1999 Ford Escort Finesse review from UK and Ireland

Failed MoT on emissions - needed a new catalytic convertor at 55,000 miles. It turned out that the convertor had already been replaced once before, but with a non-Ford one, so it was not covered under warranty. £600 down the drain.

During the last 4 years, both rear wheel bearings have had to be replaced.

Overall, it's been a gem. However, on doing some research, it would seem that Ford specify the plug gaps to be wider than they should, thus causing the HT leads to break down and give a poor spark. This is what probably trashed the CATs. After fitting new OEM leads and Denso Iridium plugs (set at 1mm) there have been no more problems.

The engine still runs sweetly and doesn't consume any oil or coolant. Apart from the issue with the catalytic convertors caused by non-burning of fuel, it has proved very reliable.

There's a fair bit of road noise and the seats are like boards, especially in the back. The ride is quite harsh too. Handling and roadholding are reassuring.

The paintwork still looks like new, but there are serious mudtraps in the wheelarches, front and back, which is obviously bad news if neglected. The front plastic liners still let mud and water get behind them and should be removed periodically for cleaning.

The interior trim is very plasticky and cheap, but has proved to be hard-wearing. To illustrate Ford's penny-pinching attitude however, there's only one rear fog light fitted, even though there's a lens and cutout for one on both sides! Also, the lights-on buzzer is very piercing to the ear; a gentle chime would have been preferable.

Generally a good little car with few problems if looked after well.

Note: the European Escort is not the same as that sold in the US.