(first posted 2/10/2014) There have been several points in my life where I thought I was through driving Escorts, and one of those times was immediately after I sold my first one in late 2004. By 2008, I was again commuting in an Escort, but by then it was the “sports model,” this 1998 ZX2. Although I willingly threw myself back into the odd world of Ford’s “World Car,” this little black throwaway compact likely wishes it had never met me and my family.
In fact, the above photographs are the ones I inserted into my Craigslist ad to sell it in November 2011. It and I had both suffered enough indignities to go on any further, and I, as a 34-year-old man, had finally become embarrassed by driving Escorts. It was indeed a sad day, like the last warm fall day before the impending winter, or the realization that you’re a grown up. That’s all nostalgia and sarcasm, however, because I’m not a rabid Escort fan by any means.
My introduction to this Metallic Black example of Ford’s finest was in 2003, when my dad bought it for my sister. Somebody had roughly repaired accident damage on the body, and Dad bought it for something like $3700. I, at the time, was commuting in an unfortunate 1993 Ford Escort wagon, which is a story for another time. My sister drove this Escort for about four years, before looping it on icy pavement on a freeway onramp. She had had enough, and wanted to sell the ZX2.
By 2007, I was driving a 2-door, 2-wheel-drive 2000 Blazer that I liked, but it only squeaked out about 18 MPG in my mixed commute most of the time. It just didn’t make sense for a 45-mile-per-day trip, so I consented to buy the old Escort for $2000. I had already repainted it once, and it had already taken another small hit in the driver’s side fender (which my dad repainted with a spray can).
I made money on the transaction, and was sucked back into the world of Escort ownership that I’d only been removed from for about three years, after swearing I’d never have another one. After all, my wagon had blown a head gasket; utilized a terrible rear brake design that involved the parking brake freezing about once a year, even with regular cleaning and lubrication; and had an “electrical system” where very little worked when the temperature dropped below 35 degrees. Escorts, in my opinion, were not engineering masterpieces.
Over the course of about four years, I discovered that this Escort was much the same as my wagon, except for the engine. This one had the 2.0 Zetec Twin-Cam that could actually climb hills without losing speed, unlike my wagon’s 1.9, which couldn’t without a highly illegal head of steam. Both were, unfortunately, automatics (my sister can’t drive a stick).
It was indeed gratifying to be pulling down 30+ MPGs, saving money for my fleet of classic junkers. Unfortunately, my garage paint job’s clearcoat started peeling as the car sat out in the elements, and there was no way I was going to give it another shot on this $2000 beater, so out came the spray can–flat black, and not even a close match. I was a card-carrying member of the beater brigade.
Often, beaters get relegated to the chore of winter driving, which is part of the game in the lovely Wolverine State. This Escort, unlike my wagon, was ridiculously awful in snow. My wagon had always done what I called the “Escort Dance,” which is this strange, crab-like movement that is nothing like being directly connected to the road. The ZX2 was far, far worse.
I like winter driving, but this car even made a white-knuckler out of me. I managed to keep it all in one piece until I had a Titanic/Iceberg moment with a young girl in a ’90s Grand Marquis who thought she had enough traction to cross the road in front of me. She did not. That big old Panther ripped right into the poor little spinning Escort like an electric can opener into a can of Spaghetti-Os.
To make matters worse, I had to suffer the indignity of having a very nice State Police officer push me a quarter-mile home when the car stopped running at the nearest stoplight to the accident. Things didn’t look good for the old Escort’s survival, but I’m cheap, so I decided to make it work. I visited the junkyard to replace the smashed fuel pump driver in the trunk, which got the car running. With the help of my ’65 Mustang’s scissor jack and some 2x4s, I pushed the quarter panel out, attached the taillight to the car with some self-drilling screws, and duct taped over everything.
I drove for almost a month with one of the beateriest of beaters, all the while looking around for cars that looked worse than mine. There weren’t many. It was hilarious in an almost perverse way; I had, by far, the junkiest car in the work parking lot, but twisted humor can only get a man so far in life. After managing to find a local body shop that fixed it for me for $1000, I was back on the road. Even better, those guys are now my friends and have painted two of my classic cars for me at a very reasonable price.
