1991 Ford Escort LX | Retro Review

[@anthonyfrench3169]

It's very nostalgic for me; because these cars were everywhere.

[@zythr9999]

Until rust got a hold of them.

[@plutothe9th361]

My parents bought this exact car (with a grey interior) new in 91. Always reliable and good on gas. I learned to drive on this car too. Had 200k+ miles on it in 2006 when a drunk hit and totalled it when parked. Real shame.

[@floridaroadways]

I agree my friend sister had a 88 escort GT and it was very reliable, especially on the motor and gas and it had a nice stereo system with cassette player AM/FM stereo with cassette player. With power windows.

[@hellkitty1014]

This vintage of Escort proved really reliable.

[@fernandorocha-dx1wv]

@@hellkitty1014 The Ford Escort is the car durable, economy and reliable and nice car

[@floridaroadways]

I prefer the escort over a pinto. My mom had a 72 pinto.

[@kainsarafan8190]

The first generation escort was a complete failure.. they had a head gasket problems out the ying yang.. keyword in the video Mazda because Ford couldn't figure out how to make a 4-cylinder that was worth a dang so of course they had to run to the Japanese for help.. and this is why it had a Mazda powertrain and not a Ford powertrain..

[@sdrape4964]

I've had 5 Escorts.
A 1989 wagon (my first car, and most fondest)
A 1994 GT 5 speed
A 1995 2dr base
A 1997 wagon
And a 1997 Tracer sedan
Age, sold, wreck, sold and wreck were their respective fates. I miss all 5 of them.

[@fernandorocha-dx1wv]

Escort wagon is my favorite

[@clothestravel]

As a kid, I was fascinated by the sliding seatbelts that many cars had in the 90’s. I remember liking this car just because of it’s sliding seatbelts.

[@mr_gamble_good]

I always loved the look of these Escorts although I preferred a larger car. Funny story: I had a cousin who was very well of. She was going car shopping with her mother. She wanted to pamper her mom (my aunt). I was thinking, maybe they'd get a Fleetwood, or a Town Car. My aunt fell in love with the Escort and that's what she drove for many years.

[@Yormsane]

I had a '95 Escort LX wagon, loved its practicality and smooth ride. Another 20-25 HP would have made Colorado's steep grades a bit easier to handle, though. I wish somebody would build compact wagons again.

[@mattdavenport533]

they died when suvs and crossovers debuted

[@DisneyMusicVideos]

Same here. It was the first car I drove after I got my driver's license 21 years ago. It was my great uncles car, but he was declining in health & couldn't drive anymore, so my parents inherited it & it became my first car which was perfect timing as I didn't have any money to buy a car at the time since I didn't have a job yet. I didn't like the wagon body style at first as I far prefer sedans. I've purchased five cars since then, all sedans. This was one of the few vehicles that I personally think the wagon looked the best out of all the body styles as I didn't like the more boxy style of the sedan, coupe & hatchback. My major flaws with these cars were for sure the sluggish acceleration, even my 2006 Toyota Corolla S (which still wasn't very powerful) that I eventually replaced this car with felt punchy compared to the Escort, the noisy interior & the stereo sounded terrible, but I remember the seats felt comfortable & the ride was smooth.

[@turnerlarson12]

I had the exact same year and model, 95 LX wagon. I loved that car, but I hated that 1.9. I always thought that all of the Escorts from this generation should have had the Mazda 1.8

[@davidaubin3902]

3:27 John: The fit of the front fender was not correct. We hope this is just a fluke! LOL

[@MPMeterman]

This John would’ve had a stroke over number of crooked trunks that seemed to be on the Focus.

[@landonbenford8369]

I'm surprised he didn't complain about the lack of a voltmeter or oil pressure meter!

[@mitch9521]

Nope its just typical domestic car build quality. JUNK!

