Used buying guide: Ford Escort XR3i

There were two flavours of XR3i: the hatch and the cabriolet. In its day, the hatch was cheaper than the cabrio but more likely to be nicked, crashed and abused. The cabrio was bought by more sophisticated types who lived in nicer areas and maintained them better. As a result, there are many more cabrios than hatches today and they’re in better condition. However, like for like, they’re worth less.

That’s partly to do with their greater availability but mainly that, to today’s fast Ford enthusiasts, the hatch is more desirable. Don’t let that put you off buying a cabrio, though. Unlike the hatch, which was built in strike-hit Saarlouis and, later, Halewood, the cabrio was made by Karmann in Osnabrück,to a much higher standard. It suits Dire Straits better, too.

An expert’s view - Biran Rowe, Insurance Valuations, XR owners club

“I have a Mk4 90-spec XR3i hatch with 73,000 miles that I bought 11 years ago. It was the car I always wanted as a teenager but could never afford. Filling it up at a petrol station takes around half an hour because people come up to me to share their memories of the XR3i. Of course, it feels nothinglike a modern car to drive but it does feel more connected to the road. You can hear the engine better than a modern car’s, too, especially at around 3500rpm, when there’s a lovely rasp from the exhaust. It’s outpaced by other hot hatches of the time such as the Volkswagen Golf GTI and Peugeot205 GTi but I still love it.” 

Buyer beware…

Engine: The 1.6-litre CVH engine can sound tappety from cold but should quieten as the temperature climbs. It likes a new cambelt and water pump every three years and fresh oil at least every 6000 miles. Early model’s Bosch K-Jetronic mechanical fuel injection system is more reliable than the later90-spec electronic injection system.

Gearbox: Linkages can become loose and sloppy (new parts widely available). Do the usual checks, listening for grinding and crashing, and feeling for clutch slip. 

Suspension and wheels: The XR3i is quite soft for a sporty hatch so don’t immediately think the dampers are shot. Bushes will be tired, though, so expect to hear clonks and bangs over rough surfaces. Wheel bearings consistently fail, so listen for a faint hum as you go around a corner.

Body: Rust is a given, but be more concerned about the quality of any repairs, including welding and finishing. An MOT will sniff out anything serious. For the record, rust attacks rear arches, sills, floor and suspension. It then spreads to the fuse box and battery tray. Blocked roof drains can cause sunroof cars to deposit a shower of rust on your head as you open the roof.

Interior: Early cars’ Daytona trim is harder to source than the Zolda trim of later ones so beware anything too shonky. Door pulls scratch easily and are hard to source but can be refurbished. Vinyl on the main door cards tends to lift. 

Also worth knowing: There’s no shortage of XR3i expertise out there, from the XR Owners Club (xroc.co.uk) to numerous specialist repairers and parts suppliers, including Mark Sargeant at Ford Parts R Us in Weston-super-Mare (fordpartsrus on Facebook).