I narrowed my choices down to the Focus, Protege, Nisson SE, Cavalier . I purchased the SE for several reasons.
Focus: Lack of proven reliability, Front seats not very comfortable. I have some concerns about the Ztec engine: two people I have talked to says the engine has vibratiions (normal per dealers), Quality control and recalls, Ford's track record with the quality and longlivity of their vehicles is not very hot IMHO. Many complaints of water leakage into the car. I rented a Focus for a trip and in general it handled OK but with the small engine, it could not get out of its own way. If you plan on keeping the vehicle a long time I would consider the extended warranty. I just don't think the car or engine is proven.
Protege: I just sat in the car and it reeked: "cheap". Interior looked cheap and seats very uncomfortable. Not a fair comparison as it is rated very highly with great power.
Cavalier: Wife couldn't handle the seats. Cavalier has proven reliability. It is a great value. This was my choice but wife ruled it out because of front seats. Its handling is also so-so.
I picked the Sentra : Although it is in it's second year for this body style, I understand major components are built in Japan. The car is assempled in Mexico in a new factory. Nisson Sentras and Nisson has solid reputations for reliability. The SE is the best value for the money IMHO. The 2L engine has been around for 10 years and has been modified to produce 800 HP. The all aluminum engine is S-O-L-I-D with 145 HP probably the rocket of the group. Engine also is carried in Infinity. The seats are comfortable and Has 15" alloy wheels, lots of power stuff and tuned suspension. I love the car. I just retired and plan on keeping it for close to 100,000 miles. As a hedge I bought the 7 year 100,000 bumper to bumper.
The Street Edition is a package available for the Focus SE...for 775 bucks. It can be had with AdvanceTrac as well, and sports 16" alloy wheels and a higher ratio differential than the ZTS...which means slightly quicker acceleration.
A salesman said that it had a thicker roll-bar than the ZTS, but I haven't read anything to that effect yet.
A comparably equipped ZTS is cheaper than the SE street edition with advancetrac. There is only one problem, which will probably prevent me from getting my hands on the street edition...it only comes in putrid yellow, and electric aqua velva blue...both colors which my wife cannot deal with.
I would take the bigger wheels, 6 disc changer, quicker acceleration, and slightly better handling and live with the color, over the ZTS.
Actually, the Street Edition is available in 3 colors: Egg Yolk Yellow, Malibu Blue, and InfraRed. (they advertise the Blue and the Yellow more because, outside of the Street Edition, those 2 colors are not available on the Sedan and Wagon.
The Euro suspension on the Street edition includes stiffer shocks and springs than on our US Foci. It's the kind of thing driving fans love.
iperkins: As far the the Ztec being the base engine, I don't think it would make economic sense for Ford since about 15% of Focus sales are to fleets (rental companies, government agencies, etc) who aren't interested in performance engines like the Zetec. But, according to rumors, the 2.0 Zetec will be replaced by one of Ford new Duratec engines (all aluminum block) in the Focus, probably by model year 2003. But yeah, as consumers, it would be nice to have the Zetec standard.
galahad13: Personally, I can't stand the styling on the new Sentra - though the engine, admittedly, does make my mouth water - so I'd never buy it. As far as reliablity goes, yes, the Focus is very much unproven - and questionable - so if that's very important to you, the Sentra might be the better option (since you do like it so much). Personally, though, I think the Focus is a better overall value and a more appealing vehicle. But maybe I'm biased:
And since there are import owners lurking and posting here who are waiting for our Foci to fall apart on us, I'd once again like to say that I've had no problems with my car so far. Keeping my fingers crossed...
Unless they’ve been living under a rock, no motor manufacturer could possibly ignore the incredible success of the PT Cruiser. Last week, Ford unveiled the Made in Detroit Focus at the Specialty Equipment Marketing Association show in Las Vegas - and this Focus concept vehicle fires a shot over the bow of DaimlerChrysler’s smash hit.
Anyone here who is pretty tall who enjoys driving a Focus? I'm 6'6", 220 lbs and currently drive a Contour SE Sport (only because the power seat gives more room than the standard seat). I'm looking well ahead to the next car and wonder if Ford can give me something close to what I want. I love the way the Contour handles and accelerates with the V6 and 5 speed, and the size is just right for me. Alas, they are going away... Would I be disappointed with a Focus?
A Passat or Maxima would fit me well, but I'd hate to spend that kind of money.
I'm not as tall as you...I'm only 5'10 and I have the 5-speed ZTS. I am comfortable in the car, but I do wish I had a few more inches of leg room. I'm more comfortable driving with my legs not as bent, but it hasn't been a problem.
At 6'6, I would think you'd be cramped, although I guess it's worth a shot.
I'm 6'0" 210 pd. and I have lots of space in my Focus. Plus I have the seat at the highest level and still have room above my head. Take a good test drive and you will know. I believe Focus has the tallest interior in compact sedans. Good luck!
I am 6'2 and weigh about 260 lbs. Head room isn't the problem in the Focus for me, it's the leg room. There isn't enough room for me to stetch out and push the pedals comfortably. Also, the seats seem to become uncomfortable after ahwile as well. I do like the design though. Too bad it isn't comfortable for me.
Personally, I think the Malibu Blue color is gorgeous. If it was available when I was ordering, that'd be the color I'd have chosen.
As far as my car goes, thanks for the compliments! It's actually a Sony Edition SE. The wheels are 17" Team Dynamics Monzas. I've also upgraded the exhaust and the intake, and dropped the car with H&R springs. It's impressive how the Zetec engine takes to modification, my car feels much more lively with just those 2 engine mods.
