-Windshield Wiper Arm snapped off when I turned them on when the wipers were frozen to the windshield (got a used one for a few dollars and replaced it myself)
-Rear view mirror fell off windshield (bought a $5 kit and glued it back on)
-Heater not working well because the engine is not getting as warm as it should. This is also making my fuel mileage 10-20% worse than it should be (presently only getting about 7.5L/100KM. Partially fixed with new thermostat (old thermostat opening too quickly). Still not 100%. Likely will be completely fixed when I replace the thermostat housing which has a vapour bypass which can break and cause coolant to bypass the thermostat, causing the engine to cool down too much and take longer to get warm. I should have replaced the thermostat and housing at the same time.
-The switch for the rear defogger only keeps the defogger on if I stick some tape on it to hold it down. Not going to bother fixing.
-routine maintenance (oil changes, new spark plugs, plug wires)
-Occasionally requires a 2 or 3 tries to start. Not sure why yet, but will get to the bottom of it eventually.
-previous owner replaced some burned out lights, fixes some rust, a ball joint in the front and a broken broken spring in the rear (common problem... best replaced with Moog springs instead of crappy Ford OEM springs)
-I'm expecting to have to replace a tie rod every once in a while in the future as this is one weak area on the Escorts. Had to do this on a previous Escort I owned. As well, other Escort owners I know have to do this as well.
-I also expect that it won't be long before the rust starts to reappear.
Escorts make for great used cars. The depreciate like crazy, they are cheap to run, cheap to insure and the parts are cheap and widely available.
Until my mortgage is paid, I will only get myself cheap used cars. I also have two small kids... so anything I buy will get beat up. If I buy a decent car, this would actually bother me. But on a cheap, disposable car, it doesn't. I bought my wagon, certified and emissions tested, for CAN$1150.
I also bought Ford Escort parts car for $300... for that I got newer tires on aluminum rims, the windshield wiper arm and a bunch of other parts that I may or may not use. Aside from this, I've spend another $237 (for a total of $537) on maintenance-related stuff and the thermostat purchase/install.
With resources like www.FEOA.net (Ford Escort Owners Association), you get info and can even download the same shop manuals dealers use for free! This means that you don't have to pay someone $90 an hour to read up on a problem.
In terms of power, the 88HP the 1.9L CVH engine produces is more than adequate for anyone who knows how to drive. I got this car over 170km/h. Who needs to go faster than that?
The engine isn't Honda-smooth, but it isn't "GM Tech 4"-rough either. This engine is better with the manual than with the automatic.
The automatics are not as durable as the manual trannys anyway (assuming you know how to drive).
The shifter in Escorts get sticky and sloppy with age. With 265,000Km on mine, my shifter is VERY sloppy and a little sticky. Could easily and cheaply fix with a new shifter fork... but hey... this is a $1000 car, so I'm not going to bother unless it's safety related, causes the car to stop working or if it *really* bothers me.
Handling and ride is pretty good. Better than just about any minivan or SUV (unless you're talking about a Porsche Cayenne).
These cars have very good interiour space given the size of the car.
If my Escort lasts until the end of the year, I will have gotten my money's worth out of it. But I expect it to last longer than that.
I will be posting updates in the comments section in the future.
An update:
Now at about 275,000KM. Since I wrote my review, I've replaced the thermostat housing and thermostat. Only cost around $200. Now the car warms up quicker and holds a constant temperature. Heat is better - not fantastic, but acceptable.
There is now a minor issue with the connector under the passenger-side dash that controls the heater and heater blower motor. I occasionally need to wiggle it to get the heater/blower working.
Also recently installed a new Sony CD Deck with a USB port. Hugely better than the factory tape deck.
Front speakers are really crap. Already replaced my rear speakers with a couple of Sony 260W 3-way speakers. Will be replacing the front ones soon.
Have also recently have been experimenting with changing my driving style to improve fuel economy. I drove for one tank of gas where I drove aggressivly (120-140km/h on the highway, regular acceleration in city, keeping engine running at red lights). My mileage was around 9L/100km.
Taking it easy and staying at or a little above speed limits and turning the engine off at red lights resulted in economy of around 7.5L/100KM.
And most recently, I started incorporating techniques that Toyota Prius drivers use to get max mileage:
-park at the top of hills and roll down with the ignition on and not starting the engine until hitting a flat part or going uphill.
-cut the engine and leave ignition on when going down long hills
-drive at a little below the speed limit
-accelerate gently
-always turn the engine off at red lights
-not using the air conditioning
-inflate tires to 35psi.
In doing these things, I reduced my consumption to 5.7-6L/100KM in summer driving.
The next step I think is to experiment with aerodynamic improvements when I have time. I've read that this can result in an extra 20% fuel economy improvement in highway driving on some vehicles.
"going down long hills" with the engine off--NOT a good idea.
No power steering assist if you need to make a sudden steering correction, and the fuel savings are negligible.
