Hi everybody, I've been a lurker for maybe a week, found it was pretty nice in here. Anyway, my dealer emailed me Tuesday to tell me that the build date for my ZX3 (silver) is set for Mon. 28th I had placed my orginal order on Dec. 2nd '99. Expected delivery is around Mar. 17th. Hopefully the worst of the winter weather here in Iowa will be over in a few weeks. (although truth be told, we haven't had much of a winter this year)
Hearing about all of you who own a stick is making me rethink my decision to get an automatic. My next focus will be a stick I thinking....6-9 months... I don't want to miss out on any fun! The driving school thing sounds cool too!
I called my body shop again today to find out the status of my hatchling, and they said they are just waiting for a new dash to be delivered, when that arrives and is installed they will install the windshield and it should be done. Those air bags really caused alot of damage. If they had not deployed then there would have been no damage to the dash or the windshield. I'm really glad that my passenger and I weren't hit by those bags. I was told that once it's all fixed it will go through an inspection and when that's done I should have it back. I was told that it quite possibly could be about a week or so. Just in time for my Birthday I hope. I'll be glad to not have to take the bus to work anymore.
Still haven't heard back from my dealer about the watch. Rayates, I looked up Casio Baby-G shock watches on the net and found the price to be around $65. I was aware that the G-shocks were around that price. I wish it was a regular G though as opposed to a baby-G since the baby-g's are smaller and are more for appropriate for women. Heck, if it's free I wont complain, I can't believe people are bidding on the one at E-bay.
In regards to the brochure, yes it sucks. It would have been nice to see how the colors actually look on the car. The little blurbs about the people made no sense to me and I really could care less about them anyway. I did fall in love with the ZX3 when I saw that center fold of it in the brochure though. It's now hanging on my bedroom wall. Also, I thought the commercial about the ZX3, the one where the people were stuck in the car so they had to crawl out of the hatch, was clever.
In regards to the Sony Edition, didn't VW have a promotion like that as well? They had a few like the Jetta Trec with the bike and wasn't there one with a kayak or something like that? Guess
Yes, there was a Jetta Trek with a mountain bike, and a K2 Jetta that came with a snowboard or skis (a real big seller here in Houston...). I hate to sound like Andy Rooney, but why does it suddenly seem necessary for automakers to "partner" with other brands like Sony, etc.? I guess image is everything -- you have to have Eddie Bauer Explorers to give you some distance from all the riff-raff in "regular" Explorers. Let's give Ford marketing a hand -- how about a "Starbucks" edition Focus (only available in metallic coffee with latte cloth interior)? Or a "Gap" Focus with cheaply made, but quickly changeable interiors? Gosh, this could be fun :-) Hmmm... anyone here remember the "Levis" Gremlin?
The limited edition sony package adds about 1000-1500 to the price of a se sedan with the sport package. if you look in edmunds price lists they have the exact cost of the package.
Good grief - you had to bring up the Levi's Gremlin. Now I'll be up half the night with visions of Gremlins and Pacers circling in my head, probably being chased by my slime-green Fiesta. At least that was a decent car underneath the ugly paint!
Well, the dealer said they couldn't what cefurod's dealer did. They say there has to be more to the story and that FoMoCo would never allow the dealer to do such. They say doing what cefurod's did constitutes fraud (true I guess). We looked under my car. I saw that the steering nuckle had shifted up into the strut. They say it's due to an impact of some sort. No strut tower damamage however. The insurance adjuster also said that pcleve.'s theory doesn't hold water either as the way the suspension is bent doesn't indicate it was damaged in transport. I stick by my story that I haven't hopped any curbs or hit anything hard enough to do that. The steering slowly got worse, so who's to say that maybe Ford had something loose. In any case, they're sticking me with a $706 bill. All parts are available now...except the lower control arm. It, of course, won't be in for another three weeks. Meanwhile, I'm stranded>:-/ and being laughed at by my friends still on the road with their Hondas and Toyotas saying "I told you so."
