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Ford Focus hatchback
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I wonder, why european models are always spoiled in the USA? Even in details. Look at the turn signals - they're not like european. Front signals are mounted in the grille, and rear are ofter red instead of orange. Is it an american fashion? And I definetely dislike those moldings, that spoils all the designer's idea. Just look at Cougar with moldings and you'll understand what I mean.
Can one get european-style car in the USA, ex. Focus or Cougar?
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Yes.....The Focus looks better in Europe. It has a nicer interior fabric and the smaller bumpers and the side indicator light is cooler. Even the car key is much cooler in Europe with a skeleton key appearance. Very cool.
Many of the reasons for the frumpier look of Euro cars in North America relates to regulations such as the need for stronger bumpers and lighting systems.
The amber light is possible in North America, but for some odd reason the amber light is disfavored. I have no explanation. I prefer the amber light cluster, but it is not a big issue.'
Moldings are important in the USA because people tend to accidently 'door ding' when they park too close beside you. It provides protection, but I agree that it is not the most attractive item on the planet.
Thank you FastFocus for your information in response #259. We will have to see.
Oh and to Mikus----I just love Ladas! Liked your note a lot!!!
Take Care,
Norway Doug
I've been reading all the posts on here since I'm looking for a new car to replace my 89 Jetta GL. I haven't been able to test-drive a focus hatchback yet because the dealers here (RI) don't have them...or at least they didn't this past weekend. I did visit my local Saturn dealership and drove an SL2 sedan. I liked it...it's a decent car for the money, and the resale value is about as good as a honda. The thing is though that the performance is not as good as I hoped it would be (the handling and brakes are good, but it could use more power), and I'm not crazy about the styling. I don't find the car attractive at all, but it is great to drive.
I should also mention that I'm picking my car not only as transportation, but also as a weekend warrior race car, since I compete in SCCA solo2.
I'm very excited about the focus hatchback as it seems like a good package, on paper at least, and I think it would be competitive in my class for solo2. I also really like the styling, and the word "german" keeps coming up in reviews of the car, which to me seems like a good thing as I do like my Jetta quite a bit.
So, I guess I'm wondering if any "performance drivers" or racers are out there. If so, have you driven one of these cars? What do you think about them?
Thanks!
The radio was good w/standard CD. With the Rear Seats down, It had a lot of cargo room. My only complaint was that acceleration felt sluggish. I hope the 5-Spd will cure this. Handling/Brakes were good.
Being a CRX repeat owner (400000 miles combined), I have always tended towards the Hondas. But, my God, to get the same or similar setup would have run me 18k at least. Yes, I too would love to rebuild my current CRX but, there is not too much metal on it that has survived 13 Minnesota winters.
When the ZX3 arrives and I can test drive it, I will be ordering for an early January delivery. I plan to keep my eyes on the info being posted here until then.
Once again, thanks for the info...
Sean
the VW Jetta. They both have sharp crisp lines.
I'm going to test drive the ZX3 Saturday. I've
only seen one Focus sedan on the road and it
stood out from all the cars around it. The Focus
ads on TV really don't tell you anything about
the car. They're just feel good ads.
In case Ford happens to be reading these posts, I'd like to know why you can't get Atlantic Blue on the ZX3. Why don't they let you choose whatever color you'd like (among colors available on the other Focus models)?
They are expecting ZX3's here any day now (in fact, a white one was supposed to be here 10-28-99, but there was a train delay).
I sat in a Focus sedan & it's OK, but it's not as big inside as I was expecting. In fact, it doesn't seem any bigger than a Ford Escort I rented a couple of months ago.
The dealer is already playing games & the cars aren't even here yet. They're saying that "this is the hottest thing from Ford in years" , and "everybody wants one". Translation = we're going to try to extract a lot of money from you. If they try these things on you, remind them that 2-door hatchbacks are among the slowest selling models in the USA right now. Yes, the ZX3 is in short supply right now, but pretty soon there will be plenty. If they were so hot, they would all be pre-sold before they even got to the dealer lot. I hope this ends up being a fun car, because it looks good in the photos.
