except for the tranny. And lets face it, the trannies go out around 80 or 90k anyway. Betty the Red Escort was very reliable, had GREAT gas mileage, had GOOD pickup for a 4 banger, several tickets attest to that, and although my woman made fun of me for it, I enjoyed this car. I could haul a lot of stuff and barely had to refuel the tank. And she never left me stranded.
