1993 Mercury Capri

Summary:

Much cheaper to buy than a Miata, roomier, and a lot less common

Faults:

Slave cylinder went out at about 65,000 miles. A/C compressor went at 85,000. Power windows have both needed repair. Mechanically great.

General Comments:

Fun car to drive - handles well, quick acceleration, great gas mileage. The only other car I've enjoyed this much is my 1970 Volvo 1800E, but the Capri is much more dependable. The Capri is hard to get in and out of, but comfortable once inside, even for a 6-footer. Much more headroom than the Miata. My only real criticism regards the power windows - who needs them in such a small car except us lazy Americans? I'd only get rid of mine if I found a low-mileage 1994 model.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 24th September, 2007

1993 Mercury Capri 1.6L

Summary:

If Ford built more cars like this, they wouldn't be having troubles!

Faults:

Air conditioning compressor replaced at 110,000 miles.

Passenger power window motor replaced at 100,000 miles.

General Comments:

Overall, an extremely relaible and trustworthy little car. It's my friend at this point, not just a car. She treats me right, is reliable, fun to drive, sharp looking, unique, independent, nice handling, fast and keeps on going!

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 21st January, 2006

22nd Jan 2006, 10:07

You must be joking. Cars like the Capri (which Ford would just as soon forget ever existed) are exactly why Ford is losing market share.

14th Jun 2007, 17:51

The previous comment comes from someone who obviously knows nothing about these cars. They are reliable enough to still be in fleet use as rent a cars in Australia and New Zealand, despite their advanced age at this date. They would still be in production today if not for production delays due to US airbag requirements. The miata beat them to market, and unsubstantiated rumors regarding reliability buried the project. This is one car ford probably WISHES IT KEPT in the fleet. I love mine and will never sell it!

13th Mar 2009, 06:07

Here here. I own three Capris- each 18 years old and all still running great. Fun to drive, cheap to run and ultra reliable... Read owners comments and discover that these are cars to fall in love with.

1993 Mercury Capri LX 1.6L

Summary:

Mini-Cooper performance for less than $2,000

Faults:

The only problem that I've had has been the ragged convertible top, which leaked severely. I wanted to replace the top, but local vendors wanted over $600 to do the job. So, I went to a junkyard and picked up a hardtop for $600, which I knew would never go bad (the rag tops have a history of shrinking and then leaking, again). Once I installed the hardtop, no more leaks. Beyond that, I've had no problems.

General Comments:

Every item and device on this car works perfectly. As for the engine and transmission, it's like driving a Mini-Cooper without the expense of paying for one. The engine is smooth and powerful. As well, the five speed transmission shifts easily and smoothly.

I've seen a lot of complaints on other reviews concerning the car's lack of power, but I've not found that to be the case. It's not a rocket, but, for a 1.6L engine, it's great. As long as the leaking roof issue can be resolved, it's a great car to own and drive and you can't beat the price that Capris are going for. It's an undervalued steal.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 4th October, 2005

5th Oct 2005, 16:38

Dunno...driving a Capri without the convertible top must be a whole lot like driving the Mazda 323 that it was based on...

1993 Mercury Capri

Summary:

Cheap fun and style!

Faults:

Whenever I stop, the RPMs will severely drop and will often cause a stall. But, it will always restart right away.

The car often makes loud rattling noises.

In the very cold weather, the engine starts at EXTREMELY high RPMs(1700s) and recently, I have noticed a ticking noise, which I think, is not a good thing. Cold starting can cause many problems, and I believe this may be the culprit for the noise. I've read something about an 'ambient temperature sensor.' Could this be the solution to my problem? And could the noise be the drivetrain's damage from the high RPM starts??

When I first bought it, I had to have new wiring done to the cooling fan because it failed to operate which could cause overheating.

Driver side door lock sometimes sticks.

The back seat is too small.

The air conditioning has recently become warmer. But i believe that a recharging will solve the problem.

General Comments:

I really like my green Capri despite it's few problems.

It handles well and gets adequate gas mileage.

In the snowy hills of Pennsylvania, my Capri out-performs most other front wheel drive cars.

It handles rather well around sharp curves.

At over 110 thousand miles, my Capri is still running strong (except for that ticking noise that I'm fearing)

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 25th January, 2004

18th Apr 2004, 01:17

The rattle is your catalytic converter heat shield. You can have it repaired or removed; "no biggie", should cost around $15-$20 at an exhaust shop. The ticking noise could be a myriad of things from detonation "VERY BAD" to a simple frayed belt "easy". Have it checked out by a reputable mechanic.

5th Jan 2010, 15:56

I have a 1994 Capri with 130000 miles, and I had the same rpm problem, also, mine sputtered and hesitated while I accelerated. I went through a bunch of parts and simple repairs (spark plugs, fuel filter, PVC valve, and plug wires); plug wires appeared to fix my problem.

But just last week, I accidentally stalled the car and went to start it back up, and it turned over but didn't start (wasn't getting spark). So my friend's dad looked at it and thinks my whole distributor has gone bad (300+ bucks). I also had the same ticking noise, so I would recommend getting your whole ignition system looked at before it could end up like mine.