Hi! find it just not ..here or other forum yes already discussed. My escort has to be driven in 3th and 4th with gas pedal on bottom sheet so full throttle. And even then it is still very sluggish and tough.. What can it be? Or is this engine/gear really sooo bad?? Since purchase with bad car house (some defects) with wrong or not adjusted timing belt. There it was still much worse. The one or other workshop proved to be unfavorable despite test drive. New clutch installed or obviously had no idea otherwise. Until a workshop when renewing timing belts just by the way adjusted … Or can motor thereby have suffered damage ? By the years of driving with wrong timing belt adjustment ? Or what else can it lie ? Compression ? Car so 19 years old . 146 000 km