Ford Escort Van (91-02) - Review

Most hi-cube vans nowadays offer around 3.0 cubic metres of loadspace in the back so the Escort’s 2.5 cubic metres isn’t bad at all. No side loading doors were offered but cargo could be slid easily in and out via the rear doors (which opened to 180 degrees). Load length was 1,823mm, load width was 1,625mm and load height was 1,076mm, while two payloads were on offer – 550kg and 715kg. A bulkhead came as an option at £65, while load-lashing points were included in the basic package.

Although pretty low spec on the safety front by today's standards, the Escort was up with the others in its class for the late 90s. Although anti-lock brakes weren't offered, an alarm came as standard and later models offered a driver's airbag as standard. Side impact bars and seatbelt grabbers also feature on later models.

One of Ford's big plus points with vans has always been cost of ownership. Ford vans are always cheap, reliable and there is always a Ford dealer just round the corner. It counts for a lot if anything goes wrong. And when it does, Ford parts are generally reasonably priced and plentiful. While petrol engines were a tad thirsty by today’s standards, the diesel engines should prove fairly frugal. Three-year warranties were unheard of when the Escort van was in production and, along with everyone else, Ford offered just a 12-month guarantee.

It may have been out of production for around four years now but the British roads still abound with Escort vans in various states of disrepair. As long as they are maintained to a reasonable standard, they will plug away faithfully for many years. Their final demise is likely to be from neglect and rust rather than mechanical failure.