If there are any questions that you find are frequently asked about the Focus that are not already in this FAQ I'd be happy to hear them. If you have the answers too, even better! See the web page for submission details.
Many thanks, Jon focuszx3@ev1.net focusfaq@ev1.net
Actually, I hate all the mod kits out there that you see these ghetto busters use, but I must admit, i like the semi-modded Focus hanumang's got.. it looks sharp, without screaming "look at me cuz i'm so damn k-k00l". How much did all those mods cost you? I'm looking to do something to my Silver ZTS, i def need to tint my windows a bit, but i'm not sure what else to do... something to help boost acceleration or engine performance would be best
Pretegextwo -- how does it look like a rocket?! The actual physical design is the same -- the only difference is in the rims and the fact that he lowered it a few inches and upgraded the exhaust... I must say though, your comments are pretty ignorant and childish. Then again, no surprise there.
What do THOSE do? You plug'em in your ECU and they boost your horsepower and torque about 10% or so..do they make the performance tolerable at all? My local dealer's got a 2000 SE on his lot he's wanting to sell me real bad but it's only got the SOHC engine in it and no tach or CD player..(the car was a Hertz dump-off with about 20K on the odo so it dosen't have the DOHC engine in it) . But he only wants about $10k for it. Seems tempting for putzing around the city...
Protegextwo: You'd be surprised at the aftermarket parts available for the Focus. Though it's certainly, as you say, a mainstream car, Ford is trying to market it to the same 20-something crowd that tricks out Civics, Accords, etc. But, outside of that fact, people mod virtually all makes and models of cars. I've seen Hyundai Accents and Kia Sephias with 17" chrome rims. To each his own.
Personally, I take no offense at what you say (I don't sense you as being malicious), but I am sometimes irritated by the condescending tone you take (ie. is the slang and the term rice really necessary?) when posting on this forum.
schmide10: Thanks for the compliments on my car. As for what you might want to do to boost performance, I'd say the best thing would be to check out the discussion forums at FocalJet.com, the people there are very knowledgeable.
Personally, I gained a noticiable boost from my custom exahust - 2.25" piping (as opposed to the 2" OEM piping) and a high flow muffler - and the AEM short ram intake. My father (totally not interested in car modding) even remarks at how much peppier the car feels now. The Zetec engine responds very well to modifications. Of course, for most people, the exhaust mod is a no-no since they tend to be quite loud.
dp12: According to dyno information provided by people at FocalJet, the superchip actually does not increase horsepower or torque. What it does do is remove the speed limiter in certain engine codes, raise the revs between shifts and eliminate the ~2300 rpm hesitation. Those with auto trannys say that the chip makes the tranny shift better. The other thing the chip does is alter the engine's timing, so you'll need to run 91 or higher octane. If those are performance attributes that matter to you, you might want to invest in it. Personally, it's one mod that I'll skip.
As far as the SE with the SPI goes, I'm suspicious of dumped rental cars, but, as long as the car is in good shape, 10K is a pretty good deal.
Hanumang...I am impressed. I like your modifications very much. Too bad I am too friggin lazy to do anything but clean mine. Didn't that void your warranty though? When I was shopping for mine, I found one on a lot that had everything I wanted on it. Except cruise. When I told them that it didn't matter I would just have an aftermarket cruise put on it, he told me that would likely void the warranty. I can't imagine what he would have to say about yours.
Rocket or no rocket, it looks sweet. Planning on doing anything else to it?
schmide10: Sorry, I forgot that you were curious about how much I've been spending on mods. If you - or anyone else - have specific questions, feel free to e-mail me at neil_ghoshal@yahoo.com
xyzipp2: Thanks for the compliments on my car!
Now, as far as warranty questions go: legally, with most bold-on mods, only the portion of the warranty covering the parts that you replace, or any associated part, will be voided. For example, in installing an aftermarket intake, I've voided the portion covering the intake.
When it comes to repairs, legally, you can only be forced to pay if the aftermarket part can be proven to be the cause of failure. To continue with the intake example, AEM intakes use K&N air filters (which are oiled to trap dirt). If, after the 50K mile cleaning, I over do it when re-oiling it, the excess oil will cause the Mass Air Flow sensor to choke and fail. Under this scenario, when I get my MAF repaired/replaced, I'll be forced to pay for the repair since my aftermarket part caused the failure.
However, some dealerships are rather shady when it comes to dealing with customers with aftermarket parts (they'll literally pull stuff out of their a***s to explain how your aftermarket part caused this or that failure). My own dealership is very cool with aftermakert parts (they even install aftermarket parts on cars themselves), so my best advice is to proceed with caution and establish some acceptable losses (if any) when it comes to your warranty, should you want to 'spruce up' your Focus.
The only caveat here is if you install something like a turbo or supercharger, which, because of the forced air induction, potentially voids your entire warranty since it's an add-on that puts increased stess on your engine, transmission & suspension.
For those interested, here's how the mods I've done have affected my warranty: Intake: possibly the MAF (since i have an oiled K&N filter) Exahust: since I've retained the catalytic converter, it voids nothing Lowering springs: voids the warranty on the associated suspension components (ie. shocks) and the 'squeaks and rattles' warranty. Wheels, tires: don't void any portion of the warranty
As for what else I've got definite plans on doing:
matching H&R sport shocks
the hella headlight conversion
Nology spark plug wires
Carbon fiber altezza style taillights (protegextwo, I'm sure you'll love that
It all depends on what other products are made available, and whether or not a get married in a coming months...
