1993 Ford Escort RS Cosworth from UK and Ireland - Comments

No major problems have occurred in the short time I have owned the car.

As with any Cosworth, it uses a bit of oil, but nothing too dramatic.

I have had to replace the front splitter after whacking it into a kerb whilst parking. A very pricey part from ford at over £110 for what is effectively a flat piece of GRP.

The car has been sensibly modified to around 360 bhp, and the performance can only be described as increadible. Aside from true exotics and evo mitsibuishi's nothing can touch this car for fast cross country point-to-point pace. Even when trying to cruise along, it doesn't take long for the speeds to get up to licence losing levels (often into triple figures), and slowing to "normal" speeds seems shockingly slow.

The Escort Cossie was brought out the same year as I turned 17 years old. It has been my mission since then to get one. After progressing through a Sierra Cosworth (among other performance tools), I eventually managed to afford the Escort earlier this year... The wait was worth it!!

I am extremely jealous. I am an American escort driver who knows the racing heritage of the Cosworth. I can only imagine what it is like to drive a small car like mine with over 300 hp! I wish they would sell the cosworth fords over here, it would be a strong sales competitor with the Subaru WRX and Mitsubishi Lancer EVO.

A modded subaru or porche would leave it for dead. getting on now.

Rubbish!

1) You can get far more power out of the Cosworth engine than you can out of the Subaru flat four. Cosworth are and always have been among the best engine designers in the world! There are road going Cosworths with anything up to 650 bhp. When did you ever hear of a Subaru with anything like that kind of power? The earliest big turbo models pre-date the catalsyt laws, so you can run it de-catted completely legally. There's an advantage the Subaru can't claw back before you do anything else.

2) The Escort Cosworth's chassis, brakes and transmission were designed to deal with far more than the 227 bhp the car had as standard. It's still driveable, reliable and exploitable with 400 bhp (I have driven two with this power). It also has far more feel and balance than the Subaru's (rather ordinary IMHO) chassis.

3) There isn't a Porsche that can beat this car that wasn't at least twice as expensive when new. Compare like for like.

4) Yes, they're getting on, but look at the prices. A local independent performance car dealer are selling a 93K Cosworth Lux with 55,000 miles for £13,995, parked right next to a 96N Impreza Turbo with 75k for £3,995. 3 years younger and ten grand cheaper. Says it all.

Mitsibishi and nissan are more tunable than cossies, cossies can't handle 1100bhp like the one in maxpower magazine.

Unfortunaltely you won't see another cossie variant as they've gone bust.

You can tune a subaru flat 4 to well over 600 bhp, I haven't seen a scoob tuned to the same levels as the evo, but it could easy match or exceed a cossie.

Subaru have been using the flat 4 for a long time, must be good reason for that. And the reason scoobs are cheaper is because Subaru sold loads more of them. More of them about.

The new 2006 Impreza is out now with 2.5 ltr engines. I can only imagine what power they can be tuned to!

I can't believe this is even a discussion. The cars don 't even compete with each other, realistically. The Escort Cosworth isn't even sold in America. Of course it is a powerful car, so is the Subaru, and the Evolution; but they are not direct competitors. I can count the number of people I know with 600 hp Subaru's on one finger, and you probably can too. The real discussion was that this guy's 360 hp vehicle can smoke Porsche's and Subaru's; I don't know if it's true or not, but it's not worth arguing over, as the Escort isn't available in the U.S.

The escort cosworth is a good car yes, but it isn't in the same league as subarus or porsches... get real subarus are much faster off the line and read the top speed facts 140mph for a ford over 150mph for subarus... and as for porsches well they make the best cars in the world... how can you start comparing a ford to exotic german automotive genius. get a 500hp escort cosworth againts a 911 turbo and see what happens.

Enough of the battle between the cars here. The STi, Evos and the Cossie are all great cars.

Please visit:

http://www.reyland.co.uk/projects/ReylandEsCos/index.htm#

I think it will suffice. I've seen faster 0-60 though.

Further, the Escort Cosworth had a Lux model, etc. They catered too many masses. The STi is a clear race bred machine, I've seen guys from 18-30 drive them. Strange I see guys who are 18-60 driving a Cossie. The answer? Simple the *status* of the Escort RS Cosworth is a legend, and it will be; for a long time. Plus why would an old guy want to sit in a racing seat.

