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Comments
VW didn't have "official" rebates like Ford when I bought each car (in different months, of course) but the dealer offered me a big discount which suggests an under the table subsidy by VW. Still, the net cost to me on the ZX3 was much less than the VW since the ZX3 was an advertised special at the dealer with a big dealer discount plus the fairly decent rebate (this was pre 9/11) - and of course it didn't have ABS or side air bags. (It did have an excellent CD player, while the Golf has only a cassette, and aluminum wheels while the Golf has steel, and cruise control.)
I bought an extended warranty with the Golf because I was afraid of reliability issues, but only ever had to take the Golf back (in 40k miles) for water filling the side turn light after a rain. Of course, the two door Golf I purchased was made in Germany that year (not enough demand for the "non-luxo 5 speed 2 door" - hmmph!) so maybe I lucked out.
I think a used ZX3 from a conscientious owner (took it in for warranty work and recalls, didn't thrash it at least until the motor warmed up) would be a good deal - based on current used car prices. I wouldn't mind having one and equipping it with snow tires for quick runs to the mountains - the sound system, handling, etc. are great, and hatchbacks blow SUV's away in terms of utility and bang for the buck.
to blame is poor management,plain and simple. I use
to post here often before i finally traded in my problem.
I'm glad to see some are still having a positive experience. The Focus will be my last purchase ever
of a Ford built product. I had been a loyal Ford buyer
for over 30yrs. I have stated many times that they had a winner that was poorly executed. They actually could
have captured some of the foreign make buyers, but
they flat out blew it. I had to laugh at the one quote in the article where it states tthat " The press was really
hard on the Focus". It's not like the press builds the car.
I do believe it was a well thought out design but really
lousy parts in the mix. Vadp are you still driving yours?
The problems I've had were take care of while still under warranty. So far so good.
How's your ride?
ride. It has been 20 months since i had to finally part
with the beast.My current vehicle has been absolutely
trouble free up to this point. I check this forum
occassionally and haven't seen silver bullet for awhile.
I wonder how many 2000 model year owners hung in
there. It seems they took the most hits in regards to
problems and recalls. Do you believe most issues have been resolved in the 2003 model? The incentive
packages being offered for the Focus are very attractive
now in the Philly area. Would you consider another purchase of a zx3 ,if the bugs were worked out? Do you
think they have improved the reliability?
With all those incentives there's no a better buy today in this segment including the Elantra.
BTW the redesigned Protege and Focus will share the same platform and new engines with much better performance and mileage ratings.
The Protege is coming out this fall as the 2004 model. The Focus will follow a year later.
I'm sure Ford will not repeat the same mistakes all over again in regards to the new model launch (the company will go bust if they do).
Yes, I would consider another Focus.
The next gen is just around the corner. Still I would never buy a car in its first model year.
Even Honda wasn't able to launch a recall free Civic in its last redesign as the '01 model.
Here is a picture of the Mazda Protege replacement:
http://bilder.autobild.de/bilder/1/29774.jpg
Read more on Mazda here:
revka "Upcoming Mazda3 - Hatch / Wagon" Jan 13, 2003 11:50pm
NE1 look over the 2003 ZX3's? I like the wheels, the new background on the guages and the fact the stereo plays MP3's as well as CD's.
I've got a feeling that Ford will eventually be selling these by the boatload. How can you beat the overall value which now includes up to 3000 dollar rebate?
Previous to buying the Focus, I test drove quite a few small cars. The Civic Si was sweet (what beautifully weighted steering) but I thought the ride too busy for me on anything but smooth road. I drove two Sentra SE-Rs, one auto and one stick. These are torque happy monsters and fun to drive but I missed the hatchback versatility. And posters say you MUST buy snow tires because of the easy wheel spin.
I test drove the new Toyota Corrolla, the "mini Lexus." I've never driven a Lexus but do they exhibit loud engine roar on acceleration like the Corrola I drove? I also thought the ride a litte jittery. Lastly, I test drove an Elantra GT 4 door hatch. What a deal and what a smooth quiet ride! I was planning to buy this car but on a whim I stopped by my local Ford dealer to check out and drive a new 2003 stick Focus. They had maybe a dozen Focuses and ALL were automatics. What's America coming to? This car ain't a Buick!
So I saw this used Focus there with $21,000 miles and now it's sitting in my driveway. I find the Z-Tech motor quite spirited with the 5 speed and the ride is tight and controlled without being too busy. I appreicate the CD player and the power windows and door locks. And I love the way it drives. This car is pretty quiet and that's quite a difference with my Golf that exhibited loud road noise in all curcumstances. The previous owner took care of all the recalls but I pray for reliabiblity.