[@landonbenford8369]

@@mitch9521 Hey HEY! Don't talk about my Baby!! She's SENSITIVE!!😎

[@palebeachbum]

The 1991-1996 Escort was a great car. Solidly built, quite dependable, and with a handsome design for the era. Unfortunately, the seats were hard as a rock, it was very noisy inside compared to some other early '90s economy cars, and with the 1.9L 88hp engine, it had sluggish acceleration. I do recall it being a very smooth operating car though. The Mazda 1.8L 127hp engine used in the Escort GT had the extra power necessary to motivate the Escort. It too was a dependable engine, but it was noticeably buzzier in operation. I remember this generation of Escort fondly overall. It's a shame there are no simple, dependable, affordable American economy cars anymore. They were everywhere in the 1990s.

[@zythr9999]

You forgot rust resistance wasn't the best.

[@landonbenford8369]

@@zythr9999 From the Chicago Road Salt Belt, my liftgate looks like termites are having fun.

[@briantorres7339]

Those Ford 1.9L 4’s tended to have issues, and these used a Mazda 4 speed automatic, which tended to be weak. Most survivors I see are GT models with the Mazda 1.8L 4.

[@landonbenford8369]

@@briantorres7339 The ChicagoLand/NorthWest Indiana region has the opposite problem. 1.9 l Escorts and even First Generation Escorts are easy to find on FB Market. The ones that haven't been killed by Road Salt! I briefly dated a girl in college who had a '91 GT 1.8 dohc 5-speed. But I've only seen a few GT's since. I'm sure they're out there. Somewhere.

[@zythr9999]

@@landonbenford8369 I would not doubt it. I think rust was one of the biggest issues with these cars.

[@Pan23153]

Most reliable Ford ever

[@user-qb7ex5it5q]

Does anyone notice that even the cheapest cars back then had aluminum cast valve covers that looked really cool. Now mine has a crap looking black plastic with no descriptors on it.

[@carsnbikes914]

right? the *only* decent reason i've heard other than corpo greed is heat soaking.

[@hellkitty1014]

They claim "weight savings". Yep, we know BS when we hear it. Did you also catch John say "Ford moved the oil filter location for easier DIY"...what a time when manufacturers actually cared about their customers!

[@2H2521]

These had plenty of plastic too. 🙄

[@landonbenford8369]

Scotty Kilmer calls that a beauty cover!😁😁

[@kristianhermann5971]

Plastic is also better at noise attenuation and costs less to manufacture

[@meyo1860]

FINALLY!!! This is the exact car my father bought in 91! Brakes and understeer was absurdly bad but the engine was unbreakable! Extreme rust turned the car into an eyesore that we dumped at 484,000 with a flawless drivetrain. 😢

[@theKevronHarris]

My mother had traded in her 1985 Pontiac Sunbird then bought a near-new 1995 Escort LX 2-door hatchback with the sport appearance package in December 1995. It was black with mocha beige interior along with lots of room in the backseat. The only fond memories that I had with the car is my cousin along with her friends crammed inside for a high school football game but I've wound up riding in the trunk!! My mother scrapped the Escort in 2012.

[@dimaslopez-dejesus2371]

2:36 One Thing Leads to Another by The Fixx

[@moonbeamskies3346]

I am sorry I believe the song is Strange Days by the Doors.

[@landonbenford8369]

@@moonbeamskies3346 Sorry, Dude. It's The Fixx!!😎

[@AlphanumericCharacters]

Lmao, didn’t even realize it but it was playing in my head as I read the comments.

[@danmccarthy4700]

@@moonbeamskies3346 It's definitely One Thing Leads to Another.

[@MrCarguy2]

YEAH YEAH YEAH!

[@jeremyanderson1139]

In Australia, this car was sold as the Ford Laser, and it had greater styling differences that made it look more like the Mazda 323/Protege on which it's based

[@mattdavenport533]

irrelevant in the USA

[@theKevronHarris]

There are lots similarities with the Australian version to the North American version. The Escort GT is the Laser TX3i in Australia.

[@danmccarthy4700]

@@theKevronHarris I think the TX3i was more powerful and also offered AWD, didn't it?