Please don't take my post as a negative one. I'm just trying to keep people from jumping on the "this car is underpowered" bandwagon.
Think of it this way. Evidently, this car is good enough that people are having to really nitpick to come up with stuff to complain about.
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Kidding aside, I don't think the Focus is underpowered. I haven't driven one yet, but its numbers sound good, and I've read the zx3 does 0-60 in 8.8 seconds with the 5-speed (which is all I drive anyway). With a little tweaking you can easily drop that down a couple of tenths without sacrificing drivability. Now you're into GTI and CRX Si territory. And that's not a bad place to be. Plus, those cars you really have to rev to get the maximum torque out of them. The Focus' peak torque comes on below 5000 rpm, which is pretty low.
Actually, now that I think about it, the Saturn SL2 that I test-drove wasn't really all that underpowered either, but it didn't feel quick. It was pretty eager to rev and was nimble though.
I'm kind of surprised that Ford isn't offering the Focus with the lower-powered engine as well, since people looking for a bargain car can get the "stripper" hatchback.
Corolla
Cavalier (2.2 engine that is on most sold)
Saturns (SL, SL1, and SL2)
Escort
Sentra (standard engine)
I know there are more but I'm not going to go to all the trouble to look them all up. As you can see it stacks up very well in its class. It just cracks me up to read the Corolla topic that everybody talks about how the car has great pickup. Ford builds a car that is even quicker and suddenly it is "underpowered." You really need to go to the next level of cars before it gets beaten. Even the cars in its class that do better do so by very small amounts.
My basic point in these posts is to point out that for the average person this car has plenty of power. For the most part the people posting here are not average car people. You want to know how much the average person knows about their car. Someday when you have some extra time go stand near the Auto service counter at Sears and look at the blank stairs the counter person gets when they ask people if their car is the model with the V6.
And the "new for 2000" Cavalier is (as always)a Conestoga Buggy! GM is not replacing it until 2005 or so. By then, it will qualify for "antique vehicle" plates.
The Neon's 150 HP engine is not offered for 2000. It's not to appear until the 2001 R/T is out in spring. For '01, we may see a Focus SVT that I hope is more powerful than 150 hp.
106 is very conservative.
About acceleration. Are you guys all drag-racers? Whatever the number is, everything under 10s for 0-60 seems very good to me. This car is about handling, cornering, driving pleasure etc. The sporting car doesnt have to be dragster. Dont you agree?
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I ordered one a month ago and the dealer has confirmed Nov. 29th for delivery...
Mike
I got an email directly from Ford of Canada this week in reply to one I'd sent them-- the Focus ZX3 will be available in Canada as of January, 2000. (they mentioned 65 days in the email... but that would have worked out to Jan 1st... and I doubt they'll be open on that day!?)
Haven't visited this group for a while so I don't remember if I posted this before (or someone else for that matter):
- The ZX3 be available with Power Windows, mirrors and Cruise Control AS OF FEBRUARY PRODUCTION.
DanielB
danielB@idirect.ca
I am a manual shifter. The automatic raced and buzzed for awhile (we started it first after a mild night). It was a nice shade of dark Blue but that was the end of the accolades. Drive feel was not "tight" it seemed to be flexing - couldn't feel that the independent rear suspension feature was adding anything at all.
The front windshield does not go up to the roofline? The roof curls down a bit blocking the view for tall people like me (CRX owners will notice this right away, yucko). The seating is "cozy" - seems the door closes into you, you cannot adjust the seat angle easily with the door closed, its that tight. The center console seems a bit fat, further compressing my gangly long legs.
It didn't seem to have the fit and finish of the VW's or the Echo. The plastic/velcro visor mirrors are pure cheese.
The dealer (swarmy) said he's selling at MSRP until he has fifteen or so sitting on the lot. To get ABS, side impact airbags and AC puts it up to $13,500 with two months estimated delivery?
Not for me. I'm now a rabid VW Diesel fan. Wave to me when I pass while you're at the station pumping gas (again and again).