Revka
Host
Hatchbacks & Wagons Boards
The ZX3's a sweet ride.
I like the dual nature of this car. You can go on stealth mode in town, being real slow and quiet. Then when you hit a long stretch with no one holding you back, you can wind out those gears (I love 2nd and 3rd on this car) and make all kinds of throaty sports car noises. To me this is a very driveable car with negligible torque steer (my 1983 Honda hatch with manual steering and skinny tires was a handful). I've been driving front wheel drive since my 1972 Fiat 128 ( I date myself) so this is second nature to me.
Glad to be a member and I'm impressed with the know-how of this group. I don't see me becoming a modifier but I' like to learn all I can about the Focus.
Yes you heard me right, the fourth muffler. Let me elaborate.
Muffler 1: Produced a weird vibration "HAWWW" sound at around 1900 RPM, took it into the shop to get it checked out and a new part was ordered.
Muffler 2: Came into the shop, was installed and produced the EXACT same noise as the old bad muffler. It was then thrown away and a new muffler was ordered.
Muffler 3: Installed and the sound went away to be replaced by a new clunking, popping, creaking noise. Took it to a different dealer and found out that the other dealer installed the wrong muffler on my car. It will be replaced later this week and hopefully all will be well.
If this does not work should I include plans to write a formal letter to FORD as well as the dealer(s) with regards to the problem? I have every intention of seeing if this will qualify my car as a lemon. It's a pity since I enjoy driving it when all the issues are set aside. Any help would be appreciated.
-Dyn
Thanks
Month or two after oil change: around 4000, I tend to waste gas when I gun it so I avoid that nowadays.
Warning: Do not gun engine until it is sufficiently warmed up. I know some folks who do that and their 2 year old Honda is already blowing blue smoke out when starting.
-Dyn
Anyway, I'm bilking Ford for as much as I can. I bought it in good faith and have been screwed from day one with all the problems.
--brake squeal repaired 3 times with no success
--rear strut replacement
--fuel pump replacement
--rear wheel bearing recall
--battery cable recall
--leaking transmission repair 3 times (that's 3 times)
--front wheel bearing failure (at highway speed with heart pounding adrenaline rush optional)
--radio rewired due to electrical interference
--front steering link repair
--seat belt retract mechanism replacement
--DPFE Sensor replaced due to failure
And Ford Roadside Assistance smashed the front end of my car when attempting to
get it up on the towing truck. After 4 calls to Ford and promises of calls
from the insurance person - there is no response.
No person deserves to suffer the financial and emotional pain of owning a Ford Focus. The horror of owning this vehicle is beyond comprehension.
There are no words to express the horrifying apprehension I feel when I drive
this car. I have lost several days of work due to this car and spent at least
$1000 in rental car fees.
It is a relief to drive a rental car.
If you can start it up
If you can start it up
It never runs....
-B
-B
And now, back to the subject of the Ford Focus ZX3. Thanks for your participation!
Revka
Host
Hatchbacks & Wagons Boards
I will keep you posted. The only immediate differences I notice are 1. the 2.3 liter hauls! and 2. was the suspension always this soft? I thought ZX3's had less body roll than this one.
Driving ergo's are outstanding. Feels much more "open" than any other cabin in this class. The tranny is almost as slick as the new Honda manual transmissions (it is the one part of the car not made in Mexico!).
Thank heavens Firestone tires are gone these days. I have 195 Goodyear RSA's....
And that was a killer price you got!
-B
Of course, sometimes the 5 speeds in the Premium model (which still has crank windows, manual locks, and manual outside mirrors)can come with options that broaden the gap between the Base with air and Premium standard configurations. (The ONLY option on the Base model is aircon - not even an auto is available). So, if you are going to order a ZX3 and needed aircon, the Premium is clearly the way to go, unless you need power windows etc. in which case you have to go up the food chain one more step, to the Power Premium group.
HOWEVER, in reality the "Base" models are often advertised, like mine, at incredible discounts - I got the $2,500 rebate PLUS an additional $2000 dealer discount off the MSRP, which is $4,500 off a $13,500 car. Now is definitely the time to buy a new car.
