Do any of you get as excited as I do about seeing a completely ordinary car show up in extraordinary shape at a dealer? This is a phenomenon I often associate with older owners or estate settlements where the car that has been driven gingerly for decades by one caring owner is suddenly kicked to the curb following the owner’s death or move to a senior care facility. The Ford Escort wagon is a surprisingly useful vehicle that disappeared from the landscape when wagons fell out of style and bare-bones economy cars were no longer considered sensible. This 1998 Ford Escort SE wagon listed here on eBay appears to be sitting in the auction lanes in Lynn, Massachusetts.
As someone who spent much of his young adult life in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, I instantly recognized the “CC” sticker on the back glass, which refers to Cape Cod. You can be certain someone in that island community recognizes this seafoam green Escort wagon, perhaps parked at a clam shack or by the beach. The lack of blemishes, rust, or even any major dings suggests years of careful ownership, and small details – like what looks to be a factory-style muffler still tucked neatly underneath the bumper – provide reassurance this Escort was serviced with factory-approved parts through. Of course, seeing in the auction lanes reminds us that most dealers want nothing to do with a car like this.
The third generation Escort continued to use some degree of Mazda-sourced engineering via the chassis design, but the image of this being a Miata with more doors and a blue oval badge was long gone. The two-door GT was dropped in favor of the odd (and poorly-received) ZX2, and corporate was already making plans to bring the “world car” Focus stateside. This outgoing model was a humble swan song to a nameplate that had served Ford and commuters well for years. The last generation model offered competent packaging, and many owners who have kept theirs in condition similar to this swear by the reliability.
The SOHC inline-four offered 110 horsepower and 125 lb.-ft. of torque, and with the standard manual transmission, it likely felt more than willing enough to keep up with traffic. The 4-speed automatic will muffle any sense of speed, but for a cheerful, cheap commuter car with the convenience of a wagon, who cares? The Escort shown here looks like a survivor car that has hardly been used to the full extent of its capabilities judging by the tidy cargo bay and would serve a college student well. The Escort is listed for $2,800 or best offer which seems more than fair to us; in fact, I bet you could snag it for $2,500.
I bought one of these wagons back in the early 2000’s as a beater for running back & fourth to work. Paid $1200 for it @ 130k. It was a great little car and got over 30 mpg. Drove it for almost 3 years @ 80 miles per day. I would have driven it longer except for one of those pesky Penna. dear.
One just sold near me, for $3000. With 23,000 miles and zero rust on it. Some one got a better deal than this one.
For some strange reason I expected the Miles to be lower, these basic wagons and sedans are what the manufacturers need to bring back. Then bring back being able to select the options you want without having to pay for options you don’t want or need just to get one that you do want. I find the information screen on my 2025 Forester to be more distracting than just picking up my phone.