Ford Aspire
All you really need to know about the Ford Aspire is that the Enterprise Rent-a-Car branch at which my wife worked years ago--an establishment not exactly filled with sleek and exotic machinery--held the Aspire in such ignominious regard that the staff broke the name into two sylables and added an extra "s" to the name. Yes, because the car drove like, well, butt. Even so, the car's nickname was nowhere near as obscene as the car itself.
I've spent a lot of time talking up small, cheap, light hatchbacks, but one must draw the line somewhere. You know it's bad when the Aspire was nowhere near as sleek or exotic as its fierce mid-1990s competitor, the Geo Metro. Try to wrap your mind around that for a moment.
Manufactured by Kia a decade before the company fixed its woeful quality problems, the Aspire did nothing to enhance Ford's small-car reputation. The Aspire had an incredibly underpowered 1.3-liter 4-cylinder engine, which meant the Aspire had great difficulty reaching highway speeds and climbing steep hills.
Once Aspires hit the 100,000-mile mark, the engine has a tendency to sound as if it had gravel in the combustion chamber. I'm not sure if it's a design defect or poor maintenance caused by the car's disposable aura--probably both--but every Aspire that I've heard in the past few years has souded as if it's running completely without lubrication.
Likewise, the build quality was such that the sheet metal could be dimpled and molded simply with one's thumb and index finger. The Aspire was also replete with all of the electronic malfunctions and poor interior fit-and-finish typical of underengineered and overcomplex compact cars in the mid-1990s.
I once saw an Aspire for-sale listing that so inspired me that I archived the text for safe-keeping. The attempts to build excitement are rich in their irony:"This is a beautiful 1994 Ford Aspire Hatchback that was adult owned and maintained. This is by no means your typical vehicle. Its senior owner maintained this beauty consistently in a super-meticulous manner ... this vehicle has all of the attributes you could want in a vehicle ... Inside and out, this is an overall real beauty. The engine is very powerful and idles super smoothly."
Pete on August 01, 2008 at 02:32 PM
I guess it depends on what you want in a car, but I've been looking for an Aspire for the last 4 years. Finally had to settle for a Festiva. I love it. I drive it like a little sports car and it still gets better than 40 mpg.
I still want an Aspire though, but this one doesn't have to run. I want the suspension. An Aspire suspension is about the best thing you could put on a Festiva. Totally changes the nature of the car.
Add in an engine from a Ford Escort GT (another Mazda designed Ford. The engine bolts right up to the Festiva transmission) and still get 35 MPG along with handling and performance equal to many new sport compact cars for a tiny fraction of the price.
Love my Ukranian Easter Egg on August 11, 2008 at 01:40 AM
I gotta tell you all that my wife and I LOVE our little Aspire. She bought it straight out of college and we've had it in our driveway for 12 years now and it still runs like a champ. We had so much confidence in it that we actually drove it from Newfoundland to Alberta about 10 years ago with all our possessions in the backseat. (the best part is that it only cost us about 150 bucks in gas. mind you that was before gas hit a 1.40 per litre.) Eight years later we still loved it so much that we paid three grand to have it shipped back to the east coast where we both drive it on a daily basis. We've never had any mechanical trouble with it and we plan to drive it until the day it eventually dies on us.
Brian Allen on November 27, 2008 at 10:29 PM
Sure, it's a inexpensive car, the all grey interior is chintzy and bland, the engine is under powered ( by American standards ), and it dents ridiculously easy, but I can't seem to kill the damn thing. I've got 335,000 miles on mine ( original engine and transmission ), it gets an average of 40 miles to the gallon, and it just wont rust. I use it everyday to get back and forth to work, almost a hundred miles daily thru northern Michigan winters. But it's not a cheap car, a Yugo was a cheap car, there is a certain kind of build quality to this thing, I would say purposeful would be a good word to use. This car would make Robert McNamara smile.
wayne on December 28, 2008 at 02:44 PM
we have owned an aspire for about 7 years, and we cannot kill the thing no matter how hard we try. it has 220,000 miles on it and starts like brand-new every day. our teenage daughter drove it, and it is still going strong. we had a HARD freeze recently and thought that the damn thing sure must not have made it through, but low and behold, started up like a dream the next day. best car that we have ever owned. replaced a fuel filter and that is it in the 7 years that we have had it. (except for new tires every now and then)
CamelLHP on March 06, 2009 at 02:59 PM
That car still runs, picked it up for about $700! (pictured top) I gave it to my Dad when I bought my real... I mean another car. But that car was always good to me. I drove it to Ohio and back (from Des Moines, Iowa) also to Minnesota and Chicago! That little guy was not the best or fastest but was the most reliable. It still gets about 45mpg and it would run forever on a 10 gallon tank. Built by Kia Designed by Mazda Engine and transmission also by Mazda sold by Ford, its a mutt! Good use of my pictures by the way!
kayla on March 11, 2009 at 06:00 PM
Fuck all u guys!!! i have a ford aspire for bout 4 years now! it never has any problems. and it drives perfect!! and its great on gas!!! plus im only 18 i cant afford a nice ass car.. but this one has got me through alot!! so fuck all u who make fun of ford aspire!! there great little begginer cars!!!!!!
scott on July 14, 2009 at 09:43 PM
My first car is a 1996 Ford Aspire. I get so much crap from my friends because its got 63 horsepower and stuff but i actually am grateful that i have it because its so fun to drive being so compact and having no blind spots and i didnt have to pay for it. Also, i think that its loud engine is fun to mess around with. I rev the engine like its badass but its really just the crappy muffler making all the noise.Im keeping it through highschool but afterwards im gonna buy a jeep cherokee. Ill drive my aspire as i aspire for success. Its motivation to save my money for a better vehicle that will run all over my friends ricers. So for anyone else who drives a Ford Ass_Fire just be grateful and know that one day youll look back and laugh at it when your rollin in a ferrari. There couldnt be a better name for this car than the Aspire.
scott on July 14, 2009 at 09:52 PM
also be4 it was mine my brother totalled it. we made it drivable again but now its dark blue-green with a gray hood and it says aspire in pink on the back. But for a car thats been shitted on it runs great and it actually has less than 50k miles on it. and all the girls think its cute.