[@curiositynz]

@@mattdavenport533what’s your problem?!?! Someone is sharing information and you drag them down?! On more than one occasion in this UA-cam vid?! I do feel sorry for you mate, living in your tiny bubble. I will now add my information cause I know you’ll be interested. In New Zealand we had these called a ford laser. Some of us like these channels to see the comparison between countries. Then we comment. I know you’ll also be interested to know that my mother, a New Zealander, had one of these for many years. Enjoy reading from other countries mate…

[@Cyberdeamon]

@@danmccarthy4700 Yes they were in AWD turbo options, their gearboxes were made of glass though.

[@hellkitty1014]

88hp yet 10.4secs to 60 in 1991 was pretty speedy. These were generally very reliable cars. And yes, misaligned panels are very much a Ford hallmark to this very day.😂

[@nwezetx1]

Read the episode description. As an automotive historian, have no idea why 90% of you miss the obvious. The technology that debuted in this car was initially representative of the year 1990, not 1991.
Both the Explorer and this car came out at the same time in the spring of '90.

[@isaacgomez1347]

Indeed, my 2017 Focus RS had misaligned front panels as well!

[@bradleyhove4177]

@@nwezetx1 what are you actually talking about? You getting that mad because he said 1991 instead of 1990? Like half a year makes a massive difference in a car that was produced for years?

[@nwezetx1]

@@bradleyhove4177 Yes, it makes a difference. John Davis' review and commentary was in the context of the MW 90 season and the present day 1990 when he made the episode.
And no, it's not hAlF A yEaR. March 1990 (when sent to dealers) is not halfway through the year and this Escort was even officially revealed on January 4, 1990, not July or September. Ford cheated in that respect anyway.
These Gen 2s were everywhere in 1990, that the first 100k buyers sampled and drove them that year, not 1991.
As someone in the automotive industry, year of release DOES MATTER a lot, pertaining to innovations and historical aspects in the automotive marketplace at that point in time. Plus internal deadlines, etc.
Average commenters of course neglect to understand or at least respect historical context. Model years are marketing drivel.
American "next year" model years are the dumbest thing ever, which no one else globally can make sense of to this day. They've made zero sense before September/October, let alone the spring before.
You guys can't even remember when your cars come out, because of that and wanna question those of us who know the facts. Whether it's this car or another on MW, my issue is you all are too intellectually lazy to even read the episode date before commenting.
Rinse and repeat on MW every Thursday or whenever.

[@nb7466]

My buddy had a station wagon of one of these. You had to turn the ac off to get on the highway. That thing drove everywhere but rust took it.

[@one7decimal2eight]

My 1995 wagon was the same way. As soon as you turned the air on it was like it lost 25% power.

[@nb7466]

@@one7decimal2eight his was a 94 with a stick and it still couldn't go. It was fun to drive thought. It was like a go cart.

[@jacobnewkirk3385]

Every air-conditioned Escort built after '81 had an automatic cutoff switch to turn off the compressor under hard acceleration. So shutting off the air wasn't necessary.

[@nb7466]

@@jacobnewkirk3385 defiantly didn't do it quick enough

[@milfordcivic6755]

Back when Ford was at the top of their game. Mazda helped them a lot.

[@levyoliver5363]

MazdA help Ford produce reliable engines for cars and trucks

[@tonythetiga4697]

back when??? lmao. The Coyote is Ford's greatest creation. Several other modern platforms are great as well. Ford is WAY ahead now of where they were back then.

[@masterkevj23503]

My one and only speeding ticket ironically was in my dad’s 1994 escort wagon. Hated driving an escort wagon but it was a very good car and never gave us any trouble. Carried everything in that wagon.

[@timswanson2431]

Honestly a great little car for its time period. Simple to work on and relatively reliable. I used to really want an Escort GT with the Mazda 1.8, fun little car for it's time and and almost 40 hp more.

