1995 Ford Escort LX review from North America

Ignition switch had several problems when I bought the car; I purchased a new switch for $90 and have had no further fault with it.

I had a bad misfire develop which turned out to be the fault of the coil pack, I installed an aftermarket part and it now works great.

The driver's side outer CV joint boot broke which let dirt and other contaminants into the joint. By the time I know of it, it was too late. I had to replace the half shaft.

There have been many small problems due to previous owner neglect as far as cosmetic things go. All mechanical problems seem to be basic maintenance that any car of this mileage would require.

The Escort is really good cheap transportation, although it seems to require continuous tweaking to keep it in good shape.

The engine is somewhat underpowered and seems to run rather fast at highway speeds. At 70 miles per hour I am running at 3300 rpm, and the car feels like it is not in overdrive.

The transmission shifts are harsh (in particular first gear to second) under certain conditions like when the engine is hot and is let sit and then run again. I suspect that it needs some work, however I don't have the money to get it looked at.

Overall I like the car, it has a certain appeal to it, and although it feels underpowered on the highway, the 4-cylinder engine has quite a lot of pep, and that is really brought out on windy roads. The steering and suspension feel really close to the road and make the driver feel very connected to the road.

I like the car, but would consider buying something with a V6 and sacrifice some of that gas mileage (32 mpg) for more power.