1997 Ford Aspire GT review from North America
"Buy it only if you have no other choice - Else keep looking"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
- Front head lights went dead after 65,000 miles; Had to have wiring replaced.
- Brake cables rusted and were no longer usable at the time I traded in the car; Mechanic told me that if I applied them, the brake may not be releasable again without taking the brake system apart.
- At the time of trade, two of the 5 radio station programming buttons no longer worked.
- Clutch plate was toasted at 75,000 miles; An expensive repair.
General comments?
Upsides:
- Has good gas mileage ~30/35mpg average for street and highway driving.
- It was cheap to buy back in 1997, even brand-new.
Downsides:
- Power from the engine is non-existent (60hp) and would front-end rattle under speeds in excess of 70/mph.
- No real body weight, little power, and no traction control make driving at posted speed limits in significant rain very dangerous to yourself and others around you; Impossible to drive in snow.
- Poor build quality; Was not designed for 100,000+ miles. The fact that this was originally a Kia (Avella) shines through.
- Lousy radio that was barely functional after 5 years of use.
- No power steering, and anti-lock brakes (ABS) was an option (not standard).
- Very ugly styling.
Recommended reviews
| 1997 - Aspire Base 1.3L Inline 4 Awesome fuel economy, and will not die! |
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| Good for the money |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| Model year | 1997 |
| Year of manufacture | 1996 |
| First year of ownership | 1999 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2004 |
| Engine and transmission | 2.4L turbo Automatic |
| Performance marks | 2 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 6 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 5 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 3 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 6 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 16000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 105000 miles |
| Date of Entry | 22nd November, 2008 |