[@landonbenford8369]

Proud Owner of a 1991 Escort Pony. That 1.9 SEFI engine is BulletProof!!! Mine drank a quart of oil every 1,000 miles from new!!! But Fords were notorious for doing that back then. I know 88 horses sounds pitiful today. But it moves 2,100 lbs. faster than you think...with Mazda's 4 speed automatic overdrive!!😎😎

[@BoomboxMike1]

I had 1992 wagon. It was very confortable, had a new sporty suspension to it, the stock radio with speakers sounded pretty good & awesome on gas.😎

[@quantx6572]

Wow, this takes me back. In high school one of my friends drove one of these ‘90 Escorts. All I remember is how slow it was to accelerate, lol.

[@skittlecar1]

My first car was a 1991 Ford Escort LX. White, with blue interior. Automatic. I loved that car.

[@matsuri626]

I had one during grad school in the late 90s. Mine was a 1992 red LX two-door hatch with the same red interior as this one! Despite getting it cheap but with over 100k miles, it was super reliable and easy to work on. I routinely would get over 30mpg from its rough but torquey 1.9 litre engine. Oh, great memories!

[@39PSIOnTheDaily]

Watching the hands move across the interior controls, and seeing the outright simplicity of the cars in turn with the quite-alright-even-by-todays-standards interior quality, I can’t help but feel that we peaked as a species during this era of automotive engineering.

[@new2000car]

Yes, it seems this guy was more common and typical of the day. And with today’s open borders, we do have a cruder barbaric element that brings down our standard of living and enjoyment further.

[@tivodvr7276]

Ahhh.. the Ford Probe. That was such a cool car back when they first hit the market.

[@iEnofadov]

In a lot of countries outside of the US, Canada and Mexico, these were sold as the Ford Laser - Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Malaysia, Taiwan and Indonesia, just to name a few. Here in Australia and in New Zealand, it was the top selling small car for a number of years.
The Ford Laser TX3 Turbo 4WD 3dr hatch was a little ripper of a car!

[@mattdavenport533]

unsure why you would be interested in an american car show

[@theKevronHarris]

@@iEnofadov wow! Did the Ford Laser outsold the Toyota corolla, Honda civic, and Holden Commodore in Australia?

[@iEnofadov]

@@theKevronHarris The Ford Laser would usually outsell every other vehicle in Australia, except the Holden Commodore and the Ford Falcon, so yes, it outsold the Toyota Corolla and Honda Civic, plus all the other small car competition. Sales for the Laser did decline towards the later years when Ford Australia axed the Laser, in favour of the Ford Focus.

[@iEnofadov]

@@mattdavenport533 I just like watching reviews on older cars and in particular early American TV car shows and seeing what you guys got and what we might've missed out on in Australia, which there were plenty. Plus, the second generation US Ford Escort was shared with the Australian Ford Laser. In fact, the Ford Laser was released a year before the US Ford Escort, so it's interesting seeing the differences.

[@michaelsimko7694]

Escorts were all over the place when I was a kid in the 90s

[@chrisallen766]

My father bought one of these in that same color. I was impressed by how well it went through snow

[@chrisfreemesser5707]

Had the Mercury version of this, a '93 Tracer 4-door sedan...it was my first new car and got it when I was in college. They offered it in a 2-door hatch, 4-door sedan, and a 4-door wagon, and IIRC the base price was the same for all of them. Came in a wide variety of colors, both inside and out. It was dependable, practical, and fuel efficient. In '97 I ended up giving it to my mother after her car died, and I "upgraded" to a Ford Contour (my LAST Ford). She drove the Tracer until it rotted out from under her.
I very seriously wish somebody would sell a car just like this again...now everything is a black or white generic looking SUV and it hurts my soul

[@zythr9999]

I recall one tracer I saw, had big rust holes in the driver and passenger doors. I'm surprised the driver was not pulled over and told not to drive the car .

[@Lion-dr7uv]

My mom had one in white, station wagon model. She loved it so much until it died in 09

[@lifewithjosef]

My newspaper used these as fleet cars, in Circulation, we beat these to death. They were like a Timex, took a licking and kept on ticking.
Oddly, the radios would fail on a regular basis.
A guy I worked with put 400k on his original drivetrain.

