Ford Escort RS2000 – Driving Test – From the Old Box

In the early 1990s, Opel thought it was time to replace the very successful name Kadett with Astra, but top competitor Ford did not want to know anything about such a change of course. It cheerfully continued the concept of Escort with the Mk5 and in 1991 also took the well-known RS designation from stable. In addition, it even went back extra on the past, by calling it RS2000. After two generations of Escort RS Turbo, the sporty top version (if we ignore the RS Cosworth for a moment) got that name again.

The Escort Mk5 did not really shine with its fairly modest looks, but Ford had clearly done its best with the RS2000 to give it a little more face. For example, the new bumper work with larger air intakes, an unmissable rear spoiler, special alloy wheels and thicker side skirts. The hood had two bulges, creating the visual illusion of an oversized engine in the nose. That in itself was not that bad: Ford used the DOHC engine that appeared two years earlier from the development rooms for the Escort RS2000. A block that, as its name indicated, had double overhead camshafts and was the first to prove itself in the Sierra and Scorpio. Although it was also available as an eight-valve, the RS2000 received the variant that was further developed to sixteen-valves, which was good for a power of 150 hp and 190 Nm of torque. In particular, the maximum torque was available faster than with the eight-valve and that ensured that the RS2000 came out nicely.

Fast Fords have been praised for their road holding for years and the brand had also made an effort with the RS2000. “By using considerably stiffer springs, modified shock absorbers and a stabilizer bar at the front, the RS2000 has a sportier chassis than the standard Escort. This has given the new Escort a really nice road holding, while the comfort is not really adversely affected, such as that “This has often been the case with other sporty Fords. The car remains firmly on course – even when cornering – and there are no strange reactions to small steering movements or sudden braking. Only under the most extreme conditions does a slight understeer occur.”

Those who wanted to go wild with the Escort RS2000 were also kept in place in the thicker decorated interior. Sporty seats with a very striking design were somewhere between comfortable seats and racing shells. As a driver, you were further reminded that you were driving a special Escort because of the red accents in front of you. For example, the circle in the middle of the steering wheel was outlined in red and the RS2000 had red hands in the instrumentation. Finally you grabbed the poker of a brand new five-speed gearbox, which made a good first impression. You didn’t have to be too clumsy to work with smooth shifting. However, it was noticeable how relatively heavy the steering was, despite the power steering. Not necessarily a disadvantage, by the way, it also suited the character of the car to have quite a bit of feeling in the steering wheel.

All in all, the Escort RS2000 left a good impression and felt more than its predecessors as a car that could be used for different purposes. “Calm driving in high gears is just as nice as giving it the sporty spurs.” We were curious about the RS Cosworth that would appear later, although we already knew that it would be a much more expensive version that would also be ‘much more of a rally weapon than a utility item’. The Opel Astra 2.0 GSi 16v could in any case wet its chest for the Ford Escort RS2000, we concluded, especially because the Escort was no less than 5,000 guilders cheaper.