Drew Simpson on July 31, 2009 at 11:13 AM
I own a white 95 aspire 5 speed manual. its a real piece. the only benefit of the car is the 35 mpg. mine has a lavender hood as a result of my step dad hitting a deer. it has 173,000 miles on it and only goes 65 mph. it has four wheels and has forward and reverse, but it really sucks
Drew Simpson on July 31, 2009 at 11:37 AM
i call mine the Gayspire
Robert Bland on August 23, 2009 at 01:33 PM
This article is total BS. I have a 1994 Ford Aspire which I have driven for 15 years with very few problems. It has plenty of power to climb any hills around (I live in the mountains of Western North Carolina) and accelerates safely to highway speed. The car still gets over 36 mpg. It has over 120,000 miles on it, and runs quietly and smoothly.
Jessica on June 18, 2010 at 05:50 PM
Hey, you guys need to quit hatin on my car!!
There are no rust spots, noises, dents, or stains.. so maybe it's just certain people that don't know how to respect what they have?
austin on June 24, 2010 at 10:05 AM
yea, i must admit ... my aspire has seen better days...
beleive it or not,, I have the SE, which included a spoiler, nicer interior, and colored gauges....
its lasted me well so far... 214000 m8iles on it... I even turned it on its side... and its still kicking...
lazybratsche on July 16, 2010 at 11:03 AM
Oh, the aspire. My parents owned one, originally purchased as a cheapass commuter car. They replaced it in short order, which meant (of course) that it was the beater they let me drive around in high school. Since it was gray, I dubbed it the Ratmobile.
By the time I started "driving" the car, it was 6 years old and already starting to fall apart. After a few more years of driving and maybe a total of 120k miles, it was pretty much dead.
Rust ate several holes through the muffler and a few in the floor. The trim fell off leaving a strip of dirty yellow adhesive.
You didn't steer it, you suggested that it might want to point a different way, and hoped that the car agreed. The only suspension was whatever kept the wheels suspended an inch above the ground every time you hit a small pothole. Consequently, turning was terrifying on any slightly bumpy road -- even gentle curves on 25 mph subdivision roads. The rattling sheet metal wasn't very reassuring, either.
Transmission was almost shot as well; clutch was sloppy and it would pop out of 2nd or 3rd gear unless you held it in place. When entering the highway, you had to hope that there was a good long downhill onramp, otherwise you weren't going to hit 60 mph in time to merge with traffic. The actual speed limit of 70 mph was a challenge to maintain with any hint of headwind or slope.
Any hint of acceleration was lost if you turned the AC on, or had a passenger.
I could go on...
I did enjoy pulling up next to someone else in a beater, revving the engine (sans muffler), and "drag racing". I don't think I ever won though... There's a few guys out there with rusted out '88 civics that probably think I'm insane.
Eventually the brakes died, and we didn't bother to fix it since replacement parts (not including labor!) were worth far more than the rest of the car. So, fittingly, it was towed off to the junk yard.
In a twisted sort of way, I do miss it. Or at least, the laughter of passengers as I tried to drive it around.
Jamie on July 24, 2010 at 11:04 AM
we have a ford aspire that my parents bought from some friends who's son wrecked it like 4 times. now i'm 16 and it's my school car. I drive 30 miles round trip to school and back daily...since we live in a rural town....it is one tough little guy...i call my the "blueberry" cause it is a weird color blue. I take a lot of crap from friends at school too but hey my 8 gal. tank can go farther than their 20 gal. tank so I'm not complaining...we r also doing body work now to improve it's looks before school starts again....i may not have the fastest or coolest car around but I can rely on it to start and get me where I need to go even with 187,000 mi. on it. I'm confident that the aspire will accompany me to college since it seems to be indestructable!
Ben on September 08, 2010 at 03:44 PM
Hey, lets re-open a dead link!!!
I love my Aspire. 1996. In the 14 years I've owned it, I've changed only the wheel bearings, which lasted 90k longer than they should have, and the internal fuel pump, which lasted 60k longer than it was supposed to... as well as the battery, twice.
220,000 miles. 37 miles per gallon. If this was what Kia was producing BEFORE they got their act together, then they must have the $HIT vehicles now! My next vehicle will be a Kia.
shawn on January 10, 2011 at 10:56 PM
I have had no less than three of these cars. All were 5-speed two-doors and all were absulutely great for reaching highway speeds quickly. I have had many many miles of trouble-free driving with virtually but routine oil changes and the yearly tune-up. These cars get great mileage and when you remove the back seat you can haul anything. I even had my ariens riding mower in the back and it fit in all the way.
The cars are not even close to the geo metro and are far superior in reliability. The metro's "A" frames always rust out making these cars junk and useless and the metro's three cylinder motor is a joke for anything over 40mph.
Aspires are quite reliable cars and I will jump at the chance to buy one again if I can find one in my price range. Here they are very popular and well likes, lots are running around, but people like them so much that no one ever gets rid of them.
I will buy a ford aspire any day, all day, as long as it's a five speed two-door and as long as I have the money to do so
Simba Lage on June 20, 2011 at 04:17 AM
See the link. I own one and after adding a bunch of stuff like power locks and stuff most cars have its awsome.. They are fun, engines die after 100k but are easy to change, fun little car and good on gas!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2q0eby4QZNI