1997 Ford Escort LX sport review from North America

Tires (when new to us), broken rear spring (common on 97's I hear), interior fan motor at 155kms.

A total blast to own! great performance form the 5 speed tranny! no need to rev up motor when driving 'spirited' since the car has no "sweet spot so it gets shifted whenever shift light goes on. Engine has been changed to Mobile1 5w30 and has no leaks! nor does it burn any either. I plan on doing extended interval drains with this car considering it's used on the highway a lot by my g'friend (her car, but I have to maintain it). Interior fan motor was cheap AND easy to install, much easier than doing it on the Volvo 240's and the BMW's I've owned in the past.

Considering that the motor and trany are both run on synthetic, I think the drivetrain will easily outlast the car. Also, considering that the car does not need to be revved to perform well, means that the car does not need to work as hard as most 4 cylinder cars (i.e. hondas, toyotas etc.).

The springs on the 97's were all noted for having problems, but the 98+ Escorts have a much more reliable set of springs.

Overall, the 97+ Escort lineup is NOTHING like the generations it had replaced, it's tough, and very reliable unlike many other FOrd products out there IMO.

I've loved working on this car of my g'friends so much, that I'm considering an Escort ZX2 once my trusty and very rusty 86 Corolla dies.

Any questions, email me at bmwguy22@roadfly.org.