This is why I think Ford has the stripped down Base model: the Base model (and its cousin, the non-aircon LX in the 4 door line) gives Ford and Ford dealers a product they can heavily discount in "sale ads," without eating into their normal sales - in America, more than 90% of the cars are sold with automatics, not sticks, and if you subtract aircon from that, the pool of buyers is probably miniscule. So it isn't exactly bait and switch, but it works like that. They'll sell you the car cheerfully...if you fit the niche that likes it.
So, who besides a real cheapskate would like a Base ZX3?
1. "Extended day" commuters in milder climates, where the aircon isn't needed when you leave for work in the early cool morning and come home after the day has cooled off. One Dodge dealer in the Bay Area used to stock a bunch of stick shift Neons without air just for such drivers. The ZX3 is SO much better car, and Ford dealers are a lot easier to find for service.
2. "Sporty drivers." I am thinking of club racers, autocrossers etc.; the same audience the Neon ACR was designed for, except the ZX3 lacks the koni shocks. The Base model, at this price, is WAY good as a starting point for building a customized car. For example, I am thinking about Eibach springs, or Tokico shocks. (For now I am ok with the profile on the tires, I once had the 205's and they ran a little hard.)
I fall into the sporty/cheap/commuter niches; I have another car with air con for hot days and for weekend daytime driving in the warmer weather. At under $9k, this car costs less than some good home theater systems. The warranty is now up to 100k on the powertrain. It's a PZEV engine with some California credit on my tax return next year, registration and insurance will be cheap. As of the aircon - I don't know how that's going to work out. The ventilation system is strong, its a white car, I'm putting tinting on the rear windows. Also, my body thermostat runs cold, and even on hot days I usually cycle the aircon on briefly and then off, so I don't get overcold.
Now for the engine. In a word - wow. It is so strong, so smooth, and revs so freely. It is hard to believe it is new and not broken in. I now have 93 miles on the car. It has a lot of pull from lower rpms. There is no growling or harshness - just strong pulling. Neon fans who have liked the 2.0 "magnum" engine in the Neon should really try this one out - it's more than the displacement, this is a world class engine in a way the 2.0 Zetec wasn't, despite its aspirations. I had the 2.0 Zetec before, and it felt constricted and not willing to rev, compared to this one.
As I get more miles on it, I will report further.
The car is built solid - no vibration, quiet. Much better feel than the VW Golf, Civic.
Now, let's keep the fingers crossed and hope that in the last 3 years, Ford has fixed the new model bugs....
-B
beanboy, before even thinking about swapping engine parts, I'd try to get some dyno readings. Car companies are notorious with not accurately stating horsepower...sometimes understating it (more rare) and often overstating.
The 2.3L seems to have an "air filter" replacement indicator. Anybody know what's going on there? Is this another specialty item, the filter? I usually like to replace the air filter every 10k miles, they are usually so cheap at WalMart, but I may have to defer this if the part is unusual or expensive....
To micweb- Congrats on your new 2.3L ZX3! And thanks for the detailed notes. We look forward to hearing more about your ownership experience. Happy motoring! ;-)
Revka
Host
Hatchbacks & Wagons Boards
Gas mileage was 28 mpg at 180 miles off the dealer delivered tank, but then 31 mpg on the next two tanks - the variation is probably due to me being more consistent on fill technique. This mileage is comparable to my former stickshift ZX3 with the 2.0 Zetec (I also had an automatic ZX3, but it never did better than 26 mpg). However, the big difference is in "non-aggressive" acceleration - the PZEV flies at light throttle loads, while the ZETEC require 2/3 to 3/4 throttle to move out swiftly. At first I was worried that this higher acceleration would reduce mileage, but this has not been the case.
Average speeds on Friday night to Tahoe were under 70 to the incline, then 80 going up. Average speeds to Yosemite were 80. Top speed during some passes was 90. May have hit 80 or 90 in 3rd during one or two passes, not sure, but did not exceed 6,000 rpm. Can't tell what the redline is, it either isn't well marked, or it is the maximum indicated rpm, which is 7,000.
The upshift indicator light is useful. It came on during a couple of passes, not prematurely, but probably at the point where the shift would have been efficient based on my throttle position (which was not full throttle at that point). During slow and go traffic coming home on the flats, it would advise an upshift only when I was "lolling" at a slow speed for a while - mostly it would match the shift points I would have chosen, except of course it couldn't read the rode and tell when traffic was about to slow so an upshift would be wasted.
The upshift light is particularly useful because the engine is so quiet and smooth it is easy to be running a little faster rpms than I like for fuel efficiency. Likewise the engine is so torquey that there isn't as much "tactile feedback" for shifting. It's easier, therefore, to be in the "wrong" gear for optimum performance, unless you are paying attention.
