Ford Aspire (1993 - 2000) Midsize | Compact

Ford Aspire (1993 - 2000) Midsize | Compact 

DESCRIPTION

The Aspire offers an excellent fuel economy of 36 mpg on city and 42 mpg on highway paired with five-speed manual transmission. Power rack and pinion steering is only available on four-door hatchback model with automatic transmission

USER REVIEWS

Showing 21-30 of 43  
[Nov 06, 2002]
lil tractor
Model Reviewed: Aspire

Strength:

32-40 mpg, carrying capacity, everything easiy identifiable under the hood (i bought the manual @ the auto parts store).

Weakness:

i felt like a fool when i first drove this car, but now i'm more confident & like the subcompact design.

automatic driving tips: 1)if your transaxle bumps from 1st to 2nd, get used to timing the shift by backing off the pedal then easing into 2nd. as your speed builds up, you can accelerate quickly toward 3rd. the car shifts @8mph w/out a/c & @15mph w/ac. 2) if you don't want to hold up traffic @ a stop light, or even want to stay ahead of traffic from a stop, manually shift into 2nd to start, then manually shift into 3rd @ 35-40 mph. 3) if you start up a hill in drive, hold the transaxle in 2nd by increasing pedal till you get near the top--when you ease off, it will shift automatically into drive. you can also manually shift into 2nd anytime you're in 2nd to maintain power up a hill by increasing pedal as you shift. but try to stay within 35-40 mph. 4) downshift manually from 3rd to 2nd @ speeds of 45 or below when you need to slow down quickly--requires less brake pressure to slow or stop. 5) let the car slow to 45 mph before downshifting to 2nd to increase power up a hill.

Similar Products Used:

various heavy trucks & tractors.

OVERALL
RATING
4
VALUE
RATING
4
[May 30, 2002]
Anthony Carmelonni

Strength:

the lights

Weakness:

everything else

It sucks! If someone asked me to recommend a type of car, I would think it thrice before naming this pile of trash to him.

Similar Products Used:

88 ford tempo

OVERALL
RATING
1
VALUE
RATING
1
[May 02, 2002]
Brock Sweeter
Model Reviewed: Aspire

Strength:

gas milage, parking, interior room, buying tires

Weakness:

PARTS SUCK! PRICES AND TO FIND THEM. THE TRANNY CRIES FOR "ANOTHER GEAR PLEASE". VERY EASY TO DENT,VERY POOR ACCELERATION EATS SPARK PLUG WIRES{I PUT ON THREE SETS OF MOTORCRAFT WIRES!

When we first bought it it was a great car,then it needed parts. We about died when we heard the price of an oxygen sensor(300.00). The gas milage is still good at 90,000 but dont hit a deer! I have been looking for a front clip for months now and have found a few parts(still need a bumper cover ans a marker lamp dont caution: use 4autobodyparts.com). Ido like my aspire but dont like people leaning on it, instant dent! we will try for 200,000 +.

Similar Products Used:

FESTIVA AND KIAS

OVERALL
RATING
3
VALUE
RATING
3
[Feb 26, 2002]
Ed Kohl
Model Reviewed: Ford Aspire

Strength:

Great Mileage. Very roomy for its size. I''ve carried large file cabinets, small refrigerators, etc. Done lots of camping with it. Very comfortable seats.

Weakness:

Noisy. Underpowered. Decent power in middle gears but not much left for passing.Not a lot of creature comforts.

I bought this car new when I needed a cheap car with good mileage for a job that required a lot of driving. I have the 4-door with a stick. I have over 124,000 miles on the car and still get 42 MPG. Other then routine maintenance, I''ve only had to put $500.00 into the trans at 80K miles. Still have original muffler, battery, etc. Have only had front brakes done once. Car is still tight and runs like new. I am giving it to my daughter and buying a Rio Cinco, which is based on the same platform as the Aspire.

Similar Products Used:

Ford Escort

OVERALL
RATING
4
VALUE
RATING
5
[Mar 10, 2001]
psymo
Model Reviewed: 4 Door

Strength:

Size: It is extremely small outside, Yet inside it is moderate. Miles per gallon: Winter is bad (I let the car warm up before leaving) but summer gets you 38 city/42 highway. Reliability: Gets me to and to wherever I am going and back again.

