Ford Escort Mk6 1.8TD - was I wrong about this generation?

[@MorristheMinor]

My memory of the Mk. 5 Escort was when a police version of the car crashed through the garden wall and into our front lawn at 6 am. I peeked out of the curtains to see it sitting there, looking like someone had removed it's dentures, the blue lamp slowly revolving on the roof and three young, ashen faced PCs coming trembling out the doors. I heard my Dad run through from the downstairs bedroom, open the living room curtains and exclaim 'Expletive! It's the expletive police this time!!!'

[@mattbarber7494]

Can't park it there sir!

[@MorristheMinor]

@mattbarber7494 My father's words when the traffic inspector turned up, you could tell with all the scrambled egg on his uniform, were 'You have the battery and I'lll take the tyres!'. Cue a deadpan reaction from the officer and my Mum wondering if my Dad was going to be 'lifted' as we say in Scotland.

[@BernardSamson-hf6fc]

That also has the "Braille" on the horn button, so blind drivers can beep horn.

[@williamgreer4087]

😂

[@69Phuket]

:p

[@nekite1]

🤣

[@stevewilson8467]

Handy for the people that designed the car..

[@vernonmatthews181]

😂❤

[@bigjohno242]

I bought a white 1997 1.8 TD estate in 2006 as a tip car / runaround. My wife loved it to bits , and used it as her art stall / jewellery stall car . The fuel pump packed up , but that was the only thing that went wrong. We kept it for 4 years and had it serviced every year. We then sold it to a young painter and decorator starting out and he came to collect it with his little boy , who loved it also ! Fond memories . I hope the car gave him good service and helped him get his business running successfully.

[@person.X.]

What a lovely comment.

[@TheMentalblockrock]

The MK-I Focus was a HUGE update over the Escort, so much so that the Escorts feel like 1980's cars and the Focus isn't far behind the modern Focus (in some ways better!)

[@ferrumignis]

The FWD Escorts were all effectively 1980s cars. They had many facelifts and some safety improvements but underneath nothing changed enough to make them nice cars to drive. As you rightly say, the Focus was in a completely different league, an absolute game changer for Ford.

[@paultaylor7082]

Agreed, when you bear in mind the Mk 6 Escort only came out three years before the Focus, the contrast between the capabilities of the two cars was there for all to see. Compared to the Focus, the Escort was old hat, and was only produced until 2000, as the Focus stole most of its sales, at the finish they were selling the late Escorts at large discounts to get rid of them. It was also the same when the Escort Van was replaced, around 2002, with a Transit Connect, a far better van, higher up seating, side loading door and a larger cargo space. We had a 2000 (Y) Focus 1.8 Ghia estate, a lovely car to drive, for 8 years.

[@dungareesareforfools]

No, I had a mk6 RS2000 - driving it alongside a mk4 RS Turbo, they were like night and day. The steering on the mk6 (especially the RS) was superb - no doubt thanks to Richard Parry-Jones.

[@danielgreener4574]

I had a mk3 focus (in the days when Ford made cars before going crazy and only making US trucks and electric cars). The mk1 focus was legendary, my father had a post-facelift (without the ugly bumper indicators) and I just wish I was old enough at the time to drive it. Although it was the 1.8 diesel (I guess a later and totally different engine to this video) unfortunately it just had issues starting and taking it to the garage to diagnose and change the dual mass flywheel and all sorts never fixed it, so I don't know what happened to that car or if it even lasted much longer. Apparently the mk2 was mechanically quite similar to the mk1, although it looks more like the mk3 in size and shape. My mk3 Titanium was a bit weird in that it was essentially a top of the spec trim car with duel zone climate control etc. (I fell for the looks of the mk3 and those front headlights etc.) however it was a 1.6 VVT non-turbo petrol (which even by 2011 standards was a bit weedy), only had 5 gears, and it felt really heavy. I mean, it was like a Volvo or something, such a solid, safe, and actually quite a spacious car (I think it is the size of a mk1 Mondeo and the 2006 Casino Royal Mondeo is really the Granada - Ford people will understand what I mean by that). BUT my mk3 Focus was a great family car and motorway cruiser, it just wasn't a 'focus', not to me, to drive. Even compared to the mk2 (BIL had a diesel one so I've sat passenger in one). I later got a 2016 Astra 1.6 Turbo petrol and that was my mk1 focus! I don't think there is a coincidence in what GM did there at all, they saw the space that ford had left with the now mk1 Mondeo like Focus and the fiesta (the one that was around for like a decade, I had an '09) was always like a mk1 focus little brother that was half the car. Anyway thanks for reading everyone if you got to the end! :)

[@danielrussell446]

Great video Ian and Carly and brought back many memories as I passed my test in a Fiesta 1.8 turbo diesel LX 5 door 93 model and how you described the engine was spot on gutless until turbo came in then a flying machine Being a Vauxhall family I always thought the mk2-3Astra were streets ahead of the escort in many ways and it wasn’t until the focus that ford made the massive leap forward and the original focus was awesome

[@ferrumignis]

The Astra's were definitely the superior cars, Vauxhall were making vastly better engines than Ford back then and the styling was much less stodgy.

