My 1st car was a 1995 1.3 Escort, I bought it at 75k and I used to clock 200-250 miles a week in it (long distance girlfriend back then) and it ran suprisingly well for a small engine car on dual carriageways alot.
Anyways, it was still running absolutely fine at the 120k mark until some idiot boy racer came speeding into me at about 50mph down a country lane.
I was selling it the next day too!
My long winded point is, despite what alot of people say and my friends did back then an Escort will last a long time!
Nice first car buy!