Faults:

So far nothing.

General Comments:

I like this car as opposed to the 1990 Escort 1.3 Eclipse that I previously owned.

This LX was the last facelift version. I purchased it from my brother, who had decided to get a Fiat Punto 1.6.

It isn't the fastest car I've owned (previously Rover 1.8 diesel turbo intercooled), but it moves quite sharpish. The 1.4i engine gives 74bhp, which is adequate.

As soon as I got it, I did a 89 mile ' Personal Road Test'.

In town, it is a dream. 30mph in 4th gear. On normal B roads it handles well at 60 mph, and on dual carriageways at 70mph, you can hear slight engine noise, but with the smooth ride, you hardly notice.

89 miles of that type of driving, & the fuel gauge read from 1/4 to the top of red. So is quite economical.

Exterior is good. Colour coded bumpers etc. Interior is comfortable & modern.

Overall, if you want a economical shed, go for the standard 1.3 option. Or for the much quicker version, 1.6i - 1.8i. But the 1.4i LX version isn't mega quick, but still has a bit of oomph under the bonnet.

Faults:

Full exhaust system required (including catalytic converter).

Failed MOT on emissions, serious hard driving and engine flush seemed to clear this.

Headlights turned off when I was driving down a dark road - common fault with these due to a dodgy connection on the indicator stalk unit (bought a complete new unit from Ebay for £30.) Very dangerous!!

My fault - drove over a fallen tree branch at 50/60mph and ripped a rather large hole in the back bumper.

Gets very hot when sat in traffic (apparently this is normal with Escorts, but keep an eye on the temperature gauge!)

General Comments:

A very common sight on the roads, but very comfortable in top spec Ghia X form, with all mod cons and nice wood-effect dashboard.

Drives smoothly, soft suspension setup means that you don't ever feel like you're going quickly, and also means you really don't get much feedback on usually fun country roads. Steering feedback is virtually zero. Having said that, it's fantastically comfy and good on long trips (I took mine to the south coast of France no problem).

Very practical - I could get tonnes of stuff in the back as the seats fold fully flat.

The main reason I got rid of the car is that, although nicer inside, mechanically the Escort is many leagues below the Japanese cars I usually buy, and it really doesn't feel like it will last the distance. Also feels very dated in every aspect, and is not exactly a stylish option.

But as a cheap to buy, cheap to run, practical family car, it makes sense.

Faults:

Body work has a tendency to bubble.

Doors started to creak really badly.

Thumping sound when cornering at high speeds.

General Comments:

The leather interior and air-con make for a nice looking and comfortable interior.

White dials are also a nice touch.

Performance is not earth shattering, but my previous car was quicker so I wasn't expecting much.

Handling is quite nice and the power steering is slightly firmer than the previous motor, which gives a more direct feel.

OK on the twists and turns, but more of a cruising machine.

Nice body-kit, nothing too aggressive.

Faults:

Boot lock broken, I currently use the electric release to open it.

Electric boot release became intermittent, had to add an earth strap from the tailgate to the main car body to fix this problem. (The car normally uses the tailgate hinges as an earth connection, bad design idea by Ford!).

Multifunction switch (indicator switch) failed suddenly while driving home one night resulting in no rear tail lights. (£80 from ford for new unit)

Erratic idle speed, varies between about 800-1200 rpm depending on whether there's an 'r' in the month!

PATS led (under the clock) went intermittent, had to remove dashboard just to get at it. Just needed re-soldering.

All 4 tyres keep going down slowly. About 2-10 psi per week depending on which tyre. I guess it may be the alloys corroded around the tyre beading and leaking air.

General Comments:

The car has 115bhp, but dosen't feel very quick at all really. I think it must be a bit too heavy.

All I seem to be doing with this car too is filling it with petrol, Can't seem to get above about 25mpg no matter how careful I drive it. Very poor, its costing me a fortune in fuel!

On the good side though the car is very comfortable and is nice to drive, even though its not a quick or sporty ride.

Has air-con, ABS, leather seats, and nice looking alloy wheels.

Car looks good from all angles except from the front though, where it just looks like a bottom of the range Escort!