After that, other than one bored afternoon where I touched up the hood with Rustoleum and a paintbrush, laughing my head off and scaring the neighbors, the Escort and I coexisted fairly peacefully. I changed the timing belt once, replaced a rusted oil pan (!?!), and installed a new radiator when the old one leaked enough to become an issue (my wagon leaked in the exact same spot; it’s nice to see that Ford got its act together in those five model years). In 2011, after poking some significant rust holes in the lower quarter panels and looking at the nearly bald back tires, I decided that enough was enough.
This car was too big a piece of junk even for me, and I put it up for sale. I started at the same $2000 I bought it for, but soon realized that that was insane. After dropping the price to $1400, I eventually sold it to a guy who worked as a deer processor, which is worth mentioning because he bought the car for $1000 and a free deer processing. This felt like I was bartering on the Oregon Trail; I almost asked him to throw in an ox. I don’t hunt, but my cousin appreciated it, considering it was firearm deer season at the time.
Used cars in late 2011 were stupidly expensive for what you got, so I decided to buy the only new car I’ve ever had, a 2012 Focus. I liked the Chevy Cruze just as well, but they cost more. My Focus is an SE with one option–cruise control. I figure that I can keep this thing around, with some luck, for at least 10-15 years if I don’t get too bored with it. My wife and I even call it the “Escort,” indicating that there might be a soft spot somewhere for those old beaters.
I can, however, tell the difference. The Focus has a working electrical system and doesn’t feel like the brake pedal was designed as some torture device for people whose shoe size is over six and a half. Happily, my old Escort is still bombing around town, with just a little more rocker rust than it had under my watch. It even is sometime parked at a house down the street. As for me, I find myself hoping my Escort days are over, but I’m too smart to say that aloud.
My Escort, riding into the sunset on Brockway Mountain Drive in Copper Harbor, MI
That’s a very different looking Escort to the ones seen in the UK,I like the rear light styling
My sister also drove a black ZX2, and my dad also did body damage self-repair. Not a bad-looking car, but I’ve never sat in anything that vibrated more at idle, and that includes construction equipment. The steering had a bizarre lumpiness to it, going from way-too-much-assist to what-assist several times from lock to lock. It was dumped for a Suzuki SX4, which was also not long for this world.
A friend of mine bought a new ZX2 after she took a job at Ford Credit straight out of UVA. One thing I remember about it is that it had a bizarre characteristic when you shifted into gear. As the slack came out of the drivetrain, something under the radio would move and then slam into place. It was as if the rear engine/transmission mount was a plastic bracket tied into the bottom of the dashboard, imparting a looming sense of disaster that spelled quality f-o-r-d.
My dad actually lemon-lawed a 2001 model that shook itself apart at idle in gear. Then he bought this one, which idled much smoother. The ’01 was ridiculous and embarrassing; the dealer reflashed the computer but never solved the problem. I’m convinced it was in the motor mounts, because it would go away in reverse.
My mom has a Contour with the same engine/transmission and it does this too. Drives me completely nuts any time I’m in it. Aside from that and a myriad of electrical bullshit, it’s a wonderful car to drive! I’ve always attributed the problem to a broken engine/tranny mount as well, but since it seems to be so common, maybe it’s just a poorly designed engine/tranny mount? When she first got the car, I took the Zetec for a dud, but the base timing ended up being way off. Once that was corrected, it really woke up and smoothed out, but there was zero change with regards to the horrific rattling.
Sounds like bad engine mounts, they may have been damaged in the crash and not replaced, or replaced with cheaper aftermarket solid mounts rather than the liquid filled ones used as OEM in most cars.
I’ve almost never had a car come back from a body shop without me having to correct something they did wrong.
Wow, I must complement you on putting way more time and effort into a beater than I ever would into a much newer car. I think it’s safe to say you got your money’s worth out of the ZX2. One of my best friends has a black Focus SE like yours, and I can say it’s a significantly better car than any Escort I’ve ever ridden in.