One word of caution: modding this car is extremely addictive. When I was thinking of buying this car, I had no desire to do anything to it. But after some time, I got the itch to mod and I've been in trouble ever since.
any word on the 2.3l engine due out in the focus sometime later this model year? also, what type of gas mileage are you getting with a 2.0 sedan with automatic and all the other bells and whistles? thanks.
mpgman: The January 2001 issue of Automotive Engineering says that the 2.3 will be out this year in the Ranger. A 1.8 and 2.0 version will be in the Mondeo this year also. No mention of Focus.
Regarding fuel economy: I have a 2.0 Zetec in a sedan w/ automatic, 2200 miles. It gets 19-21 very consistently in town. I live 4 miles from work. I have limited highway experience with it so far, but got 25-28 mpg on the two opportunities which were far from optimum. (single digit temperatures, high winds, ice, snow, speed from 10 to 75, the ditches and medians on I80 and I380 looked like junk yards back in mid December)
... of the 2.3-liter Ford engine I had in my 1994 Mazda B2300 pickup (a re-badged Ranger built by Ford in Ohio). That engine was nothing but trouble. I had it rebuilt several times under warranty, then the dealership EXTENDED my warranty and kept rebuilding it! I've never had so many problems with an engine before. Pray this new engine ain't a derivative of that one.
(If you think I'm just causing trouble, see for yourself. Go over to www.fordranger.com and check out the 2.3-liter message board.)
Just because an engine has the same # liter size does not mean it's the same design. (2.3L) I've seen so many posts where the writer swears up and down an engine is the same as another, simply because "Well, it's the x.x L".
The 2.3 sitting in the Rangers and 80's Mustang's was a desendent of the four cyl.'s used in Pintos! The upcoming 2.3L is all new and Mazda had a hand in its design.
I can reccomend reading the info from What Car magazine at www.whatcar.com on the Mondeo for 2001 , its the new engine series that will be coming to North America. Duratec i believe, like the v6.
What??? A 2.3L in a Focus??? Ooohh I sure hope it's not like the one I had in my old 76 Pinto. Now how many times DID I have that rebuilt.. 2? 3? Gives me shudders to even think about such a beast in a Focus. Now on the other hand, if it's Mazda-built, I think it would do just fine. In fact, a Protege as a re-born Focus with a Mazda engine in it sounds rather nice...
Yeah, I know, I know, enough with the Protege already!!...
I have a 2000 Focus automatic sedan with the Zetec engine, just over 6200 miles, and my gas mileage is usually around 25. When I just drive around town (constant stop & go in Northern Virginia), my mileage is very low, like "frosty_00," at about 20-21 mpg. The 25 mpg is based on speeds varying from 10-75. My commute to work is 8 miles (one-way), and I stop by the gas station every 1 1/2 to 2 weeks.
The Ford Focus is an excellent new compact car and Consumer Reports magazine rated it #1 in the most recent issue. That's right, a higher rating than the Honda Civic, Nissan Sentra, Toyota Corolla, Chevy Prizm, and many others. I can't remember if the Mazda Protege was listed, but I'm pretty sure that it was. I'll post back with the ratings when I find the magazine, as it seems to have been misplaced!
Consumer Reports did note that they could not "recommend" the Ford Focus at this time, because of first year reliability ratings, but it is still their highest rated in that class.
I've had my Focus for 8 1/2 months now and I love it.
Reliability = The liklihood that a product will work as designed when used repeatedly, over a stretch of time...
Of course the reliability is going to be a factor, there is absolutely no history to the Focus, no statistics, nothing to report on...
That will change in time, and while some of the difficulties of the 2000 model (RECALLS! That's all anyone can really gripe about -- like i've said before, I've seen very few posts related to any other problems), those difficulties will disappear in time.
And then you will have the 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, etc. cars of the year.
And then all of you "Anti-Focus" people can jump on the bandwagon, and we'll be here lovin every second of it.
I can give you my opinion. I own an SL2 (1992) and have an order in for a '01 Focus wagon. I also bought a '01 Mazda MPV last spring. The Saturn was the second year of a brand new car, somewhat comparable to the 'O1 Focus situation. While I am still very pleased with the Saturn (77,000 miles so far), my research concludes that Saturn is somewhat resting on its laurels and not kept up with technological progress. I, too, would have picked the ZTS, but this will be my son's car and he wants the (practical) wagon, which is comparable to the ZTS mechanically. Honda's ain't bad (I've owned an Accord); try them both and crunch the numbers. Its a buyers' market, negotiate hard, then let this forum know where you are and what you were able to get the car for. Information is power!
protegextwo, thanks for the list, but that's not the one I was referring to...in the most recent issue with the ratings of cell phones & plans, there is a section with one-page reviews for the Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla, Chevy Cavalier, Hyundai Elantra, etc. There is a list of Consumer Reports' top picks. The Ford Focus ZTS was #1, followed by the Honda Civic at #2.
I agree with schmide10, as with ANY vehicle that is in its first year, there will be some things to work out and improve upon. Heck, that's true with vehicles that have been around forever!
The Ford Focus is a quality car. It's won tons of awards and has been favorably rated.
I'm still looking for the Consumer Reports issue...
With the consolidation of chassis, it would seem logical for Ford to mate the Protege and the Focus. They did with the Escort. There are rumors they will do it again. Has anyone seen the Focus 5? It is only sold outside the US. It is not called the Focus 5, of course, but it is very identical/similar looking to the Protege 5.