Bjammin2, Sorry to hear, but I still wonder. I understand why the dealer is holding out. They don't profit on warranty work to my knowledge. Who's the insurance adjuster??-extra warranty coverage or your own auto insurance? I'd still call the area Ford Rep and ask him what is what, that it just doesn't make sense. Did you call him? Did you take it to an reputible independant collision shop and ask their opinion, or guess you can't because its not drivable. Think maybe we're all learning on this. Pat
i was driving along jewel avenue...then all of a sudden i felt like i was in the twilight zone. I saw my car parked on the opposite side of the ave. And at the same time i was driving it...weird ha? But i came to realize that im not alone anymore. I've 2 focus zx3 in sight here in NY city: a silver one and about 15 mins away from my town i saw a black one. The black looks pretty cool it was my first choice bet i had a black mazda already, and change is good. About that watch. Where is mine?
My auto insurance co. said that it would cover the repair as collision coverage. My deductible, however, is $500. I figure if I ask them to cover the $200 over that, they'll end up hiking up my premium. I haven't sent in my survey yet, so Ford'll be hearing about this.
I think you should do what pcleveland suggested. Like i said, my dealer was just hooking me up. I know what happened to my car shouldn't have been covered under warranty. But i'm not complaining. There is no way your car could be damaged if you didn't hit any bumps or holes. Unless one of those little levi gremlins got under it and bent it. Call you Ford warranty customer service. Call everybody!
here is an article about the mythical g-shock watch. I think if Ford acts like it is something they never heard about, they are B-S-ing you. This thing has been written up all over the place. SOunds like they or the dealers just don't follow through with it. http://www.theautochannel.com/news/press/date/19990810/press028089.html
I think I vaguely remember one of those gremlins, - what a funny idea!
So cefurod you admit that the repair your dealer did for you and is billing FoMoCo for should not have been covered by them. Now we all like to save a little money but someone has to pay for the mechanic and the parts. And in this and probably many other similar situation is all the other Focus buyers that are paying for the repairs. Now I ask you, is it ethical to ask Ford to pay for damage you know you caused? Or should we accept responsibility for our actions and pay the cost of our actions? It's an interesting question specially if you consider that one of the main topics in this group is what we paid for our cars. We all try to get the best deal and ensure that the dealer and Ford make as little money as possible on the car we purchased. After we buy the car we ask the dealer and Ford to pay for repairs that we, the owners, caused. At that rate its no wonder that cars are as expensive as they are.
Joe, just another example of what happens when the marketing department is allowed to overrule the engineering and design staff. Fashion is just tomorrow's trash, one day early. Good design speaks for itself, and doesn't need to be "marketed". The Focus is an example of this, and people will find their way past the hype to discover what a neat car it is.
I certainly have to agree with all the posters who have commented on the almost-insulting silliness and vapidness of the brochure. I commented on this to my salesman, who told me that most people only refer to the brochures for color selection, so editorial really didn't matter. IMHO, Ford is selling a bundle of Foci DESPITE, not because of, their brochure. They have such a good and interesting car on their hands. . . it's a shame that they couldn't have "focused" on this, rather than trying to butter up the Gen-X/Gen-Y demographic (and insulting that demographic, instead).
After a little experimentation, I found my optimal seating position, one in which the somewhat obtrusive headrest doesn't cause me any discomfort. I'm a little on the short side (5'7"), so I cranked the seat up to its highest setting, pushed the headrest all the way down, and angled the seatback two notches back from upright (as the brochure recommends, by the way). Now that I've driven the car for a few days, I've found this position to be very comfortable, as well as allowing me excellent visibility.
I really agree with the poster who commented on the tightness of the Focus's seals. The doors on the ZX3 really feel solid, even more so than the doors on my 1994 Camry Coupe. I enjoy the nice "thunk" I hear whenever I shut them. One potential downside to the excellent air-tightness -- if you get a bad odor inside the car somehow, it's apt to stick around for a while!
A while back, a few posters wrote about the window cranks being poorly placed and difficult to use. I haven't really found this to be the case. The only problem I've had is when I put a thick stack of maps in the map pocket on the driver's side; while they were there, I kept rubbing (and cutting) my left middle finger against them when I'd open the window. Easily solved -- I moved the maps to the passenger's side map pocket.