Needless to say from your description of the Escorts reliability, they’ve been virtually nonexistent on the roads for at least 5 years.
Do you or anyone else have any production figures for the ZX2? I feel like there weren’t that many of them even when new.
I actually still see a fair amount of Escort sedans and wagons of this generation around, I think it might just be that they’re totally invisible. Keep your eyes peeled and I bet you’ll see a few. I always used to Mystaque them for Contours. ZX2s are extremely uncommon these days, though. In the Northeast coastal regions, they were almost exclusively the domain of graduation presents for teenage girls, who all destroyed them within months.
I don’t have production numbers for every year, but in 1999 Ford sold about 115k ZX2s, so people were buying them somewhere out there in America, just not this part. I saw lots of them when I lived upstate, most owned by 20-something dudes who were a decade late to goatees and baggy Jncos. It was total culture shock!
There are still plenty on the roads around here, too. The wagons, in particular, seem common.
It was summer, 1997, the first time I saw one of these was in a Circuit City store by the Dayton Mall. It was in the car stereo department demonstrating a high-end car audio system. For a while, I thought these were kind of cool and perhaps one of these would be a good commuter car. It did LOOK sporty, and with a small motor, maybe pretty economical, too.
The next time I got to check one out at a local Ford dealer, my thoughts about these dimmed considerably. I saw the cheapness oozing out. No deal.
Seven months later, in February, 1998, I bought a very nice used 1996 Ford Ranger instead. I made the right choice!
Amen to that. I miss my Ford Ranger.
Seen here the day I bought it at Carmax
Worked at a Ford dealer in New Bedford Mass. People love their Ford Rangers, sold our last new one the summer of 2012. We would get them in on trade…some good/ some beat, but someone always wanted to buy them….never ever, stayed on the lot long!
I miss my Ranger as well. Had a 1994 regular cab, short bed, 2.3L, 5-speed. Didn’t get me anywhere fast, but always got me there.
I had the same choice when I was 19. I had no cash, so it had to be zero down plus my ‘trade in’ that I barely coaxed to the dealer with a binding steering rack and a nasty rod knock from the 2.8.
My Mustang 2 experience (see above) meant that I wasn’t going anywhere near Ford, and I never liked GM, so I was left with the choice of a Neon or a generation 1 Dakota with the 2.5 jeep engine. The Dakota won me over with its rubber floor mats and real truck feel. When its gotta be new and cheap, a bare bones truck has a much better chance than a cheap car to outlive its payments. That thing was a tank and NEVER had a single warranty repair- something unheard of for an American car back then. From driving Ranger parts trucks, I know that one of those would have been every bit as good as my Dakota.
I always thought these looked GM-like. A cross between a Saturn coupe and an Olds Aurora.
They certain were a rarity on the roads.
The coupes seemed had a fanbase here in California, where they were at least as popular as the Escort sedan (that is, not very).
Are these really that dreadful? Because I have always been charmed by their looks. They are cheap wheels around here, and look like they would make a great commuter car or first car for a new driver.
I’ve never drove or ridden in a ZX2, so I can’t comment on driving dynamics. The interior is the same as the regular Escort, which IMHO is dreadful enough. Any time I’ve been in one, I really just wanted to jump out. Any experience I’ve had with an Escort has been much less than enjoyable.
It depends on your perspective. If you compare them to a 2013 Focus or Fiesta or Sonic or many of the other compact and subcompact cars offered today, then it sucked. If you compare them to the other small American cars of the 1990’s era then this was on par with the rest of the domestic offerings like the Neon, Cavalier/Sunbird etc. There were 4 types of folks that bought these types of car. They were:
1. Folks on a limited income who wanted new rather then trusting used
2. Cheapskates/skinflints who wanted a new car and wanted the cheapest deal that could be had.
3. Folks that wanted a second car as a spare or a car for a college bound kid
4.Folks that wanted a small car for cheap to save money on gas and was pro American car and could be seen in a Civic of Corolla.
Most Americans shopping for a small car paid a little extra for a Civic or Corolla with the eyes of keeping it for 15 years or more.