As for future Focus engines: Ford did shoe horn a 2.5L V-6 Duratec into the Focus. Very tight. Not serviceable. Maybe the 2003 will be modified to accept a V-6. VW has a V-6 in their Golf/Jetta, but it is narrow angle V-6, not at 60 degrees. Tight, but fits better and is serviceable. Nissan is putting a 2.5L V-6 into the Sentra. Problem with the V-6's? Too much weight in the front end causing way too much under steer. Great off the line, but nerve racking in and out of turns. The all-new (Ford/Mazda joint-venture) 2.3L I-4 is the route Ford is taking. Ford SVT was working on 170+ HP 2.0L I-4. Now, they could work on 2.3L, instead. Better torque than the 2.0L? Absolutely. HP closer to 200? Maybe! Protege, too? Sure.
And how about an all wheel drive focus! And Protege! Probably, in the form of the wagon/5. Also rumored. Now, I could see a V-6 in these versions. Not perfect, but better weight distribution.
Personally, I like both Focus and Protege. But these two are only good because of their counter parts. Competition is great, isn't it.
I have placed an order for a new car so I have to unload my 2000 Focus in Silver. It has Auto, Power everything, Factory CD player, factory 16 in wheels, a/c, and cruise control. I will sell the car with the waterproof seat covers and roof rack. I may also include the bike for a few more $$$. The car was bought in June 2000 and has 9900 miles on it. It has been faithfully serviced by the Ford dealership that it was purchased at. I have all of the records. The sticker was ~$16,500 and I paid about ~$15,200. I am selling it for $13,500 OBO. It is in perfect shape with NO dents, dings or scratches. I am the fanatical guy that parks way far out at the end of a parking lot to avoid these things. . It has also been garaged for all of its short life. VIN and complete pictures of the car available by request at kprince@myfirstlink.net. The car is in the Dallas metro area. Thank you for your time and have a great day! Ken
I have a 00 Focus w/zetec engine and 7500 miles. When shifting auto trans. from park to drive or to reverse the transmission seems to take about 3-4 seconds to engage. Anyone else had this occur. I'm looking for clues prior to going to dealership. Love the car so far.
I was looking for a good commuter car and all around family car. Edmunds.com was a big help as was Consumers Reports on-line. I'm not a "car guy" I just want reliable and comfortable transportation. My needs were few; Cruise-for the hour drive on the expressway, ABS, and an automatic. The back seat had to be roomy as I'm always hauling people around. I test drove in the following order; Kia Sephia, Elantra, Focus, Sentra, Civic, Corolla, and Protege. I'll save my comments on each for another post. I have never had much respect for ford products, so I drove into the dealership with a healthy dose of skepticism. I only drove the car because my wife thought it was cute. Several dealers later I humbly had to admit... focus was the hands down winner. My only concern after reading this forum was quality. However after lurking here for a month it seemed to be a part supplier problem and not build quality. I was confident that the 2001 models would have the kinks worked out. My wife was sold on the style, and I was sold on the feel of the drive. It felt solid and comfortable. It was apparent that a lot of thought had been put into the layout of the controls. I loved the driving position. Doesn't feel like your sitting on the floor. More van-like, good view of the road. We like the Focus right away but ever the cautious consumer we retested a couple of other cars that we liked (Protege., Civic), but we ended up comparing them to the Focus. After two months of research we ordered a ZTS in gold with abs, auto, and side air bags. A week before delivery we visited my sister an spent a week driving her 2000 Camry. I have always been a Toyota fan and still stand by the quality of their cars. If our budget had allowed it we would have bought one right away. But! to our surprise we found the focus design beat Toyota hands down. (note: I said design not quality, so don't go flaming me) I have never ever been so satisfied with a car purchase. For the next week we kept finding little details that we never noticed before. To other car owners who keep putting the focus down, I wish you all the best and hope your cars keep running for the 300k miles. But please don't judge this car by all the others made by Ford. To all future car buyers, remember, this is just my opinion. This car fitted my needs perfectly. This may not be your car. Do your homework and test drive as many cars as possible as many times as possible. All the best PS Sorry this post is so long
No need to apologize for the length of your message. Communication is the name of the game.
As someone who ordered a Focus wagon in Nov. (delivery promised any day now) it is reassuring to hear of others' satisfaction with the car. I am still comparison shopping, and am still not finding another comparable car that beats the Focus.
I, too, wanted (and hence had to special order a car with) side air bags. Extra safety for not much extra money. Why don't people in general clamor for side air bags?
Thanks again for sharing your experience. Keep doing so.
I've been looking at the cars in the same class as the Focus (mostly Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla), and the Focus is an attractive car. There have been a few questions, however, about some people doubting the reliability of this car. Do you think this is a reliable car?
Also, does anyone know if there's a lot of Mazda technology into this vehicle?
I would also like to know (sorry about the series of questions), but have you paid a lot under MSRP, or was the price listed on the sticker the price you paid?
The reason I'm asking all those questions is that there's a Ford dealer 2 mins. from my home, whereas the Toyota and Honda dealerships are both at least 20-30 mins. away. I'm wondering if the Focus is of equal quality of a Toyota or Honda.
I've been doing a lot of research as far as prices goes. Reasonably, you should not pay more than $150 - $200 over invoice of the car, provided if that dealership has good movement of its inventory and especially if you special order the car.
From my research, it shows that if a dealer orders the car for you, they will make 3% of the MSRP even if they sell it to you at invoice price, so negotiate hard.
One thing you should definitely be aware of though, make sure your FORD dealership is good with after-sales service. From what I've read so far on the msg board, your experience with the FOCUS will largely depend on how helpful the dealership is after the sale considering there have been a few recalls for the 2000 (first year) model.
It seems to me that I see alot of Focuses (Foci?) on used-car lots with low mileage. I would think if you see a car with under 10K on a used lot, it's not a good sign. Does that make sense to anyone else besides me?