[@bentullett6068]

The best looking version of this generation Escort was the estate car variant. My Uncle had one as a company car in one of the top trim levels, in white. He actually said he preferred driving it to the VW Golf MK4 that followed.

[@CTX-wh5qu]

I had the estate version, simply loved it, always thought it had a "Mercedes" look about the rear profile, especially with the roof bars. I change it for a Volvo V40, BIGGEST ! mistake I have ever made in the motoring front.

[@bentullett6068]

@CTX-wh5qu if I can remember my Uncles one was the MK6 version and had those interesting designed alloy wheels with the body kit and rear spoiler. Looked really good.

[@christopherfallguy592llang7]

Have mk6 14 clxi still dealer sticker on it

[@clivet3252]

Yeah they had a nice curve at the rear and interesting lights. It didn't have the bloated look of the hatch. The top of the range Orion with the rear wiper looked kinda smart, too.

[@CauliflowerMcPugg]

Was never drawn to Ford as a teenager. I didn't buy Ford until I lived in Aussie and NZ. Great review and nice to hear why Miss HubNut has a soft spot for the escort.

[@hamstirrer6882]

Fond memories of this car, the first car I ever drove in a field at 14 years old, was my dad's N reg 1.6 16v Escort, I learned about clutch control, and remember him panicking as I raced towards a fence braking just in time! A rare sight nowadays but one I always look at fondly.

[@alextoft9199]

I love the stalks! Only channel you can say that on. Reminds me of my 1999 Fiesta Zetec. Was my first car, and I thought it was the best thing ever! I did love the sporty drive though. Interestingly, I now I have a 2002 Fabia Estate. Considering how close in age they are, the Fabia is so much better. Quite frankly, it makes the Fiesta look like a toy. You can carry 5 people in comfort. It's so smooth and easy to drive. Now I'm older, I'd definitely choose the Fabia! I love the indicator stalk in the Fabia too! Same as my Dad's Audi company cars of the time. I love the Audi-esque indicator tick and the satisfying click when they cancel!

[@TheMondeozetec]

Massive foglight switch I think split in 2 for rear/front foglights..

[@Grez6232]

A 96 N Escort 1.6 LX was my dad's first new car, a 40th birthday present from grandad bought at a heavy discount through his Barclaycard (£8999 if I remember rightly). It replaced a 89 F Maestro 1.3 Special. Served the family well for 4 years and just short of 50k miles, despite dad crashing it within 3 weeks. I never liked it, it wasn't really spacious enough for 2 rapidly growing teenagers. Once had a Mondeo courtesy car that I fell in love with. Dad thought it was perfectly fine but now can't even remember owning it. Which says a lot about the experience, I think.

[@richardbrown1189]

I had a Peugeot 309 with a 1.9 XUD engine which was just brilliant. I owned it from 9000 miles until I finally sold it twelve years later when it had done 186,000 and it was still pulling like a train. Never had a single thing done to the engine except changing the oil. Not even changing the glow plugs. Can we get HubNut to do a 309 review please?

[@ferrumignis]

The XUD was a far better engine than the Ford boat anchor.

[@jarthurs]

My Dad worked at Ford in Dagenham so we were a solid Ford family for many years. I have fond memories of my Mum's long series of Mk4 Escorts including a 3 and 5 door estate which proved very utilitarian. She had so many in fact that when I recalled a terracotta coloured 3 door escort she denied ever having one until I found photographic evidence.

[@robertlambert8719]

A lovely example of an Escort. I remember working on these back in the 1990s. Generally, they were quite reliable. Totally agree with you about the suspension; I seem to remember the same complaint with the Mk 3! Low mileage cars are out there ; I MOT tested a 2005 Honda Jazz with 3500 miles from new, full history, and still owned by the original purchaser! Can anyone beat that? Great video, as always.👍

[@matthewlockwood9533]

I have a 58 plate mondeo with this engine in squeezing 125bhp ,a lot of torque at lower revs and not much lag either . Adding common rail injection and VG turbo transformed these engines later down the line . I've had 4 of these engines , non turbo in a mk4 fiesta, a turbo one in a mk4.5 fiesta and focus mk1 which had 100bhp I like these engines !

[@allanfoster6965]

A lovely review from both of you. With the amount of history Carley has with this marque, I am totally surprised that there is not one in the fleet! ❤

[@paulallen6915]

The best thing about this series of Escort (I had one), was to demonstrate how far the game moved on with introduction of the Focus

[@WhiskeyGulf71]

I had a mk4 Escort combi van with the N/A 1.8 diesel, it was very quick ! Especially compared to the smaller 1.6 diesel.