Now the state of cars in 2014 is that small cars are substantial and there are no real bad compacts out there and car companies are producing compact cars with so many features in them that the price of them gets driven up to $30,000 or more and to the surprise of the car makers, they sell at that price also.
i had a 1990 Escort while in college and it was reliable but crude and noisy. My 2012 Fiesta is about the same size and is very reliable(I got the manual trans version) and quiet
Unless you’re talking a fully-loaded Mazda3 or Focus Titanium, I can’t think of any other mainstream compacts that approach 30k. I think those two are the outliers because a) Mazda doesn’t have a luxury arm, and b) Ford doesn’t have a compact Lincoln.
I’ve driven pretty much all of these and as far as I’m concerned, this generation Escort was a step down from all of them in one way or another – including the Neon, Saturn S-series and Cavalier. It wasn’t a terrible car, but it was noticeably cheaper than all of them. I think by this point even Hyundai was on par with the US Escort in terms of refinement and build quality.
My wife had a 1999 Cavalier when we were dating, and my brother “married into” a 1996 Neon. The Escorts from this vintage were definitely a cut above both cars, based on my experience.
Escorts are what they are, I guess. They aren’t THAT bad for what they are, but they have numerous quirks. I’ve certainly put a lot of miles in behind their wheels, so they can’t be ALL bad.
Somehow yes, they’re awful. They’re a rebodied version of the 1990 Protege with some stiffening and a Contour’s engine, but somehow don’t drive at all like either of the cars which donated their major components.
The one time I drove one, it felt spongy and inert.
No they aren’t dreadful.
Two thoughts. First, I always kind of liked the ZX2. Always thought of it as an economy car with a little style and zip as part of the deal.
Second, I always enjoy a good beater story, and yours is excellent. Yessir, when the Rust Oleum comes out, we’re talking beater.
Sometimes we drive cars because we have to, not because we want to. The Escort never won you over, although it hung in there long enough to have had a crack at it.
I’ve had cars like that too. I hope its new home is where it can find some love.
“It was hilarious in an almost perverse way…”
Much like this article, thanks. 🙂
I had been under the impression that U.S. Escorts from this era were actually pretty good cars, having been based on the Mazda 323.
My brother had the Escort sedan, not sure what year. The Escort WAS a deer processor, having hit several. My brother has a relationship with a body shop similar to my relationship with a few restaurants – 20 years and monthly visits. He always got his deer / vandalism / accident damage fixed, so even with about 200,000 miles it always looked darn near like new. It ran for him without much trouble for the several years he had it.
They are Mazda Protege under the skin with a Ford engine. Somehow they add up to less than the sum of their parts. I had a ’97 wagon with a 5spd – oh my gosh what a dull car.
A comparison to the Honda/Acura Legend and Rover/Sterling 800-series might not go amiss here…
I owned a 1997 Escort. It was a rebuilt vehicle and the roof line had the obvious indicators of a roll-over. Still, the interior was like new and most things seemed to work. I named it “Vader” due to the fact that it was black. I did have to touch up the paint with a spray can as well so it had patches of flat black.
Anyway, the car served me well for about 2 years before I got rid of it in favor of a Ford Ranger(another story for another day)
Now, I have a Honda Civic, also black but much, much newer. Vader II, though it does make a better Escort than the Focus. 😉
You need to upgrade to a decent color, like red, perhaps!
It’s funny, my wife had a purple ’95 Escort LX 5-door hatch that really was a great little car she drove for many years and kilometres as well as my Dad’s ’97 Escort wagon he drove for well over 300 000 km’s…the rad was replaced on both of them…hmm…
I wanted a ZX-2 with 5 speed stick when they came out. It looked sporty and like you said it seemed to have a small enough engine to be economical. That all changed when I drove it. Okay power with semi-linear input, decent brakes. What was off-putting was the steering. I’ve driven Brougham Barges with single finger capable power steering, I’ve driven VW’s and Chevy’s with manual steering, but the steering in the ZX-2 was weird. It was like there was a big ‘something’ that felt strange and mysterious interfering with my steering input and how it fed the road back to my fingers. Almost like a relay station or engine room that took my commands and transmitted signals back and forth. It’s very hard to describe. The K-Car my office had did this, too but to a much lesser degree. Even the cars I’ve owned since then with electric power assist haven’t felt like that. Needless to say it was a deal-killer.
i can certainly respect the ZX2 as a very reliable commuter car. I still see them here every week or so, but after seeing enough small car fatalities I dont think I would ever drive, or ride in one.
