Driven: 1980 Ford Fairmont Squire Remains a Tough Act to Top

From the February 1980 issue of Car and Driver.

After more than two years on the American scene, the Fairmont Squire wagon has be­come about as familiar as McDonald’s golden arches. These days, Fairmont wagons dot the landscape like wildflowers, dutifully fulfilling their family- and cargo-hauling responsibilities virtually unnoticed. And with everyone busy taking the Fairmont wagon for granted, it’s easy to lose sight of the fact that it’s one of America’s most efficient movers of people and parcels.

Though the Fairmont is cooked up from what is now strictly last-generation technolo­gy—a front engine and rear drive—it’s still the most economical gasoline-powered mid­sized station wagon, domestic or imported, that money can buy. In fact, according to the EPA’s interior-volume index, which mea­sures the cargo capacity behind the rear seat, the Fairmont wagon can haul up to 43 cubic feet of freight, along with a full complement of passengers. And the EPA also reports that a Fairmont wagon like our test car, equipped with the same 3.3-liter six and automatic transmission, will cover 20 miles on each gal­lon. Which means that there isn’t a gas-pow­ered wagon sold in the U.S. of A. that offers both more cargo room and better gas mile­age. (The Mercedes-Benz 300TD, the Peu­geot 504 Diesel, and the full-sized GM diesel wagon may surpass the Fairmont on both counts, but fuel-economy figures weren’t available for them as we went to press.)

Not only will a Fairmont wagon economi­cally haul everything from bassinets to basset hounds, it will accommodate you and five of your favorite friends as well—provided the front-seat riders don’t mind rubbing ankles a bit. This mother lode of practicality makes the Fairmont Squire an appealing family car, an especially useful addition to those house­holds that revolve around small cars like Porsche 924s or BMW 320is.

Of course, none of this is really news. In fact, there are few changes to report for 1980. The Fairmont’s only major revisions are under the hood: last year’s optional, 5.0-liter V-8 has been downsized to 4.2 liters in the interest of better fuel economy, and an automatic transmission is now mandatory with the V-8.

Aside from these changes, though, the 1980 Fairmont is pretty much the same car it’s been since its inception—only a little more luxurious. In the course of its first two seasons, Ford doled the line a steady stream of convenience features. So now you can deck the Fairmont’s halls with the likes of power windows, power door locks, a power seat, a tilt wheel, a power-boosted, four­-speaker stereo system, and much more.

Our Fairmont test wagon had just about everything you’d find on the average Middle America version, from air conditioning to fake-wood side paneling that wouldn’t fool a kindergartner at ten paces. In fact, it was a pretty comfortable piece—though not exact­ly a cornucopia of driving delights.

The Squire’s road manners were nothing more or less than you’d expect of a compact wagon tuned in the American idiom. It han­dled most situations with a modicum of poise, rode softly, and cruised quietly. But it was obviously never intended for anything approaching serious driving. Nor was its per­formance more than adequate; the 94-horsepower six simply wasn’t hearty enough to move 3200 pounds of wagon with anything approaching urgency.

Of course, the optional handling package would smooth away many of the rough edges in the Squire’s personality, and the 4.2-liter V-8 would add some gusto—at a 2-mpg fuel­economy penalty. But the utilitarian virtues of a Fairmont so equipped would still far outweigh its athletic abilities.

Indeed, as a second car and family-support vehicle, the Squire shows undeniable merit. Its forte is hauling people, packages, refrig­erators, Cub Scout packs, small towns—just about anything. An endless stream of stuff can be passed through its five portals, and there’s still always room for one more of whatever it is you’re carrying.

A wealth of cargo room, good gas mileage, and a reasonable price tag make the Fair­mont Squire a basic, honest vehicle, fit for all of the chores that are part and parcel of sub­urban living. If you need a big wagon taken to the efficient extreme, you’ll be hard pressed to do better than the one that’s as familiar as the golden arches.

Source: Reviews - aranddriver.com