Hey, everyone! With Phase One of my great relocation complete, I’m slipping back into the big chair here for a couple days before I kick off Phase Two. I’m pleased to report that our first trip went swimmingly, and both of our old GM trucks, with nearly 430,000 miles between them, purred like kittens the whole way. There’s a lot to be said for a cheap old car you can rely on, and today, I want to talk about two examples of another one: the Mazda BG chassis-derived Ford Escort.
Huge thanks to Matt and Thomas for holding down the fort this week. Yesterday, Thomas showed you a couple of rock-star dream machines slowly succumbing to the forces of chaos. I don’t think either one is worth the scratch they’re asking, based on how much work you’d have to do to them, but there is an ass for every seat, as the saying goes, even those nasty, moldy seats. You all preferred the Maserati to the stretch limo Rolls by a good margin, but it doesn’t sound like any of you were too happy about it.
For the sake of playing the game, I think the Rolls would be a lot more interesting to work on, though I’d rather have a regular-length Shadow. I have no idea where I’d park a leviathan like that limo, running or not. And for the record, my picks for Monday and Tuesday are the Celebrity and the Colt, respectively. Probably no surprises there.
Some automotive partnerships are like celebrity marriages: not well thought-out, brief, and tumultuous: Daimler-Chrysler, for example. Others are like those cute couples who wear matching outfits and clean everybody’s clock at Pictionary because they share a hive mind. They seem to go together so well that when they do break up, it’s a shock. Such was the case with Ford and Mazda. For decades, the two automakers shared parts and designs, badge-engineered models for each other, and between the two of them they turned out some really excellent little cars. Probably the most unsung hero of this long-term partnership was the 1991 and later US-market Ford Escort, which was built on Mazda’s BG platform. They were cheap, tough, and drove better than you would have guessed. These days, they’re getting a little thin on the ground, as old cars tend to, but you can still find decent ones. These two look pretty good to me, and while the prices aren’t as cheap as they would have been a couple years ago, they’re still not terribly expensive. Let’s check them out.
1997 Ford Escort LX Wagon – $4,000
Engine/drivetrain: 2.0-liter OHC inline 4, five-speed manual, FWD
Location: Columbus, OH
Odometer reading: 153,000 miles
Operational status: Runs and drives well
1997 was a big year for the little Escort. It got a restyle to match the rest of Ford’s increasingly ovoid styling, a bump in power, and a new interior which finally did away with the motorized seat belts. Unfortunately, the hatchback body styles didn’t make the jump to the new generation; the only options were a funny-looking four-door sedan, and this much more charming station wagon.
Standard model Escorts had been powered by Ford’s CVH four-cylinder engine from the very beginning, even after the switch to the Mazda chassis. For this one, Ford bumped up the displacement to 2.0 liters and added a new intake manifold, which gave the Escort 22 more horsepower, but did nothing to quell the CVH’s thrashy nature. It also developed a nasty habit of dropping valve seats. This wagon has had its engine replaced with a used unit, and I suspect that’s the reason. It currently runs and drives fine, but it has a “Serivce Engine Soon” light illuminated, which the seller seems to think is not the same thing as a “Check Engine” light. Regardless of what the light says, if you want help fixing it, remember to search for “Ford Escort service,” and not… you know.
Inside, it’s a little threadbare, but not bad at all. It doesn’t have much in the way of options on it, but that’s fine; you buy a car like this for economy and simplicity, not luxury. It might not even have air conditioning. The tan upholstery is a nice change from the industrial-looking gray these usually came with, at least.
They don’t call the region where this car lives the “Rust Belt” for nothing, but it seems to have survived more or less unscathed. I don’t see any signs of rust at all in the photos, but of course you would be wise to take a look underneath and make sure it’s solid. Something struck me as odd about this car, but I couldn’t put my finger on it. It wasn’t until I looked at photos of other Escort wagons that I figured it out: it has no roof rack like most other Escort wagons do.
2002 Ford ZX2 – $3,000
Engine/drivetrain: 2.0-liter DOHC inline 4, four-speed automatic, FWD
Location: Beachwood, NJ
Odometer reading: 80,000 miles
Operational status: Runs and drives well
Everyone knows that the coolest version of the Escort was the GT model, with its Mazda twin-cam engine and asymmetrical grille. But when the hatchback versions of the Escort died during the refresh, the GT died with it. It wasn’t until 1998 that a new sporty Escort arrived to fill its shoes: the ZX2. It lost the hatchback practicality, but kept the same fun-to-drive spirit.
In place of the Mazda engine, the ZX2 uses Ford’s own Zetec twin-cam four, a nice revvy engine with plenty of power for such a lightweight car. Unfortunately, this one isn’t as much fun as it could be, since it has an automatic transmission. It does run and drive well, and with only 80,000 miles on it, it should continue to do so for a long time. It has a new battery and recent tires, too.
