1997 Ford Escort

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1997 Ford Escort

Kelley Blue Book Retail $2,750–$3,000  

Average Rating

4.2 out of 5
Review This Car
Comfort:3.5 out of 5
Performance:3.9 out of 5
Exterior Styling:3.9 out of 5
Interior Design:3.5 out of 5
Value for the Money:4.6 out of 5
Reliability:4.6 out of 5

16 out of 17 people would recommended this car to a friend

Consumer Reviews

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'97 escort reaches perfection and is retired

by blue ridge naturalist
from Ferrum, Virginia | February 1, 2012

Rating from

(5)
Comfort: 5 out of 5
Performance: 5 out of 5
Exterior Styling: 5 out of 5
Interior Design: 5 out of 5
Value for the Money: 5 out of 5
Reliability: 5 out of 5

"'97 and later model escorts with the 2.0 L engine were the acme that earlier makes and models had achieved and been retired to the dustbin. The standard transmission gives better mileage 35-40 than the automatic 26-32. Other models of perfection, imo, included the '63 ford falcon and the '83 honda civic. I've had '83, '88, '93, and '95 escorts before these. The '80's models wouldn't go past 140k without head (gasket) failure. '90's models won't die."

I would recommend this car to a friend: Yes

This vehicle was purchased: Used

Primary use for this car: Just getting around


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1 out of 1 found this review helpful

GOOD FOR PRICE

by KATEYGIRL7
from FITZWILLIAM ,NH | January 23, 2012

Rating from

(3)
Comfort: 3 out of 5
Performance: 4 out of 5
Exterior Styling: 3 out of 5
Interior Design: 3 out of 5
Value for the Money: 3 out of 5
Reliability: 4 out of 5

"BUT NEEDED SOME WORK, KNOWN BEFORE PUCHASE. GOOD WINTER CAR,GOOD ON GAS.HAD SOME RUST ISSUES BUT WERE A CHEAP FIX TO PASS INSPECTION.NO PROBLEM WITH THIS SALE OR FACILITY."

I would recommend this car to a friend: Yes

This vehicle was purchased: Used

Primary use for this car: Just getting around


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0 out of 0 found this review helpful

Love my 97' Escort Wagon

by Michigangal
from NE Michigan | January 23, 2012

Rating from

(5)
Comfort: 3 out of 5
Performance: 3 out of 5
Exterior Styling: 4 out of 5
Interior Design: 4 out of 5
Value for the Money: 5 out of 5
Reliability: 5 out of 5

"I purchased this vehicle used about 8 weeks ago with about 55K miles! There is absolutely no rust on the body which is saying a lot since it's been in Michigan it's entire life-time! I could not be happier with this car; low fuel cost, low insurance rates plus affordable maintenance and repair costs of this model! I will have this baby until its retired. Love it!"

I would recommend this car to a friend: Yes

This vehicle was purchased: Used

Primary use for this car: Commuting


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0 out of 0 found this review helpful

Cute!

by Cnfsd91
from Mokena, IL | August 23, 2011

Rating from

(5)
Comfort: 5 out of 5
Performance: 4 out of 5
Exterior Styling: 4 out of 5
Interior Design: 4 out of 5
Value for the Money: 5 out of 5
Reliability: 5 out of 5

"I went from a jeep to an escort and at first I felt like I was driving a go cart but now I'm used to it and I LOVE it! The mpg is awesome and its pretty low maintenance. Definitely a great college car!"

I would recommend this car to a friend: Yes

This vehicle was purchased: Used

Primary use for this car: N/A


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1 out of 1 found this review helpful

Its like driving the Energizer Bunny

by Escort lover
from Joplin, MO | July 30, 2011

Rating from

(4)
Comfort: 3 out of 5
Performance: 3 out of 5
Exterior Styling: 3 out of 5
Interior Design: 3 out of 5
Value for the Money: 5 out of 5
Reliability: 5 out of 5

"I bought this car 9 years ago with 103,000 miles for $3000. It has 255,000+ miles on it and it still is running strong. I just now had to replace the clutch, but other than that, I have not had any real problems with the car. I still trust it more than cars with half the miles and it still gets 30+ miles per gallon in combined city/highway driving. You don't get better value than that!!!"

I would recommend this car to a friend: Yes

This vehicle was purchased: Used

Primary use for this car: Commuting


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1 out of 1 found this review helpful

Gas Saver

by car_fan7
from Chicago, IL | December 28, 2010

Rating from

(4)
Comfort: 4 out of 5
Performance: 5 out of 5
Exterior Styling: 3 out of 5
Interior Design: 2 out of 5
Value for the Money: 5 out of 5
Reliability: 5 out of 5

"This is a good starter car, i learned how to drive with the Ford Escort. ~Good gas mileage ~Compact ( so it's easy to park) ~Very reliable ~Good acceleration ~Easy to handle ~Easy maintenance (parts are usually affordable) Just take good care of the car and it should be very good to you; I've put a very good amount of miles in the car and it shows no sign of breaking down."

