1978 Ford Escort L review from UK and Ireland
"Reliable, good to drive, comfortable and excellent value for money"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Gearbox started rattling after 129,000 miles and had to be replaced.
Brake cable snapped after 136,000 miles and was also replaced.
Started to go rusty towards the end.
General comments?
Engine was as smooth as silk right up to the end. Bodywork started to show its age though.
Previous car was a 1973 Ford Cortina which lasted well until 178,000 miles when the engine blew up!
The 1978 Ford Escort was a really good car. It drove well and the mechanicals only rarely showed their age. After all, the car was 22 years old and had driven 148,000 miles by the time I sold it. It went to my younger brother for £20 and I bought a 93L Ford Fiesta 1.4 Ghia for £1,000, which had covered 56,000 miles. I had the Fiesta for 3 years, by which time it had covered 75,000 miles, and I sold it to a workmate for £400. Now I have a 96P Ford Scorpio 2.9 V6 which I bought for £2,500 and has now covered close to 100,000 miles. The Fiesta was quite good and the Scorpio is powerful and comfortable, but the Escort is far more reliable than any other car I've owned.
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Recommended Reviews:
  | A good, reliable, easily maintained, distinctive, love bomb of a car |
| Great fun at cheaper than Nova prices, and their value can only go up no matter how you modify it |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| First year of ownership | 1991 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2000 |
| Engine and transmission | 1.3 petrol Manual |
| Performance marks | 6/10 |
| Reliability marks | 9/10 |
| Comfort marks | 7/10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 7/10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 8/10 |
| Distance when acquired | 110000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 148000 miles |
| Previous car | Ford Cortina |
| Date of Entry | 1st April, 2004 |