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I was surprised. The car was a Ford Escort. I ordered it to test drive as a matter of duty, not desire.

Some readers had been demanding more reviews of affordable cars. I wanted to show them that I was a man of the people. I wanted them to know that I, ahem, felt their pain.

So, I asked the automakers to ship some cheap metal. Ford sent the 1997 Escort LX sedan — a forest green thing with a tan, cloth interior and a five-speed manual transmission.

Well, I let it sit in the driveway a few days. I was having too much fun zooming around in a 1996 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport –a monstrously wonderful machine with a big white stripe running down the middle of its sexy blue body. Vaaarrrooommm! Oh, yeah!

But I couldn’t return the Escort without putting miles on it. That would’ve been unprofessional. I started driving the thing — and kept driving it, even on those remaining days I could’ve spent with the Grand Sport.

Life’s funny. You spend so much of it chasing fantasies that lose their glamour once obtained. And then, quite by happenstance, you fall in love with something stunningly ordinary, something you didn’t have to chase at all, something like the 1997 Escort LX.

Background: The Escort was introduced in the 1981 model year. It was an econobox, a motorized appliance, which sometimes didn’t work well. But over the years, Ford worked out the kinks. And the Escort, though it remained an aesthetic zero, became a bestseller — which proves the existence of a utilitarian market that favors go (albeit slowly in the old Escorts) over show.

Ford kept the utility in its new Escort line — compact, front-wheel drive, five-passenger cars including the base Escort sedan, upgraded Escort LX sedan, Escort Sport sedan and the five-door Escort LX wagon. Cargo capacity is 12.8 cubic feet in the sedan and 26.3 cubic feet in the wagon, enough to handle most workaday family loads.

But Ford also brought forth a new Escort that has decidedly better styling and overall better quality than its predecessor. The 1997 Escort LX sedan, for example, has a pleasantly rounded body that borrows some styling cues from its curvaceous bigger sibling, the Ford Taurus. But the Escort’s curves are more sedate — attractive without risking being offensive.

Functional changes are significant. The new Escort is a quieter, tighter car than its predecessor, thanks to the use of higher-grade sheet metal, more sound-deadening materials and better structural components in critical areas such as the instrument panel and door beams. Torsional rigidity in the new car is up 25 percent, according to Ford’s engineers.

The engine is greatly improved. It’s a 2-liter, in-line four-cylinder, split-port induction job rated 110 horsepower at 5,000 rpm, with torque rated 125-pound feet at 3,750 rpm. That’s a 25 percent improvement in horsepower and torque over the previous model.

Platinum-tipped spark plugs allow that engine to run 100,000 miles betw een tune-ups under daily commuting conditions, assuming regular filter and oil changes.

Suspension and handling are better, partly because of the use of a stiffer, better-balanced rear suspension. A five-speed manual transmission is standard. A four-speed automatic is optional. Standard brakes include power front discs/rear drums. Four-wheel anti-lock brakes are optional.

Dual front air bags are standard. Driver common sense is too often optional. You can standardize that feature by always putting children in the rear seats of passenger cars.

1997 Ford Escort LX

Complaints: Despite engine improvements, the Escort’s new four-banger still idles roughly, as evidenced by frequent engine rumbling during stops in the tested Escort LX with five-speed manual transmission.

Praise: Overall excellent redesign. Superior build quality. An overall excellent commuter. The new Escort competes well against any car in the econocar segment.

Head-turning quotient: Cute, a tractive, friendly.

Ride, acceleration and handling: Excellent ride and acceleration. Waddles a bit in the corners, which gives handling a “good” rating, but this is a commuter. Excellent braking.

Mileage: About 26 mpg with five-speed manual car (12.7-gallon tank, estimated 320-mile range on usable volume of recommended regular unleaded), running mostly highway and driver only with light cargo.

Sound system: Electronically controlled, four-speaker AM/FM stereo radio and cassette installed by Ford. Good small-car sound.

Price: Base price on the tested Escort LX sedan with manual transmission is $11,795. Dealer invoice price on base car is $11,024. Price as tested is $13,120, including $910 in options (air conditioning, driver-side remote keyless entry) and a $415 destination charge.

Purse-strings note: Excellent value. Compare with Chevrolet Cavalier/Pontiac Sunfire, Saturn SL1 Sedan, Toyota Corolla, Geo Prizm, Nissan Sentra, Honda Civic, Mazda Protege, Dodge Neon, Mitsubishi Mirage, Hyundai Elantra, Suzuki Esteem, Subaru Impreza.