Vocus...where in the world are you seeing this plethora of used foci?? A friend of mine decided he wanted to shop for a used focus. We found one. That is with going to 9 ford dealers and numerous used car lots that sold late model vehicles. The one that we came across was so ridiculously overpriced that it wasn't funny. I do not call into question your integrity, but I will say the reason that it doesn't seem funny to people that there is this overload of used foci is because there ISN'T an overload. At least in my part of the world.
Under MSRP?! Go for under Invoice! The '01 Focus wagon I ordered in November '00 I got for $100 under invoice. You should be able to do better now what with the economy stagnating and Ford sales slipping. It is a buyer's market and the dealers know it. Shop with confidence.
Has anyone had any problems with the 2001 models of the Focus? Did Ford fix everything that went wrong on the 2000 models? We are a little concerned with the number of recalls on the 2000 model and do not want to have the same hassles.
I have been car shopping for a month now. I have never owned a new car. In fact, I have never owned a car made in the same decade I was living in. (owned 70's cars in the 80's, 80's in the 90's, etc) My 1986 Old 98 Regency recently had an electrical fire under the dash and the estimate to repair exceeds the value of my car. So, I have been shopping for a brand new car. Reliability is a huge issue to me as before the fire, my car had been in an out of the repair shop 4 times in a month and had $800 dollars in repairs dropped on it.
I have been looking at Hyundai's and at the Focus. I liked both equally and decided to test drive them. The Hyundai salesman rocked! He was a former Ford salesman and even drove a Focus himself. He made a point of finding out what I needed in a car and selling me on cars that met those needs. I told him I'd get back to him after checking out the Focus.
The Ford sales guy was a huge mistake. I know it's their job to sell, but please! When I got there, he pressured me to lease. I want to buy. He stuck me in the highest end, most expensive model of the Focus and told me the model that is closer to what I would buy was out on another test drive. (Possible, but who knows.) Then he tried to sell me on a Taurus when he knew what my budget was.
During the test drive, I mentioned that while the seat was comfy, my arms and hands seemed to really stretch to reach the wheel. It was 2 days later that I found out that the Focus has a telescoping steering wheel! Also, our seat comfort was diminished by the freezing cold leather!
At the point where we talked numbers, he came back and told us we qualified for lowest tier financing which he said was 9.9 and for a 48 month term, we could buy the DE with comfort package for $425/month! LOB! I told him no, that was too high. He came back with 7.9 financing and a final offer of $301/month. I turned him down and said I KNEW I could get it for a monthly of around $230-$280. He never gave me an actual dealer price... just a monthly payment and when I got home and crunched the numbers, I was shocked at the markup he would have gotten had I been uninformed or intimidated into buying.
Granted this is only one salesman at one dealer, but I have not had much better luck at the 3 other Ford dealers I have talked to. There is one a little North of here that has a no haggle policy, I may go there just to see what happens... but at this point, I am leaning towards the Hyundai. Thanks for the outlet and enjoy your cars! Amy
I drove them all, Civic, Sentra, Neon, Corolla, Cavalier, etc. I bought the ZTS 4 door Sedan. Do yourself a favor and buy American this time. None of them can compare option to option with quality and ride for the price. The Focus is NEW to the USA, but it has been selling in Europe for 3 years. It’s designed from the ground up by the same team that built the NEW (Lincoln-LS / Jaguar) chassis. It has unbelievable handling that is both nimble when needed and soft when cruising. It comes loaded with features that only the rest of them wish they could get as standard equipment. It was 2000 car of the year and this year it is still one of the 10 best choices of Car & Driver magazine. Here's what Car & Driver wrote: "Yet despite it's affordable price, the Focus delivers responsive handling, a fluid ride, a nicely finished interior, and more space than that of several mid-size cars. We are also intrigued by the peculiarly angular styling that sets the Focus apart.
It all adds up to an affordable and sensible car that delivers style and satisfaction. With prices starting at less than $13,000, that's remarkable."
It's your money, spend it wisely, and buy a Focus ZTS. Then when one of your friends buy a Honda Civic, just laugh and tell them they got a lot less car for a lot more money. When they get done talking that Honda crap...tell them to line it up and commence busting that [non-permissible content removed]! Trust me!
Comments
Focus: Lack of proven reliability, Front seats not very comfortable. I have some concerns about the Ztec engine: two people I have talked to says the engine has vibratiions (normal per dealers), Quality control and recalls, Ford's track record with the quality and longlivity of their vehicles is not very hot IMHO. Many complaints of water leakage into the car. I rented a Focus for a trip and in general it handled OK but with the small engine, it could not get out of its own way. If you plan on keeping the vehicle a long time I would consider the extended warranty. I just don't think the car or engine is proven.
Protege: I just sat in the car and it reeked: "cheap". Interior looked cheap and seats very uncomfortable. Not a fair comparison as it is rated very highly with great power.
Cavalier: Wife couldn't handle the seats. Cavalier has proven reliability. It is a great value. This was my choice but wife ruled it out because of front seats. Its handling is also so-so.
I picked the Sentra : Although it is in it's second year for this body style, I understand major components are built in Japan. The car is assempled in Mexico in a new factory. Nisson Sentras and Nisson has solid reputations for reliability. The SE is the best value for the money IMHO. The 2L engine has been around for 10 years and has been modified to produce 800 HP. The all aluminum engine is S-O-L-I-D with 145 HP probably the rocket of the group. Engine also is carried in Infinity. The seats are comfortable and Has 15" alloy wheels, lots of power stuff and tuned suspension. I love the car. I just retired and plan on keeping it for close to 100,000 miles. As a hedge I bought the 7 year 100,000 bumper to bumper.