So far, I'm enjoying this car just as much (if not more than) the 1990 Escort GT I bought ten years ago. Interestingly, I didn't pay that much more for the ZX3 than I did for the Escort GT a decade ago; either Ford is pricing the ZX3 VERY aggressively, or they're saving a bundle on Mexican labor costs, or both!
Please check it out and join if you like what you see. My goal is to make this club the most popular Ford Club on Yahoo! Right now there are 109 members, tons of pics and links and a discussion forum. If you run a Focus webpage or can supply aftermarket parts/upgrades, please post your link here! This is the fastest growing Ford club on Yahoo! Only 172 more members are needed to take over the top spot.
First of all, I didn't ask for anything. The mechanic hooked me up on his own will. Second of all, the cost to make a car is NOT determined by the invoice price. Obviously, all figures have been calculated before a selling price is set. Or else Ford or any other companies would have been out of business already. You're telling me: "We all try to get the best deal and ensure that the dealer and Ford make as little money as possible on the car we purchased." So since my dealer agreed to sell me the Focus below invoice price, do you think they're losing money from this deal? And if some naive buyer pays MSRP for the Focus, is Ford going to refund that buyer some money (because it's "unethical" to rip him off)?? And if another Focus owner doesn't have any warranty work done during the coverage, is Ford going to refund him money? NO. If you really want to dig into this, the pothole, NOT me, actually caused the damage. I pay taxes to live here which pays for all city work. Is the city going to pay me for the damage caused by the pothole which they didn't fix? NO. Now when I first went to purchase this car, I realized the price set on it. I agreed to pay this price, whether in anybody's standard is a low or high price. Since i paid this price, I will get the most out of it. If you think the Focus is expensive ("At that rate its no wonder that cars are as expensive as they are."), then you should have bought a cheaper car. In this time and life, nothings fair. What's ethical and what's unethical? You win some, you lose some. That's the way it works. So if you want to dish out $500 or in Bjammin's case $700, because it's "unethical" to have the damage fixed under warranty, then be my guest.
Did anyone tried so called "super chip" It should get more horses out of our focuses, 10-15% more (143-150 hp.) For couple hundred bucks,sounds great,how it works? If you have it ,how it affected your gas economy. It could be very useful, imagine your focus loaded with four passengers and AC turned on,that's where couple more horses would be very handy.....
and thanks for making the point that the pothole caused the damage and not you. I assume that you were the driver of the car, at the time the car and the pothole collided, and in control of direction and speed of the car.
My point is that in todays society we are no longer in charge of our actions because its someone elses fault and there is something wrong with that. Just ask McDonalds that paid out to the lady that put a cup of hot coffee between her legs and got burned. It wasn't the ladies fault she got burned it was McDonalds fault because they served hot coffee.
As to the city paying for the damage on your car. I know that in ANN ARBOR Michigan the city has paid for damaged caused by potholes. If the city had been notified by someone of the hole and had more than 24 hours to fix it. Not sure that holds true in other areas.
Also there is a difference between design problems that causes damage and accidents that cause damage. I for example own a 96 AWD Safari Van. This vehicle is known for the fact that the front end wears out very quickly because it is designed in a way that put high stress on the front end parts that are not designed to handle it. The dealer replaced the parts which cost me about $450 the first time 13,000 miles later the same parts needed to be replaced. That time they were covered because of the design problem and low mileage, not by any accidental damage caused by me.
To address another point, I don't think the Focus is too expensive but you must admit that the cost of a new car has gone up at a faster rate than inflation and added options. In 1975 (I know I am dating myself here) I paid $6000 for a fullly loaded Chevy Impala Wagon that car today would probably sell above $30,000. An increase way above the rate of inflation. What caused this added increase? Sure profit margins are higher but legal fees and lawsuits did their part as well. Which brings me back to my original point: we are responsible for our actions and should pay the damage we cause.
What do you all recommend we do about this watch issue? It's not a big deal to me - I already have a watch that I like. It's more a principle issue now - if Ford owes me something for buying the zx3, I want it!
