1985 Ford Escort GL review from North America
"This one was a loser"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Needed a head gasket at 65,000 miles - a $600 repair after paying $700 for it to get me through a few months.
Demise of car was that rust ate away at the rear right wheel and wheel well. Nothing really to fix, because you can't bolt or weld to rust. Wheel started to splay outward. Driving over bumps eventually would have caused car to literally break in two. Ended up buying a late model Pontiac Grand Prix with low miles.
General comments?
There are still a lot of old Escorts out there, and if you can find a good one, it may serve you well as basic transportation. Parts are cheap and a rookie can repair them. Look for a car driven a lot on the highway. Mine was driven to and from work in harsh conditions, no highway driving.
Stay away from the 1.6L with the 2 barrel carb. The 1.8L fuel injection which came in "1985-1/2" was 150x better, I'm told.
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Don't Know |
| First year of ownership | 1995 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 1996 |
| Engine and transmission | 1.6 Manual |
| Performance marks | 5/10 |
| Reliability marks | 3/10 |
| Comfort marks | 5/10 |
| Dealer Service marks | |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 3/10 |
| Distance when acquired | 62000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 75000 miles |
| Previous car | Chevrolet Blazer |
| Date of Entry | 2nd July, 2001 |