[@Tanooki2003]

I still remember the dealership pricing for the new lineup of the 1991 Ford Escort on TV.
Get the All New Ford Escort, New for 1991, starting at $10,995

[@briantorres7339]

My father many years ago had a 1993 Escort LX 3 door with the sport package and a power sunroof. Very reliable.

[@Whipped_Creamy]

I was 1 year old when this was filmed but the older i get, the more i crave new cars to be like this again. Just the fact alone that the oil filter was engineered for ease of home maintenance. Today everything is engineered to require dealership maintenance.

[@nwezetx1]

This was filmed in April 1990. 100% about that?

[@RaymondHaley-lv2mo]

The 2nd generation escort , was way better than the first one ❤

[@landonbenford8369]

Proud owner of a 1991. But I always thought the First Gen with the amber taillights looked kinda cool!!😎

[@texan903]

The second generation looked better as well, by leaps and bounds.

[@mattw8332]

I prefer the look of this Escort to the post 1990 model we got in the UK and Europe. I love the red velour seats in the test car but I hate those automatic front seatbelts.

[@rabit818]

“Garish red interior”, that’s subtle John. Good inoffensive styling and love the hatch on this Escort

[@hellkitty1014]

And now red interiors are all the rage...😂😂

[@TrailBlazerSS502]

My uncle had a 1986 LX wagon, with the 5-speed stick. It drove like a dream.

[@dronepilot260rc]

My mom had one of these, brings back memories

[@bikes7777]

I had a 93 escort wagon, 5 soeed. It gave me zero problems and was a terrific car.

[@jimbosc]

Had a 93 Escort GT - wish we had an affordable sporty small car like it today!

[@joebrito2066]

The design of this Escort was great. It aged really well, it still looks good today. The engine was bullet proof.

[@pmafterdark]

As a testament to Ford quality back then, my "I Never Do Car Maintance" sister had one new and it took years to kill it.

[@nwezetx1]

Liked these growing up and last rode in one in 1996, which had the updated dash.
The backstory on these was pretty interesting to say the least, especially with how Mazda designed it during 1986-87.
For something introduced in early 1990, it held up pretty well compared to some of the wretched things GM had in showrooms.

[@quantumphaser]

Bring back simple and reliable cars.

[@jimmyjimjims7483]

Back in 2011 I found a 91 Escort Pony for $300 that just needed a rear bumper and various bits, drove that car until it was falling apart and gave it to my dad. He drove it till the clutch went out and scrapped it for the same amount I paid, excellent little car and the shifter was very good for a Ford of that era

[@LYNDONGOLDEN]

Late 1990: I was an intrigued 17 year old when these cars hit the market. The Escort's feel was so much more slick and refined compared to competing Cavalier/Sunbird which I had been crushing on. Finally in 1995, I was able to afford a used 1991 Mercury Tracer...you know...the Escort's sister who wore too much makeup.

[@SilverBulletOBW]

Minus the red interior, that was my first car, bought in 2002 for $1200 cash. It was titled in my dad’s name to save on insurance premiums. Never had any issues with it except that it started to bog down at 60mph for no apparent reason. It was tuned up and inspected by Ford and they never found the issue. As a result I could never take the car on the highway, so I just took backroads everywhere. By 2004 I wanted something nicer so my parents ended up selling the car for scrap c.2006, with only around 115K on the odometer. They’d previously had a ‘91 escort coupe that they’d run up to 170K miles in 10 years, whereby then the engine was gutted.

[@waynerogers6621]

Bought my daughter a used 1991 for her H.S graduation in 1992.timing belt and transmission bit the dust at 50000 miles. On the bright side found a used transmission with 5k on the odometer for 900.00

[@StormFanatic210]

We had a 1994 Escort LX Wagon, silver. Had it from late 1993 until mid 1998. My Aunt had the 1992 Taurus and the Taxi Company we operated had a fleet of the Crown Victoria of the 1992-1997 Models. All were good Cars. My first Car was a 1992 Crown Victoria LX from 2004-2009. I grew up in the 1990s and it was a hell of an era.

