Ford Escort XR3i Classic Car Review

Ford Escort XR3i Classic Car Review - Paul Woodford

Рет қаралды 60,182

7 жыл бұрын

Motoring Presenter, Paul Woodford goes off the beaten track for his latest car film, featuring the Ford Escort XR3i.
Did the company responsible for making sporty motoring available to the everyman, hit the nail on the head with the sporting variants of the Mk4 Escort, or was the company's focus elsewhere?
Find out in this film, which explores the XR3i bloodline right up to 2016 with one of the cleanest examples of the XR3i on the road today.
For more car films, visit www.carfilms.co.uk and subscribe to this channel.
For more information about Paul, visit www.paulwoodford.co.uk.
With thanks to Darren Spann, Mason Woodford and Ross Bugden (soundtrack).
Music: Ross Bugden “Something Wicked” • ♩♫ Epic Horror Synth T...
Join the discussion on Twitter, @PaulWoodford84.

Пікірлер: 98

@34A1A 4 жыл бұрын

i had an identical Ereg one in 2004 with the darker interior i remember in the winter leaving the work car park all the other staff members, had bmw, vauxhals, vw's which were a lot newer than my so called old escort...but as they scraped and struggled to de-ice there newer family saloons to get home in time for tea my xr3i's heated front screen had already done its magic!! Their faces as i purred out of the car park was and still is priceless / What a car.

@Via_The_Void 4 жыл бұрын

The Escort may be gone but it's certainly not forgotten. Undoubtedly it's one of the greatest car's Ford ever made.

@mikeyf4018 3 жыл бұрын

Not quiet gone, people keeping them alive

@wesosborne3520 4 жыл бұрын

You had to be there in the 80's to get it. I loved mine.

@greengrass9572 5 жыл бұрын

I'll never forget that sweet, sporty exhaust note they came with as standard, the sound of which was as common as the sound of 2 stroke motor bikes in the UK and now both are as rare as can be.

@Sww1975 Жыл бұрын

I had a black one H308YCD I bought in late 91 with the heated front screen. Great cars in their day

@Jefff72 7 жыл бұрын

I wanted one of those back when I was stationed in the U.K.

@chris-rfs 4 жыл бұрын

Best car i drove,the most fun car,cheap to run,good power unit.I had one in 1995 it was a 1988 model,no turbo. I loved it, it was such a practical car but a decent looker,the one i had was red. My favourite times driving it was from Bermondsey to Hythe in Kent,but we used to go across the Romney Marshes roads rather than taking the route along the motorway.This meant i could drive along around 30 miles of quieter roads where i could stretch the cars legs.When the engine got a bit noisy i just had to change the cam followers which took about 90 mins to do,after that the engine was as new again. I miss that car,if i still had it in the condition it was back then you would be talking about £10K to buy now.

@sergej841 6 жыл бұрын

This was my dad’s first car He had 1986 one that looked just like one in video he just had different wheels

@daniolivas9930 7 жыл бұрын

I've got xr3i and Rs turbo both mk4

@vMaxHeadroom Жыл бұрын

Absolutly stellar car, affordable, quick enough, looked great...Had both the MK3 and MK4 though just preffered the MK3...

@phil3038 3 жыл бұрын

I had the Orion 1.6 Ghia. Same car, same engine with different bodywork. This was my first car amd I paid a fortune on the insurance. The car cost me £500. The insurance premium was £2000!!😆

@80andybrown80 4 жыл бұрын

Love these cars. Had this exact model and 2 others just like it in the day :)

@jonathanimber6669 5 ай бұрын

I owned this actual car and it's a credit to the subsequent owners it looks exactly the same as it did when I owned it. Loved the car, sold I because children and needing 5 doors.

@FirstOnRaceDayCapri2904 4 жыл бұрын

I love my 1988 XR3i Cabrio, my daily driver, fun to drive, good looking, reliable, cheap parts, good fuel economy. It's no ball of fire ok but pokey enough.

@Paul-fq9pj 7 жыл бұрын

Good one I always like the mark 3 XRI

@845SiM 3 жыл бұрын

Missing my j reg mk4 xr3i. Apparently not many j reg mk4’s. Would have been a great project car.

