Ford Orion (1990 - 1994) 1.8i LX 4d (1993/K) Owner Review

What does this car say about you?

Said that I wanted a bigger Ford Escort. For those in the know, it probably said that I was on first name terms with my mechanic.

What do your friends / family / neighbours think of the car?

Friends called it a "J-Lo Escort", because it was an Escort with a larger boot. They didn't complain when getting lifts when it eventually ran. Family hated it but didn't have the heart to tell me until I scrapped it. Neighbours just edged their net curtains across and tutted (at the time my student house was in a well-to-do street, they didn't appreciate rusty old Fords burning oil). Police thought I was a joyrider in it(true story!)

Would you buy this car again and why?

Not in a million years. Would never buy another Ford. "Fix Or Repair Daily" was the backronym that held true!

What are you likely to buy next?

After this I bought a Citroen ZX 1.9 diesel that was the epitome of reliability.

Type of dealer you bought from?

Independent

Did you buy this car new?

No

What price did you pay?

£595

When did you buy the car?

August 2004

Did you get a good deal and why?

The car should have been scrapped, never mind hiding in the back of a forecourt.

Is there any special reason why you bought this car?

I thought it was a roomy, good looking, cheap fast big saloon. Was hoping it would have been fairly reliable.....

What was the dealer like?

The dealer was like a large Arthur Daley, big sweaty man who wheezed as he counted the money like some greedy Victorian landlord.

What's it like to drive?

Horrible. Apart from the refusal to idle, the misfire, the running on 3 cylinders, the dodgy handling, the broken wishbones that caused the car to steer in any direction on acceleration, the gearstick was like stirring coal in a bucket with a draught excluder and to indicate right you had to put your hand out the window like it was 1951. When it briefly worked it was quite quick.

What's it like to park?

To park it was adequate, like any saloon car. Decent sized boot to be fair, though rear seats didn't fold.

Have you had any problems with the car?

- Misfiring - Refusing to idle on startup - Eventually running on 3 cylinders due to a seal gone - Leaking fuel tank - Broken fuel gauge - Rear window winders didnt work - Badly rusting arches - Wishbones went - All right hand lights stopped working

What's most practical about your car?

It had 4 doors.

Favourite gadget, option or accessory?

The "immobiliser" that would stop joyriders. In reality, it was the fact that it refused to idle on startup, causing the first 10 minutes of any journey to be a hair raising experience holding revs any time I stopped.