“2000 Blazer that I liked, but it only squeaked out about 18 MPG…”
I’m betting it literally squeaked it out. That line caught my attention. Whenever I’m walking to work and cars zip by, I can almost always identify a squeak a block away. Either a Blazer or Dodge truck of sorts (Durango, Dakota, etc.). I just cringe hearing all that clattering!
The 4-wheel drive ones ALWAYS have bad ball joints, and they just scare me when I see them coming, because they’re always squeaking.
Mine was 2WD, and I replaced one ball joint and the idler arm in the time I owned it, but it only had 90,000 on it when I sold it.
That car had more rattles than anything I’ve ever ridden in.
That’s was I love about CC – I had completely forgotten about this car even though it’s not that old! Not bad for the time, I’m a live example of Leon’s theory, my first new car after getting my first real job was a contemporary cross-shop of the ZX2 – the Cavalier coupe.
Fashion is a funny thing, these looked so contemporary not long ago, now the plastic-fantastic dash looks blobby and strangely odd with no brushed metal or wood trim.
I tried to get into one of these as a passenger. Didn’t fit at all. From then on if I went anywhere I drove.
…a terrible rear brake design that involved the parking brake freezing about once a year, even with regular cleaning and lubrication;
Yup. I had a 2002 Escort sedan. Very simular e-brake setup as my 85 Mazda GLC, except the lever had been moved from the bottom of the back plate to the top. Problem was when rust got into the pivot between the lever the e-brake cable pulled on, and the lever that pushed on the brake shoes. The lever went through a slot in the backplate, which Ford and Mazda both tried, and failed, to weatherproof with a rubber boot.
After a couple years with the Mazda of annual “remove, free up, lube and reinstall e-brake lever” I got smart and had new levers installed, as the originals had gone several years before rusting enough to cause problems. When the Escort’s e-brakes froze, I told Belle Tire “just replace the levers”, but they didn’t want to. I pointed my finger right at them and told the tech “that’s the problem right there”, but he just looked flummoxed. I gave up, as I knew I wouldn’t have the car much longer anyway.
Driving in snow was entertaining. Had about 6″ fall one night, fortunately, I had spanky new Sears Michelins on it and it plowed it’s way to work without incident. Entertaining as there was no road noise, due to running in deep snow, just pitching and rolling motions, the swish of snow brushing the underbody and the chugging of the engine, which gave the impression of being in an old fishing boat.
Parted with the old lump when I was getting a check engine light at idle due to a leaking idle air valve, and an occasional ABS fault light. Refused to put any money into it. Dumped it at a used car lot. The lot never put it on their web site. They either already had someone looking for an Escort, or they were put off by the death rattle rod knock it had on first start in the morning and dumped it at auction.
Rarely see Escorts of any stripe anymore. A coworker’s daughter killed her’s a few months ago, threw a rod somewhere around 200,000 miles.
It was 1980. I had just graduated from college, starting to collect my first full-time paychecks, and like my son does now, was living at home at Mom and Dad’s Hotel.
The time arrived for me to replace the school-commuting Honda CB750 with something a little more season-friendly, and wanting a car that fit several criteria (four doors, wagon trunk, FWD for ski trips, manual, and US-built) I went to the local dealer (who also had the Subaru franchise) and saw one in the catalog which I spec’ed out and bought.
After a trip through the JC Whitney catalog, I added a front air dam, two-trumpet air horn, fog lights, and a great stereo system (which subsequently was removed while parked at home) wound up with a car which held my attention through the first 24 of 48 loan payments. It was like owning a boat – the happiest days are the ones when you buy and sell.