My $.02-good luck.
The Street Edition is a package available for the Focus SE...for 775 bucks. It can be had with AdvanceTrac as well, and sports 16" alloy wheels and a higher ratio differential than the ZTS...which means slightly quicker acceleration.
A salesman said that it had a thicker roll-bar than the ZTS, but I haven't read anything to that effect yet.
A comparably equipped ZTS is cheaper than the SE street edition with advancetrac. There is only one problem, which will probably prevent me from getting my hands on the street edition...it only comes in putrid yellow, and electric aqua velva blue...both colors which my wife cannot deal with.
I would take the bigger wheels, 6 disc changer, quicker acceleration, and slightly better handling and live with the color, over the ZTS.
Anyway, that's the story.
-Later
The Euro suspension on the Street edition includes stiffer shocks and springs than on our US Foci. It's the kind of thing driving fans love.
iperkins: As far the the Ztec being the base engine, I don't think it would make economic sense for Ford since about 15% of Focus sales are to fleets (rental companies, government agencies, etc) who aren't interested in performance engines like the Zetec. But, according to rumors, the 2.0 Zetec will be replaced by one of Ford new Duratec engines (all aluminum block) in the Focus, probably by model year 2003. But yeah, as consumers, it would be nice to have the Zetec standard.
galahad13: Personally, I can't stand the styling on the new Sentra - though the engine, admittedly, does make my mouth water - so I'd never buy it. As far as reliablity goes, yes, the Focus is very much unproven - and questionable - so if that's very important to you, the Sentra might be the better option (since you do like it so much). Personally, though, I think the Focus is a better overall value and a more appealing vehicle. But maybe I'm biased:
And since there are import owners lurking and posting here who are waiting for our Foci to fall apart on us, I'd once again like to say that I've had no problems with my car so far. Keeping my fingers crossed...
peace
Read more @ http://www.news24.co.za/News24/Wheels24/News/0,2979,2-15-47_940632,00.html
You're right! but still I wanted to share the article. ;-) here's another link: http://www.autoworld.com/news/full_story.asp?id=349
Looking foward to see it (with doubt) in 2001 Chicago's Auto Show, Feb 9th to 18th
BTW, Proud Owner of a Silver ZTS since August' 00 :-)
A Passat or Maxima would fit me well, but I'd hate to spend that kind of money.
Rich
Where did you get the additional info on the street edition ?? I haven't found any specifics in my "searching."
Your Focus looks sweet...what kind of stuff have you done to it ? The wheels look nice. Is it a ZTS ?
If only I could factory order the street edition with another color...I'll have to look into that.
-Peace
At 6'6, I would think you'd be cramped, although I guess it's worth a shot.
Good luck...
Personally, I think the Malibu Blue color is gorgeous. If it was available when I was ordering, that'd be the color I'd have chosen.
As far as my car goes, thanks for the compliments! It's actually a Sony Edition SE. The wheels are 17" Team Dynamics Monzas. I've also upgraded the exhaust and the intake, and dropped the car with H&R springs. It's impressive how the Zetec engine takes to modification, my car feels much more lively with just those 2 engine mods.
peace
peace
- an overabundance of stickers/badges, or for things not on/in your car
- a wing/spoiler the size of a park bench
- dropping the car extremely low, say 3" or more, usually by cutting the OEM or aftermarket springs
- putting a dual exhaust on a car with an OEM single exhaust.
- outrageous body kits which actually make your car less aerodynamic
My car is none of those things.But you're the Protege owner, I guess you know best. LOL.
peace
I've made a start at putting together a Ford Focus FAQ. The page can be found on my Focus site at: http://users.ev1.net/~sturgeon/car/focus/focus.htm
If there are any questions that you find are frequently asked about the Focus that are not already in this FAQ I'd be happy to hear them. If you have the answers too, even better! See the web page for submission details.
Many thanks,
Jon
focuszx3@ev1.net
focusfaq@ev1.net
Pretegextwo -- how does it look like a rocket?! The actual physical design is the same -- the only difference is in the rims and the fact that he lowered it a few inches and upgraded the exhaust... I must say though, your comments are pretty ignorant and childish. Then again, no surprise there.
Personally, I take no offense at what you say (I don't sense you as being malicious), but I am sometimes irritated by the condescending tone you take (ie. is the slang and the term rice really necessary?) when posting on this forum.
schmide10: Thanks for the compliments on my car. As for what you might want to do to boost performance, I'd say the best thing would be to check out the discussion forums at FocalJet.com, the people there are very knowledgeable.
Personally, I gained a noticiable boost from my custom exahust - 2.25" piping (as opposed to the 2" OEM piping) and a high flow muffler - and the AEM short ram intake. My father (totally not interested in car modding) even remarks at how much peppier the car feels now. The Zetec engine responds very well to modifications. Of course, for most people, the exhaust mod is a no-no since they tend to be quite loud.
dp12: According to dyno information provided by people at FocalJet, the superchip actually does not increase horsepower or torque. What it does do is remove the speed limiter in certain engine codes, raise the revs between shifts and eliminate the ~2300 rpm hesitation. Those with auto trannys say that the chip makes the tranny shift better. The other thing the chip does is alter the engine's timing, so you'll need to run 91 or higher octane. If those are performance attributes that matter to you, you might want to invest in it. Personally, it's one mod that I'll skip.
As far as the SE with the SPI goes, I'm suspicious of dumped rental cars, but, as long as the car is in good shape, 10K is a pretty good deal.
peace
Rocket or no rocket, it looks sweet. Planning on doing anything else to it?
xyzipp2: Thanks for the compliments on my car!