[@95mushroom]

Dad used to drive over 100 miles every day to/form work in Miami., in the early 2000's. So he ran thru cars quick. One of them was a '92 Escort sedan, slate over blue. Typical Florida find, 35k miles in great shape, minus the typical Ford bumpers of this era that cracked and broke. My little brother one time unloading groceries, had a food can slip out of the bag and just punch a giant hole in the top of the bumper. Never would have believed it if I didn't see it firsthand. The retract seatbelts were annoying, and at my height a risk because of how far I had to bend over to sit down. Spunky little car though, he ended up selling it to someone at work, who got t-boned in it a week later.

[@Trance88]

I remember when these were fairly new. As a kid, I blew them off as being SUPER bland and basic, I only liked cars such as the 90's Toyota Supra and New beetle at the time. I find the overall design a bit more appealing as an adult, especially now knowing these cars have Mazda underpinning. Looks good in a neutral color like silver. It's too bad they're so rare these days. I blame cash for clunkers, wear and tear, as well as rust over a 20+ year period since they were built.

[@MWBenDavis]

One of the prerequisites for the cash for clunkers program was that they had to have a combined MPG of 18 or less

[@Butchcub75]

Owned several Escorts (Still own an 86 Escort EXP 2 seater) and liked them. Did own a 90 Mazda Protege, nice car.

[@dohc1067]

I had the Mercury Tracer version. The Ford sourced 1.9 was junk with the automatic. It is interesting that i received a letter from Ford asking 🤔 if i wanted to add an extended warranty for $800, and despite maintenance, the valves bent before 70k miles. If anyone else had a good one with the same setup, that unfortunately meant it was a bad batch.

[@thestarlightalchemist7333]

For some reason, I tend to see these quite often here in Canada, and 95% of the time, they never have the visible body rust so common of cars this old, especially compared to its Protege counterpart

[@buckfiden2988]

I used to have an Escort LX. One of those 'check the gas and fill the oil' machines. I liked it though.

[@Snake-ms7sj]

Back in the mid 90's I almost bought a used early 90's Mercury Tracer LTS which was an Escort GT clone. Slick little car. Had the Mazda 1.8 L BP I4 motor making 127 hp and had 4 wheel disc brakes. Unfortunately had to pass after the test drive. The car was obviously owned by a smoker and smelled like a giant ashtray. When people smoke in a car, any fabrics, including the headliner will absorb all that smoke smell.

[@waswolltihr1526]

Yep, it will also turn all fabrics yellowish. My first car was a smoker car. It also never got rid of that smell...

[@Gypsycat19]

Still see these on Australian roads after 30 + years

[@martyneilan8947]

I had a 91 Escort wagon with the manual. It was a decent performer for an economy car in its day. Only problem was the glass was slanted in the rear. I had a bass amp in the back and it busted the glass out.

[@andraeneal9134]

My aunt had one, a red 5 speed back in the day, she drove that car like a race car,😂 I was on 11 yrs old at the time! Thoses were the days 😊

[@WSKRBSCT]

Optional AM/FM cassette radio.

[@ansett7687]

The Australian version (Ford Laser) shared some interior bits but overall I think was better. The exterior finished were nicer too.
The best part was the TX3.....a turbo charged 1.8L unit with AWD. It was a little weapon for its day.

[@manthony225]

These were good cars

[@MrThatnativeguy]

These were good cars, i had a neighbor who had one but i believe it was the sport model it was a 2 door and in red, I remember as kids we had to get to school one cold winter morning and my moms 1990 Olds Cutlass Supreme wouldnt start, luckily our neighbors little escort always started up and he was nice enough to drive us to school, good times.

[@WitchyWhale]

I remembered my parents had this exact car in blue. They had it for 10 years till they upgraded it to a Saturn.