Hkoenen2...I don't agree with you at all concerning the $6000 1975 Impala versus today's $30,000 car. Today's car would have dual-air bags, possibly side as well, ABS, pollution control systems, crunch zones, etc. The build quality is also much better, except in the case of GM's, as proven by your experience with your Safari.
I also think you're being way too hard on Cefurod for accepting the repair being done under warranty. Ford and the dealer look at this as being fair and considerate to the customer. This is good public relations which definitely sells more cars and therefore brings the cost down. The dealer is treating a customer well. I suspect you'd complain pretty loud if they treated you poorly. If I were Cefurod I'd be glad I bought the car from the dealer and the manufacturer. This spells repeat customer. More cars sold=lower cost.
The guy that caused my accident did not have insurance so my insurance is covering the repairs. I have to come up with $500 to get it back. What responsibility is he taking? Who Knows? I've been out of a car for almost 2 months. Did I deserve it because I chose to drive that day, or because I couldn't avoid the accident? No one wants to fess up to their responsibility, so the innocent get screwed.
score one for the college student!!! i just ordered my zx3...now the anticipation is killing me. any advice for when i go in to pick up my car, sign the papers for financing, etc. I was also curious...don't we get anything free? I know Acura gives polo shirts, key chains; others give little models of the car being purchased.
ragtop-so what does it mean in my case? mandoz-steer clear of all potholes, dips, speed bumps, and anything else that might harm your new baby. Even then, you might not be out of the clear.
With the watch deal I don't think Ford owes anyone anything. Unless you were told you were going to get one, I wasn't so I don't expect one. Maybe Casio backed out of the watch deal. I did get a couple of focus disposable cameras when I test drove the car (made by Fuji). I read in Automotive Industries that in 2001 the Focus will be offered with Electronic Stability Control for about the price of ABS ($400)
hi everyone. just wanted to share this with you. my in -laws just went out and purchased a new car. i can't believe it... a chevy cavalier. i could just puke. what is it about people that makes them have to be different even if it means getting alot less car for the money. my wife and i still can't believe it. we're sick in our stomachs and trying to act like we're happy for them. there is no comparison between a Focus and the out-dated, side-impact unsafe cavalier. uhhhh
Nothing to do with warranties, maintenance, or insurance. I believe that the auto industries should be making a vehicle that should withstand the everyday hazards of the roads in this country, be it in the northeast, south, southwest, or northwest. We are talking about the roads themselves, not items dropped on the roads. A new car should be able to hold up to what ever the normal road conditions are in the country it is marketed. This goes for the Ford Focus. How long did Ford test it and under what conditions. Are the suspension parts heavy enough for the road conditions they will encounter? I know these are engineering questions. I, as a consumer, face the real world every day. Should I refrain from driving my Focus (or any other vehilce) in Buffalo where there are potholes big enough to eat a Focus? Don't think so, therefore I have to trust that Ford will design a well engineered vehicle and also back up their product. Therefore, while I have to do my part in looking out for the BIG potholes, they have to do their part in preplanning for the potholes that I can't miss because of other hazards. Hope some of the bosses of those engineers read this post. Pat
Hey project, don't knock the Cavalier, my previous car was a Cavalier LS and it was a great car. Smooth ride, handled well, solid feel, decent gas mileage, lots of room. I had no complaints.
I was watching 20/20 and they did a story about replacing broken windshields. They had 3 different windshield replacement companies come out and replace a cracked windshield for them. During the procedure 20/20 secretly videotaped the guys doing the work to see if they did it correctly. It turned out that all 3 companies did it incorrectly. Which means that the windshield could have easily fallen out. Now I'm scared, I really hope the Ford body shop knows what they are doing so my windshield doesn't fall out.
drebe the 99 & 00 cavalier is a death trap as far as side impact accidents are concerned. the rating is 'very poor' by the gov't testing agencies for front passengers. there aren't very many cars that get rated 'very poor'. there was even a show on 20/20 or 60 minutes about it...much like the one they did on the windshields. i would never put anyone i loved in a new model cavalier or sunfire for that very reason. sorry i have to disagree with you.. there are just too many affordable cars to choose from. as far as the windshield instalment, i would go up and talk with your body shop about it and make sure it is done up to specs.
you and i probably wouldn't be having this conversation if you had been in a Cavalier as oppossed to your Focus when you were hit. Seriously, the show i am referring to really floored me. One family slid off of a road and hit a mailbox post at about 10mph. Still it was enough force to collapse the side pillar and snap his daughters neck. If anyone knows the broadcast i am referring to please post it. didn't mean to get off the subject.