I would recommend this car to a friend: Yes

This vehicle was purchased: Used

Primary use for this car: Transporting family


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3 out of 3 found this review helpful

Good....if maintained

by car_fan7
from Chicago, IL | December 21, 2010

Rating from

(4)
Comfort: 3 out of 5
Performance: 5 out of 5
Exterior Styling: 3 out of 5
Interior Design: 2 out of 5
Value for the Money: 5 out of 5
Reliability: 5 out of 5

"When my father bought this car, it was in really bad condition. The people who owned it where very "heavy", and the struts were broken. The car was so neglected that it needed a new engine, so we replaced the engine block and some other parts. After getting the car back into running condition, we drove it from Chicago to Dallas Texas, MULTIPLE TIMES. The car was very good, and never had any serious problems with it. We have put well over 120,000 miles on the car now and it shows no signs of going down soon. The parts for the car are very affordable, maintenance is easy, tune-ups can be done real fast, and the car gets good gas mileage. It's not a good-looking car but it sure does get you from point A to B and back. Just maintain it, like any other car."

I would recommend this car to a friend: Yes

This vehicle was purchased: Used

Primary use for this car: Just getting around


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2 out of 2 found this review helpful

Nearly best value for the money

by Ford Escort fan
from Cambridge, MA | December 25, 2009

Rating from

(5)
Comfort: 4 out of 5
Performance: 5 out of 5
Handling: 4 out of 5
Exterior Styling: 4 out of 5
Interior Design: 4 out of 5
Features: 4 out of 5
Value for the Money: 5 out of 5
Reliability: 4 out of 5

"Our 1997 Ford Escort 5-speed 4-door is an excellent vehicle. The fully stock 2.0 engine can still deliver 37-40 MPG on the highway with conservative driving. After having lived its whole life in states with salted roads in the winter it has very little rust, and none affecting the paint yet. It has needed the rear coil springs replaced twice and the tie-rod ends replaced twice as well. The only other maintenance has been a re-built alternator, brakes, tires, and exhaust. Otherwise this car still drives like it were new, it is nimble in city traffic and can maintain 70-75 MPH on the freeway with only some increased wind noise (turn the radio up). At 13 years old and nearly 200K miles its "value" is nearly nil, but I would need a car with a warranty to be as comfortable about its reliability."

I would recommend this car to a friend: Yes

This vehicle was purchased: Used

Primary use for this car: Transporting family


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3 out of 3 found this review helpful

Extremely reliable and cheap for maintenance

by Zee
from Detroit, MI | March 14, 2009

Rating from

(4)
Comfort: 3 out of 5
Performance: 3 out of 5
Handling: 4 out of 5
Exterior Styling: 4 out of 5
Interior Design: 3 out of 5
Features: 3 out of 5
Value for the Money: 5 out of 5
Reliability: 5 out of 5

"I bought this car with 100000 miles on it back in 2005 for $1500. So far, i have put 43000 miles on it with no major problems. Just replacing engine oil regularly and brakes when needed is all it takes for this little baby to get you everywhere you want to go with no worries. Average mileage is ~26mpg combined driving with normal acceleration. Car has been so good to me, that i'm gonna drive it `till it dies and that (according to the state the car is in) won't be soon."

I would recommend this car to a friend: Yes

This vehicle was purchased: Used

Primary use for this car: Commuting


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2 out of 2 found this review helpful

Lasted me 9 years... then I hit tree.

by RIP Zippy
from St. Paul, MN | April 9, 2008

Rating from

(4)
Comfort: 4 out of 5
Performance: 4 out of 5
Handling: 4 out of 5
Exterior Styling: 4 out of 5
Interior Design: 4 out of 5
Features: 3 out of 5
Value for the Money: 5 out of 5
Reliability: 5 out of 5

"I drove this car for 9 years and 110,000 miles and I would have driven it for longer but a kid spun out in the snow and slammed into me head on and then I hit a tree head on. For such a major accident in such a small car I walked away with only bumps and bruises. Had very few issues with this car. New trany at about 50,000 but it was covered under waranty and it leaked/burned break fluid and we could never figure out why. I had such good luck with this car that I had two family members get the same one and they have all been just as happy. Great for new drivers and people who need an affordable and reliable car. Highly recommended."

I would recommend this car to a friend: Yes

This vehicle was purchased: Used

Primary use for this car: N/A


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3 out of 3 found this review helpful

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*Invoice prices are made available by Cars.com and are not dealer advertising. All prices are subject to regional variations. Prices last updated 9/23/10. Click here for more information.

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