12 DISCONTINUED FORD CARS FROM THE 90S, RANKED WORST TO BEST

11.Ford Festiva (1988-1993)

The Festiva, which came before the Aspire in North America, took the econobox concept to the extreme. At just 140.5 inches long, with boxy Yugo-like styling and a modest 1.3-liter engine, it served as Ford’s bare-bones entry-level option. Though mechanically a clone of the Mazda 121, it was manufactured in South Korea—just like its successor. Interestingly, Mazda didn’t even sell the 121 in Japan. Instead, Japanese consumers were offered the Festiva, perhaps because Mazda figured the 121 wasn’t up to par for its home market. On the flip side, the Kia Pride—another rebadged version from the Ford-Mazda-Kia collaboration—proved to be a hit in Korea.

Japan also got the better end of the deal with a sportier GT-X version, featuring a 16-valve 1.3-liter engine making 87 horsepower and paired with a five-speed manual. North America? Stuck with the milder 63-hp setup. To be fair, at just 1,700 pounds, the Festiva wasn’t painfully slow, and its handling wasn’t half bad. Still, giving U.S. drivers the peppier engine would’ve been a welcome move. But even with that, the Festiva remained a no-frills car that somehow managed to cost more than some of its competitors. Sure, it wore a Ford badge, but it didn’t exactly feel like a true Ford. To make matters worse, U.S. customers only had access to the three-door hatch, while other regions enjoyed options like a four-door sedan or a five-door hatchback.