1994 Ford Aspire Base review from North America

A few days after I purchased the car, the gas tank started leak.

Shortly after, a hole in the catalytic converter made itself heard.

That was followed by a clutch that needed constant adjustment.

Portion of the exhaust was replaced next.

After a door slam, right front window broke and shattered inside the door panel.

Finally, battery connection to vehicle worn through the wire covers.

Joint ball bearings got out of sync, causing massive road noise.

ABS Brake light on dashboard went on when going above 65 mph for more than an hour.

I kept smelling gasoline even after the tank was replaced. There turned out to be a hole between the filler cap and the tank which three different service stations failed to find. Gas would pour out of it when filling, but then the scent wouldn't reappear until the next time gas was added to the tank.

The AM/FM radio was weak and did not pick up stations for long expanses in the Green and White Mountains, contributing to driver fatigue.

Battery died completely before selling the car for $400, taking a loss of over $3500, including repairs and insurance. Not a good investment for a college student paying his way.

I purchased the car for $1600 after a careful review of several other similar imports as I had previously had (late 80's Civic and Accord, Toyota.)

This car had no rust, sounded pleasant, and only had 43k miles. Others had over 150k on the odometer and rusted-out chasses. It looked like a bargain.

I was wrong.

On the positive, the car's physical engine did not malfunction. Acceleration was predictable for a car with about 70 horsepower, and the stories of going 35 mph up hills in Vermont are false. One will manage 45 at least if they know how to shift properly.

I managed just under 50 mpg on several trips driving friends home if I kept the speed between 55 and 60 mph. I went 396 miles on one eight gallon tank of 87 at $1.67 per gallon.

In winters that exceed -30 F, the car did not stall once because of the cold. It started every time, even after leaving it cold for four days when the temperature did not rise above -5 F.

The defroster was quick and effective. Heat came quickly as well. The car lacked A/C, which would have been useless here in Vermont anyways.

One last positive: this baseline car had ABS, which I did not believe at first. No other option was ordered, according to the primary owner whom I purchased the car from. ABS helped the car significantly and was a blessing. It added to the fun-to-drive factor when cruising downhill in the mountains with the gearshift in neutral.

The negatives show themselves in the massive repairs I encountered. Over $2000 in repairs were done to the car during the three months I owned it. I put 4k miles on it driving all over New England in the winter.

On long, almost ten-hour drives, the car's seats would become molded to your body shape, but felt like bars molded in cheap foam. Lack of tilt wheel forced a harsh driving position for anyone over 5'9". Without noise from faulty parts, the car was OK with a friend or radio.

The light nature of the car would force skids, even with snow tires and ABS, if cornering above 30mph with people in the car. This scared passengers.

In city driving (Boston and Montreal), the car was well suited, with excellent visibility and engaging clutch-gearshift action at low speeds. The car held well up until 40mph. Parking was easy due to the two door hatchback style.

Headlights were weak unless total darkness surrounded the car's environment.

The car shook violently at speeds above 65 and felt like it would grow wings and take off.