[@rsjamie9423]

I really enjoyed this video as an Escort Mk6 owner myself. Thank you 👍

[@livc444111]

Another car I didn't care for 20 years ago but now it looks bloody lovely ❤

[@rawry100]

I grew up with mk 3 and mk 5 escorts so many memories sitting in the back of them, I would love to get one 👌

[@Timico1000]

7:45 I remember that in a german Ford magazine from 1990 they bragged about that the wiper mechanic of the MK5 was directly taken over from the Ford Scorpio, as if that was a sign of superior quality and not just a cost cutting measure.

[@Luke-i3e]

History has proven them right, there are quite a few mk6 escorts left on the road, certainly more than similar age vws audis beemers etc, where are the 30 year old golf's etc? Scrapped because they were rubbish, old ford's never die they just get more expensive

[@Timico1000]

@Luke-i3e Maybe in the UK were the Escort was a bestseller. Here in Germany it is the other way round: from time to time you encounter a Golf 3, the Astra F is already more rare...but i can't remember when i've seen the last Escort. Weirdly i see an early (1990/91) Orion from time to time, according to the old "DIN" license plates it is still with its original owner.

[@Luke-i3e]

@Timico1000 astra g was the best car vauxhall /opel ever made, I had a 1.6 16v for a few years, that car was strong, would still have it if it wasn't for a mitsubishi l200 having a head on collision with it, still got me home after the accident

[@Timico1000]

@@Luke-i3e Back then a friend had an ´01 Astra G estate with said 1.6 and he hated that car. So much went wrong with it that over the years he invested almost the same money into repairs as he did buying it. I still wonder he didn´t torch it instead.

[@ozakki8719]

That diesel clatter brings back fond memories of my Apprenticeship days. The company I worked for bought a fleet of 51 plate vans with the 1.8 TD and to say they got a battering (the vans that is!) is an understatement. They all slowly but surely died of rot by about 2010. But to be fair, they never gave up otherwise, and handled very well for a van! Especially on the North Wales country roads.

[@chrishart8548]

It was good when a van was really just a car at the front. A ford transit connect is nice to drive but nothing like driving a car.

[@ozakki8719]

@@chrishart8548 yes we had the subsequent Transit Connects and not the same. Better equipped as a van yes, but to drive as a car, not at all.

[@jcooper_]

Obviously was just the thing back in the day, but it's crazy how quickly cars rotted back then. Imagine 15-plate vehicles today going to the scrappers for rust - it'd be a PR nightmare for the manufacturer...

[@micbarker6256]

I bought an R reg (1997) 1.6LX in 1999 from Skyway Ford in Speke just down the road from Halewood. Took it with me to Finland and drove it for 14 years sold it when I moved to Italy. Wonderful car, saw it a couple of years later, they'd tinted the windows, slammed it to the ground and installed a boy racer exhaust. Broke my heart 😢😅

[@clivet3252]

I had a lovely MK1 Focus that was like a new car when I got it. I checked the MOT history and whoever had it after me put a load of miles on it and now it's been scrapped.

[@kennyg4744]

I was an I.T. field service engineer from 94 to 97 doing about 40,000 miles a year. I got a replacement company car every 6 months and was always an Escort estate or Astra estate. My opinion was that they were very closely matched, but for what I was using it for, the Astra was a slightly better car, particularly from a practicality point of view. But that is not taking anything away from the Escort.

[@NotRubensDad]

I had an Escort 1.6 saloon, I think it was a P-reg, nice thing, huge boot, sort of did everything you wanted but nothing more than that. Seemed quite in demand when I sold it, going for more than I paid for a it a year earlier. Gearbox was sweet.

[@chrishart8548]

Lots of other nicer cars on a P reg back then. The escort was cheap though. I had loads of escorts probably should of got a mondeo though instead. Even The mk3 astra was better than an escort really.

[@dunnockdan]

Ah, nostalgia is strong with this one, my dad had a white 1995 (M-reg) one - petrol 1.6 I think, well it wasn't a diesel one - just the smell of the plastics and seat fabric, still sticks with me now. Definitely the smell of Fords of that era. So thanks for taking me back Ian, good review per usual.

[@Sid3300]

I remember my Auntie had a MK6 Escort automatic. Not sure if she still has it now but she definitely did a couple of years ago, that car went on forever It seems.

[@jdtseventyfour]

I still remember the first time I saw a mk 5. I was 16 and at college in Hull. I spotted one of the road and proclaimed to my friends wow a mk 5 Escort (they all thought I'd last my mind) in my defence I was already a car nut by then and my dad drove a mk3 and my mum a mk1 Fiesta so we were very much a Ford family until my uncle bought a pug 309 with the XUD engine in non turbo form which my dad bought off him a few years later. As you say the mk5 always felt a big clunky and agricultural compared to a pug 306 (we've had 5 of them by the way all deisels). We also had a mk2 Mondeo with the Lynx engine which was a great engine. Shame the Mondeo rotted away around it really. Great video as always and thanks Carly for sharing your memories. They make these videos even more enjoyable as you can see the feelings they evoque.