Now, as far as warranty questions go: legally, with most bold-on mods, only the portion of the warranty covering the parts that you replace, or any associated part, will be voided. For example, in installing an aftermarket intake, I've voided the portion covering the intake.
When it comes to repairs, legally, you can only be forced to pay if the aftermarket part can be proven to be the cause of failure. To continue with the intake example, AEM intakes use K&N air filters (which are oiled to trap dirt). If, after the 50K mile cleaning, I over do it when re-oiling it, the excess oil will cause the Mass Air Flow sensor to choke and fail. Under this scenario, when I get my MAF repaired/replaced, I'll be forced to pay for the repair since my aftermarket part caused the failure.
However, some dealerships are rather shady when it comes to dealing with customers with aftermarket parts (they'll literally pull stuff out of their a***s to explain how your aftermarket part caused this or that failure). My own dealership is very cool with aftermakert parts (they even install aftermarket parts on cars themselves), so my best advice is to proceed with caution and establish some acceptable losses (if any) when it comes to your warranty, should you want to 'spruce up' your Focus.
The only caveat here is if you install something like a turbo or supercharger, which, because of the forced air induction, potentially voids your entire warranty since it's an add-on that puts increased stess on your engine, transmission & suspension.
For those interested, here's how the mods I've done have affected my warranty:
Intake: possibly the MAF (since i have an oiled K&N filter)
Exahust: since I've retained the catalytic converter, it voids nothing
Lowering springs: voids the warranty on the associated suspension components (ie. shocks) and the 'squeaks and rattles' warranty.
Wheels, tires: don't void any portion of the warranty
As for what else I've got definite plans on doing:
- matching H&R sport shocks
- the hella headlight conversion
- Nology spark plug wires
- Carbon fiber altezza style taillights (protegextwo, I'm sure you'll love that
It all depends on what other products are made available, and whether or not a get married in a coming months...One word of caution: modding this car is extremely addictive. When I was thinking of buying this car, I had no desire to do anything to it. But after some time, I got the itch to mod and I've been in trouble ever since.
peace
According to my sources, it's not gonna be out untill the '03 MY.
mpgman: The January 2001 issue of Automotive Engineering says that the 2.3 will be out this year in the Ranger. A 1.8 and 2.0 version will be in the Mondeo this year also. No mention of Focus.
Regarding fuel economy: I have a 2.0 Zetec in a sedan w/ automatic, 2200 miles. It gets 19-21 very consistently in town. I live 4 miles from work.
I have limited highway experience with it so far, but got 25-28 mpg on the two opportunities which were far from optimum. (single digit temperatures, high winds, ice, snow, speed from 10 to 75, the ditches and medians on I80 and I380 looked like junk yards back in mid December)
(If you think I'm just causing trouble, see for yourself. Go over to www.fordranger.com and check out the 2.3-liter message board.)
Meade
The 2.3 sitting in the Rangers and 80's Mustang's was a desendent of the four cyl.'s used in Pintos!
The upcoming 2.3L is all new and Mazda had a hand in its design.
Yeah, I know, I know, enough with the Protege already!!...
Consumer Reports did note that they could not "recommend" the Ford Focus at this time, because of first year reliability ratings, but it is still their highest rated in that class.
I've had my Focus for 8 1/2 months now and I love it.
Of course the reliability is going to be a factor, there is absolutely no history to the Focus, no statistics, nothing to report on...
That will change in time, and while some of the difficulties of the 2000 model (RECALLS! That's all anyone can really gripe about -- like i've said before, I've seen very few posts related to any other problems), those difficulties will disappear in time.
And then you will have the 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, etc. cars of the year.
And then all of you "Anti-Focus" people can jump on the bandwagon, and we'll be here lovin every second of it.
The Saturn was the second year of a brand new car, somewhat comparable to the 'O1 Focus situation. While I am still very pleased with the Saturn (77,000 miles so far), my research concludes that Saturn is somewhat resting on its laurels and not kept up with technological progress. I, too, would have picked the ZTS, but this will be my son's car and he wants the (practical) wagon, which is comparable to the ZTS mechanically. Honda's ain't bad (I've owned an Accord); try them both and crunch the numbers. Its a buyers' market, negotiate hard, then let this forum know where you are and what you were able to get the car for. Information is power!
-Louisville, Kentucky
I've updated the Focus FAQ I'm currently maintaining. Please take a look and let me know if you can contribute any information:
http://users.ev1.net/~sturgeon/car/focus/faq/focus-faq.htm
Many thanks,
Jon
I agree with schmide10, as with ANY vehicle that is in its first year, there will be some things to work out and improve upon. Heck, that's true with vehicles that have been around forever!
The Ford Focus is a quality car. It's won tons of awards and has been favorably rated.
I'm still looking for the Consumer Reports issue...
As for future Focus engines: Ford did shoe horn a 2.5L V-6 Duratec into the Focus. Very tight. Not serviceable. Maybe the 2003 will be modified to accept a V-6. VW has a V-6 in their Golf/Jetta, but it is narrow angle V-6, not at 60 degrees. Tight, but fits better and is serviceable. Nissan is putting a 2.5L V-6 into the Sentra. Problem with the V-6's? Too much weight in the front end causing way too much under steer. Great off the line, but nerve racking in and out of turns. The all-new (Ford/Mazda joint-venture) 2.3L I-4 is the route Ford is taking. Ford SVT was working on 170+ HP 2.0L I-4. Now, they could work on 2.3L, instead. Better torque than the 2.0L? Absolutely. HP closer to 200? Maybe! Protege, too? Sure.
