Ford
Published on June 4th, 2020 |
by BajaBusta
1988 Ford Tempo & Mercury Topaz Test Drive
For 1988, Ford’s compact twins underwent the most significant product action since their 1984 introduction. The 4-door got all-new sheet metal (including the roof), and all models received new front and rear looks. On the Tempo 4-door , there was a wraparound backlight, a la Sable. And the Topaz roof got the notchback treatment, looking as if it were penned more by GM than “aero” Ford. Overall, the shape was more wedge than egg. Refreshing. Inside, there was an all new instrument panel with an import like gauge cluster.
Ford was trying out its new Toyota licensed passive seat belt system on the Tempo/Topaz this year. The motorized track system was standard, but supplemental airbags remained on the option list.
Under the hood, both standard and high-output versions of Ford’s ohv 2.3 liter inline-4 received multi-point fuel injection. And the all-wheel-drive option remained, but only for the 4-door Tempo.
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1985 Ford Tempo Manufacturer Promo
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Tags: 1988, AWD, consumer reports, Ford, Ford Tempo, how reliable are, how reliable is, jd power, mercury topaz, Motorweek, Review, road test, Roadtest, Tempo AWD, test drive, Testdrive, Topaz AWD