[@MicraHakkinen]

I used to drive a red Escort Mk5b from '92, so post facelift. Despite being only a 1.6 it was a great car, very comfortable and good looking.

[@chrishart8548]

So like the first mk5 but only difference from the front was an ovel grill that looked like an after thought? I had 3 of these white k reg a white L reg and a green M reg all 3 door ones. I had a H reg. The faclift ones were a lot better and had the side impact beams

[@marklang3770]

I had one of these as a company car in 95. No turbo no power steering. You wouldn't dare overtake. The steering was very heavy. Did about 90000 miles in it and the surface of the steering wheel eroded exposing a type of foam that would burn my hands somehow. Also the seat covering gave me a terrible sweat rash. This video brought back some bad memories. The one you are driving seems much better than min

[@Clodhopping]

My Dad had one of these as company car and he got a weird rash on his back. The GP said it was psoriasis but it mysteriously went Dad got the next car... 🤔

[@Lasercapri]

You was better with this review on the escort , glad miss hub nut understands us ford guys and I hope to see her owning one herself ❤

[@ianmontgomery7534]

They do have Betty!!

[@northstar1950]

I once had a 1.8 Mondeo with the turbo diesel engine, easily recognisable because the front grill was a different design to the petrol ones presumably to allow more air in the the intercooler. That to had turbo lag and under some conditions could catch me out when the power suddenly appeared from nowhere . Nice car all the same and never gave any trouble. I do miss my diesels.

[@alanbellwood3902]

Had 14 M6 Escort from 12mths old. Built at the Jaguar factory never rusted, never broke down, did 100k in it. Sold it as the dash started to get a few niggles. Ther niggle was that wiper connection on the boot lip used to need cleaning due to copper oxidising. Mine was Belladonna Purple and was cheaper as they couldn't sell it. Used to list after the Diesel, especially the estate.

[@howardkey1639]

I had a white 2000/ Y reg 1.8L TD 55 van. I bought it from new in 2001 with only 7 miles on the clock and kept it until 2013. A great little van and I was sad to let it go but the rust was starting to take hold. It went to a friend who need something at short notice. He kept it on the road up until a couple of years ago. It has now given up it's parts to help restore van so still lives on. 🙂

[@MrKenny777]

I think the styling is still very fresh. Like Miss Hubnut I adore the rear lights and the oval grille.

[@jncg2311]

I used to drive one of those now and then, 1.8TD, also on an N plate when it was probably 7/8 years old. It was a bit of a 'pool' car on a farm I worked on, going to a supplier for parts or delivering/ collecting things or people from other farms etc. It was memorable for the complete lack of handling prowess, the noise, and the fact that at any one time it had at least one knackered wheel bearing or CV joint. It was only doing a job after all but I don't remember a single part about it that I now think of as positive. Around the same time or perhaps just after, I had the chance to spend some time driving a Citroen ZX on the same roads, doing much the same thing. That was a 1.4 I think and otherwise unremarkable but it was a flying machine, and a joy to punt about on B roads. I remember it made my own car at the time, a Mk.2 scirocco feel decades older (which it was, in reality) but the Scirocco in turn ran rings around the Escort. I never thought to compare them until now but where the ZX made me realise I was driving a quite compromised car, the Escort made me glad it wasn't like that!

[@iainbruce3376]

Crazy to think how many of these were on the roads nack in the 90s. Now you would be lucky to see one.

[@Luke-i3e]

I've got 2, much more reliable than any German car of the same era

[@iainbruce3376]

Probably more reliable than anything from the current era. And more interesting.

[@Luke-i3e]

@iainbruce3376 yea I say so, had to buy a headlamp the other day due to a bin lorry backing into it, cost me £13.50 on Ebay, bargain compared to the wife's touareg at £500 each, and they brighter than the tyuareg ones

[@pdsnpsnldlqnop3330]

In period, diesel was much cheaper relative to petrol compared to today. It depends on how far you needed to go, however, diesel had something to offer over petrol, particularly if you were putting in motorway miles. The models with fancier seats - Ghia - GL - were comfortable for cross country drives, with that fuel economy making it work out. They were compact compared to Sierra/Mondeo sized things and yet they had central door locking, that not all cars had in period. Parking was also a snip, even in London, without needing the gadgets of today. I would take this in diesel over any golf of the period.

[@seancooke7332]

Very fair review. Yes the engine was anything but smooth, the point was that it didn't rattle itself to bits and proved very reliable. They finally got the looks correct and the design got the dynamics it deserved at launch. Definitely go Zetec 16valve and a higher trim level and have a nice comfortable and practical hatchback Classic to be proud of. Excellent video. Thank you both. I'm sure many thousands of Escorts travelled to and from the Maternity Department, I know our 1995 Vauxhall Astra 1.4 Merit did leaving quite a dent in the carpet underneath the accelerator pedal. All 60 Little Shetland Ponies carried it surprisingly quickly but we would have given anything for a Turbo Diesel LS version at the time which was the desirable purchase just like the Escort TD.

