[84LX89GT]

In terms of reliability escorts and 2.3L mustangs are about the same and the escort i believe gets better gas mileage. My GT mustang now gets around 17-21 Miles per gallon (increased mileage since i've modified it....if i can hold off on the gas pedal a bit) and i had a 2.3L '91 mustang with 105 horsepower that got 18-21 mpg even with a very light foot, which is hard because those things are SOOOOOOO slow. I'd go with the escort, they feel peppier and they handle ALOT better. The 4 cylinder mustang suspension shares almost nothing in common with the 8 cylinder except for the basic suspension design. They come without a rear sway bar, a puny front sway bar, the 5.0's come with "low friction ball joints" as opposed to whatever the 2.3's come with, the springs are spongy and the car handles like a boat as well as they come with absolutely hideous wheels and smaller brakes than a 5.0L. and also the shocks and struts have crappy valving on the 2.3L's that are supposed to increase "ride comfort" which is guess comfort means floating around at highway speeds.

....that's my long winded rant, i'd go with the escort for now. The 2 door escorts/5 speed get good gas mileage, handle well, brake decent and are pretty reliable. You can also find the Escort GT's which have more power and better suspension. Just my opinion though,
Good luck,