Faults:

I remember it rattled when I drove over 67mph for a while. Turned out the little things (bearings? engine mounts?) holding the engine up had worn out or needed to be replaced. Probably because I had a bad habit of not braking for rail road crossings when I first started driving.

Towards the end of my ownership, it vibrated a hell of a lot when idling unless put in neutral.

The battery died once or twice in the ten years I owned it. I remember having it towed only 2x for not starting (2000-2001 and 2005-2006).

Towards the end, I think it was the trunk that was leaking when it rained.

The fuel gage stopped working for a few months in the '90s, but eventually started back up again.

The tape deck used to play ultra-fast on side 1, but normal speed on side 2.

Automatic seat belt started going all wonky on me and delaying or not moving at all when driver's door opened. Also I seem to remember having to replace the locking mechanism on one of the seat belts.

Had to replace the plastic lever on both seats (the one you pull to get into the backseat) because they kept cracking/falling off/getting lost.

For some reason the passenger window was really hard to crank up.

A/C died once (2007) and was fixed.

The cup holders are too shallow to use if you plan on turning any corners, so I usually wedged a bottle of water between the parking brake and the passenger seat. And the coin tray thingy between the driver and passenger seats is too shallow to hold anything as well (stuff you put there goes flying all over the car). Same problem with the dashboard -- it's nice and flat on the passenger side, which tempts you into placing things there, then you make a left turn and they go flying between the door and the passenger seat. We solved this by putting a sticky sort of mat on the dash.

General Comments:

FAST. Good handling, always knew exactly where the edges of my car were, great for weaving in and out of traffic or parking in tight spaces. And RELIABLE.

I'm 5'6 and found the driver's seat to be perfectly proportioned although I wished I could've tilted the steering wheel slightly further up to be able to read the top of the speedometer.

I've heard the back seat was pretty comfortable, although it sure looks small. (Head rests are really cushy back there and the little windows open!)

Having a two-door was WONDERFUL for my peripheral vision from the driver's seat. The column behind the door is far enough back that it doesn't obstruct your vision. This totally converted me to coupes.

The back seat folds down flat and the hatchback trunk cover thingy comes down, and you can fit an AMAZING amount of stuff inside.

The spoiler eventually stops looking stupid.

Paid $6000 in 1998 and sold for $1200 in 2007 but I would've asked for more if I wasn't selling to a friend.

Used to be able to fill this car up for under $10 when I first owned it. Got at least 28 mpg in the city.

Changed the oil more often than every 3000 because it always took me longer than 3 months to clock that many miles.

Sold it to move, but now in the market for a new car. Thinking of "upgrading" to the newer model Escort ZX2 (sport coupe) even though the rear is ridiculous looking (would be nice to have air bags and normal seat belts). Anyone have any comparative experience with the two cars? Or a good recommendation of a cheap, small, zippy car to look into after this, my first?

Faults:

We blew a head gasket twice, and also we dropped a valve seat and cracked the head. Not to mention the car is rotting from the bottom up.

Presently the car has lifter noise from the new head.

General Comments:

I personally think the car is not that bad car, but Ford really should have done some more thought on the cylinder head, because the cars are famous for the cylinder heads blowing up.