1997 Ford Escort Is An All New Baby Taurus

10/21/96

If you are at that stage in your car buying life where you have finally decreed, "I've had it with used cars . . . the next one is going to be new and warrantied, and I'm going to drive the wheels off it, even if I can't afford it," than the 1997 Ford Escort may be your kind of family car. The price is right, starting at $11,000.

It's all new, and on a dark night your neighbors will think you now own a $20,000 Taurus. Plus, it has nice interior room, a little pep from its upgraded four banger, 16 valve engine (it now has 110 HP) and the sound insulation inside has been upgraded. On this last point, however, Ford still isn't there.

The car we drove was pretty basic. Five speed trans, roll up windows, hand seat adjustments, and rather stark interior. But it's an all new, stylized/rounded sheetmetal clad car that SAYS I'M A 1997. The trunk capacity with the rear seat down is also right . . . 66.9 cubic feet and will hold boxes (we tried this) containing 8,000 video cassette sleeves.

The Escort is available in four body styles: 3 and 5 door hatchbacks, 4-door sedan, and 4-door station wagon. There are three trim levels. Base, LX and GT. It has an optional 4-speed automatic trans. The GT model comes with the Mazda built 1.8 liter, 127 hp engine.

The entry level Escort is positioned to sell against the Chevy Cavalier, Dodge Neon, Geo Prizm, Honda Civic, Kia Sephia, Susuki Esteem, Subaru Impreza, Mitsubishi Mirage, and the Nissan Sentra, as well as its Mercury counterpart, Tracer.

The Ford Escort buyer that we mentioned earlier ("I want a NEW car for a change") is in his/her 30s-40s, single and more likely to buy American. Short on time and living on a budget, they're more likely to rent a video for an evening's entertainment. They want a roomy small car, low monthly payments, fuel economy and quality.

SPECS
Body style/seats                        Hatch,sdn,wagn
Engine                                  1.9 liter  110hp 4 cyl
TRansmission                            5-speed  opt auto 4
Suspension                              strut f & R
Length                                  170 in
Brakes                                  Disc/disc
Tires                                   175/65R13
Weught                                  2323 lb
Safety                                  Dual airbags,motor belts
EPA                                     31 city  38 hwy

Bill Maloney -- The Auto Channel