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Love this one Jamie. My parents had a GTi new and it was the envy of all the kids of school, I latterly bought it from them. One of my all time favourite cars I've owned ❤️ In 1997 we had a GTi and the Mexico on our driveway which is why I love the Mk6 so much and own 3 👍
You’ve had so many better cars than mk6 escorts they’re good cars to look at but realistically they’re crap for power and handling as mentioned in other comments.
@@f1etchrs356they’re hardly crap for handling mk5s admittedly we’re shocking for handling mk6 was a far better car. And in terms of power every escort and Ford has been underpowered unless it’s the later cossies or RS’s
@@C.Hicks95 I’ll leave you to chill with your rose tinted shades on sitting in an imaginary summer with RS Jamie then spunking over mk6 escorts ffs, I’ve had enough of them and know what they are. Nice to look at it but that’s it.
I was an apprentice at Ford when these where out. The ones to buy are the special build cars with sunroof and air conditioning. The regular car had one or the other. The Escort GTI is an odd car. It’s basically an updated Si but without the option of the 130ps engine. It was aimed at Fleet users who couldn’t quite make the level of the ST24 with the RSAP on but still got a sporty look and half leather. Once the Focus was launched the escort range cut to a choice of 5dr or estate (not including the van) and the spec choice was finesse or flight and 1.6 Zetec or 1.8TD Lynx. We done the last available Escort in the U.K. in 2002. It was a silver finesse estate with the triangle style alloys as apposed to the 7 spokes.
I've got my driving license in February this year and my first car is a ford escort 1.8D from 1995. It was my uncle's car, but he got a golf 5 and the escort was left in the garage. In the beginning I wanted to get a new car, but after driving it for a while, I got connected to it and now I want to make a little restoration.
I have just finished working as a ford Salesman and manager. This car was known as a parts bin special in the trade. They were using trim etc up before the focus was launched late 1998. The escort continued in production in flight and finesse models till 2000 x reg. This was to keep hailwood going till it awitched to producing the jag x class
Los xr3 de 130cv .no daban esa potencia en un banco motor es al revés el xri. Como en España se le conoce da 130cv más de lo que dice en papeles 115cv. También dice esto mismo en una revista de esa época
The Escort 1.8 Si was the same as the GTi except it didn't have RS2000/GTi sideskirts and rear spats. The wishbones and lower arms on the front used to always go.
Love the escort gti, personally think it looks stunning and more then enough fun to drive. The dislike from people comes when they compare it to the golf, most popular car of the era with gti in the name. Just because they both have GTI doesn’t mean they are even comparable. It was forgotten because Ford made the RS2000 and the GTI, at the same time, realistically they should’ve just made the RS2000 badged as a GTI.
Why would they take the flagship hot Escort and not badge it as an RS like all others before it? That would have been marketing suicide. The GTI was just a gimmick to throw a commonly respected performance designation name at a very underwhelming car. Its also because the GTI wasn’t even worthy of the XR badge because the Mk5 XR3i 16v had 15bhp more than this car years before.
The dislike doesn’t come from the comparison to the Golf at all. The Escort is genuinely a terrible GTI car, even the much older Xr3i from the 80s was a much better car.
@@Buck3366 because GTI was the car trend at that time, if it had GTI in the name it got attention. So as I was saying before it would have made 10x more sense to put the GTI badge on the rs2000
@@aivarusk218 well ye ofc the XR was better, because it was an XR 😂 that’s like saying today a 2009 RS is better then a 2020 ST, kinda goes without saying. The GTI ain’t terrible at all, read the comments, watch Jamie’s video, go on any owners club
@@roryhenniganwilson1 Absolute nonsense. Ford had never made a GTI before because they had the highly successful RS brand .They also made successful RS2000 models before in the Escort Mk1 and 2 so already had an established name. They knew by resurrecting the RS2000 name for the Mk5 and 6 it would get plenty of attention. Don’t talk about trending at the time Ford were making RS models way before the GTI moniker ever graced a car. Rallye Sport is the pinnacle of Fords sporting models since 1970 with the RS1600 to the late model Focus RS. You are telling me that after 3 decades of making your top of the range sporting variants an RS, some of which were absolute legends in rally and touring car racing helping enormously with branding and marketing, that they should buck trend and call this new hot Escort a GTI? What on earth are you on about? Thankfully the badge went right where it belonged . On a lukewarm tarted up parts bin car.