[@timelwell7002]

I'm with Miss HubNut on this one. A previous girl-friend of mine had a low mileage 1.6 manual petrol Escort Mark VI - it was a very good car, with no mechanical or electrical issues, and was/is IMO a fine looking vehicle. I magine that she still has the car though cannot be sure as I haven't seen her for many years. My only criticism of this car is that for me, the seats are not high enough - hence me owning a Kia Venga.

[@jimg492]

Aw Carly it's so nice to hear your experiences. Great video Ian, as always. I'm not a fan of these model Escort (petrol cvh) tbh, I've bad memories driving from South Devon to Stoke-on-Trent and back years ago lol. My dad had a mondeao with this engine though, that was really good!

[@dieselgav]

I had a 1998 S plate, pepper red 1.6 finesse. It was a great car. It had a heated windscreen and air con which at the time, was the first time I'd had a car with those features. I had it until 2003 and rather reluctantly replaced it with a Focus.

[@dungareesareforfools]

That switch gear is so large because on models with front fog lights, it's split into two. Those indicator stalks were a bit unreliable, but they're identical to the Fiesta and Puma ones. When I first saw a new mk6 I thought the front was the most exciting and handsome design Ford had done for ages.

[@KylesCarsYT]

Nice to see an updated video. I watched your last one when i bought my first car which was an Escort cabriolet, i since bought another and have owned it 3 years. I have noticed the ‘triangle of doom’ disappears as the linkage ages and wears a bit. It has just enough slack that you get a perfect sweep, but not so much it’s noticeably aged. Mines the Mk6 1.8 Zetec Ghia Cabriolet which i’ve converted to mk5b, however i will be (complete the opposite to most) converting it to the 90bhp TD soonish. Most would consider it a big downgrade from my current engine but it’s what i want for the car so that’s good enough reason for me. The 1.8 Zetec won’t be going to waste however and will be going to my gfs great to see a newer video, and of a TD too!

[@paulwatts2192]

Miss Hubnut is happy.

[@krisking751]

My Friend had one. I used to take the Mickey out of it, till it was the Hero of the day. I broke down in my Rover 45 with my trailer tent on the back, my tow my trailer tent to Santa Pod, I got a lift with another mate in his Granada Cosworth which then broke down with his caravan on the back. The Escort then dropped the trailer tent in Santa Pod and pulled the 1500kgs of caravan into Santa Pod. Hero of the hour. That little 1600 zetec earned its keep that day.

[@jovannajdanov]

18:49 My 1.8td Clx turnier from 1994 in red color is still running strong without oil burning starts on first key even in -20c rust free never seeing garage in 30+ years . Looks mint inside and outside with just regular maintenance on 5000mls/ 7500km using only sintetic oil in the engine 5w40 a3/b4 and gearbox gl4+ 75w90 first clutch plate brake disk and pump and complete renovation on front end he see just now after 30 years and 200000km and will be good inside and outside for next 30 years. Most economic car you can imagine with good practical boot space even compared with brand new cars $/km is lowest you can find on any car produced today

[@terryjacob8169]

Had one as a company car in the late 1990's. I can't say I loved it, but it got me where I need to go and was reliable. Not the most exciting car I've ever driven, but served its purpose.

[@nigelcarty8084]

I love your videos!! I've always been passionate about cars, particularly the older ones 😊

[@plym1969]

This definitely brought back memories. Ford diesels of this era seemed to have terrible reviews.. Another very entertaining and interesting review.

[@Super5gon]

Nice little cars, a friend of mine had a 1.8 TD non-intercooled 70 hp, good cruiser too, many journeys all around Spain. It was scrapped to leave place for a Peugeot 207

[@danieltaylor8089]

I have to agree with Miss Hubnut Escorts are such lovely cars. Got fond memories of A MK6 1.8 convertible unfortunately it had been badly modified to be a show car but was still fun to be a passenger in

[@ianfrench1577]

I always loved that gen of escort, and I loved what they did with the fabric trims, which were a major step up in refinement as well as more comfortable seats and door trim. I also loved the organic curving that was prevelent all over the interior. I miss velour on seats and door trim as well as padded arm rests, all seem to have vanished from new cars, as well as colourful fabric and wood

[@maximumattackrallying]

Nice to see a more balanced review of this generation of the Escort. They get a lot of stick to this day but, provided you avoid the earliest cars, they're not nearly as bad as some people would have you believe. Get one from 1992 onwards with a 16-valve engine and they were perfectly good cars, while the sporting models were actually pretty capable.

[@this_is_a_tiny_town]

There was an era of those engines during which they just loved breaking camshafts. I think the culprit was a little timing belt idler gear which mounted to the front of the cylinder head.

[@alexzander5511]

I had this model, an N reg too, as my first company car in State Blue. It wasn't a great car but I liked its no nonsense character. While not pleasant, the engine needs revving regularly to prevent it coking up which is what happened to mine. Other than that, it was very reliable.