I just got a $400 check from Ford in the mail. If you are in college and getting ready to graduate or just graduated (I completed Graduate School in June of 99) make sure you ask the dealer about it. I asked on and whim and got $400. Just wanted to let everyone know to ask. All they can say is no.
Mine was a '96 and I got into a fender bender with it at about 10-15MPH just some body damage that was it, luckily the air bags didn't deploy so there was no damage that I got in my focus. Like I said before I cant believe the damage the air bags caused. Broken windshield, and cracked dash board. Don't you think there could have installed airbags that don't destroy the car when they deploy. I wonder if Ford knew what the results would be when the air bags deployed. Also would the same thing happen in any car with airbags?
Now that the Focus has been racking up so many car of the year awards, I was wondering if the car is selling for MSRP or if dealers still "deal." I know in the East Bay (San Francisco area of CA) the ZX3's are selling pretty much the day they hit the ground - which bodes ill for any bargaining. Thanks for any insights. BHT
I was perusing the Maintenance Schedule booklet and got up to the 60K mile marker - there was no instruction to change the timing belt. Is the Focus timing belt-less?
The Isuzu Trooper, Ford Pinto and GM were blasted by these groups using false data. They were sued and have lost (the Trooper thing is pending. They have used explosives to set off gas tanks and edited interviews against GM, didn't report that the Trooper roll over was within other SUVs' specs (and nobody died), and didn't report the Ford Pinto that caught fire (and the owners sued) didn't have a gas cap. These aren't good news services.
ProjectZX3, I very nearly shared your pain. My mom and dad wanted an inexpensive new convertible. Imagine my horror when they told me they test drove a (gulp) Cavalier, a car that should have been put out to pasture many years ago. Hopefully this isn't too off topic, but I wonder about GM's future with cars in the US. GM makes a bunch of nice trucks, but their car lines - antiquated, overstyled (particularly Pontiac). I do like the C5 Corvette! Anyway - mom and dad made a ever-so-slightly better choice - a new Sebring convertible. Now back to the Focus....
Attended the Raleigh NC Auto Show today - noticed that the ZX3 in the show (produced 12-99) has a revision to the engine compartment, compared to my November production ZX3. Can anyone help me out here? When I look at my Zetec, I can see both cam covers. The revised engine (this is the second revised Zetec I've seen) has some sort of black plastic box (looks like an air filter could be inside) approx 12"x4"x4" in size, sitting on top of the rear cam cover. Any idea what this 'box' is for? I'm somewhat surprised to see an enhancement so early in the NA spec production run....
Any of you ZX3 owners have a secret desire to add a Contour SVT to your garage, to keep your ZX3 company? I saw one on the interstate this morning on my way to Raleigh. Nice car! Too bad it's going away.
bhtongue- i live in the bay area also, and ended up buying my focus in folsom. the main reason was that nobody in the bay has hb's...and most really aren't willing to deal. i went to dublin, livermore (where i live), hayward; called stockton, davis (where i go to school) and NOBODY had a zx3. hayward was pretty shady with the way they dealt w/me, and codirolli ford in livermore looked right past me when i entered the lot. when i went to folsom,the only zx3 there was being sent to the body shop because the siding was falling off (i test drove it anyway). i ordered my car for $300 over invoice (went through autobytel.com). take all this with a grain of salt. i am cursed with looking a lot younger than i actually am (asian genetics). you might have better luck. if you want info for the person i dealt with, email me: mandoz@hotmail.com; he's a good guy/no pressure/will give you the same deal he gave me. good luck! since i'm ordering mine, it won't be here till may. :-(
One of the questions in the Ford Survey you receive about a month after you buy a car is, "Were you taken (treated?) seriously when you entered the showroom?" You might want to mention Codirolli Ford "looking right past" you even though you didn't get your car there.