This is the only view we get of the interior, and it’s not much to go on. The driver’s seat looks a little tired, but the passenger’s seat is immaculate – typical for a car that was used by one person for commuting. The yellow paper key tag makes me think the seller is a small-time car dealer posing as a private seller; there are a lot of them on Facebook Marketplace. It’s not a bad thing necessarily, but don’t expect them to know much about the car’s history.
It doesn’t look too bad outside, but it does have a dent in the right front fender and what looks like a possible rust spot behind the right rear wheel. But the rest of the paint is shiny. I have to confess that I have always hated the rear spoiler on these cars; it looks ridiculous, and I’m sure it doesn’t do anything aerodynamically. I’ve seen one or two ZX2s without the spoiler, and they look so much better.
Sure, you could buy a Corolla or a Civic for the same money as these, but it’ll have way more miles on it, and I’m not convinced it would be a better car. These little Escorts are troopers, give or take a few well-documented flaws, and thanks to the Mazda DNA in the chassis, they handle pretty well, too. Neither one of these is exactly the right combination of features, so you’ll have to decide what’s more important to you. Are you going for the practical wagon with the lesser engine, or the sporty fun machine with the wrong transmission?
Wagon.
I’ve never been a fan of the ZX2. There were still FWD sporty coupes available when the ZX2 was around, and the Ford seemed the least interesting of the bunch. There was also a guy on the Miata forums who had moved from a ZX2 to a Miata and did nothing but complain about all the ways the ZX2 was better. He was (and probably still is) a twit.
I was all in on the manual wagon and then I saw the magical third option, and that was the ball game.
Super-practical compact wagons need to come back.
Both of these are overpriced, but I voted for the wagon due to more room inside and the manual, and it’s a cooler color too 😛
Too bad they never installed the Zetec in the wagon. That came later with the Focus.
Are you kidding me? A manual wagon in excellent condition!?! How is this even a choice!?! Also, those buddle Escorts are hideous, so the fact that the wagon is the old much more handsome bodystyle, while being new enough to not have automatic seatbelts, is a HUGE win!
I went with both, because the engine swap is intriguing, but it’s also above my skill set or garage space. So, I’d have to pay someone who knows what they’re doing.
If I were to choose one, it would be the wagon because of the stick, practicality, and it doesn’t have that stupid spoiler out back. The ZX2 also give me some Olds Aurora/Alero vibes and that’s not meant in a positive way.
The Zetec swap from the ZX2 is plug and play – there’s a lot to plug in, but if you have a complete parts car its doable. You need engine with all accessories, catalytic converter, axles, underhood harness and PCM. Did it with my son’s ’98 Tracer.
The real bonus is the wagons manual trans with the Zetec motor. You lose a bit in acceleration over a zetec manual but the gearing gives 35+ MPG
That sounds like a lot.
It is a lot for the prices today. We did the swap in 2012ish and paid a combined $400 for both cars.
Nice! It’d be a lot more these days. If you could find someone who could do it.
My wife had an auto ZX2 when we first met 20 years ago, and that was a damn good car until a deer totaled it. Manual would be great for an autox/rallyx/beater track car, but for a daily these are both fantastic. Even with the auto, it’s a great balance of economical, fun to drive, and comfortable.
Not many survivors out there these days, these cars are pretty underrated IMO.
Agreed on the ZX2. After my first marriage blew up I found myself needing a car and had a ZX2 for a while. Fun for me at the time, which I needed. Always have a soft spot for the ZX2 even though I’d usually pick the manual wagon. Both day.
Beware of Fords that are “Mazdas” except for the powertrain. Don’t be fooled!
Beware? The Fords that had a lot of Mazda in them are the best Fords to have.
Exactly, but then they slip in a Ford engine and transmission and it all goes haywire. I’d gladly buy a Fusion with the 4-banger and Aisin transmission, ‘cuz it’s all Mazda. But check that box for the V6 and you get Dearborn’s “best”.
Nah the CVH engine in the 1991+ Ford Escorts might be a Ford engine, but Mazda did a lot of work on that engine for Ford for the updated version that came out in 1991.
From that point on, the CVH was a reliable/durable engine.
And thus, while you get the odd one that drops a valve, they are generally reliable and durable engines. I know because I personally owned two of them and had friends/family who owned another 3 of them.
And all of them had the CVH engine.
And from what I’ve heard, the Ford Duratech V6 in either 2.5L or 3L form is generally a reliable and durable engine. The only issue with them is the typical issue with all transverse V6 FWD designs in that some maintenance like changing out the rear spark plugs is more difficult.
