1998 Ford Escort SE review from North America

The tape player stopped working about a year after I bought the car.

Around 90,000 miles the rear axles started making a chattery sound whenever I made a sharp right turn.

Also around 90,000 miles, the shocks started to get a little 'swoopy."

But I never once had to take it in for repairs.

It was certainly no muscle car, but it accelerated quick enough to get me into traffic or onto a highway if I had to.

At speeds above 70-75, the times I had occasion to drive it that fast, it felt like it was 'floating' above the highway just a little bit - just enough to feel a little out-of-control. Lower speeds were fine; you could drive it really hard, and it always felt stable. It just wasn't much of a cruiser.

Fairly sure-footed in the snow and ice, too. Not as steady as the Volkswagens I've driven, but I never felt scared that I wouldn't make it home.

It got 40 mpg in the summertime, mainly on country roads.

The seats were really cushy for the first hour you drove or so; any trip longer than that was liable to leave you with a sore back.

As plain, ordinary, zero-frills, zero-personality, looks-like-every-other-car-in-the-world transportation goes, it would be hard to do much better. I would never claim to have loved my Escort, but it sure did earn my respect. 60,000 worry-free miles is pretty darn good.