Read further in the maintenance schedule. (Actually, it was listed under model specific maintenance on mine.) The timing belt changes are at 200,000 km (120,000 miles).
FYI: I'm from Berkeley and was one of the first ZX3 owners in the Bay Area (So I was told by my Salesman). I purchased mine way back in November when the first shipment of ZX3s were making their way out to the Bay. The price for me was $700 over invoice (including destination charge). But I did get the college grad rebate so I ended up paying only $300 above invoice. I consider myself lucky. I was buying this car before the Salespeople knew what a gem they had. I assume the demand for the ZX3 has allowed the dealerships to charge MSRP or close to that. Don't let that discourage you. The ZX3 is a great car. By the way, I purchased mine from Hilltop Ford.
So I was driving in the rain last last to my girlfriend's house. When I rounded the corner I could'ny believe what I saw. A brand new silver Focus (still with out its plates) being towed by a tow truck. The front end was totaled. It looked like the driver hit a telephone pole head on and dead center. The indentation the pole left was about 3 feet deep.The front end was crushed beyond repair. It was a terrible sight to see. Drive careful everyone.
I'm a bit surprized by the demand for the ZX3 in your area. I live just north of Chicago (in WI) and I have yet to see a single ZX3 on the road. I've seen plenty on the dealers' lots, but none that interest me (All are either 5spd and no options or automatics). I had to order mine about 2&1/2 months ago. I hear it is scheduled to be built tomorrow (28th). I'm not buying it to be the first, but I think it's likely that I will be one of the first few owners in the area. Two more weeks and I'll be trading my college beater in for my silver ZX3. It'll be like trading dirt for gold!
Comments
I've been a lurker for maybe a week, found it was pretty nice in here. Anyway, my dealer emailed me Tuesday to tell me that the build date for my ZX3 (silver) is set for Mon. 28th I had placed my orginal order on Dec. 2nd '99. Expected delivery is around Mar. 17th. Hopefully the worst of the winter weather here in Iowa will be over in a few weeks. (although truth be told, we haven't had much of a winter this year)
Hearing about all of you who own a stick is making me rethink my decision to get an automatic. My next focus will be a stick I thinking....6-9 months... I don't want to miss out on any fun! The driving school thing sounds cool too!
twiddling thumbs till car arrives,
Gabe
carlady/host
Still haven't heard back from my dealer about the watch. Rayates, I looked up Casio Baby-G shock watches on the net and found the price to be around $65. I was aware that the G-shocks were around that price. I wish it was a regular G though as opposed to a baby-G since the baby-g's are smaller and are more for appropriate for women. Heck, if it's free I wont complain, I can't believe people are bidding on the one at E-bay.
In regards to the brochure, yes it sucks. It would have been nice to see how the colors actually look on the car. The little blurbs about the people made no sense to me and I really could care less about them anyway. I did fall in love with the ZX3 when I saw that center fold of it in the brochure though. It's now hanging on my bedroom wall. Also, I thought the commercial about the ZX3, the one where the people were stuck in the car so they had to crawl out of the hatch, was clever.
In regards to the Sony Edition, didn't VW have a promotion like that as well? They had a few like the Jetta Trec with the bike and wasn't there one with a kayak or something like that? Guess
Sorry to hear, but I still wonder. I understand why the dealer is holding out. They don't profit on warranty work to my knowledge. Who's the insurance adjuster??-extra warranty coverage or your own auto insurance? I'd still call the area Ford Rep and ask him what is what, that it just doesn't make sense. Did you call him? Did you take it to an reputible independant collision shop and ask their opinion, or guess you can't because its not drivable.
Think maybe we're all learning on this.
Pat
And at the same time i was driving it...weird ha?
But i came to realize that im not alone anymore. I've 2 focus zx3 in sight here in NY city: a silver one and about 15 mins away from my town i saw a black one. The black looks pretty cool it was my first choice bet i had a black mazda already, and change is good. About that watch. Where is mine?
http://www.autopedia.com/html/HotLinks_Lemon.html
It covers the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, the Uniform Commercial Code, as well as lemon laws for all 50 states.