And how about an all wheel drive focus! And Protege! Probably, in the form of the wagon/5. Also rumored. Now, I could see a V-6 in these versions. Not perfect, but better weight distribution.
Personally, I like both Focus and Protege. But these two are only good because of their counter parts. Competition is great, isn't it.
Ken
I test drove in the following order; Kia Sephia, Elantra, Focus, Sentra, Civic, Corolla, and Protege. I'll save my comments on each for another post. I have never had much respect for ford products, so I drove into the dealership with a healthy dose of skepticism. I only drove the car because my wife thought it was cute. Several dealers later I humbly had to admit... focus was the hands down winner. My only concern after reading this forum was quality. However after lurking here for a month it seemed to be a part supplier problem and not build quality. I was confident that the 2001 models would have the kinks worked out. My wife was sold on the style, and I was sold on the feel of the drive. It felt solid and comfortable. It was apparent that a lot of thought had been put into the layout of the controls. I loved the driving position. Doesn't feel like your sitting on the floor. More van-like, good view of the road. We like the Focus right away but ever the cautious consumer we retested a couple of other cars that we liked (Protege., Civic), but we ended up comparing them to the Focus. After two months of research we ordered a ZTS in gold with abs, auto, and side air bags.
A week before delivery we visited my sister an spent a week driving her 2000 Camry. I have always been a Toyota fan and still stand by the quality of their cars. If our budget had allowed it we would have bought one right away. But! to our surprise we found the focus design beat Toyota hands down. (note: I said design not quality, so don't go flaming me) I have never ever been so satisfied with a car purchase. For the next week we kept finding little details that we never noticed before.
To other car owners who keep putting the focus down, I wish you all the best and hope your cars keep running for the 300k miles. But please don't judge this car by all the others made by Ford. To all future car buyers, remember, this is just my opinion. This car fitted my needs perfectly. This may not be your car. Do your homework and test drive as many cars as possible as many times as possible.
All the best
PS Sorry this post is so long
As someone who ordered a Focus wagon in Nov. (delivery promised any day now) it is reassuring to hear of others' satisfaction with the car. I am still comparison shopping, and am still not finding another comparable car that beats the Focus.
I, too, wanted (and hence had to special order a car with) side air bags. Extra safety for not much extra money. Why don't people in general clamor for side air bags?
Thanks again for sharing your experience. Keep doing so.
-Louisville, KY
Also, does anyone know if there's a lot of Mazda technology into this vehicle?
I would also like to know (sorry about the series of questions), but have you paid a lot under MSRP, or was the price listed on the sticker the price you paid?
The reason I'm asking all those questions is that there's a Ford dealer 2 mins. from my home, whereas the Toyota and Honda dealerships are both at least 20-30 mins. away. I'm wondering if the Focus is of equal quality of a Toyota or Honda.
From my research, it shows that if a dealer orders the car for you, they will make 3% of the MSRP even if they sell it to you at invoice price, so negotiate hard.
One thing you should definitely be aware of though, make sure your FORD dealership is good with after-sales service. From what I've read so far on the msg board, your experience with the FOCUS will largely depend on how helpful the dealership is after the sale considering there have been a few recalls for the 2000 (first year) model.
I have been car shopping for a month now. I have never owned a new car. In fact, I have never owned a car made in the same decade I was living in. (owned 70's cars in the 80's, 80's in the 90's, etc) My 1986 Old 98 Regency recently had an electrical fire under the dash and the estimate to repair exceeds the value of my car. So, I have been shopping for a brand new car. Reliability is a huge issue to me as before the fire, my car had been in an out of the repair shop 4 times in a month and had $800 dollars in repairs dropped on it.
I have been looking at Hyundai's and at the Focus. I liked both equally and decided to test drive them. The Hyundai salesman rocked! He was a former Ford salesman and even drove a Focus himself. He made a point of finding out what I needed in a car and selling me on cars that met those needs. I told him I'd get back to him after checking out the Focus.
The Ford sales guy was a huge mistake. I know it's their job to sell, but please! When I got there, he pressured me to lease. I want to buy. He stuck me in the highest end, most expensive model of the Focus and told me the model that is closer to what I would buy was out on another test drive. (Possible, but who knows.) Then he tried to sell me on a Taurus when he knew what my budget was.
During the test drive, I mentioned that while the seat was comfy, my arms and hands seemed to really stretch to reach the wheel. It was 2 days later that I found out that the Focus has a telescoping steering wheel! Also, our seat comfort was diminished by the freezing cold leather!
At the point where we talked numbers, he came back and told us we qualified for lowest tier financing which he said was 9.9 and for a 48 month term, we could buy the DE with comfort package for $425/month! LOB! I told him no, that was too high. He came back with 7.9 financing and a final offer of $301/month. I turned him down and said I KNEW I could get it for a monthly of around $230-$280. He never gave me an actual dealer price... just a monthly payment and when I got home and crunched the numbers, I was shocked at the markup he would have gotten had I been uninformed or intimidated into buying.
Granted this is only one salesman at one dealer, but I have not had much better luck at the 3 other Ford dealers I have talked to. There is one a little North of here that has a no haggle policy, I may go there just to see what happens... but at this point, I am leaning towards the Hyundai. Thanks for the outlet and enjoy your cars!
Amy
It all adds up to an affordable and sensible car that delivers style and satisfaction. With prices starting at less than $13,000, that's remarkable."
It's your money, spend it wisely, and buy a Focus ZTS. Then when one of your friends buy a Honda Civic, just laugh and tell them they got a lot less car for a lot more money. When they get done talking that Honda crap...tell them to line it up and commence busting that [non-permissible content removed]! Trust me!