I think the car is deceptively fast, as the engine is quiet and doesn't have any dips or spikes in the power. Also as it breaks in I'm sure it would gain a bit of horsepower. On the freeway it accelerated from 60 to 90 mph in 4th
gear effortlessly with hardly any increase in wind noise and felt very comfortable at that
speed.
Salesman said they got the wagon in but not the hatchback. At work today, I thought I spotted a
ZX3 on the parking lot at work. Turned out to be
a 2000 VW GTI GLX. I guess it would be about the
same dimensions as the ZX3. 174hp 2.8L V6, leather interior, 16 in tires, 4 wheel discs. It had 3 headrests in the back seat. It was real sharp at $22,620.
previous.
Let's compare:
Honda Civic Hatchback CX starts at $11,650 the DX at $12,200. The ZX3 starts at $11,865. The Golf GL at $14,900 and the GL TDI at $16,195.
The only reason a person who could buy a Golf GL TDI would test drive a ZX3 is to put it down. Both are exceptional cars for the money you pay.
plus, I don't know how someone would expect the performance of the TDI to compare with the ZX3. They aren't even the same kind of car!
As an aside, there's 3 articles on the Focus, a modified Wings West Focus, and the World Rally Focus in Sport Compact Car magazine.
I personally have driven the 4-door and I can't wait to drive the ZX3. This car reminds me of a modern Rabbit GTi or Austin Mini. I think there'll be a plethora of performance parts for the focus, and it seems like it'll be a competitive car for racing.
-Joe
Yes, it's comparing a $16K car to a $14K car, but people don't just shop by price. I also shop by value. I consider the Golf TDI a good value because of the quality of the car and engine. I consider the ZX3 a good value because of the quality of the suspension, rear legroom, etc.
So the person who test drove the TDI and ZX3 isn't necessarily out to mock the ZX3.
There are two dealers in the Richmond VA area who are charging 2% over invoice for them, so don't overpay for yours. This car is in short supply right now, but 2-door hatchbacks in general are slow sellers in the USA.
Simply, I think the car is an incredible value. The word that constantly comes to mind is "refinement." I still can't believe it's a Ford.
I owned a 1993 BMW 325i for a few years. Now, I'm not going to make any absurd comparisons, but you just can't justify a $20k price difference. German road manners are very much evident, not an exaggeration. I think sales of the ZX3 should blow away the overpriced Golf.
I wanted a fun, inexpensive commuter that could decently handle two child seats in a pinch. The Focus more than fits the bill. The back seat is roomier than my wife's 97 Hyundai Sonata.
Ford equipped this car just the way I would have. They included good-looking 15" alloy wheels, sport seats, independent rear suspension, and a decently peppy and refined engine. I thought I would have to add an after-market stereo, but the standard CD player really jams, so I consider it a bonus. The front seat height adjuster is pretty cool, too.
Well, I've plugged it enough. When the Focus minivan comes out at the end of next year, I'll be first in line to get one for my wife. I think that's endorsement enough.
Once again, I can't believe the Focus is an American car. I'm proud that it is, and I hope the ZX3 does well enough to prevent its discontinuation.
One final word, the dash plastic quality and feel is reminiscent of a Lexus, no joke!
The previous message mentioned the steering wheel position. I think that it's aligned about an inch left of center. It's kind of odd at first, but getting used to it.
There's a shift arrow light that activates at about 2000 RPM, very irritating, although it does shut off after a bit.
Another watchout: The molding along both rear windows is not aligned. I had the car in for detailing 2 days after I bought it, but they said I'd have to take it in to service to check it out. It's not too noticeable, but it's still bothersome.
To end on a positive note, this car really is fun to drive. I haven't pushed it past 4500 RPM yet, and I'm still having a blast. Some cool features I didn't even know the car had: foglights - pull out the headlight knob; detachable stereo face. Still amazed how good it sounds with only four small speakers -- been looking for the power output, but haven't found it in the manual. I'm guessing at least 40W per channel.
On my first fill-up, I put in super unleaded. The manual only states regular. I know running a higer octane can't possibly be bad, but does anyone know if there's an effect if I switch back to regular after a while?