1991 Ford Escort Pony from North America - Comments

The clutch pilot bearing failed at approximately 110,000 miles. It was an inexpensive and relatively easy part to replace. The replacement part is still operating (I know the individual that bought the car from me) at 280,000+ miles.

The alternator failed at approximately 130,000 miles. Easy replacement. I also replaced the drive belts and steering tie-rods at that time.

In the last two years of ownership serious rust developed around the rear wheel wells and the lower edge of the hatch lid.

The 'Pony' series was the bottom of the line for the U.S. market Ford Escort in 1991. Without options it was pretty much basic transportation. The Pony I bought had optional air conditioning (which also adds power steering) and an AM radio, which I had deleted. I soon found a Ford AM/FM radio for it at a flea market for the princely sum of $5.

I doubt that I'll ever own another car with as much service, comfort, economy and reliability as that car gave me. My original intent when buying it was for a work car only. With an 80 mile round-trip work commute the Mustang GT was collecting a lot of mileage. And it was far from the best vehicle to drive in snow/ice conditions. It didn't take long for the Escort to become my prefered transportation, leaving the Mustang as the weekend toy.

The 'Pony' never once left me stranded. And even with 260,000 miles on it I would not have been afraid to cross the continent in it. Yes... it was that trustworthy. I perform all my own maintenance and repair and I always use quality lubricants and other expendables. I'm sure that had some bearing on the reliability.

The car still has the original exhaust system! That is amazing! At about 150,000 miles I could tell that the struts were getting firmer, as if the oil in them was thickening. But if anything that only improved it's already excellent handling. The front-to-rear weight ratio for that series of the Escort was very well balanced and it would corner like a cat as long as you remembered to keep the power on while cornering. The 'Pony' line had 13 inch wheels rather than the 14 inch of the "LX' series. The smaller tire diameter served to make the handling quicker, actually.

Ford rated the 1.9L engine at 88 horsepower. That was the most impressive 88 horsepower I have ever encountered. The 'Pony' series had a slightly higher final drive ratio than the 'LX' cars. That let the engine spin up quicker and in any gear the throttle response was noticably snappier than that of the 'LX' cars. The lower gearing (and smaller tires) actualy allowed the 'Pony' to have a slightly higher top speed than the 'LX', too. Highway driving always netted 42 to 46 MPG, unless I was running late for work and really had my foot in it. (My current '96 LX tops out at 42 MPG: The lower final drive ratio actually hurts economy due to the engine having to work a little harder to maintain speed.)

If I could buy another new 1991 Escort ('Pony' or 'LX') I'd do it in a heartbeat.

I had one of those Ponies and you were right it was a great car. I had way over 200,000 miles when I traded it. Later on I bought a 1995 LX hatchback fully loaded with the automatic and I hated it. It was so slow it was dreadful.

I drive an escort pony, it is a great car. Learned to drive stick on it. I usually get around 32 miles per gallon city driving, but that's mostly because of the way I drive.

***No radio, No A/c*****No respect from the Ballers, but what a great car. Reliable, cheap to operate. in ten years it got a clutch, alternator and brakes twice. I grew up in this car and I too learned to drive a stick in it. My payment was like 200$ a month. I miss that car like I miss a favored old girlfriend. That car ended up getting donated to the Salvation army. I just wanted something new. Ford really is great at times. Some of the highest stock horsepower cars on the street are Fords.

*1991 Ford Escort Pony*

I love my little pony. I had no car due to an accident and my son bought it for me to drive until I bought another one. I have decided to fix the few things wrong with this one and keep it. Unbelievable is the fact this 17 year old car has no rust at all. It starts up every day without fail. Two days ago it was 30 below not counting the windchill factor. It started right up. It's cheap to run at around 35 mpg. It had no radio so I put one in. We had a hail storm up here and the windshield cracked. That could happen to any car. It leaks antifreeze from somewhere. When I think about it I put some in it now and then. I know bad car owner. The only problem is the heat doesn't get very warm. Someone told me that's because it needs antifreeze, but even when I put some in it still runs cool. If I let it idle for 20 minutes or so it warms up only to cool down when I drive it. I just pull over and let it warm up and I am off again. When I get some money, that's the first thing I will get fixed. Other than that the car runs great. It's peppy and handles good. It goes pretty good in the snow. I believe if it had studded snow tires it would go great. I am small so it roomy enough for me. The back seat folds down and you can carry a lot of stuff in this little car. Over the holiday I hopped in it and drove over 600 miles to see my grandson and then drove back - not a problem (not counting no heat). I am really impressed with this little car and if they made them new I would buy one in a heart beat.