@TheAdaaamski 7 жыл бұрын

Looking to replace my car and torn between this or a mk6 Fiesta ST. Something's wrong when the ST seems like the sensible option!!

@BlatentlyFakeName 5 жыл бұрын

My mum owned a couple of these when I was a kid, first one in red, second in a dark grey.

@mrorangepeel659 4 жыл бұрын

I owned an XR3i and and RS Turbo (both Mk4) 1. I don’t recall having a heated windscreen in the XR3i and 2. How on earth was the RS vastly more equipped? It had a turbocharged engine and a body kit with bonnet vents - I didn’t notice anything else?? Both had ABS brakes... both electric windows and central locking... I really don’t get it.

@StigMug 6 жыл бұрын

The Mk3 also had an Xr3i as well as 5 speed box.

@johnm6587 3 жыл бұрын

Yeah I spotted he missed that. Was a much better car. The mk4 was soft compared to the original. I had both and was not a fan if the mk4.

@paulwhite6745 3 жыл бұрын

I think most of the Mk3s and Mk4s had a 5 speed box. The more humble 1.4L cerrtainly did. I think it was just the baseline 1.1 cars that only had 4 gears.

@bigpete4227 7 жыл бұрын

I had a mercury grey one. F reg I think, bloody good car.

@sasproductions701 3 жыл бұрын

my dad had a white one with a red stripe it was sick and i think he said it was like first to have electric windows.

@dalpreetgill922 5 жыл бұрын

So the question is would you keep the both or let one go at the end.. iv told my ex mrs I'm keeping my Xr3 the mk3 version iv told her to fuck off wiv the focus st170. I wouldn't let her drive My focus rs mk1 because she cannot control the st170 the dry lunch.. Still have my 2 motors..

@princesssolace4337 5 жыл бұрын

UK's Ford Escort exported to Malaysia stoped by Mkll...b'coz of them heated thingy so we shared whatever it was sold in Australia namely the Laser TX3 1.6 and 1.8, for Turbo we got the Mazda 1.5XG Turbo and Familia 1.6 Turbo 4WD.🙂

@blackflagpirate3444 6 жыл бұрын

The XR3i was a super car considering it had a 1.6 litre engine

@Gameboy-Unboxings 3 жыл бұрын

How can I get one in the states?!?!

@trevdean540 Жыл бұрын

You had to be there in that era to understand! The golf 1.8 gti was the same price as the RS Turbo!

@1308wayne 7 жыл бұрын

Had two grey one and black one great car went well and it was easy to repair not like cars of today

@Q3ToPBuZz 4 жыл бұрын

I had a Mercury Grey one. Then a Celica GT4. Wish I still had the Toyota.

@ukmud6218 5 жыл бұрын

I've had mine 17 years ( black 90 spec) it's a 1990 first registered in 1991. My daily is a mk 4 escort van. My other is a 3 door mk 4 bonus 1.3. it was these or a diesel 4 door estate..........

@nigeh5326 4 жыл бұрын

DVLA says the black Escort is SORN and the mot ran out feb 2019

@wembley636 5 жыл бұрын

2 years ago you couldn't get a camera to do 1080P? your phone could have captured better quality.

@gunnerhoward3134 7 жыл бұрын

They did do a Mk3 with injection towards the end of the run.

@dungareesareforfools 6 жыл бұрын

It was most of its run - the non-injection XR3 was only made between 1980 to 1982 if I recall correctly. They're a lot rarer than the XR3i now.

@happychappers8311 7 жыл бұрын

S1 Rs Turbo ?

@jhallo7740 4 жыл бұрын

Very nice cars.I have owned escort gl 1.3mk3, Escort bravo 1.6 mk3, escort cl 1.4 mk4, escort clx1.6 mk5, and escort gt 1.6 mk5b. The last one, i bought new in 1995,and was radiant red, with original sunroof. Very beautifull car, but the zetec engine was the weak spot...