The tires, reviews on TireRack.com to the contrary, are superb. I have Dunlop Sport A2's on my VW, and they whistle in the long sweeping curves at Yosemite. The RSA's on the Focus are silent. Also, the only road noise that comes in from the tires is on the really rotten sections of Highway 80 near Truckee (Tahoe).
I have to strongly recommend these later generation ZX3's (2003) with the PZEV engine as being the real street cars for the fast and pecunious - no bad boy rep like the Civics to overcome, and, short of mods, a hell of a lot faster.
Only defect so far? Some buzzing from the right C pillar (hatch pillar) area on the rough roads at Tahoe - which turned out to simply be an unlatched rear seat.
Favorites? The thick steering wheel with the "sloping" cross members that offer a perfect place to rest my hands at 10 and 2 o'clock positions - nice ergonomic touch. The large radio controls. The excellent sound from the base level CD system. The "arms straight" steering wheel position when the seat is dialed in. The lack of intrusion of the outside mirrors into the glass area, so I can easily squeege off the side windows (don't laugh, on my former Neon I couldn't fit a squeege in the front portion of the windows). Use of interior manual controls for the outside mirrors so I don't have to roll down the windows to adjust - and housing the outside mirrors so they don't bump out of position in car washes. Vanity mirrors on both sides. A passenger side seat release that "remembers" the recline position when you return the seat (come on Honda! get this one right). Very supportive side bolsters on the driver's seat. Solid quiet ride at speed.
Dislikes - after three years and purported upgrades, the fan is still noisy - but it's only noticeable at city speeds, at highway speeds the noise gets lost in the general noise of the freeway.
Initial conclusions - if the cost of aircon where the only difference between the Base model and the Premium model, too many goodies are sacrificed to take the Base model. As a loss leader coupon special, however, the Base model is the cheapest fast quality ride around, IMHO. $9K!
About six months ago I got a coupon as a former Ford owner for $500 off on a new Ford, but it expired before I bought this one.
A friend in LA told me they are advertising sticks with air for about 10 or 10.5 and autos for 11. That includes the hefty $2.5k rebate. However, we couldn't tell if this was the PZEV version or left-over 2.0's. Some dealers had one for sale and others had several at the ad prices. Ad prices in LA tend to be better than in the San Francicso area. It pays to shop in a competitive market if possible. I feel happy with a $9k car - what a price.
Also Ford has a locator website that lets you "build" a car then search for it at local dealers. By starting over with different zip codes you can zero in on the car you want, or try to match the ad car to the inventory shown on the computer. Ford's website is good where the local dealer doesn't have a good website.
When I bought my ZX3, I found some $13,500 cars at S&C Ford in San Francisco. Their website is great - VINS's, stock numbers, even manufacturer stickers. By looking at the sticker, I could tell the $13,500 price break cars are all stick shifts, Base model, no air - you have to jump to $14,500 to see sticks with air, which are in the Premium model configuration. The next jump at the S&C Ford website was $15,700 or so, for the Premium model (all come with air) but with an automatic.
If the ZX3 comes with an auto, at present you are guaranteed air. Sticks may or may not have air, but if the are MSRP'd above $14k they will have air.
Anyway, I then did a search at Hayward Ford, which has a miserable website in comparison - no access to dealer stickers, just some ginned up home grown info about options, which I wasn't sure was even accurate most of the time - since it was apparently manually typed in, not downloaded from the Ford computer base. However, Hayward Ford did show the PZEV. All of their $13,500 ZX3's were PZEV.
Then ad came out from Hayward for ZX3's at $8995 - and I was pretty sure the ad had to be for the Base model stick. I went back to the website and checked the inventory numbers and confirmed the PZEV and color. Then all I had to do was get to the dealer early - sometimes the ad cars go fast, but not usually in this economy. I got the color, white, that I wanted, and the other colors were neat, but with no air, I wanted white.
As I said in my earlier post, my friend saw aircon ZX3's and even auto ZX3's at great prices, but since I already had one, I didn't try to track down on the dealer inventory on the web whether they were PZEV's.
One thing I know: I'd rather have the PZEV with no air than a carry over 2 liter with air. I've driven both, and the PZEV is really, really strong. I was debating whether to wait until the body style gets refreshened in 2004, or until the Mazda clone in 2005, but I'd rather have the "mature" version with the bugs out, than a new version with new bugs. I never had a problem with the ZX3's performance or ergonomics, only with its defects.