Gabe
I think I vaguely remember one of those gremlins, - what a funny idea!
I remember an oleg cassini matador also by AMC which had copper buttons on the seats as well. same result.
but this is definitely way off topic here...
-Joe
Now we all like to save a little money but someone has to pay for the mechanic and the parts. And in this and probably many other similar situation is all the other Focus buyers that are paying for the repairs.
Now I ask you, is it ethical to ask Ford to pay for damage you know you caused? Or should we accept responsibility for our actions and pay the cost of our actions?
It's an interesting question specially if you consider that one of the main topics in this group is what we paid for our cars. We all try to get the best deal and ensure that the dealer and Ford make as little money as possible on the car we purchased. After we buy the car we ask the dealer and Ford to pay for repairs that we, the owners, caused. At that rate its no wonder that cars are as expensive as they are.
After a little experimentation, I found my optimal seating position, one in which the somewhat obtrusive headrest doesn't cause me any discomfort. I'm a little on the short side (5'7"), so I cranked the seat up to its highest setting, pushed the headrest all the way down, and angled the seatback two notches back from upright (as the brochure recommends, by the way). Now that I've driven the car for a few days, I've found this position to be very comfortable, as well as allowing me excellent visibility.
I really agree with the poster who commented on the tightness of the Focus's seals. The doors on the ZX3 really feel solid, even more so than the doors on my 1994 Camry Coupe. I enjoy the nice "thunk" I hear whenever I shut them. One potential downside to the excellent air-tightness -- if you get a bad odor inside the car somehow, it's apt to stick around for a while!
A while back, a few posters wrote about the window cranks being poorly placed and difficult to use. I haven't really found this to be the case. The only problem I've had is when I put a thick stack of maps in the map pocket on the driver's side; while they were there, I kept rubbing (and cutting) my left middle finger against them when I'd open the window. Easily solved -- I moved the maps to the passenger's side map pocket.
So far, I'm enjoying this car just as much (if not more than) the 1990 Escort GT I bought ten years ago. Interestingly, I didn't pay that much more for the ZX3 than I did for the Escort GT a decade ago; either Ford is pricing the ZX3 VERY aggressively, or they're saving a bundle on Mexican labor costs, or both!
http://clubs.yahoo.com/clubs/fordfocusplace
Please check it out and join if you like what you see. My goal is to make this club the most popular Ford Club on Yahoo! Right now there are 109 members, tons of pics and links and a discussion forum. If you run a Focus webpage or can supply aftermarket parts/upgrades, please post your link here! This is the fastest growing Ford club on Yahoo! Only 172 more members are needed to take over the top spot.
Thanks!
Eric
Second of all, the cost to make a car is NOT determined by the invoice price. Obviously, all figures have been calculated before a selling price is set. Or else Ford or any other companies would have been out of business already.
You're telling me: "We all try to get the best deal and ensure that the dealer and Ford make as little money as possible on the car we purchased."
So since my dealer agreed to sell me the Focus below invoice price, do you think they're losing money from this deal? And if some naive buyer pays MSRP for the Focus, is Ford going to refund that buyer some money (because it's "unethical" to rip him off)?? And if another Focus owner doesn't have any warranty work done during the coverage, is Ford going to refund him money? NO.
If you really want to dig into this, the pothole, NOT me, actually caused the damage. I pay taxes to live here which pays for all city work. Is the city going to pay me for the damage caused by the pothole which they didn't fix? NO.
Now when I first went to purchase this car, I realized the price set on it. I agreed to pay this price, whether in anybody's standard is a low or high price. Since i paid this price, I will get the most out of it. If you think the Focus is expensive ("At that rate its no wonder that cars are as expensive as they are."), then you should have bought a cheaper car.
In this time and life, nothings fair. What's ethical and what's unethical? You win some, you lose some. That's the way it works. So if you want to dish out $500 or in Bjammin's case $700, because it's "unethical" to have the damage fixed under warranty, then be my guest.
It should get more horses out of our focuses,
10-15% more (143-150 hp.)
For couple hundred bucks,sounds great,how it works?