[@jeepguy95]

Those danged motorized belts though... I remember my mom telling my my aunt (her sister) had an Escort for a year or two back in the day (probably of this era), and my late grandfather had issues with the motorized belt whenever he rode in it.

[@speedwack]

I had one of these. Best car I ever had

[@PearComputingDevices]

This was back when partnerships didn't look like the other car. I always knew Mazda was involved in designing this car and yet it doesn't look like a Mazda.

[@tylermacconnell217]

The Focus was a pretty decent car too. Shame that Ford decided they don’t need to do cars anymore.

[@ksmith1298]

I had the wagon version...was a great car

[@raymond_sycamore]

Can't wait for All Cars with Jon's inevitable video.

[@one7decimal2eight]

Had a 1995 wagon. Had almost 300k on it when it went. Those seatbelt were absolute garbage. I forgot about them.

[@joshthomas8986]

Reliability was its strength

[@tonythetiga4697]

i still see these lol just need to go off into some backwoods to locate them.

[@BigjohnZ06]

2:35 The song is One thing leads to another by the Fixx. It's one of the songs on GTA Vice City.

[@dkt1976dt]

I loved my white 1994 Ford Escort GT 2 door Hatchback

[@eminzide]

in Malaysia this Escort was sold as the Ford Laser

[@corvairkid17]

This interior aged like wine, I'll never sell

[@HR-wd6cw]

Man, back in the day when you could buy a car for under $10k. Then again, back then, Salaries were probably about 1/2 or 2/3 of what they are now (now over some ~30 years later). But even when adjusted for inflation, I think that's about $12k in today's money, which isn't bad and still quite cheap (of course this is also a very basic car by today's standards, not having power windows standard, which even the most basic cars of today have, and an automatic transmission, which most cars have to day -- and unlike in the past, you have to order a manual transmission -- if available, otherwise you get the automatic or a CVT which is basically an automatic). But the late 80's was when Ford started to catch on to Honda and Toyta who had been making compact efficient cars since the 70's and were eating into GM and Ford's market share in the small car segment.
This also goes to show the advancements made in those 30 years in terms of performance. I'd say an average sedan still gets about 34-36 mpg but can put out about twice as much horse power and torque, but newer modern cars are also a bit heavier as well with improved metals and safety equipment. But it is a little funny to think back to a time when a 1.8L 4 cylinder could only do about 90 HP but that was considered "good" and today those same engines are re-worked and can do as much as 160-200 HP and a bit more torque (although it does seem that torque has not increasd as much as HP has over the years, in this regard, modern cars still only do maybe 140 ft lbs of torque compared to this one's ~100 ft lbs roughly). For comparison a late 90's Civic could do about 110 ft lbs of torque and about 120 hp.
I don't think Ford made ABS standard on vehicles until around 2000-2002 when the Taurus was redesigned, and by 2012+ it was mandated by law at least for cars and vans (truck may have still been exempt).

[@runoflife87]

Well, it's the Escort gone good because, well, Mazda.

[@theoparke]

Still a great looking car. I always thought this was a very handsome upgrade of what was a "cheapo" looking vehicle in the 80s. I had a girlfriend who drove a Mercury Tracer sedan "Trio" in white, which was a very appealing car (for a very appealing girl).

[@lilcs3011]

I loved my escort.

[@Infinitrium]

The ol Considerable Vibration and Harshness engine

[@BReal-10EC]

Should have tested this one with the 4 speed auto and the Protege LX with the 5 speed manual. Domestic buyers back then were more likely to want the automatic. The Escort's 1.9 engine was more about lower end power while the dohc 1.8 Protege LX motor needed to rev.. but whatever.

[@plisskenationbackfromthede3657]

My mom had a purple 96. Put that thing thru hell. Hit a curb and took out the oil pan. That was the end. If only she knew the things i did in that thing lol. The purple people eater was well known around town, not for good reasons 😂

[@spedzu]

Ford needs to get back in the car business and make those cars affordable for the masses.