@gerryr1893 4 жыл бұрын

Love my series one rs turbo

@felipe7galo643 4 жыл бұрын

Good

@liam1559 7 жыл бұрын

had one should be called the XRi dont wont to die the tail was well snappy

@eddybetanya Жыл бұрын

Suspenion mounting points revised after may 83 to fix this disconcerting trait

@amysmith-nk2wf 2 жыл бұрын

i still have mine 81 reg

@Mr330d 4 жыл бұрын

My father had an identical XR3i in black with the red before I was born to which he stupidly changed it for a Rover 414sli in red 🤦🏻‍♂️😂

@samjaggard5139 7 жыл бұрын

Do a Chrvette review plz

@samjaggard5139 7 жыл бұрын

or a metro gti

@Sash_Window 7 жыл бұрын

Or an Audi S3 8L ._.

@samjaggard5139 7 жыл бұрын

Rebel Rhymes it's really not they are great pocket rockets, very under stated

@samjaggard5139 7 жыл бұрын

Rebel Rhymes that's fair comment really. I've just spent 1,500 notes on getting rid of rust

@peteglanton9259 2 жыл бұрын

What a strange review! Very interesting though 👍

@richardmorgan1624 4 жыл бұрын

2 door family car?

@fixmods 6 жыл бұрын

And you forget to say it has LS Diff, XR3i and RS Turbo...

@richardfirth8074 5 жыл бұрын

Only rs turbos has led boxes

@FirstOnRaceDayCapri2904 4 жыл бұрын

Only the RS Turbo has LSD

@jakesmith7581 6 жыл бұрын

had to film it in the shit part of bolton

@tonidmc 7 жыл бұрын

The XR3i is far better than the RS turbo in terms of reliability

@dungareesareforfools 6 жыл бұрын

Why do you say that? We've had an RS Turbo in the family since 1992, apart from a new turbo at probably 60k miles, it's never had a major problem. It's now covered about 110k and the engine is still sweet, doesn't smoke, and has no sludge (thanks to use of synthetic oil throughout its life I'd imagine). Don't understand the hate for the CVH engine... surely it's the 'never service it' brigade responsible for that.

@sirfairplay9153 5 жыл бұрын

I always hated the RS turbo, simply because they always had some fat, ugly bird glued to the passenger seat, those slags wouldn't even move if the car set on fire!

@richardfirth8074 5 жыл бұрын

Very true mfi rs turbos are shocking realibilty

@watchfan6180 3 жыл бұрын

The reason for the identical crisis is your reviewing the mark 4 and not the mark 3

@blubb7711 5 жыл бұрын

Diesels are cool.

@924oc 7 жыл бұрын

928 still waiting... just saying ;-)

@tonyfoley1057 4 жыл бұрын

The original xr3 not xr3i is a nicer looking car

@SA77888 6 жыл бұрын

My dream car when I was 18, this to me was like a poor mans ferrari..........forgive me, I was 18

@konstantin88181 7 жыл бұрын

Heated windscreen? Really? Or do you mean it heated by hot air? There is no way it had electric heated windscreen.

@lanehogger1532 7 жыл бұрын

konstantin88181 yes definitely the last 1990 models had heated windscreens

@konstantin88181 7 жыл бұрын

I wan to install it in my Mk4 so bad=)

@davidbell1110 7 жыл бұрын

Ford was actually the first major manufacturer to put lots of money into producing electric heated front screens but I would say it was actually the early 90's this started to be offered on most of their models. I would certainly say it would not have been a feature on an 80's Escort. I think Ford even had a patent on the technology for a while which meant they were the only ones to have the feature for a few years but that expired a long time ago now.

@Steve-K.G. 6 жыл бұрын

I had one on my 1989 MK4 Xr3i Cabriolet.

@waynusp1664 6 жыл бұрын

They fitted the same screen to Orion Ghias as well...it was odd you could see the wire running through the glass!

@waynusp1664 6 жыл бұрын

He said and I quote "Its about the same length as an RS turbo".......ITS THE SAME FUCKING CHASSIS......Facepalm! And this kid is too young to remember...they went round corners better than all the rest, better than GTI's Better than GTE's (Well ok EVERYTHING went round corners better than them)

@peterolley7159 6 жыл бұрын

waynusp1664 I'm not picking an argument as I love old fords but the golf was a much better car when I come to handling the golf was well ahead of it time !!!

