1996 Ford Escort LX Sport review from North America
"Nothing special, but hey it's an escort"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
New springs all around at 50k.
New tires at 50k (still had originals)
New outer tie rods at 50k.
Various emissions sensors at 50k.
Right sway bar currently snapped off.
Replaced a/c relay twice, once at 53k and once at 54500k.
Replaced Idle Air Control Valve at 54500k.
Had a hole rusted through the passenger floorboard, fixed with bondo.
Right side rear fender has light surface rust already.
Check engine light currently back on.
It has always idled really low, maybe 400-500rpms, but its never stalled.
General comments?
For a first car I guess my escort isn't that bad. I bought it in the fall of 04' for $2500 thinking with only 50k miles on it from an elderly driver, it would hold up well. Since then it has been in and out of the shop for minor things every few months it seems. My uncle is a ford mechanic so repairs are dirt cheap otherwise I would have tried to sell my car a long time ago. The 1.9L is mediocre without the a/c on, darn slow with it on; I wish I had a manual trans. Gas mileage isn't great in city driving, only the high teens because you must constantly rev the engine out to get up to speed. On the highway it gets over 30mpg. Good news is, this car handles like its on rails. I've made a few 40mph turns without hitting the brakes even with the broken sway bar. Brakes themselves stop the car quick enough. Factory stereo is terrible, replaced it as well as the speakers and now its just fine. It does have a suprising amount of interior room for such a small car which isn't bad. Now I'm just waiting to get it on a diagnostics machine to see why my check engine light is on again.
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| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| Model year | 1996 |
| Year of manufacture | 1995 |
| First year of ownership | 2004 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2005 |
| Engine and transmission | 1.9L I-4 Automatic |
| Performance marks | 5 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 3 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 6 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 10 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 3 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 50000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 56000 miles |
| Date of Entry | 26th September, 2005 |