Here's That Affordable RWD Stick-Shift Ford You've Been Wanting

Jack Baruth
by Jack Baruth

For about half the price of a new base Fiesta, you can roll in a right-wheel-drive, manny-tranny (OH STOP IT) not-so-fast Ford.


$6500 for a Pinto with under 20,000 miles? It seems ridiculous, but as one eminent BMW expert pointed out on Facebook, that’s “100hp in a package lighter than a 2002.”

This appears to be a “sedan”, which is to say, a Pinto with a trunk, as opposed to a “Runabout”, which was the hatch. True story: During a Civil Air Patrol exercise in 1982, your humble author was transported sixty or so miles in the hatchback area of a Pinto. I still haven’t told my parents this.

The interior looks good. Remember when you could get actual colors for an automotive interior? Hell, remember when you could get actual colors for an automotive exterior?

Nowadays, they’d call it “Ford-Tex!”

It’s funny how low and wide the Pinto was. No wonder it was easy to turn into a Mustang.

If you’ve got the money, this fellow has the car. Just make sure you watch your you-know-what in traffic.

Jack Baruth
Jack Baruth

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  • Groza George My next car will be a PHEV truck if I can find one I like. I travel a lot for work and the only way I would get a full EV is if hotels and corporate housing all have charging stations.I would really like a Toyota Tacoma or Nissan Frontier PHEV
  • Slavuta Motor Trend"Although the interior appears more upscale, sit in it a while and you notice the grainy plastics and conventional design. The doors sound tinny, the small strip of buttons in the center stack flexes, and the rear seats are on the firm side (but we dig the ability to recline). Most frustrating were the repeated Apple CarPlay glitches that seemed to slow down the apps running through it."
  • Brandon I would vote for my 23 Escape ST-Line with the 2.0L turbo and a normal 8 speed transmission instead of CVT. 250 HP, I average 28 MPG and get much higher on trips and get a nice 13" sync4 touchscreen. It leaves these 2 in my dust literally
  • JLGOLDEN When this and Hornet were revealed, I expected BOTH to quickly become best-sellers for their brands. They look great, and seem like interesting and fun alternatives in a crowded market. Alas, ambitious pricing is a bridge too far...
  • Zerofoo Modifications are funny things. I like the smoked side marker look - however having seen too many cars with butchered wire harnesses, I don't buy cars with ANY modifications. Pro-tip - put the car back to stock before you try and sell it.
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