@waynusp1664 6 жыл бұрын

I just remember a bit of street racing at the time and the xr3i could do things around the twisty stuff that the vw struggled to keep with!...in my humble opinion of course!

@sirfairplay9153 5 жыл бұрын

The XR3 was a better car!

@lewis72 4 жыл бұрын

Never liked the XR2, XR3 or XR3i; they're just faster shopping cars and far too tacky. XR4i was far more appealing and if you're good with spanners you can make yourself a 4x4 XR4i with the Scorpio Cosworth V6.

@theant9821 7 жыл бұрын

after the mk1 and 2 escorts they should have changed the name, 3s, 4s, 5s, and 6s were not worthy after what the 1 and 2 had done, only the escort cosworth lived up to the name and that was in reality just a swb sierra cosworth that looks like an escort. the rs1700t could have done the job (off the stages) but was never given the chance, being rwd.

@kanggoo57 7 жыл бұрын

The ANT just because they were fwd, they were amazing, and in many ways better than the 1st and 2nd just because theyre old and rwd dont make em better.

@theant9821 7 жыл бұрын

Kanggoo exactly, mk1 and 2 escorts were rubbish but so much fun. fwd escorts were so dull (I'll exclude the s1 rs turbo only from that statement). good cars aren't fun and fun cars aren't good. i drive a fwd mk1 focus rs and it is incredible fun but i accept that as a practical 5 seat road car its rubbish. if it wasn't an rs it would be the opposite. the mk1 and 2 escorts left a legacy of fun and ford tried to use that to hide the fact that fwd escorts would not be able to continue the form. they should have started something new not very nearly dilute the hard earned legacy left by the previous escorts. the mk1 was a legend as was the mk2 but the 3, 4, 5 and 6 was far from that. only the sierra based cosworth could go into battle and leave a lasting legacy behind it. only the rs turbo was capable of cutting the mustard. the xr3 etc. needed more than it got and the plane jane cars were just that. there was nolonger buying some rs 4 spokes, a bigger carb/s and gradually feeling more like roger clark or ari vatanen. the plane jane escorts were never as much fun again, not by a long way. fwd can be brilliant as i know with my focus rs but when it comes to fun in a fwd ford without an rs badge then you need to look at fiestas. they've been doing it for years and years.

@kanggoo57 7 жыл бұрын

The ANT true though... i own a fwd st162 celica and allthough its not the 4wd st165 its still a blast to drive

@abdulkoyesh3034 6 жыл бұрын

This guy is driving the xr3i like a old grandad man these car needs to be driven fast mate not like that

@another3997 5 жыл бұрын

Abdul Koyesh Yes, I'm sure the owners of this now quite rare classic, want him to thrash it to death. I'm sure they wouldn't mind if he damaged it, nor would the insurance company mind, especially as it's all on video. Put your brain in to gear. Oh, and learn how to punctuate a sentence.

@nigeh5326 4 жыл бұрын

Ffs stop trying to cross a third rate Shakespearean actor with a bad impression of Richard Hammond. Get some research done on the cars then you can put together a script that works. Escort XR3s (there was a none injected mark 3 in the early 80s) such as this were rot boxes, the inner wings used to rust badly, the CVH engine was a lousy design that wasn’t easy to tune, hence Ford designed the Zetec. They were stolen more than any other hatch and were a big part of why sporty hatchbacks were almost uninsurable in the 90s/early 2000s. I’m a Ford fan but the VW Golf was a better car overall.

@danieljordannicol9937 4 жыл бұрын

Mk3 was a better car

@bogdanbosoi1483 5 жыл бұрын

This must be the worst amateuristic car presentation I've ever seen. Couldn't you find a more destroyed road surface?

@robertbarry6188 4 жыл бұрын

Who is this guy??? The xr3i a family car, 3 doors!? A family car???. The xr3 was never a rival to the golf rather more a better built alternative. This guy is terrible

@garym3624 Жыл бұрын

Trying too hard to be Richard Hammond.