I kept the boat, though.
Very different to the Escorts we have here, My BIL had Escorts as company cars for a while diesel wagons with bare bones interiors and no air, Later reps were put into gas versions with ac however turning the air on sucked all the performance from the feeble duratec, he was very pleased when the Focus came out and all the reps were slotted into those especially the diesel models, with their Peugeot/Ford HDI engines they actually go really well for what they are.
Focus cheaper than a Cruze? In Europe Chevrolet Cruze must be the cheapest C class car owing to the Chevrolet positioning below Opel. Opel is of course direct Ford competitor thus the Astra and the Focus are of similar price.
Yep…when I bought the Focus the Cruze was temporarily the #1 selling car in the US, and they just weren’t dealing on them. The Focus was a way better deal.
Focus cheaper than a Cruze? In Europe Chevrolet Cruze must be the cheapest C class car owing to the Chevrolet positioning below Opel.
GM is pulling the Chevrolet brand out of Europe, so the Cruze pricing might be at liquidation discount. Good luck getting Chevy parts from the Opel dealer people drove past to buy the Chevy.
December 5, 2013,
General Motors Co. (GM) will pull its Chevrolet brand from Europe almost completely by the end of 2015, the car maker said Thursday, leaving the region to its Opel and Vauxhall brands.
http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20131205-701390.html
GOOD. Opel is struggling to sell its cars, despite the fact that they are really quite good. Why GM would decide to take some cheaper Opel-based Daewoos to the market in Europe to undersell their ailing German patient is beyond me.
Particularly since the whole exercise was a deeply misguided use of the brand. I daresay that for a lot of European buyers, “Chevrolet” means either “cool ’50s/’60s iron” or “clumsy Yank tank.” The latter crowd is likely to dismiss a Chevrolet-badged car out of hand, regardless of what it is, while the former will shake their heads and say, “That’s not a Chevy…” I realize the idea was to allow GM to try to push Opel as a quasi-premium brand, but I haven’t seen any sign of that working, either.
> replaced a rusted oil pan (!?!)
Just like my mom’s 1986 Aerostar. In defense of your Escort, it was about 10 years old, while our Aerostar was less than 5 years old when the oil pan turned into a sieve.
Is it my imagination or the Escort ZX2 design was a bit inspired by the European Puma?
We could only hope that it was. I found the styling odd, in the same way I found the first generation Aurora styling odd. Swoopy and curvy, but somehow, the wrong proportions.
During the 80’s and 90’s I gazed with envy at the beautiful cars Ford had in Europe; very few made it here. The ones that did got fouled up and turned into expensive monsters. By the time the Ford (Mercury) Cougar debuted on this side of the pond in 2000, I had stopped caring whether or not Ford would bring over more if it’s Euro models.
The Escort ZX2 was emblematic of all that was wrong with Ford at the time. Too much concentration on trucks and Nasser’s fascination with the Premium Auto Group. We’ll see if Mulally’s One Ford survives long…
In England, the Escort sedan was a different model called the Orion, whose only notable feature is being the only sedan with a rear wiper. Strangely, they had a higher cachet, and were almost a status symbol in the company car world. A mate (who worked in IT in a London investment bank and could afford better) had a ’93 Ghia until 2005, and I can say that it was every bit as tinny as its US cousin, with the same Constant Vibration and Harshness engine that I remember from high school parking lots back in the US.
Now, in Europe, these were in a different part of the market. An Escort was NOT a cheap car to buy, even if it was one to touch or drive. It was firmly in the middle of the car market- the ‘normal’ car for ‘normal’ people, to the degree that family cars used to be called ‘Escort/Golf class’, soon replaced by ‘Focus sized’. Still, you could get a base spec one- the Popular, equivalent to the Pony in the states, lacked such luxuries as a glove compartment, fifth gear and in earlier years, arm rests and a passenger sun visor.
