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Comments
Thanks.
Can you tell me if the airbags are like the side curtains we hear about which come out of the ceiling? Are they more "body restraints" that come out of the seats? I guess what I'm getting at, would these SABs protect the head as well as the torso in a side impact?
Thanks again.
very few small cars come with side curtains, and none before 2004. the 2005 focus has them available, but only on the ST trim.
The 2005 has a much better engine and braking system and CD player standard. Some just don't like change.
I learned my lesson; first and last domestic car.
Fdanna; Let’s not forget we are talking about bottom of the line, entry level, economy car here. Of course if you spend more $$$, you’ll get a nice car. I share your frustration as I am also an owner of the early problem Focii (2001 SE w/ZTEC engine). I’ve had plenty of problems that I’ve documented here in the past, but the fact is the quality ratings have improved dramatically in the past 3 years.
Chuck1: I think the reason Focus sales continue to decline year after year is the fact that the 2000 & 2001 Focus had numerous recalls & quality issues. The fact that there hasn’t been a recall in over 3 years & the quality ratings have improved (Consumer Reports actually recommends the car, unheard for an American small car!!!!), it can not shake it bad reputation. My guess is that when the car is replaced 3 or 4 years from now, they’ll need to retire the Focus name.
Ford Focus DOWN 12%
What is interesting is the KIA Optima is up 129%!
Of course, declining sales is good is us consumers. You'll be able to get a good deal on a good car.
Thanks for your input...but I have to agree with explorerx4!
My first Focus sighting made me thing "Hey, that looks like a fun, Euro-style quality car." What spoiled it was partly the little things (clutch spring, ignition key, about eight other things), but mostly it was Ford's attitude - "If we admit that the customer is right, it will cost us too much money." (Ford customer "service" might as well use 1-800-4INSULT) GM went over the top with their "Road to Redemption" campaign, but Ford still could still learn from it. Until they do, this board will be about dropping sales figures and resale value and whether Ford is repeating the first launch. This car will be a success when people talk how it's a smart buy, fun to drive, and nice to be seen in, all of which it is.
Just check out the owner enthusiasm at other sites (Subaru comes to mind). Those cars probably aren't that much better - but the owners have the confidence that the company that made their car is proud of the product.
BTW, was considering VW TDI, but just can't justify the $ in capital (to buy) VS the savings in fuel costs, even when considering a 2 year old diesel. With the A plan, the $ difference between the new Focus and a used VW is too great. Plus, VW has a legacy of little problems (electrical gremlins) and the TDI, although a bullet proof engine, does require some fiddling to keep going. And I think the stealerships (as they are called on another site) are at least as bad if not worse than Ford stores.
with the ZTS, you are getting the same motor as the 2005 SES, so i think its a preference thing...
if ou are that worried about a few bucks a month, get the 2004
I have a 2001 SE with the ZTEC motor and it’s a great commuter car. I also have a 60 mile round trip commute (20 on back country roads, 40 on wide-open Interstates) and the way the car handles the curves is fantastic while the highway ride is very comfortable & stable while doing 70-75 MPH. Depending on how heavy my foot is, I’ll get between 28-32 MPG. One nice feature I like is the speed-sensitive radio the volume will adjust higher or lower depending on how fast you drive. It’s a neat way to suppress road noise while driving, assuming you have the radio on)
On thing about the VW (another very nice car), Not only will it be more expensive to buy, but more expensive to repair.
BTW, drove a ZTS today. Will certainly do. I thought the ride was quite nice. Our other car is an '01 Sienna. Focus takes the bumps quite well, perhaps a bit better from a road noise perspective than my van, although it's equipped with H rated Bridgestones. Found everthing quite small (to be expected), but lots of legroom. Base stereo sucks, though. Focus pickup as in highway merge adequate for what I'll be doing. Found the sun roof small. The seat height crank is different. Handling is spirited, as the writers have said. The Pirellis are a nice touch. No auto diming mirror or compass, though.
All 3 dealers I visited suggested the '04 as the price is just too sweet right now. Not that many left, either. Found one with the side air bags and none with the audiophile. Several have sunroof and leather. Most are silver, liquid grey, sangria red, dark blue. Would prefer the tundra green.
