Faults:

At about 150000 miles I lost a timing belt.

A clutch went out (uncaught valve leak)

Continual (slight) coolant problem.

Replaced spark plugs 150000 miles.

Short in the speedometer.

General Comments:

Fairly roomy, given its class.

Actually fairly quick.

Excellent grip in all weather.

Very reliable.

My car was bought for me by my parents when I turned 16. Believe it or not, it is actually the car I was looking for. I liked its speed, handling, and mostly, its fuel economy. It was listed at about 30 miles to the gallon, but I typically get 32 to 40 out of it. I have put more than 40000 miles on it in the 3-4 years I've had it, but since I deliver pizzas for a living, that's not suprising. The only problems I've had were at 150000 miles, when everything decided to go. Otherwise, it has been a very reliable car under harsh conditions.

Faults:

Water leaks into hatch, CD player broke.

General Comments:

I bought this car for 1200 Canadian dollars about a year ago. Since the paint and the body were in really good shape, I put some money and time into changing the timing belt, thermostat, and front rotors.

Still, it only adds up to $2000 I've spent on the car. If I get another 30K out of it, I'll be happy.

I live in Toronto, and the price on used imports are outrageous here. Like '95 Civics going for $4000. And I'm not paying that much for a ten year old puddle jumper, no matter how much better Japanese cars are supposed to be. So that's how I came across the Escort (ironically recommended by a guy who works mainly on imports); apparently, it's not uncommon for these things to last over 350000 km. And it's basically the same car as a Mazda 323, save the engine, which is apparently better than the Mazda's anyhow.

Things I'm not happy with, well, water leaks in through the back of the car during heavy downpours. Although I mostly fixed that with some sealant. The heater is just sufficient, which on bitterly cold days is an issue.

The transmission started falling out of gear when I first got it a year ago. But mysteriously, the problem stopped. The car had been sitting for a long time before I got it, maybe that had something to do with it. I did change the fluid, which was kind of a pain in the ass. Oh, the CD player in the radio doesn't work anymore.

But for a ten year old car, it's great. It seems to hold up as well as the imports for that time. I'd call it the best kept secret in used cars.

Faults:

At about 92,000 miles, some kind of hose blew, which made to cut the engine off during signals or when the car is in parking.

At 95,000 miles front brake pads replaced and cleaned/resurfaced, rear brakes cleaned/resurfaced.

Also at 95,000 miles the super tine belt was replaced, since it was old, rusty, dry and starting to crack.

At 96,500 miles the relay blew and was replaced.

General Comments:

Other than those replacements that were made the car is in excellent condition.

Except the hood faded a little because the dealer wasn't a very smart guy. There was a sticky paper on it saying the price and stuff, so there was a big bubble which made a spot on it. That's just it really with the exterior. The engine is very powerful for an 88 horsepower 1.9 Liter engine. It accelerates really quickly when you want it to. I've only traveled about 4 hours in it from Boynton Beach to Tampa, and I think it can handle something more extreme. The seats are a bit stiff for some people, but for me it's fine. It's my first car, which I really love.