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:

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  Great at first but awful now - 1997 Ford Escort
  By brendan12090 - June 20 - 11:53 pm

  I have had 3 escort models in my life span, so far the 96 wagon was the better of them all, I have a 98 escort wagon now and Ive had to replace everything, except for the engine. I love the gas mileage but the cost of repairs is starting to go through the roof and about to just junk it because the unibody is rotted and will not pass inspection and to think its 2013 and it barely has 95000 miles on it, amazing, anyways if you want reliability go foreign stay away from fords

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  escort 330 k miles - 1998 Ford Escort
  By dan299 - May 30 - 8:32 pm

  bought the car with 156000 miles about 6 years ago..im at 330000 and still running good had to replace the clutch,,but u should expect that with that mileage...other than that just regular maintenance.......

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  great car - 2002 Ford Escort
  By fordman62702 - March 29 - 2:52 pm

  I had one of these for 4 years and 35,000 miles until someone hit me and tore the front end off, spinning me around and deploying the airbags. I walked away unscathed, The car surprised me by taking a hit that well. Tough little car. Was fun to drive, cheap to maintain, great MPG. Interior held up well. Not the most comfortable for highway cruises, to be expected. The car only left me stranded twice, a tie rod end broke at 100,000 miles (that could have been bad) and a loose grounding block on the negative battery cable kept it from starting (thought it was the fuel pump at first, phew) Lots of good forums and info out there on these cars, take advantage.

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  1995 escort wagon Automatic - 1995 Ford Escort
  By r0b2012 - November 25 - 12:25 pm

  Bought it used with 240000 km for $900 replaced inner tie rod because previos owner hit the curb. replaced exhaust pipe because I lent it to a friend and he went over a railroad track to hard. heater core leaked , so I cut a hole in the firewall and replaced it in an hour. Had trasmission filter changed without flushing just because its never been done. had to tighten up rocker box covers by puting in shorter bolts to stop oil leakage. I think the timing belt was replaced at 200000 kms Always starts on cold days -30 not plugged in. 30+ mpg or 25 city. everything else is original including spark plugs regular oil changes every 5000 km We have 2 kids in boosters Still going at 300000km.

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  1999 Ford Escort Sedan SE - 1999 Ford Escort
  By zescown - October 31 - 2:11 pm

  My car is actually an automatic transmission. I bought it for 1,500 used and it had around 164,000 miles on it with new brakes. Its my first car that I bought and is mine. Its small and has good mobility. Its really good on gas. My dads Chevy Tahoe has a 20 gallon tank and needs to be filled once a week while my car has a 10 gallon tank and needs to be filled once a week but this is an estimate from experience. It depends on how much you drive. Its fun drifting around in the winter time using the E-Brake. It also has a spoiler which I like. I read on the wheels that it can hold a max weight of 1,100 something pounds.

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  Pizza Car - 2000 Ford Escort
  By funglemuffin - October 25 - 12:57 pm

  Ive had this car for two and a half years now and regrettably looking to get rid of. As a student i dont have time to fix the massive oil/coolant leak and fix whatever is making it run lean. had about 140000 miles now and got it with 116000. Replaced clutch at about 130 both tie rods, timing belt, turn signal switch and regular maintenance. Great when its working, but here always seems to be a problem. I will admit i did drive it pretty hard delivering pizzas.

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  1994 Ford Escort - Automatic - 1994 Ford Escort
  By parkspro - October 14 - 5:04 pm

  Ive been driving this car for awhile, and it works wonders. Ive never had any problems with it, and it holds up to regular wear-and-tear very well. Its lasted for 97k miles, and from what Ive seen with friends (and the one my family used to have), Itll last for over double that. Id recommend this for anyone that needs a bit more room than your average sedan or coupe, but still want over 30mpg. (There is no option for the Automatic version, so I had to put it under the 5-speed one.)

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  Love It! - 1996 Ford Escort
  By chuckshane - October 9 - 6:12 pm

  My green Ford Escort has been a great car to me. It has never broke down in the year and a half i have owned it. I bought it 1-owner w/92k miles for 1200$. It now has over 108, still runs just as good. VERRRY slow car..VERY. the 5 speed transmission is sloppy, not a very roomy car either but the seats are comfortable. Gas milage is OUTSTANDING on this car.

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  2000 Ford escort - 2000 Ford Escort
  By ggragg - September 5 - 2:22 am

  Got this car for free from a buddy that left for the army, 157000 miles, getting about 33.5 mpg interstate, 28 in town. Runs great, looks good. Nice gift.

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  Broke all the time - 1998 Ford Escort
  By rose313 - August 23 - 3:53 pm

  I bought this Escort, my first car, with 55k miles on it and drove it until the transmission went at 210k miles. Every month from the time I bought it, it was in the shop. I had to replace everything, some things twice, such as the muffler and exhaust. I replaced the e-brake, shocks, struts, fuel injection system, intake valve, just about everything in this car. I loved it because it was my first car and the fact that it was so roomy, I loved having so much space in the back. I used to see these on the road all the time, but now I hardly ever see one, Im guessing its because they all fell apart.