[@brandondavis7695]

John, where is this "baby Taurus" that you speak of? I aint seeing it. At. All. IJS. Love the Escort though.

[@jkeelsnc]

I have driven these before and they are/were pleasant small cars to drive. I definitely prefer it with the 5 speed manual transmission though. I'll skip on the automatic.

[@bwalsh6992]

Still driving mine ..

[@gsxellence]

I miss escort GT

[@tjonesauto]

If y'all can find one of these...rust free GET IT! Even if you have to put a motor in it, this beater will be an excellent get around

[@brianpimentel]

Love those

[@hermanbinngavionohermanbin8371]

R.I.P solid bumper front and rear..to be replaced by plastic panel held by pins in nowadays vehicle.

[@RabbiJesus]

We still see Toyotas from this era, but never Fords. So, to everyone proclaiming the reliability, why isn’t it still in your garage or any one else’s?

[@new2000car]

You’re right. This car had 1 huge and 1 small problem with it. The 88 hp was pathetic back then, even though all cars averaged a lot less then, and the doors looked terrible. So if they gave it more hp than the protege (with its beautifully designed doors) I would have bought one, saying hey it’s not quite as good as the Mazda, but it costs less, is more American, and is faster. It’s just too much to have your butt kicked on the highway by a better looking protege.

[@RabbiJesus]

@@new2000car The original Mazda 3 was a beast. The 323 I think? How similar were they, do you know?

[@new2000car]

@@RabbiJesusno expert on this but I remember they started with the GLC in the 70s, typical of Mazda, it was very competitive, top of the class when price is factored in. Then it was evolutionary from there, each model a step up from the predecessor, I think it went glc, 323, protégé, then 3 (?) too lazy to check

[@new2000car]

And they were rust buckets in the 70s and 80s, rusted I think twice as fast as the pinto or chevette. That’s what all the people pointed out at the time, see what happens when you buy that Japanese crap?

[@RabbiJesus]

@@new2000car Untrue for the west coast. I had a 78 Celica and a 78 rolla wagon when I was a teen. Neither had any rust.

[@texan176]

This was an economy car yet it has metal valve cover and intake plenum while getting 34 mpg without use of a hybrid electric motor or a battery to power propulsion. An equivalent economy car has what is just short of a whole plastic engine, unnecessarily complicated electronics, and no where near $24K retail which is what the Escort was in 2024 dollars.

[@4HBirtcher]

Ford based Mazda 323!

[@carexpertandy]

This generation Escort and Tracer were offered as prizes on WAY TOO MANY episodes of The Price is Right at the time, especially when GM cars went on a 3-year hiatus from the show. A lot of episodes even offered both an Escort and a Tracer, even with the generation after this one.

[@theKevronHarris]

@@carexpertandy I remember both the Mercury Tracer and the Ford Escort were offered as prizes on TPIR when the GM vehicles on hiatus due to "animal testing". Also, there were both Dodge Shadow along with its sibling car, Plymouth Sundance were offered as prizes on one episode occasionally.
Plus, Bob Barker has banned foreign cars along with cars with leather seats.

[@carexpertandy]

@@theKevronHarris How long was there a ban with cars on leather seats? If I find any episode from the 90s or 2000s that has a Lincoln or Cadillac as a prize, they all seem to have leather seats.

[@theKevronHarris]

@@carexpertandy I was thinking the early 1990s would start the ban of cars with leather seats because Barker is an animal rights activist.

[@carexpertandy]

@@theKevronHarris Must have been a short lived ban. But almost any episode I find with a Lincoln or Cadillac from later on will have leather whether it’s shown on camera or announced. I was well aware that they only had American branded cars starting around 1992 and slowly began offering them again once Drew Carey took over.

[@RickJohnson]

Anyone else cringe at 1:42 when the driver started the fuel-injected engine at part throttle and immediately revved it? I sure hope that was a warm start!

[@milfordcivic6755]

These Mazda engines were indestructible.

[@jay92889]

ahh yes the 1.9 Ford CVH engine, which also stood for constant vibration and harshness.