Why anyone who didn’t live in Essex and had access to the manufacturer’s discount (think Dearborn) bought so many here is a mystery, as the early 90s Rover R8 200, mk3 Astra, Peugeot 306, Golf, Citroen BX or Xantia and many others were far, far, far better cars for about the same money. The Orion went goodbye the next year, replaced by a sedan Escort in base trim only to fill the gap below the brand new Mondeo (Contour/Mistake in US English.)
I think fleet sales accounted for a lot of that. A BX or Xantia might have been more satisfying, but I can imagine the effect of the word “Citroën” on your stereotypical fleet manager. The Peugeot was better to drive, but I don’t think had a particularly good reputation, which hurt residuals, and a decently equipped Golf was pricier. Also, except maybe for the weird SCS antilock brake system, the Escort was pretty straightforward mechanically, so if something broke, there wasn’t anything really scary to fix.
In 2006, I put on 22,000 miles in 6 months in a MY2000 Escort Finesse 1.6. (starting with a car 6 years old/50,000 miles) The plastic bits were cheap but the structure and mechanicals were pretty sturdy. It died of rust a couple of years ago.
We had a 2002 ZX2, not a bad car. It replaced a lemon of a quad4 grand am. We bought it new for under $12k out the door. 5-speed, A/C, cruise etc. Put 75k miles in 3 years and sold it. It never made a trip to the dealer for any repairs, was surprisingly reliable. Ford must have worked the bugs out in their final years. I want from this to a Mazda3 and can echo everyone’s comments about the steering of the zx2, strange feeling indeed,
Ive driven one or 2 of these in the past when I worked for a dealership. For what it is (sporty little subcompact) its not too bad. Considering its competition at the time, you could do worse. The Cavalier/Sunfire at that time were getting pretty long in the tooth. The Scion TC came out in and around the same period and it seems like a more direct competitor in terms of offering a stylish package but just adequate performance. The Civic and Integra at the lower level were pretty comparable but having a performance upgrade gives them that edge. The Neon, Corolla, Mazdas and Mitsubishis don’t even rank on my scale since they were only 4 doors by then and wouldn’t even register on my scale.
If this got the current Focus ST’s ecoboost back then, it might’ve been a sweet little car.
I’ve always had very mixed feelings about the ZX2, one of those cars where I like what they were going for, but not how it turned out. My biggest gripe is that looking at the dashboard reminds me of being forced to look at an overdrafted bank statement that you’re just trying to ignore, over and over and over again. That degree of rattly, brittle cheapness was inexcusable when these debuted, even on the cheapest cars available. Sometimes I kinda like the styling, other times I think it’s too cheesy and aggressive for a car of this size and stature; not very self-aware, if that makes any sense. Black is undoubtedly the best color on them, though, and the photos here show off it’s more attractive angles.
That said, there are also certain elements that are very appealing to me. I’ve never driven one, but given the extremely light curb weight I’m guessing they will go around a corner at least somewhat decently. A few comments have centered on poor steering feel, and that’s actually something I’m not as critical of as most. I’d rather the alternative, but I can put up with crummy steering (to a point) if the chassis is competent enough. The Zetec is also a great engine when not inflicted with an automatic, and these little turds crank out something like 140HP, which was very impressive for the time (in the US, at least).
Would I ever even look at one in a classified ad? No. But would I accept one due to some kind of circumstances similar to the ones here? Probably, and I’d likely enjoy the car too. The Focus that replaced it was such a better car in every way, and something I’d actually love to own, but it’s a European car through and through. Much like the Escort itself, I really like the idea that there could be such a thing as a truly and uniquely American small car competent enough to take on the world, but it just never really happened. I think the first generation Neon was the last great hope, and we all know how that turned out.
I bought a red zx2 in 1999, it was brand new and loaded, I traded in a 92 mustang that I loved but I have a policy and force myself to get a new car every 7 to 10 yrs. I loved that car, it was loaded but I made sure to get a 5 spd., it was fast , fun to drive, nice stereo and the sunroof was huge it opened up the whole car. The only mechanical problem I had was having to replace an alternator. It seems if you maintain your car properly it doesn’t turn into a pos, and if you wash and wax it once in a while, the paint stays perfect, who knew. I know because people told me it was a chick car, but I don’t care about crap like that, I am secure in my manhood to be able to drive whatever I think is best. I just wanted to write about my experience with the zx2 to add some positivity to all the hate I was reading bout my little red car that a deer took from me one dark cold nite.
