It's possible that your thermostat is stuck open. The Escort thermostat housing also has a plastic pellet in it that is designed to melt and allow the coolant to by pass the thermostat and help protect the engine if the car overheats. If that pellet has melted then the coolant is by passing the thermostat all the time and would take a long time for the car to heat up. You can remove the thermostat housing and if the pellet is OK you will be able to hear it rattling insde the housing.