They pronounce them “Volvo”
I created an account just to say…
Z to The Who?
X to The Two!
Escort Babyyyy! I thought you knew!
If you’ve never heard the ZX2 rap, you owe it to yourself to listen to this earworm.
https://youtu.be/L26kTJjgIG4?si=NsuZhwlcimdtGf4j
You could also adapt that to the Focus ZX3, ZX4 and ZX5.
Just have to change the words ‘Who” and ‘knew’ with something that rhymes with 3, 4 and 5…
Z to The Me?
X to The Three!
Focus Babyyyy! I man I crashed into a Tree!
Z to The Bore?
X to The Four!
Focus Babyyyy! I man I wish I had More!
Z to The Jive?
X to The Five!
Focus Babyyyy! I man I’m glad I’m alive! (after crashing into the tree)
Aside from the mention of a dent in the passenger-side fender of the ZX2, the panel gap across the hood looks oddly wide.
The family had a few of these in the oughts and early teens. That corner is a broken chunk of the bumper cover. There’s a mounting screw there and stress over time breaks it off. The extra large panel gap in the front is factory. There’s a rubber seal in there. Not sure why they didnt close that up a bit.
Stick shift Wangoon for the win!
All it needs is a 1.8 V6 swap and it’ll be amazeballs. Thankfully, I have a friend who has already done that swap twice on the Escorts in his fleet.
Is that the weird little V they put in the mx6?
Aye, Cap’n. They’re revvy, wonderful sounding little beasts.
I wanted to do that but never could find a good donor. Did do a ZX2 Zetec swap on a SOHC Tracer and it was pretty good.
MX-3 Precidia.
The MX-6 had a 2.5L V6… shared with the 2nd gen Ford Probe.
Won’t those jaguar/mazda/ford/lincoln v6 engines designed by Porsche and Cosworth bolt right in?
I don’t know, but someone oughtta try.
I barely survived my EX’s 1984 Escort wagon automatic. I will never ever get in another one.
The ex or the wagon?
BOTH!
At the same time?!
They’re not really even vaguely related except for the basic architecture of the CVH engine. This one is plenty powerful actually.
Don’t care.
If the ZX2 was a manual, new rallycross car! We had a member that did quite well in one years ago. But the wagon might be useful AND it’s a manual, besides not being boring silver or beige.
The ZX-2 is the better value here, but I can’t say no to a little Mazda-ish wagon. I will park it next to my little Mazda hatchback so I can say that I have the best two body styles for cheap little cars.
“…remember to search for “Ford Escort service,” and not… you know.”
This gave me a giggle… someday I’ll grow up.
Hautewheels and James McHenry have already said it well – both and transmission swap.
As an unabashed partisan for the sportcoupe era, I’ll add the ZX2 was one of the last of it. And there’s still probably some surviving SR edition parts to be located to amp up the everyday fun these offered if desired.
If they were the same price I would have gone wagon, but it’s not worth an extra grand with double the miles and being older and a stripped out base model. Oh man, a stripper escort… The jokes write themselves!
One of the rustiest-but-still-on-the-road cars I ever saw being daily driven was a Ford ZX2. It gets my vote:
Newer
Half the miles
More power/less practicality
It would have been a slam dunk except for the auto transmission.
This is a perfect teenager’s first car.
I would have both. The uncanny valley of these is appealing, UK Ford Escorts of the time were similar but different.
Man, I’d really like the wagon, but 4k? I’ve always liked the ZX2, and the price is better, it’s newer, and it’s got about half the mileage on it. Yeah I’d want the stick but… again, 4k?
Wagon. I’ve spent many, many hours in a nearly identical Escort wagon (along with a green one) and would own one again, even if $4k feels steep. It would be a “both” day if the ZX2 was a stick, but based on all the time I spent back in the day in an automatic ’99 ZX2, the auto really kills the fun.
I did not need to know that there’s a reasonably-priced Escort wagon in a fun color with a five-speed about an hour from my house. Thanks.
Come back in a few days and let us know how it’s going!
It’s about 1.5hrs from mine, and my choice as well.
I look forward to your post-purchase review.
Not a FORD guy here at all.
But good job today.
Guess I’ll take the wagon and gamble on the damn engine.
I really wanted to vote for the lil’ red wagon, but four grand is waaaay too much for it. The ZX2 is my pick today.
I’ll take both, but I think I’d rather swap the manual transmission into the ZX2.
There’s a both option! 😀
That said, instead of swapping engines I might just swap transmissions instead. Both of these cars have a reputation for only succumbing to one thing: rust. I’ve known several to last well over 200k miles. Like roaches with an aversion to salt.