I loved my ZX-2. I was smitten when I first saw them at the dealer. It was a light blue metallic. I liked the styling from day one and used it for work travel for years. It finally moved on to a new owner at about 140K. His family drove it for another four years.
It was the last of a long line of escorts for us. Each one had a manual transmission and each one ran for high miles before being passed on to a neighbor or family member. They all got great mileage and were all winter friendly. They were fun, affordable, and reliable cars and left us with lots of happy memories.
Well, I have always considered the ZX2 to be a much different car than the regular sedan. When I needed cheap wheels almost eight years ago, my trusted mechanic told me to go for the Escort sedan but never the ZX2, regardless of price.
After regular maintenance and paying attention to things that would eventually need replacement, I can say that our 1999 Ford Escort SE Sport with non-ABS and 5 speed has been the most trouble free car I have owned.
Purchased with 98,300 mi on the odometer and last night 211,812 trouble free miles.
And that includes moving it from Seattle, WA to Calgary, Alberta Canada when I immigrated. It’s amazing what an engine block heater and new battery can do for an “old beater” of a car.
My 16 year old is driving my old 2002 ZX2…175,000 miles, doesn’t burn oil, original auto trans still shifts just fine, has had a coolant leak for years, needs rear struts in the worst way, but the floor is rusting enough that I suspect the rust will kill it before anything mechanical breaks. Cheap, nasty little roach of a car that just keeps chugging along. Probably the loudest car on the interstate I have ever been in…road rumble, tire roar, wind noise…it’ll deafen ya.
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I thought they were a great car. My relative had one for years and it performed vey well.
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I’ve never driven a ZX2 or Mazda-based Escort, but I once had a first-gen EXP rental. Trust me, the ZX2 couldn’t be THAT bad. At least it looks nice.
AARON65: You have much more patience and tolerance than I ever could muster up for a long term car; even for a “beater”.
Atta Boy!
I drove a rental Escort once. It was not a bad car, on par with a contemporary Mazda (obviously) and in some ways drove much like a Corolla. Not sure if that is a compliment since early 00s/late 90s Corollas did not drive that great. The only car I would say it was noticeably inferior to would be the Civic, in my opinion the class leader at that time.
This generation was not around very long, I think it may have been just a stop gap until the Focus was ready. A friend of mind abused this generation of Escort unmercifully, he did not even bother doing oil changes, I was surprised when it made it nearly 5 years.
I think some of the disdain of this car comes from a Ford badge being on the hood instead of a Mazda badge. The same people who scream that the Pontiac Vibe is junk and the Toyota Matrix is great.
After seeing this repost, it has occurred to me I have forgotten about these, which is odd, because I remember the drastic contrast there was between this and the Focus ZX3 I did buy new in 2001. The pricing reflected this truth in the extreme; something like $4,000 comparably equipped at the time, out the door.
After reading the comments, it got me thinking about what else was around in ‘98 in this class, and I’ve got either drive or ride time experience with all the two door economy coupes from then, except the Civic and 200SX. As for the domestics, I feel like it’s a pick your poison, they all had serious demerits that made it pretty much a wash. Cavaliers and Sunfires in base form were still pretty crude mechanically and utilized what I’d call burlap for seat material. Neons were a reliability gamble. The ZX2 was tiny compared to those two, and had the cheapest dashboard this side of a Metro. Saturn’s SC was also cramped and way decontented; they didn’t even have backlit gauges…
The Mirage and Tiburon, to me, were both a step up. The Mirage seemed semi-refined but small-ish. The Tiburon was shockingly sporty and fun, and technically in a different class, but were at the same price point as these. I have no idea what the Nissan would be like, and I’m sure the Honda would walk away from the others in terms of refinement, at a price. 20 years later it’s the only affordable compact 2 door left, so there’s that.