Weakness:

Speed: A little sluggish. Transmission: Shifts at the oddest times. A/C: No Air conditioning in the one I have. (Want to surgically remove AC from Ford Festiva

I bought this car as a repairable for $3k and I am glad I did. In the condition I have it in now, it is valued at $6,000. Anyway, it is a great first car for a student and is very safe with dual front Air Bags. The seating is comfortable for about a few hours, then may get a little tireing. No long road trips. I was a little hesitent to get on the freeway (the car being so small in all) for the first time but a few times after, It was allright. I strongly reccomend this car, I have had a great time driving this around town. Seeing it is so small, it can go anywhere! (Not that far in deep snow, trust me on that one) I put a new Sony sound system in it a few months after I bought it, the pevious owner did not take care of the old one. I would reccomend the four door model over the two door because it has Power Steering and it is easier for the rear seat passengers to get in. I would also recommend (for those in the North like me) to get one with a Rear defroster or have an aftermarket one installed. I also recommend getting A/C. Little cars with big windows get pretty warm in the summer. When looking for an Aspire, look for one with under 60,000 miles(I bought mine with 43,000 on it and it has run fine). A friend of mine bought one with 96,000 and has had to have the transmission and various other things replaced. If Ford was still making the Aspire, I would send the $11,000 base price and buy another.

Similar Products Used:

Geo Metro, Suzuki Swift, Daewoo Lanos, Honda Civic, Yugo GV, and Toyota Tercel. Aspire beats them all, It was a contest with the Yugo though. :)

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Dec 23, 2000]
Cory
Model Reviewed: Aspire

Strength:

It's small, takes tight turns with ease. Good gas mileage. Lots of storage space. That's it!

Weakness:

It's too small, very ugly, slower than dirt. Hard to keep up with traffic.

It's slow, but good for a first driver. I recommend it for anybody who does not like to drive fast.

Similar Products Used:

Festiva, Focus hatchback

OVERALL
RATING
4
VALUE
RATING
2
[Dec 21, 2000]
Paul Waxon
Model Reviewed: Aspire

Strength:

Reliability, Roomy if its just you in the car.

Weakness:

No Power I realy think I can bike faster 0-30

This is an Econ. Car that’s it Point A to Point B. At 135,000 it has been the most reliable vehicle I've ever owned. Other then reg. Maint. Items I have no money in this car. Its started in any weather (I live in MN. 40-) and it still runs perfect. I would recommend it to anyone with a long commute, limited funds or anyone that just wants a good throw away car.

Similar Products Used:

None

OVERALL
RATING
4
VALUE
RATING
5
[Dec 09, 2000]
Ryan

Strength:

Very nice styling, people think it's a 2000 model!
Roomy, seats four people and no one get mutilated
Lots of features for a cheap car, 4-doors, automatic, AC, power steering, airbags, rear defroster, cassette.
Fuel economy is great, 27mpg in Los Angeles.
Small size lets you go anywhere

Weakness:

Clunky transmission
Only has 55,000 miles and I'm on a first name basis with everyone at the service department at Ford
Annoying lack of power at times

I totally love this car. I'm a college student and it is the perfect car. It's stylish enough, inside and out. And there's tons of room for my friends to go on a road trip and more than enough cargo space. The seats are very comfortable and feel like they come from a much more expensive car. There's lots of creature comforts for the money. In that way too, it feels like a more expensive car. Some of the new cars like Corollas, Escorts or Prizms don't even have as many goodies. The fuel economy isn't as good as my old Metro, but it's still respectable. Expect about 34mpg on the freeway with the automatic. If the transmission had a fourth gear it would improve. Speaking of the transmission it has got to be the worst one I've seen on any car. It shifts very harshly, and at strange spots where you don't expect it to. Plus when you want it to shift it won't. For example, going up a hill at 55mph, it won't shift into the next gear. The car will finally slow to 30mph before the tranny will shift. That's part of the reason why engine performance seems slim, but around the city it still is very acceptable. And the reliability has been shoddy. It has been in the shop about six times in the last four months, three times for two weeks. Thankfully I had an extended warranty so that saved the day! So overall, if you want a cheap set of wheels with a bit of style, room, comfort, and that will save you money everyday and you live in a city, than the Aspire is the car for you! Just make sure you get a warranty on it.

Similar Products Used:

1993 Geo Metro

OVERALL
RATING
3
VALUE
RATING
5
[Dec 02, 2000]
Jim

Strength:

High gas mileage, okay seats, good visibility, good dashboard, at least it's a 4 cylinder, not 3. cheap.

Weakness:

no power, VERY heavy steering, poor handling, poor ride on rough roads, very unstable at higher speeds, noisy, rough, kinda crude. rear struts replaced twice under warranty.

If you want a high mileage commuter car, its okay for that. If you want a real car, forget it. This car is fine until you take it on the freeway. Anything over 50 is SCAREY! I used to avoid freeways, preffering to take the side road. Acutally, if you are looking for a good way to slow your life down, then buy an Aspire.

Similar Products Used:

geo metro

OVERALL
RATING
2
VALUE
RATING
3
[Oct 17, 2000]
Joseph

Strength:

It has good gas mileage.

Weakness:

No power what so ever, and it tips around corners.

I paid only 3000 for it, which is okay, and it is very reliable, however, it has no power what so ever and trys to tip over when you go around a corner.

Similar Products Used:

Geo Metro

OVERALL
RATING
1
VALUE
RATING
2
Showing 21-30 of 43  

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