[@MN12BIRD]

I kinda like the rear end/tails. I mean the MK5 tails were of their time. Very much late 80's early 90's looking (look like a BMW E36) but by the mid 90's they had to change with the times. Everything was going round and honestly they look good to me! The front end could use a little something extra to spruce it up but the rear end looks great! Coming from a Canadian who of course never had these here so it's like my first time seeing one like this ;)

[@100SteveB]

I had a MK5 Orion for a few years, with a 1.6L DOHC 16v engine. I really liked it - a good little workhorse. I was working at sea back then, and sadly came back to our tucked away berth one night to find some kids had broken into the yard and smashed every window and light on the car. So that was the end of that. My only gripe with it had been the front suspension, it was always eating front lower wishbone bushes, along with the front anti-roll bar drop links.

[@HubNut]

Aw!

[@coops206]

I had a 1993 mk3 Orion diesel, naturally aspirated. A friend had a mk6 estate TD and the performance was markedly different and my parents had a 1.6 petrol mk5. They all drove well and were super reliable.

[@PenryMMJ]

I had an Escort Flight estate, the "run out special". It was extremely well built. A really good workhorse.

[@darrenwilson8042]

The main issue for Ford was they were banging this engine out at the same time as PSA were "doin' their thang" with their diesels - most company car user choosers went sort of BX, 306 rather than Escort

[@chrishart8548]

The best ford diesels were Peugeot engines 2.5 in the granada 2.3 in the Sierra. 2.0 in the 2011 momdeo. The 2.0 2.2 2.4d ford duratorque and the 1.8 endura were garage.

[@jfv65]

Yes, the famous Indenor diesels.

[@MP-po6fj]

Pug diesels back then under the psa were far superiorly built compared to the dated ford 18 d and td. No comparison at all.

[@MP-po6fj]

​@@chrishart8548the 2 2 tdci was a fine engine in the mondeo and transit..

[@chrishart8548]

@MP-po6fj that was a ford engine with a cam chain. The 2.2 and 2.4 was all the same engine. I still prefer the 2.0 psa engine that replaced it in 2011

[@micheltebraake7915]

I worked at a garage where we serviced a Fiesta MK2 with a non-turbo diesel. At every service we let the fuel system drink a bottle of diesel cleaner and you could immediately hear the engine idle nicely.

[@tomhope4613]

Brings back memories. I owned an n-reg mk6 1.6lx in red and stuck tsw stealth alloys on it. Came from a 1.8 xr2i that was stolen and burnt out and was disappointed about its lack of power

[@Eric_Hunt194]

My mum had a 1993 (L) facelifted mk5 Escort saloon (the Orion name was dropped with the facelift) which became the car I had access to once I passed my test. Took it all over the country and it was fantastic on long journeys. Ours was an LX trim like this one, but had the 1.6 16v petrol engine. As for them not lasting, i took the odometer on ours all the way around to zeroes and then some. It eventually died in a prang on the M5 with (a hundred and)18,000 on the clock.

[@davidgolding4713]

I worked at a small local independent Ford dealer in the early 00’s and the local car traders couldn’t get enough of these MK-6’s. I had a couple of these and the MK-5’s. Both had the same underpinnings, running gear etc, but when you sat in a MK-6 they felt so much more refined than the MK-5’s…more complete. The 1.8D normally aspirated engine was dreadful and couldn’t pull the skin off a rice pudding, but with the turbo added, they were a decent, torquey engine. I used to maintain a couple of MK-1 Mondeo’s (with the 1.8TD) for a friend who used them as work cars up and down the motorway carrying 3-4 guys - plus tools and they had decent performance and would go on forever if maintained correctly….don’t forget to change the cam belts on these! When I came out of the motor trade and into construction, I needed a 2nd car (my son had just been born) and I bought a 1996 1.8TD Escort Estate locally as a p/x but it had a crunch (synchro) in 3rd and clearly had a lack of power issue. I paid reasonable money for it, bought a 2nd gearbox for it (£150 - but never did fit it!) and after a bit of investigation found a (think it was boost or breather) pipe disconnected at back of cylinder head, reconnected it and it transformed the car!! Sold the car to a mate when I needed a van and he loved it….was the dreaded corrosion that sent it to the breakers in the end! Also had a ‘97 1.8 Si estate (with A/C!) as a stop-gap in early 2011 and the clutch ratchet / quadrant went on it, on a hill (my son still reminds me of that when we drive past where it happened 😂) easy fix though. Sold it to my brother who had it for a work car too. They were good cars by the MK-6, but as Hub says, it was the Focus that was a game-changer 👍

[@LeytonC]

Yeah had one for years, pregnant cow locks - makes a great moo sound, turbo lag was terrible - I move to a much new golf TDI and its was lightyears ahead. Did love that Escort though, drove about 100,000 in it. I drove it into the ground. When i changed it, there was no fuel gauge, only 1 electric window working, so many non working other electrics...

