The Morning Call and Mcall.com's view

One of the most popular of the economy/performance car is the Ford Escort GT. You don’t have to dig through sales figures to prove this one – just look.Escort GTs are all over the place. It may not be the next car you see on the road but if you wait a little while you are sure to see one – and probably in all of its colors too.

The GT is based on the Escort: the world’s best selling car for a number ofyears and for some years the best selling car in this country. No car could sell this well unless the consumer feels he/she is getting something for the money.

The something the GT offers is sportiness, performance, good fuel economy and a moderate price tag. It is a car definitely aimed at the youth market, although anyone could be happy with it. What is particularly impressive about the GT – and no doubt one of the big reasons for its popularity – is that eventhough it is based on the plain ol’ Escort, it gives the impression that it was built from the ground up as an economy/performance car. It is easily distinguished from other Escort models by its asymmetrical grille, aerodynamicfront air dam with built-in fog lamps, wide wheel flares, rear spoiler, blackout paint treatment, styled wheel spats, bodyside and rocker panel moldings and large P195/60HR15 performance tires mounted on wide, 8- spoke aluminum wheels.

All-in-all, a sporty-looking car that will turn heads, especially young ones.

To begin with basics, the Escort GT has a wheelbase of 94.2 inches, overalllength, 166.8 inches; width, 65.9 inches; height, 53.3 inches, and curb weight, 2,187 pounds. The basic dimensions and appearance of the GT are somewhat deceptive. The car looks smaller than it actually is. It does have anEPA interior volume index of 101 cubic feet (85 passenger and 16 storage) and is ranked as a compact (a volume index of100 to 110 cubic feet). Admittedly, it is not a bragging size compact but it is a compact never-the-less.

Front seat room in this two-door hatchback is roomy enough for most driversand passengers. The front seats aren’t especially large but are quite comfortable in a firm, sporty fashion. The GT is rated as a four-passenger carand with this in mind, back seat room is quite decent. Even with the front seats fully extended aft, average-sized rear-seat passengers will have sufficient leg room. If room is needed for cargo instead of passengers, the rear seats can be folded out of the way to provide 36 cubic feet of space.

The GT is an easy driving car which should further endear it to the youth market. Although it is capable of running the back roads with the best of its class, it is a forgiving car and not the least bit tricky. The firmer ride shows you that it has modified suspension and is not a demanding car. Handlingis responsive and predictable. The relatively short wheelbase and overall length allow for easy maneuvering and parking.

The four-wheel independent suspension on the fron t-wheel-drive GT features MacPherson struts with strut mounted coil springs, a stabilizer up front and trailing arms with modified MacPherson struts and coil springs in the rear. The basic suspension is tuned for performance with handling components, including specially valved shocks and struts, larger front and unique rear stabilizer bars and, as mentioned previously, the larger tires and wheels. Thepower-assisted rack-and-pinion steering system goes lock-to-lock in three turns, which means it is tight but not overly so.

Interior touches include a four-spoke leather wrapped steering wheel, a full console with graphic systems monitor, round analog instrumentation including a tachometer, an overhead console with electronic digital clock and sporty seat and door trim. What you can’t see, and what you can certainly appreciate, is the sound insulation package that makes the GT a quiet car. Controls are rather conventional and for the most part do not require studying. The urn signal stalk and the wiper/washer stalk, however, are very close together and, if you are not paying attention to what you are doing, they could both be activated at the same time. As with several other cars thisyear, the GT (and other Escorts for that matter) features automatic shoulder safety belts for driver and front seat passengers. The motorized belts are used with standard lap belts.

The GT is more than just another pretty face. It has a souped-up four cylinder engine to go along with its sporty nature. This 116-cubic-inch/1.9 -liter engine is known as the H.O. CVH (high output compound valve hemispherical) and is rated at 108 horsepower at 5,200 rpm and 114 foot poundstorque at 4,000 rpm. This is quite a fistful of power for a car this size. It gets its extra power (as compared to the standard 1.9-liter rated at 86 horsepower and 100 foot pounds torque) from a multi-port fuel injection system, tuned intake and exhaust manifolds, roller tappets, a performance camshaft and a lightweight flywheel. Not surprisingly, the GT’s performance isquite good. Acceleration is lively, passing power is more than adequate and highway cruising is quiet. The test car had the standard five-speed manual (a three-speed automatic is an option) that proved to be easy to take, a forgiving transmission that should be quite suitable for the beginning driver (or experienced driver who is learning to shift).

When all is said and done, though, the GT’s economy car heritage shows up at the pumps. If driven halfway reasonably the GT is capable of some very goodfuel mileage. The test car averaged 23 miles per gallon for city driving and 31 mpg over the highway. The test was done with premium unleaded gasoline.

Base price for the Escort GT is $8,860. Standard equipment, in addition to items already mentioned, included 5 mph bumpers, AM-FM stereo, remote control locking fuel filler door, remote control liftgate release, dual electric outsider mirrors and split dual folddown rear seats. Full price on the test car, including a deliver charge of $309, came to $10,337. Options include the climate control package (air conditioning, rear window defroster, tinted glassand interval windshield wipers) $993; upgraded radio with four speakers and cassette, $137, and premium sound system, $138. The price includes $100 of added discounts.