My only concern is that this fall they'll start discounting the '05's and put the bigger Mazda engine in the SES. Anyone care to comment?
You can get the auto-dimming mirror w/integrated compass & thermometer as a dealer-installed accessory. It lists for about $250 (in 2001) but it’s negotiable. I think I paid $150 (including installation) for it. I like the thermometer, the auto dimming feature took a little while to get to. It wouldn’t dim quickly enough for me. It seems the rear spoiler on the trunk would cast a shadow on the across the light sensor on the mirror, thereby “tricking” it into thinking it did not have to dim. You kind of have to fiddle with the positioning of it, but once you find the right position, it works fine.
One big mistake Ford made (other than the bland interior), is not making the 2.3 an option. I guess they want the ST to have an “exclusive” engine. They probably figure that the new 136hp engine will be fine for most people. It is only a mere 8 hp less then the 2004 ZTS engine. So, unless there is a big consumer outcry for more power, I doubt we’ll see it as an option.
Once all the 2004 are gone, we can only guess what the incentives will be on the 2005. My guess is they’ll wait a few months to see how well the 2005 is selling before making any moves so it may be fall before there is any increase. If they do increase the rebate amount, I doubt it’ll come close to the $3000 they are offering here in New York.
I love the driving dynamics. After 6 months I am just lucky that I have not been caught speeding continously. You are sitting up fairly high like a tall sedan but the steering wheel is just crying out for more and more lock- it is just amazing.!
It is a quirky car though in some respects and I do like the 04 Dash with the Blaupunkt audio sysem. I do not like the seat hieght adjusters, perhaps I'm just spoiled by 6 way power seats.
I found an after market ($79 ) compass with degrees of heading and thermometer, altimeter and some other stuff. Heartland Catalogue.
2004 ZTW with leather and moonroof rather than the 05 ZXW SES.
Why? Substantial price advantage. I've been pricing this car for 8 months and as of now they're practically giving them away. From a value perspective, it's way up there at the current prices. I also dislike the new (05) styling, inside and out. And why drop the 16" rims for 2005?
Like jasdmw I also have a long commute (105 km roundtrip) and also considered the diesel jetta (wagon in my case). Crunched the numbers and the extra expense made little sense. Not to mention back seat room even more limited than focus as well as less cargo room. Oh yeah, and I owned an Audi for several years and am still traumatized by the experience.
Also looked closely at the mazda 6 wagon. Fantastic car. Love it. Better than my car. But not $11 000 better IMO. That's the difference in price on the cash deals I negotiated.
I agree the moonroof is small.
Be glad you bought the extended warranty. Good luck.
I think it's a good deal, but I'm not too thilled about the interior color (gray). I'll be moving to Seattle from sunny California, and I think gray skies and a gray car may be too depressing. :-) I'm pretty flexible about the exterior color, but I prefer the parchment interior.
This brings me to the next car I'm considering: a ZTW with parchment interior, ABS, and side airbags. However, it has other options that I'm ambivalent about: leather seats, the sports package, heated mirrors, and heated seats. The dealer quoted a price of $16,400 (with $3000 rebate and excluding TTL) .
Is $16,400 is the lowest price I can get for the "loaded" ZTW? If not, what would be a good target price?
Any help will be appreciated.
Thanks!
ps
All prices in US dollars.
keep in mind that the 2004s are not being made anymore...so dont take too long deciding.
BTW, cjsb, where are you located? Did you have trouble finding what you wanted?
LOL! Well, I don't think tan is *that* important to me. However, I did find a ZTW with my desired specs AND tan upholstery at a dealership a couple of hours away. I'm awaiting a price quote, then I'll make my deicision. Hopefully, I'll be driving one this weekend. :-)
BTW, cjsb, where are you located? Did you have trouble finding what you wanted?
As mentioned, had been soliciting quotes on the 04 ZTW since February. Half a dozen dealerships and an on-line service as well. So when the price drop hit a couple weeks back it was a no brainer. That plus I finally got up close and personal with the 05 ZXW SES and though it has some good qualities, is definitely not a step forward IMO.