I've driven both the STi, and a Escort Cosworth. I found this:

Escort Cosworth: You can yank, and throw the Cossie around like it was part of your arm; it is that easy to control. The small Turbo has a quicker reaction then the large Turbo, but I'd choose the larger one if I was to mod the car, which almost always happens. The car can be expensive to maintain, but is well worth it. If you want people to ask about your car, get a Cossie... everyone wants one.

STi: Hey, its true. It's a four door, it's a fast four door. You get a car that does 0-60 under 5 and you get space in the back for a party. I do not think that highly of the control that the STi offers, I found it to be less than the Cosworths reason being that you have that much MORE behind you. Sometimes that may not matter, but for me I like the smaller "rear end" because of over-steer factor; the more you got to swing, the more you will. Hey, not much else to say... this car speaks without have to do much. Does everyone want one? No, they aren't a Legend yet. Given some time it might be. Go to Subaru's site and read about it if you really want to learn more.

So... Since this was about the Escort Cosworth. I love this car, I would choose it any day over a STi or a Evo because it's what? 1000 pounds less than them. It also has a better 4x4 split of 60 rear and 40 front. It is a styling Legend, why do you thing the STi and Evo look like it. Plus...

I've seen one beat a Enzo.

Enough said?

I hope.

- CheeRS!

It does not matter its still a FORD and thus it's a piece of junk.

If your talking comparisons with an impreza, then the entry level UK WRX offers almost the exact level of performance that an unmodded escort cossie does, both have AWD both have around 225 BHP and both have within about 0.1 of a second the same 0-60 0-100 and I think the scooby has slightly higher top end. But all scoobys have been known not for oversteer, but understeer, the fact is has more behind doesn't kick the back end out (but you can make it happen). And apealing to the masses? Sorry, but I've never seen an old person driving an escort cossie. More young people have driven scoobys in the last few years cos the prices on cars have come down, but not so long ago and still today you see old men driving massive tail STIs, at one point I thought it was only old men that used to drive them, When I had my classic WRX one day on a country road I saw a brand new STI comming the other way, with an old man driving it, about five minuets later on a different round, another one, quite new with an old man driving it. But one of my mates did say once he saw an old lady, pensioner age driving a whale tail escort cossie!

What are you guys arguing about here? the escossy (Escort Cossie) is a legendary car that deserves respect, your comapiring a car that was made back in the 90's to modern day acceleration figures of a scooby!! if that dosent earn your respect for ford and Cosworth than what does? these cars are amazing and I don't think the boys on here shouting about Scoobies and Evo's will apprecaite the true character of the escossy untill they've been in one, it still holds its with the best today you've all proved it by arguing about it???

I think you will find the first WRX's were launched about the same time as the escort, 1993 in japan. But we didn't really here about them till they were launched in the UK a few years later as the turbo 2000, then a bit later as the WRX.

All I see is people going on about cosies and subaru's like they are the the only cars that offer great performance.

As a standard car, an M3 offers far more power and overall speed in straight lines and round a track, and if you wish to enter a debate about modification, an M3 will take a supercharger or turbo conversion (400 bhp+) happily and still drive round town with ease and comfort, and not look like some boy racer.

The Cosworth Sierra or Escort do deserve their place in history as fantastic cars, but that time has passed. Standard cars are now available offering more performance for less £££ (overall running and buying costs), and most hot hatches are more than capable of out performing a standard cosie in this age, so get over it and enjoy these cars for what they are and what they represent, a car that took the country by storm, ensuring the Cosworth company was heralded as one of the worlds best engine designers.

Most hot hatches will not out perform these cars, there are 2 that get close: the astra VXR and the focus ST, but not out perform. You need more power today since hot hatches are so bloated.

Rubbish!! a impreza wrx (not sti) will easily out perform an escort and is quicker in all departments especially on a track and I'm not interested in hearing about modifying a cosie as any car is capable of being modified. A heavily modified cosie may out drag an impreza, but you can get hold of a lichfield type 25 impreza that has warranty and problem free (wich can't be said about any! heavily modified cosie) which may not out drag, but will certainly out perform a cosie in every other area bar none. For me to own an escort cosworth it would have to completely standard in its original state so I would be able to appreciate this awsome part of history!! just as cosworth intended.

Please excuse my choice of cars as they arn't hot hatches, but to give an ample example of a hot hatch that can out perform a cosworth (standard) an audi S3 in an overall straight line and on a track.