An update... at 286,000Km. Recently did a planned replacement of all the tires, replaced 3 tie rods that were worn and did a 4 wheel alignment... $1100 total cost. This has raised my average monthly maintenance and repair cost to about $130/month.
Regarding the comment:
""going down long hills" with the engine off--NOT a good idea. No power steering assist if you need to make a sudden steering correction, and the fuel savings are negligible."
Well you sound like you AREN'T speaking from experience. I've been doing the conservative driving since May 2007, including killing the engine down hills and highway off-ramps... so far the fuel savings are in the 15-20% range. And that's with driving at the speed limit. I think I can improve on that and have recently started examining the impact of holding my highway speed to 80-90km/h.
Lack of power steering? No problem. I can and do steer without power assist. Don't need power steering assist in a relatively light 4 cylinder car. If I drove a hulking V8 engined vehicle, it would be a different story. My last car (Honda Civic) didn't have power steering at all.
And a 15-20% reduction in fuel use isn't negligible... and I think I can do better with more disciplined driving.
With the engine off and the tranny still turning, are you sure that the manual tranny is OK for internal lube?
Just gotta ask as my Triumph Tr8 uses a manny tranny and it needs the engine turning to provide lube to an internal pump, or else it goes bang.
Not sure how a Ford Escorts is config'd.
But as you say, it is a disposable car.
Yes I'm sure that coasting with the engine off will not damage the manual transmission. There is no pump that circulates fluid on the manual transmission.
The easy way to tell if it's safe to do is if the manufacturer says it can be a 'dinghy vehicle'... a vehicle towed behind a motorhome on all 4 wheels with it in neutral with the engine off. You can find lists of vehicles you can and can't do this with on the Trailer Life website.
Now for an update...
At 287,000KM and I've decided this is the end of the line. The driver's side brake caliper seized, rear brakes need to be adjusted and some other things need to be done.
So for $1150, I got about 1.5 years and 27,000km of use out of it with an average cost of around $300/month, which include gas, insurance, mainenance and repairs.
Wouldn't be too bad cost wise to fix it and keep it. However, I decided to take advantage of a special deal on a 2000 Saab 93 5 door hatchback with 5 speed manual in very good condition.
If the body had no rust, I would have just done the repair. But Mother Nature has been steadily biodegrading my Escort.
I'm either going to sell this car now or (if no offers come in) I may keep it, fix the brakes myself, strip the interior, install a rollcage/racing seat/6 point racing seatbelts and enter the car in the 24 Hours of Lemons race (www.24hoursoflemons.com).
What's stopping me from fixing the brakes myself right now? Well it's winter and I have nowhere to work on it (I'm not going to work on a car in my driveway in the winter). Also, I'm not a mechanic... Researching and teaching myself to do something as I do it is time consuming. Not a big deal for a second car. But it is a big deal for a car needed every day.
Good info - the Escort is a heck of a deal for an old car. Best value, by far, is a five-speed wagon. Cheap to buy, very cheap to run. Up tire pressure to 40 pounds, drive gently, and you'll see 40mpg, easy. Lots of space.
Yes, but surely driving with slightly over inflated tires would cancel out any additional fuel savings gained because you are in fact wearing the outer edges of your tires out much faster by over inflating them. Just a thought.
I have an Escort Wagon 95. I love this car; it's real cheap on gas. I mean gas is now 4 dollars and 50 cents. And I fill the tank with 40 bucks. It last me 2 weeks and a couple of days... it's a nice looking car fixing it up. With a loud muffler and some spoke rims. With a stereo system it looks and sounds bagging.. If you're thinking of buying one, go with 5 speed, much better... oh and tint those windows up.
Concerning the electrical connector located on the right side under the glove box. It is for the heater fan. It has a tendency to overheat and melt. Mine did. There is a relatively inexpensive replacement kit for it. (Improved over the original)
I have been driving my Escort '95 for the fifth year now and I have only praise for it. It accelerates superb and drives swell. My only beef other than the creeping rust is the weak torque when making turns. I have to be extra patient and careful when making turns from a stop, especially on wet or snowy roads.
Escort was 2nd or 3rd best selling compact in 1994 and/or 1995 and you will typically see more on the road than rusted-out Hondas which fell apart long ago. Picked up this showroom condition Florida LX in 2001 with 75,000. It has 160,000 in 2009 and the never-been-serviced AC blows colder than our new Toyota. The paint has less orange peel than most new cars and exhaust has never been touched. Just for the heck-of-it I put it on craigslist last month for $2,600 and got five responses for this well maintained, like new econobox. Had I sold it for $2,400 the total cost to purchase, maintain and operate (including insurance) would have been 22 cents per mile since 2001. Average annual mileage = 10,000/yr. If I can't handle the maintenance (tie rods, springs, struts, etc) I find a certified mechanic on craigslist who works out of their home.
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