As for getting the car we wanted, two dealers did a 300km radius search and I'm told there were 5 (or fewer) left with our preferences. My wife was pretty adamant about black with tan leather so we moved quick.
Have to say, the car seems a steal at current prices. I'm well aware of the sketchy history but the 2003/04 reliability/satisfaction surveys are coming in and seem to indicate substantial improvement. This may be one of those situations where buyers can capitalize on a product's negative reputation (which is keeping prices low), that while overcome in reality, remains fixed in public perception.
Hope you get what you want. Keep us posted.
Have to agree with the pricing. The 1800 discount added to the A plan discount was just too good to pass up.
The one I bought was built last October! I'm going to insist they change the oil in it before delivery. Can you or anyone else verify for me that the owners manual (which I don't have yet) recommends oil changes every 6 months or 5K KM?
Thanks
personally, i like the new 05 interior better, more refined, less "styled" in my opinion. but won't even consider the wagon or hatch if the 2.3 liter isn't available.
can someone confirm?
thanks!
Your A plan price must have been fantastic. I had X plan given to me by a friend and that beat my three very agressively discounted non-X plan quotes by about $500.
I skimmed the manual last week and don't remember anything unusual about oil change schedule, so I'm guessing 5K is the rule as anything else would have caught my attention. At least I like to hope so.
I'll double check tonight.
Next on the agenda is snow tires. I've read several reports (verified by the GM at my dealership) this car really benefits from snows. Anybody have word on a good brand of 205/50/16 snow tires?
but they don't offer wagons! decisions decisions.
You may be on to something. I've also got a second vehicle that may require snows now that we've relocated to Milton. So that makes four. If the number of sets of wheels/tires results in some decent savings, I'm interested.
You say 15" for the winter on the Ford. What would the resulting tire size be after dropping down an inch?
As for the engine change in the 05...I think your numbers are correct. Few more ponies, bit less torque. Neither here nor there. Though I still don't get why more attention is not paid to torque figures (not necessarily instead of hp, just along with). Most notable mechanical changes (improvements) seem to be with emissions, brakes and suspension. None of which warranted the higher price IMO, particularly when considered with the fact I didn't like the styling change.
And no, 2.3 is not in the wagon. Yet. Watch for it...and a higher (worth it?; 05 styling?) price tag. Art is subjective, yeah?
P.S. Anybody ever get kids' car seats across the back?
Thanks.
You have 3 kids and you bought a Focus? Hopefully your other vehicle is a bit bigger. We have 0 kids and have a minivan. Actually our 3rd. We had an Audi just before we started with vans in 1992 and as you, were traumatized with the experience ($) post warranty. Seems you're in the camp of those that would never consider a minivan because of the stigma. Yesterday I picked up 2 different racking/shelving systems for the garage, making room for the new Focus. Whipped out the seats in the van and got all home no prob. The van concept is just too convenient. Now have 2 friends who 10 years ago thought we were nuts and now have bought their own minivans. Same story, no kids but like the utility without the SUV. Your ZTW is certainly better for hauling than our ZTS, but with 3 kids and all that stuff? Wow.
Getting back to the Focus snows, the standard wheels on all but the Z series (I believe) is 15". The tire dealer can do the conversion very easily. The important thing is that the outside diameter of the tires be very close to that of the 16" Pirellis. BTW, the service manager at the dealership stated those tires are about $200.00 each! Of course, that's dealer pricing, but still, they won't be cheap to replace in about 80K KM or so. Using good snows and steel wheels in the winter will extend the life of those summer tires and the alloy wheels as well.
Having worked that out, how can we get together without announcing to the world who we really are? Moderator, any suggestions?
Only one little one (20 month old), second will be another 18 months away at least. Three seat question is because once in a while we have a couple other kids at the house with ours and wondered if we could get them all in the car.
Truth be told, I'm a big fan of the mini-van. The wife not yet ready to go there though. I've also got a bit of an environmental bent and try and purchase as little car as we need. In a few years I'm pretty sure there will be a mini-van parked next to the ZTW in our driveway. Almost went that route this time.
I also want to pick-up a stone deflector for the hood of the ZTW. I'm thinking that sharp drop at the front of the car won't take kindly to stray debris.
I'll wait for our moderator's suggestion.