These really didn’t deserve the GTI name whatsoever, not quick in the slightest, don’t handle well, they really aren’t sporty in the slightest. They look quite good though especially in red that’s about it
I had a dark red one was great to drive now gone to scrap yard in sky still got them lovely alloys from it but boy it could motor 135mph flat out faster then the same golf 1.8gti and engine lastest longer then a previous golf that engine melted on 0-60-8sec
Good to see that this is still on the road!👍👍👍 The “Mexico” / GTi / Flight / Finesse in typical Ford fashion were runout badge engineering specials in order to clear parts inventories in preparation for the Focus. The base chassis was usually base trim or L, as RS/Ghia type body shells were more expensive to produce. I used to work for Ford, the MK6 looks good but have to admit that the MK5 XR3i / RS2000 front end looked far better. Of all these specials, I think that the Mexico was a really poor effort by Ford & yet there are channels that think they are real Mexico’s… and therefore highly collectible…
I had a 98 R Escort GTI back in 2006 for a few years picked it up for £1500 kept it for a few years and sold it to my dad. Not a bad car not a great car but in the 1st year I had to put over £1000 into it when replacing all the brakes as a rear wheel cylinder exploded and dislodged the brake shoes ruining the drum. Plus tyres exhaust and a clutch battery after that it was good as gold
it was an end of line parts bin special.identical to the 1.8 si in performance spec.I had the si in 1999 and saved on insurance.then slapped on the rs2000 goodies
Ford couldn’t win with this car. The RS2000 was disliked as it harked back to the glory days of the RWD models (which only had 130 BHP on a very good day) so with the GTi they had to peg it back somewhat with the normal a tune 1.8 Zetec. Fast forward to 2022, and while this wasn’t a real GTi by the standards of the previous era, the Mk4 Golf GTi was similarly powered and despised! I think if it had kept the Si badge the warm Fiestas had gotten by this point, it would’ve have gained less hate but less attention. As a modern classic, its a decent shout. Not spoilt by scene tax, still reliable and safe, but free from todays over the top tech and accompanying kerb weight. Yes, its bit lethargic and clinical, but its part of Fords history that they didn’t always get things right. Great find for less than £800 and will appreciate. Nice video Jamie
VW did kind of redeem the GTI mk4 though with faster turbo models over that gutless N/A. I liken the Escort to the woeful Mk3 GTI 8v. A car that is more trim level than performance orientated. I bought an Escort GTI for an ex way back 20 odd years ago and I just didn’t like it at all. And that was as a Ford fan too. When you throw a badge like GTI round you are whetting peoples appetites for something a bit more than white dials and 5 spokes. Designating it an Si or Sport would have been a far better choice .
I had one of these but not a GTI. Just a 1.6 flight in "pepper red". It was a great car but it was very poorly made and you could see that but it was one of the most enjoyable cars to own. Would own one again as a toy but not as a daily.
Problem was there were so many gti hatches in this era that done it better the escort never really stood a chance. Not enough power though especially compared to the best gti of that era the 306 gti-6 / Rallye
12/9 22 lnstument cluster used in Mk1 Pumas - 1.7s with Yamaha tuned engine - no Redline needed. Parts bins universally utilised - Aston Martin also Ford owned then with Ford indicator switchgear & wing indicators. Volvo & L Rover Jag' also Ford owned - Mondeo floorpan used in Jag's. Duplication costs avoided.
XR3i changed to Si which then changed to GTi. I dont know what ford was doing with the sports car of that period but i feel they where trying to rejuvenate the xr period of cars but getting it badly wrong.couple of years after that the focus came out along with the ghia, ST model and of course the famous RS model. I think going with the ST badge kind of saved the sports hatch version of the car as it was an up to date way of naming cars without being left behind
This is weird. I had a 98 R reg 1.8i Xetec that came with the wing and the body kit. I don't know if it came with the 130BHP engine but it did feel quick for the time. No bucket seats though.
The GTI model was churned out because it wasn’t even worthy of the XR badge. 115ps was 15 down on power compared to the older Mk5 XR3i 16v and it was boasting a badge that other marques designated to their hot flagship models so people were bound to be disappointed by a softly sprung low power car that looked like an RS2000 but went like a 1.8 LX. Not Fords finest hour.
Same running gear as the 1.8 Ghia. A marketing exercise to use up parts before the Focus took over. That said, I had a red GTi estate brand new in 1998 and am restoring another one now. Only about 20-25 GTi estates left out of around 500 built.
Yo también. Conservo mi escort xri. De toda la vida es para mí es divertido de conducir no es un rs pero fiable y también estira las marchas no va mal .
I had the Brazilian 2-door version of this, it was called "RS" instead of GTI, but it had the same 1.8 16v Zetec engine but with some ugly 14 inch wheels.