[@MarcusTDM]

I had a 1.8 GTI. Great car. Parry Jones did a great job improving the suspension set up from the MK5.

[@schon74]

Love Mk5/6 escorts ❤ would love another as a retro classic for shows .

[@paulie-Gualtieri.]

Ian can you review the Escort or Orion 1.6 Diesel. That would be very interesting. Had many miserable times in the back on an Orion with that diesel engine as a child in the early 90s. Good review on this I genuinely miss seeing Escorts on the road.

[@gazonatrike7005]

I've had two a 1300 pop? and a diesel van, liked them both for different reasons. the pop was so bad it was brilliant like stepping back to a mk2 all 4 speed and crashy, the van just did everything for pennies and made me money as a work shed.

[@90sDiesel]

I love these I’ve only ever dealt with 1.6 petrols but I’ve always wanted a turbo diesel one

[@tiagodeniz1422]

Something about original dealer plates 🤤

[@MattysCars]

My grandad had one for years and years it always felt a bit more frumpy than my mum’s mk1 Focus but still comfortable and refined, in 1.6 petrol form at least

[@JohnMintyTech]

I had a MK4 as my first car. When looking for a replacement I really wanted a Mk5 or 6 but could not afford one at the time. I remember top gear slating it and admitting they got that wrong. They look great and are pretty comfy. The 1.3 and 1.4 engines were underpowered. The one you drove looks mint. A fantastic example. 👍

[@alansimpson835]

Agreed. Not a bad car. We had friends with the base model on an N reg with the 1.3 engine. It was slow, noisy and had no power steering but just kept going and was only killed off by the scrappage scheme. I have a real soft spot for the Escort van too. I would love one. We had one at work with the non turbo diesel which I'd best describe as a bit of a plodder

[@jamespotter3334]

These things used to eat through wishbones too, especially the diesel ones with the extra weight. I would put a set of them on my father in laws van every year for it's MOT.

[@alexbrauninger3687]

My first car was an escort 1.8td with the 90ps version. Went well as I guess it’s a relatively light car. Eventually the tin worm ate the cills and wasn’t worth repairing at over 200k miles. The engine just kept going although in winter a couple of rounds of glow plugs was needed to help it start easier.

[@Invisibleman7]

I had a R reg TD ghia, in dark green, I loved it, never once let me down, swapped it for W reg Mondeo TD ghia x,

[@stratpluslover8391]

I absolutely love these cars I've had 2 of these back in the day they was very reliable I would have another one tomorrow great vehicles

[@simonc858]

I had one of these back in the early 2000s it was a P reg, in Dark Aubergine now that was a beautiful colour, I have to say I loved the car and love the look of them, I am with Miss Hubnut on this one 😎

[@chrishart8548]

Most in that colour were ghia X models.

[@simonc858]

@@chrishart8548 I had a rare one then as it was definitely not a Ghia X

[@lightningrt434]

I drove mine into the ground, had all the cooling system replaced over a period of a year, then realised the head gasket had gone! Did 25000miles a year in mine not in total! Great car though. Gigged with it as a guitarist and it managed all my gear. I’ve seriously considered getting a Ghia estate. Mine was an LX.

[@JulianPhilipNicolls]

I had a petrol one as a hire car in 1996 to go home to Weymouth from Halifax and back. A memorable drive down as I was pulled over by the police on the M5 for speeding. The copper was in a Vauxhall Senator, which was rather nicer than the Escort.

[@paultaylor7082]

By the end if its run, in 2000, the Escort, in its last version, was too long in the tooth, using suspension not much different from more earlier models, it was showing its undoubted age. The Focus came along in 1998, that showed how much the game had moved on in the 3 years since the Mk 6 was introduced. The Focus, at the time of its introduction, was the best mass produced car in its class for several years, it was only outsold by the equally excellent Fiesta. We had a 1.8 petrol Ghia Estate in Pacific Green, for 8 years (2000 - 2008), before passing it on to our granddaughter. It looked great, only one fault in 8 years, a drive shaft failed, but that was repaired under warranty. It looked great and drove like a dream. One of our firm's vans we got from new was a 51 (2001) Escort 1.8 diesel, that was replaced with a Transit Connect in 2005. The Connect was a far better designed van, with higher up seating, SLD and more cargo space. You still see plenty of 2002/3 early Connects about, but very few Escort van from the early 2000s.

[@livc444111]

The Focus handled beautifully but was it really better than the MK4 Golf? I'm not sure. Because those two it was also very close between the Xsara and the Astra.

[@procta2343]

i often wondered that they just gave up with it, by the end mid 90s, and just let run its course, while they started work on the focus.

[@adriansouthernwood6868]

I had a 1998 1.8 zetec 16v petrol LX model as a company car. It was a great car, good amount of power and the engine seemed very refined to me. Took what was then my young family on several family holidays to the south west of England. Great memories. By the way, the rear fog light button that you comment on the size of, is actually two buttons in the same space if you also have the front fog lights. Loving this video, thanks for bringing back some great memories.

