Tracer wagon w/5spd is a good car

Bought this car with 63K miles for $1600 - felt like I'd robbed a bank. Excellent shape. A/C, 5-spd, power windows & locks(rarity there). Aqua/lime green (grew on me).

Driving position is very good, seat well-shaped... but could be a little softer/larger. Pedal/wheel/shifter relationship is excellent. Performance is sufficient - and that is not faint praise. I see many remark how slow the car is... it isn't, if you get a 5-spd. I'd been commuting in a 225K mi '85 Sentra, which was SLOW. But I've owned an LT1 Caprice & 5.0 Mustang, so I've had fast... but I like this Tracer better than both. Why? Well... LT1 was a maintenance pig, and I've finally outgrown fast (took me 25 years of driving), this car is comfortable, and I take great satisfaction in getting high-30mpg. I've honestly cracked the 40mpg several times - this requires judicious driving, but can be done. I tracked every fillup in spring/summer of 2005, and ranged between 36-41mpg, almost always about 38-39. Very satisfying (mileage will drop to mid-sometimes low 30s in cold weather). A/C is nice and cold, heater is quite warm. Stereo cassette is sufficient; car is a bit loud at 75 , so more speaker would be nice. I drove a '98 wagon, the post-97 Escorts/Tracers are substantially quieter.

During deer season I keep treestand, rifle, shotgun, and a bunch of gear hidden in the back. It has carried one nice doe, and a very large 8-pointer (folded down back seats, spread poncho to keep blood off of carpet).

I highly recommend getting the 5-spd over the auto - you'll get much better mileage AND performance, automatic is a distinctly inferior choice. I think the 5-spd wagon is by far the best of the Escort/Tracer configurations; it is exactly what I was looking for, and I'm keeping it.