@@Foxy_Fez The Focus Mk 1 was a decent handling car even in cooking models let alone something with some go. If anything the ST170 could have at least had 20-30 more bhp as the chassis was capable but I guess that would have been treading near Focus RS territory in terms of power. They don’t demand lots of money too so it’s a bit of a bargain but as numbers of them decline they will rise in price.
@buck3366 I've had a few St170 now am on my 3rd as finding a good 1 is becoming hard and the prices are going up all the time , I know a few lads that break them for fun , numbers are decling rapidly . Your right about the bhp I had a plueprint 3door that was mapped and cammed to 195bhp , its the chrappy inlet manifold that let's it down
@@Foxy_Fez My mates just bought 2 ST150 Fiestas as they are still going for good money too. 2 cars, one white really nice example,absolutely loaded with nearly every factory option and add on pack and a blue bare bones car that needed a few bits doing and had a new engine at 80k. Power steering pump and welding done in a weekend and already up for sale and kept the white one for a daily 😆Both for under £3000. My cousin had one years back with a dreamscience map, manifold and full magnex, Cosworth 200 cams etc . It was a fun little car after it had a few bits chucked at it. I’ve never had either the Fiesta or the Focus I was into my RS Turbo Escort and Fiestas way back and went Jap and German after but I have a bit of a soft spot for the ST150 and 170 because they were a bit of an underdog but had more potential than people give them credit for.
Years ago I bought a used 96 Escort 1.6 petrol 5dr but with the CVT gearbox & the car was pretty good apart from this godawful transmission! It 'pushed on' needing heavy brake pressure even at low speeds & the Ford main dealer said it could be fixed for £1000 but would only go wrong again & the fuel consumption was 25mpg which is the same as a Lexus LS 400! 🙄
Jamie wonders why this channel doesn't gain more popularity, well having absolutely ZERO engagement with your fans in the comments is a big reason. Tbh I think it's bloody rude and ignorant
If we are taking more about the GTI brand badge it's been widely used for many cars and to be fair ford was using the GT badge on lotus cortina way before the golf was still a beetle I had couple of three doors in my early 20s red and white 1.8 16v while people were punishing Mr saxo beat plenty of fun and easy to correct if you pushed too hard had 145mph on long bypass road it didn't last more than a couple of years oh well when I was a youth with blonde highlights and a bottle of Smirnoff ice
Had an a special edition 1.6 mk6 it was ok then bought my mum's s plate SI off her much better car stiffer suspension nicer exhaust note reasonable interior white dials and sports steering wheel couldn't see what the GTI offered more than some half leather seats and smaller Cossie rep wheels
Easy son, it was my first ever car. I will admit that the Mk3 Golf GTI was underwhelming. It was really reliable though. I had it for 7 years and it didn't give me one problem in just under 100k miles. Really well built but i do remember on my first drive realising just how slow it was.@@Buck3366
Actually if you wanted a sporty mk6, much better to avoid Jamie’s advice, and find a mk6 si model with the 130bhp engine option. These were basically the rebranded xr3i’s.
always loved ford escorts,drove my mums old car one day,omg it was awful,blue 1.6l 16v totally devoid of any power,(p134hdp) i wonder if its still about?i drove an astra max 1.3 at the time,it was a rocket.....
I bought an escort from a friend about 5 years ago, He knows nothing about cars, it is an Escort GTi, at the time I thought Ford never released a GTI but I bought it for £100 with a year's ticket! it was a heap! cosmetically every inch of lacquer was peeling but most alarming was that there was NO body kit, NO part leather interior, and NO white dials!!! The logbook shows GTI and 65k-documented since its manufacture. I am the third owner, My friend bought it from a high-ranking Policeman could this have any bearing on its Weirdness!!!
Forgotten modern classic? Anybody who knows cars knows these didn’t deserve the GTI badge, even at the time they were regarded as poor. You don’t seem to know much at all….but we’re all going to listen to see if you feel it’s going to be an appreciating classic as if you’re some sort of car ‘expert’ 🙄
These were one of the worst ever cars to be made as a "hot" car. Pretty much everything from other manufacturers was better. Ford scene tax has been favourable to these shit boxes over the years. Even the hotter ones like the RS2000 were turd as well.
Please stop talking about the value of cars and things going up in value, its such a tired conversation to have and people need to just go back to enjoying them for what they are
@@f1etchrs356 I was referring to the Mk1 and2 Golf to be honest, but you are right about the MK4 Golf it did look awful, but the Escort is definitely no looker either, the MK4 Golf and the Escort definitely didn’t deserve the GTI badge, I wouldn’t go near any of those two cars, drive safe buddy.
