Best Used Ford Wagon - Escort, Focus, Taurus

Wagons have been fighting a losing battle on two fronts against both minivans and sport-utility vehicles for the past 15 years. While the station wagon used to be the centerpiece of family motoring, providing a good compromise between the handling and styling of a sedan and the practicality of an extended cargo area, the popularity of minivans built to a climax in the mid-1990s, when each domestic manufacturer ceased production of their full-size wagons. Even the mighty Toyota and Honda began to first limit the importation of and then completely stop selling wagon versions of their popular sedans, preferring instead to play catch up in the minivan market.

Wagons didn’t completely die out, but they did find themselves increasingly shunted to the rear of the showroom in order to make room first for vans and then for the SUV’s and crossovers that ended up in turn replacing the replacements. Whereas before station wagons had come in a variety of different sizes and configurations, increasingly they were sold only at the lower levels of the market in either entry-level compact or mid-size form.

The advantages of a wagon over an SUV or van can be found in drivability and fuel mileage, two areas where larger, less agile vehicles have difficulty competing. While wagons may give up interior room and ground clearance to vans and sport-utility vehicles, they make up for it with small, efficient engines which can capably move their relatively lightweight platforms. As most wagons are based off of sedan platforms, they enjoy nearly the same level of handling, stopping and acceleration as their four-door twins, making them easier to park, merge and drive in poor weather conditions when compared to some of their more ponderous competitors.

Ford continued to sell wagons long after most other domestic automakers had thrown in the towel. The company used its decades of experience in the segment to construct practical, economical and in most cases comfortable people movers that have held up well in the ensuing years. Ford’s primary focus was on the compact wagon market, although it did offer a compelling mid-size model for several years. This article takes a look at three of the best Ford wagons available on the used market and discusses their performance, utility and value to buyers looking to make their car-buying dollars count.

1998 – 1999 Ford Escort Wagon

The Ford Escort has been in production since the early 1980s, when it battled the second wave of Japanese compact cars which had begun to carve out their own profitable niche in the North American market. Small, inexpensive and boasting excellent fuel economy, the Escort was originally offered as either a wagon or a hatchback. While the hatchback eventually faded in favor of a more conventional sedan and coupe lineup, the wagon persisted and the Escort became a very popular seller for the Dearborn-based automaker.

The Escort wagons produced in 1998 and 1999 represent the last hurrah for the venerable nameplate. The Escort’s early sharp edges have been rounded and tucked, creating a torpedo-shaped body which fits in well with Ford’s overall 1990s styling. The wagon is available with a 5-speed manual transmission which makes the most of the 110 horsepower, 2.0 liter 4-cylinder engine it is connected to. With 125 lb-ft of torque this motor is more than up to the task of moving around the extra weight of the wagon’s cargo area. A 4-speed automatic is also available. As one would expect from an engine this size in a car this small, fuel economy is excellent, with the Escort showing 26 miles per gallon in town and 34 on the highway.

Inside the car, the Escort wagon does suffer from the same rear-seat leg room problems typical of most late-90’s compact cars. However, for short trips drivers are unlikely to hear too many complaints. In contrast, behind the rear seats is almost 27 cubic feet of storage space, which is competitive with the trunks of some mid-size sedans. The Escort wagon comes standard with air conditioning, dual airbags and power door locks, with the option of power windows and a rear windshield wiper.

The 1998 – 1998 Ford Escort wagon might be on the small side, but for many the idea of a compact wagon is exactly what they are looking for in a used car – small, but with a good amount of room for hauling musical instruments, tools or even car parts. This diminutive 5-door makes a great low-buck choice for used wagon buyers.

2000 – 2007 Ford Focus wagon.

The Ford Focus is the vehicle which ended up replacing the Escort at the end of its lifecycle, and Ford once again decided to make a wagon version of their flagship compact car available. The Focus was a clean-slate design for Ford, as they looked to the lessons they had learned in the competitive European small car marketplace and tried their best to apply them onto a template that would appeal to buyers in the United States. The 2000 – 2007 Focus wagon is an excellent interpretation of what compact car buyers are looking for, and it puts a more engaging driving experience back into the hands of entry-level buyers.

While the Focus might be in the same class as the departed Escort, it takes advantage of its modern platform to offer levels of interior room that dwarf its predecessor. Just over 37 cubic feet of space are available between the rear seat backs and the lift gate, and if the seats are folded flat this expands to a hefty 55 cubic feet. The Focus also boasts a higher seating position that not only offers a better view of the road but also makes it easier to get in and out of the small wagon. Interior materials are a nice balance between practical and comfortable, with an effort being made to use rubber and soft touch plastics in order to avoid the harsh utilitarian feel that is sometimes found in cars of this price segment.

Underneath the hood of the Focus is either a standard 110 horsepower 2.0 liter 4-cylinder engine, or a 130 horsepower Zetec version of the same mill which uses a DOHC design in order to crank out extra oomph. The Focus can be ordered with either a 4-speed automatic or a 5-speed manual transmission.

The 2000 – 2007 Ford Focus wagon is one of the stronger values on the used car market. With European design and handling flair, combined with the available Zetec engine, the Focus wagon is capable of hauling around a great chunk of cargo and putting a smile on the face of drivers in what is usually a fairly grim sector of used car sales.

2000 – 2003 Ford Taurus Wagon

The largest wagon of the three, the mid-size 2000 – 2003 is one step removed from the disastrous re-styling undergone by the Taurus in 1996. This generation of Taurus wagon is somewhat of a strange beast from a design perspective, as it bears a new, softened front end matched with the previous model’s tail. The overall effect is not unpleasant, however, and the wagon’s elliptical rear greenhouse is unique in its class.

Of course, by the end of the 1990’s, the mid-size wagon class was almost completely empty, save for European sport wagons and the perennial offerings from Subaru. The Ford Taurus wagon is the quintessential American sedan stretched and massaged to provide a greater enclosed rear cargo area. Interestingly, the Taurus offers similar cargo capacity to the Focus wagon – at least until the rear seats are folded down, when it expands to 81 cubic feet of hauling potential. Unlike the Focus, the Taurus provides ample room throughout the passenger compartment, with good room for 4 adults and the possibility to squeeze in six for a short period of time.

The Taurus wagon shares its engine choices with the four-door sedan. Buyers can select from the older but reliable 3.0 liter Vulcan V6 which produces 155 horsepower, which is also available with a Flex Fuel option, or they can opt for the more modern Duratec V6, which pushes the horsepower number up to 200. Both engines provide adequate acceleration and passing power, with an edge off of the line going to the Duratec, and both come with the same 4-speed automatic transmission.

The Ford Taurus wagon represents the last of the old guard of wagon design – a mid-size body built on a strong platform with a good amount of horsepower to back it up. One of the largest recent wagons available on the used market, the Taurus makes an excellent alternative to a standard minivan.