If you have it ,how it affected your gas economy.
It could be very useful, imagine your focus loaded with four passengers and AC turned on,that's where couple more horses would be very handy.....
My point is that in todays society we are no longer in charge of our actions because its someone elses fault and there is something wrong with that. Just ask McDonalds that paid out to the lady that put a cup of hot coffee between her legs and got burned. It wasn't the ladies fault she got burned it was McDonalds fault because they served hot coffee.
As to the city paying for the damage on your car. I know that in ANN ARBOR Michigan the city has paid for damaged caused by potholes. If the city had been notified by someone of the hole and had more than 24 hours to fix it. Not sure that holds true in other areas.
Also there is a difference between design problems that causes damage and accidents that cause damage. I for example own a 96 AWD Safari Van. This vehicle is known for the fact that the front end wears out very quickly because it is designed in a way that put high stress on the front end parts that are not designed to handle it. The dealer replaced the parts which cost me about $450 the first time 13,000 miles later the same parts needed to be replaced. That time they were covered because of the design problem and low mileage, not by any accidental damage caused by me.
To address another point, I don't think the Focus is too expensive but you must admit that the cost of a new car has gone up at a faster rate than inflation and added options. In 1975 (I know I am dating myself here) I paid $6000 for a fullly loaded Chevy Impala Wagon that car today would probably sell above $30,000. An increase way above the rate of inflation. What caused this added increase? Sure profit margins are higher but legal fees and lawsuits did their part as well. Which brings me back to my original point: we are responsible for our actions and should pay the damage we cause.
Stepping off my soap box now.
I also think you're being way too hard on Cefurod for accepting the repair being done under warranty. Ford and the dealer look at this as being fair and considerate to the customer. This is good public relations which definitely sells more cars and therefore brings the cost down. The dealer is treating a customer well. I suspect you'd complain pretty loud if they treated you poorly. If I were Cefurod I'd be glad I bought the car from the dealer and the manufacturer. This spells repeat customer. More cars sold=lower cost.
carlady/host
i just ordered my zx3...now the anticipation is killing me. any advice for when i go in to pick up my car, sign the papers for financing, etc.
I was also curious...don't we get anything free? I know Acura gives polo shirts, key chains; others give little models of the car being purchased.
mandoz-steer clear of all potholes, dips, speed bumps, and anything else that might harm your new baby. Even then, you might not be out of the clear.
I believe that the auto industries should be making a vehicle that should withstand the everyday hazards of the roads in this country, be it in the northeast, south, southwest, or northwest. We are talking about the roads themselves, not items dropped on the roads. A new car should be able to hold up to what ever the normal road conditions are in the country it is marketed.
This goes for the Ford Focus. How long did Ford test it and under what conditions. Are the suspension parts heavy enough for the road conditions they will encounter? I know these are engineering questions. I, as a consumer, face the real world every day. Should I refrain from driving my Focus (or any other vehilce) in Buffalo where there are potholes big enough to eat a Focus? Don't think so, therefore I have to trust that Ford will design a well engineered vehicle and also back up their product.
Therefore, while I have to do my part in looking out for the BIG potholes, they have to do their part in preplanning for the potholes that I can't miss because of other hazards.
Hope some of the bosses of those engineers read this post.
Pat
I was watching 20/20 and they did a story about replacing broken windshields. They had 3 different windshield replacement companies come out and replace a cracked windshield for them. During the procedure 20/20 secretly videotaped the guys doing the work to see if they did it correctly. It turned out that all 3 companies did it incorrectly. Which means that the windshield could have easily fallen out. Now I'm scared, I really hope the Ford body shop knows what they are doing so my windshield doesn't fall out.
Thanks for any insights.
BHT
you might have better luck. if you want info for the person i dealt with, email me: mandoz@hotmail.com; he's a good guy/no pressure/will give you the same deal he gave me. good luck! since i'm ordering mine, it won't be here till may. :-(
I assume the demand for the ZX3 has allowed the dealerships to charge MSRP or close to that. Don't let that discourage you. The ZX3 is a great car. By the way, I purchased mine from Hilltop Ford.