Faults:

When I bought it, it needed some basic maintenance (ball joint, trans mount, tires). I changed the oil, ran fuel injector cleaner, changed the spark plugs and wires, and a few other things. All of this set me back about 1000, which really isn't bad considering how much I did.

I would say the transmission, electronics, and suspension components are the weakest points about this car. The coil springs are insufficiently protected from the weather, which causes really bad deterioration.

The electronics are horrible. The radio has a mind of its own, the speedometer dances above 65, and the door chimes randomly go off while driving.

The interior looks brand new. No cracking or tearing whatsoever. Paint is good too. Mild rust where you would expect it (trunk lid, etc.). The trunk leaks.

General Comments:

The car is solid enough. I would say:

Pros: Decent handling and good braking, considering the class and year of the car. Pretty good ride actually. Good pedal feel and alright road feedback. Above average fuel economy. I feel I can trust this car to take me anywhere. Good interior layout, and plenty of room for anyone under 6'3".

Cons: Miserable performance. I mean miserable. I could only go 45mph on some hills on the interstate during a road trip. Super stiff seats. Harsh road, wind, tire and engine noise. Occasionally clunky transmission. Small fuel tank means you'll be filling up often regardless of fuel economy. It takes me about 30 bucks to fill it up from empty.

Overall: (C) I would say it is definitely rough and unrefined, but reliable and cheap on gas. It's a great A to B car. Just basic cheap transportation.

Faults:

- Neither one of my passive restraints work any more (Driver: 2009, Passenger: October 2011).

- Replaced a timing belt at 98,000 miles.

- Replaced a vacuum hose at 137,000 miles.

General Comments:

I have loved everything about owning this Escort. I love the sporty look, and how reliable it has been. It has been one of the cheapest cars to maintain I have ever encountered.

It handles awesome, and is very responsive and lets the driver know what is going on. I still drive it everyday, and reliability has been great through snow, wind, rain, and sunshine.

I have always had a love for Escorts, and I would buy another one in a heartbeat. My only complaint is the passive restraints quit working.

Faults:

About a month after I got it, the shifting light went out, and shortly after that, the temperature gauge stopped working.

The shocks and struts were almost shot when I bought it, but I started having to drop to 5 km/hr to go over any sort of speed bump at about 200,000 kms.

The muffler started to come apart at 210,000, and when my uncle fixed it, he had to patch a hole where the exhaust was escaping below my engine.

The upholstery on the driver's side came apart easily, at about 200,000 kms.

The reverse started making noises and "chugging" at 220,000.

Fifth gear stopped working at 224,000 kms, and when I tried to get an estimate of repair costs, they wanted several hundred, and thought they might have to replace the transmission. I decided to just keep driving it.

Most recently has no power - I can barely hit 80 km/hr on the highway. Also, the bright headlights don't work unless I turn them off and on a few times - there's some sort of wiring glitch. The speedometer lights haven't worked since 240,000 kms, and the heater makes a clunking noise on the passenger side.

The furthest right spark plug falls out on a regular basis, and it's not just me putting it in wrong - I've had a mechanic tighten it twice now.

General Comments:

I bought this car at a used car dealership for $2,000, and they took my (free) '90 Dodge Caravan that barely ran for a $500 trade, bringing the total down to $1500. I've never put any money into the car aside from regular maintenance I've done myself, as I knew from the beginning I'd be running it into the ground. It's been the cheapest car ever - cheap to insure, cheap on gas, (500 km/tank before 225,000 kms, and now, with all her issues, about 370 km/tank.)

That said, if I was to have it fixed every time something new on it went, I'd be furious, broke, and probably feel pretty screwed over.

Overall, however, I've loved my purple car. She's been good to me, always gotten me where I needed to go, and handles very well. She doesn't have a lot of get-up-n'-go, and never really has, but again, for what I paid for her, she's been a dream.