Commonly known among Ford salespeople as the "Expire" because of its asthmatic acceleration, the Aspire replaced Ford's spunky Festiva in 1994. Originally, the Aspire was the only subcompact available with standard dual airbags and optional anti-lock brakes. Now, all subcompacts on the market offer standard dual airbags and optional antilock brakes.

The Aspire is available in three- or five-door hatchback body styles, in a single trim level. The uplevel SE sport variant, which included little more than additional trim and features, has been canceled for 1996. A torquey 63-horsepower engine motivates the Aspire, but the optional automatic transmission effectively severs what little power it is able to transmit to the front wheels.

Aspire is surprisingly roomy inside, and the dashboard houses easy-to-read, if not basic, instrumentation. Base prices start at just over $8,500 and can climb to a maximum of about $14,000 for a fully loaded five-door hatch.

This year Ford drops several standard and optional items from the Aspire's equipment roster. Formerly optional premium and compact disc audio systems are no longer available, and aluminum wheels have been dropped. The front chin spoiler has been deleted, and the passenger seat back memory feature is gone from the three-door model. New is a standard storage bin in place of last year's rear seat ashtray, and four new colors are available.

Aspires are affordable and reliable, but there are other models in this class that offer the same with much more go power. We can only recommend the base three-door model with a manual transmission, because prices escalate quickly once the options are added, pushing the Aspire into Hyundai Accent territory. Pile the options on and you might as well buy the bigger, more powerful Ford Escort. Stick to the basics, and the Aspire is a good value, especially when the local Ford dealer offers them up for a big discount in price.

1996 Highlights

The Aspire loses the SE trim level and several items of standard and optional equipment. Four new colors debut.

Consumer reviews

Read what other owners think about the 1996 Ford Aspire.

Overall Consumer Rating

4.56 reviews

Write a review See all 6 reviews

5(50%)

4(50%)

3(0%)

2(0%)

1(0%)

Most helpful consumer reviews

Very reliable, Great little car

Erikvi,02/22/2004

Incredeable interior space. When you take out the back seats (remove 4 bolts) you can use it as a mini-mini van. Gas mileage is a little disappointing. Fun to drive. Very comfortable seats. Lots of leg room (I am 6ft-2". I can stretch my legs. Hardly any trouble after 155,000 miles!!

GREAT AND FUN TO DRIVE

Jess,07/22/2003

ITS FUN TO DRIVE, IT MAKE YOU SEEM LIKE YOU GOING FASTER THAN YOU REALLY ARE. AND ITS CUTE!

Alright Car

Bade,02/11/2004

I don't think it is the greatest car, but I do prefer it over some others. The size is what gets me...it is a little to small sometimes, other huge cars like Dodge Ram pickups tower over me, but then it is normal size against other cars. Not as fast as I hoped, but since I have bought it I have never had to do any special work on it other than the usual oil change, and

Inexpensive, reliable FUN!!!

AspireChick,04/05/2003

One review of the Aspire summed it up as BULLETPROOF. I concur with that. My car has 116,000 miles on it and I have done NOTHING to it, other then change oil & filter, and air filter. NOTHING else has been touched. While the 63 ponies under the hood my not break your neck accelerating, it does however manage to get you around decently.

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Features & Specs

MPG

29 city / 38 hwy

Seats 0

5-speed manual

Gas

63 hp @ 5000 rpm

MPG

29 city / 38 hwy

Seats 0

5-speed manual

Gas

63 hp @ 5000 rpm

See all Used 1996 Ford Aspire features & specs

Safety

NHTSA Overall Rating

The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration offers independent analysis.

Frontal Barrier Crash Rating
OverallNot Rated
Driver4 / 5
Passenger4 / 5
Side Crash Rating
OverallNot Rated
Side Barrier Rating
OverallNot Rated
DriverNot Rated
PassengerNot Rated
Combined Side Barrier & Pole Ratings
Front SeatNot Rated
Back SeatNot Rated
Rollover
RolloverNot Rated
Dynamic Test ResultNo Tip
Risk Of RolloverNot Rated

IIHS Rating

The Insurance Institute of Highway Safety uses extensive crash tests to determine car safety.

Side Impact Test
Not Tested
Roof Strength Test
Not Tested
Rear Crash Protection / Head Restraint
Not Tested
IIHS Small Overlap Front Test
Not Tested
Moderate Overlap Front Test
0

More about the 1996 Ford Aspire

Used 1996 Ford Aspire Overview

The Used 1996 Ford Aspire is offered in the following submodels: Aspire Hatchback. Available styles include 4dr Hatchback, and 2dr Hatchback.

What's a good price on a Used 1996 Ford Aspire?

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Which used 1996 Ford Aspires are available in my area?

Shop Edmunds' car, SUV, and truck listings of over 6 million vehicles to find a cheap new, used, or certified pre-owned (CPO) 1996 Ford Aspire for sale near. Simply research the type of car you're interested in and then select a used car from our massive database to find cheap prew-owned vehicles for sale near you. Once you have identified a used vehicle you're interested in, check the Carfax and Autocheck vehicle history reports, read dealer reviews, and find out what other owners paid for the Used 1996 Ford Aspire.

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Should I lease or buy a 1996 Ford Aspire?

Is it better to lease or buy a car? Ask most people and they'll probably tell you that car buying is the way to go. And from a financial perspective, it's true, provided you're willing to make higher monthly payments, pay off the loan in full and keep the car for a few years. Leasing, on the other hand, can be a less expensive option on a month-to-month basis. It's also good if you're someone who likes to drive a new car every three years or so.

Used 1996 Ford Aspire

Used