1993 Ford Escort GT | Retro Review

motorWeek is made possible by Thai Rak calm and rockauto.com with over 7 million sales worldwide since its introduction in 1980 Ford subcompact escort nameplate is unquestionably a perennial favorite value and versatility being the hallmarks of its popularity in 1991 Ford and its Japanese partner Mazda collaborated to produce a redesigned escort last model year Ford refused to mess with a good thing except to add a 4-door notchback sedan that brings the 93 escort family to four models and four trim levels including this two-door hatchback GT which has style spunk and our attention the Ford Mazda marriage has produced some very capable offspring the probe which shares its chassis with the Mazda mx-5 tracer like our escort is a progeny of the Mazda Protege it is a sensible bond that is heavily influenced the escorts contemporary packaging and snappy performance under the hood of the escort GT is Mazdas 1.8 liter twin cam inline four-cylinder engine the same engine is also used in the four-door LX II the engine revs quickly and smoothly as it develops 127 horsepower and 114 pounds beat of torque as you'd expect the engine performs best in the mid and upper end of the power band since most people desire an automatic transmission over a manual especially in a community oriented cars such as the escort we opted for the optional Mazda supplied four-speed automatic transmission it shifts firm and smooth especially at low speeds some torques the earth third when shifting from first to second slow off the line and wandering a bit under hard acceleration our auto escort GT traveled zero to 60 and 11.1 seconds eighteen point three seconds is required for the quarter-mile with a final speed of 77 miles per hour the escort LX we tested last year was equipped with Ford's 1.9 liter 4-cylinder and made it to a 5-speed manual its performance numbers were slightly better a GT with the standard 5-speed manual provides the quickest pace the GT sport-tuned Macpherson independent suspension has fatter stabilizers than its stable mates making it more flat and nimble through the slalom there is a moderate amount of understeer but when the car is pushed near its limits the rear end tends to want to take over however the GT remains controllable and spirited steering is light and a little slow but delivers plenty of feedback the 15-inch Goodyear GT plus sport tires provide plenty of grip for the ninety eight point four inch escort wheelbase the escort GT comes standard with power four-wheel disc brakes the brake pedal is a bit spongy stops from 60 miles per hour took the reasonable average distance of 130 feet abs is not available too bad since under hard braking that white button where occasionally locked however directional control is good with only moderate pulling to the right and some nosedive the Protege inspired platform provides a stable and comfortable ride for the base escort but the sporty-er GT is more on the choppy side with a well planted firm feel EPA fuel estimates with the automatic transmission our 23 city and 30 Highway our combined test loop returned a very fine 29 miles per gallon no matter the parents the escort GTS exterior styling is distinctly Ford in front there are tourist contoured halogen headlamps an integrated body color bumper with fog lamps and sporty off-center grille treatment while the stubby hatchback is a new perky upturned spoiler and cladding finishing a neat well integrated rear appearance most of the interior design is also ford cabin dimensions provide slightly more room than escorts of the past gages are large and easy to read the tack is part of the GT package this arrow indicates what side the gas filler door is located a handy touch the revised fabric covered sport performance seats are on the firm side with reel side bolsters designed that way to hold occupant squarely in place adjustments are manual a tilt steering wheel is optional and has plenty of travel controls are all well marked and easy to reach while the heat and air conditioning controls have a pure import feel the graphics and look are all Ford the escort GT comes standard with an am/fm cassette stereo but the premium stereo in our test car is optional sound quality is excellent rear seating is surprisingly roomy for a small GT and Headroom is not hogged by the optional moonroof the hatch swings up and out of the way for easy access there's 35.2 cubic feet of space with the split rear seat folded nearly flat while the base price for a Ford Escort two-door hatchback is eight thousand three hundred fifty five dollars our GT version starts at eleven thousand four hundred ninety six dollars rs tested price with options thirteen thousand nine hundred thirty five dollars the 1993 Ford Escort GT makes the hit list with spirited performance from the 1.8 liter Mazda engine its styling is most up-to-date the platform is stiff for an expensive ride and handling feel and the interior is also quite roomy for a subcompact while we won't fault the operation of the four-speed automatic transmission the standard 5-speed manual makes the GT even more fun to drive our misses are only to the lack of anti-lock brakes and no airbag no matter what body style or trim level the Ford Escort has always commanded attention and sales for being portable basic transportation the 1993 Ford Escort GT continues to offer value and economy wrapped in attractive sheetmetal with a spirited personality with the latest in continual changes its status as a strong seller against the best imports should remain intact [Music]

Channel: MotorWeek

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Keywords: MotorWeek, MW, car, truck, suv, cuv, crossover, auto, automobile, vehicle, motor trend, review, drive, first drive, video

Id: bz9Fblc5ZmY

Length: 6min 31sec (391 seconds)

Published: Thu Jul 02 2020