[@Timico1000]

Same with the button of the heated rear window which became two buttons when you ordered the heated windscreen.

[@muckle8]

The 1.8 zetec was a great engine - had a mondeo with this motor for years .

[@adriansouthernwood6868]

@@Timico1000 it did indeed!

[@mrbagitos]

I had an S reg Escort Finesse 1.6 petrol back in the day. The only issue I had was the plastic surround on the dash around the heating controls used to squeak. It really did my head in. Probably had the dash off with the previous owner or something. To be fair it would have been about 10 years old when I got it with only 70k on the clock. Other than that it was an immaculate, well maintained car and was very happy with it.

[@andyingham1190]

I used to have a RS2000 4x4 mk6 ‘ M ‘ reg. ran it for 10 years, a great car. Probably worth a lot now, it was a rare car then.

[@theworldaccordingtochris4370]

Great engine. Every Ford diesel I see today is a guaranteed smoker, white mainly but those engines were brilliant.

[@simonhodgetts6530]

The mark 6, what I remember of it, was seen as a big improvement over the lacklustre mk5, and it was seen to have been successful in righting a lot of the faults of the mk5. Then the Focus was launched, and Ford instantly made a huge leap forward!

[@anthonystevens8683]

From my experience back in the day before an Escort was deemed the classic that it deserved to be the MKIII was the biggest change when it became a hatch and had front wheel drive that served as the blue print for the future versions. It arguably was a better balance of family car and drivers car but the MKI will always be my favourite. I don't think I drove an oil burner but was lucky enough to drive a bundle of XR3i and RS Turbo models from later versions that were quite a hoot. I never drove a 'Cosi' version of the escort but I did drive a few Sierra whale tale 'Cosis' that were frankly a tad bonkers but still practical for a family. Many thanks for sharing.

[@tonysargent7787]

another great video has always Ian and Carly miss/mrs hubnut and hublets and hubmutt 👍

[@theelectrichobo829]

I had that 1.8 unit in a Sierra and it was brilliant.

[@siwynjones]

Back in the late 90s, I used work pool cars a lot. We had a brand spanking Escort in 1997, and it was infinitely nicer to both drive and sit in than the 1990 version. In classic Ford fashion, they were loading them up with options before the new model came out, so it actually looked quite jazzy next to the humdrum Mk3 Astra Merits and even the base FIAT Brava we had. However, we also had a very early Mk4 Astra in 1998, which really did usher in the new generation of hatches, and made the Escort seem very old indeed.

[@LawnMowersThingsThatMakeNoise]

I love seeing You both on Video's 🙂 There is a remap of sorts for the 1.8TD I miss the escorts 😞

[@Farney-gy1qo]

I had a Brand New 2 door Red GTi in 1998. Fully Speced!!!! It was Gorgeous, I wish I still had it.

[@clivet3252]

GTI, yes. I forgot they did a GTI. Fords and Vauxhalls were very spec dependent.

[@Farney-gy1qo]

@@clivet3252 I don't know why Ford called it a GTi, It should have been an RS 1800. It would have sounded better. Anytime I told someone I had an Escort GTi they just looked at me as if I was lying and I didn't know what I was talking about (Golf GTi) 😆

[@ferrumignis]

​@@Farney-gy1qoThe Escort"GTi" was a trim level only, there was nothing remotely sporty about it other than the badge and it didn't deserve either the GTi or RS badges.

[@Farney-gy1qo]

@@ferrumignis I thought it was Great! I was only 23 when I bought it Brand New and the car I had before was a 900cc Cinquecento 😆.

[@ferrumignis]

@@Farney-gy1qo I much rather have the Cinquecento tbh, always had a soft spot for those!

[@markcherriman6136]

I had one it was a TD estate , white , and I bloody loved it .

[@stevencampbell1150]

I had a Ford Focus with the updated version of the 1.8 TD in the Escort. The 1.8 TD in my Focus that I had had common rail injection where the version in the Escort was the direct injection version known as TDDI which meant that it had 90hp as you said and the TDCI has 115hp. Both the TDDI and latterly TDCI were available in the Focus as the TDCI superceded TDDI.

[@pokest225]

The Escort engines never had direct injection. All Escort turbo diesel models were known simply as TD. The Focus was the one that had that new engine version known at first as Tddi with 90 ps. Later on, the common rail Tdci versions came out. With 100 and 115 ps. Ending it's life later in the Mondeo and S Max with 125 ps.

[@Lisa-yc3vg]

Thank u mr and Mrs hubnut 😊

[@Retrospek]

very good review! my favorite escort was a mk4, oddly. will you ever do a review on a SportKA, Ian? would love to see it. willing to lend you mine if you ever come over to germany.

[@mukkaspec3333]

Back in the day my Ex had a 1.8si in silver. What a beaut that was complete with white dials.

[@jonnygti]

The Si, GTi and RS2000 had white dials 👍🏻